Man Commits Suicide in Mansfield, Texas Jail

The Burleson Police Department, in Tarrant County, Texas, filed a custodial death report with Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, regarding the death of Matthew Glen Wood. Mr. Wood was only 34 years of age at the time of his death. We provide information contained in that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone regarding Mr. Wood’s death.

Mr. Wood was stopped by a Burleson police officer for a traffic violation on the 1400 block of South Interstate 35W at approximately 4:02 p.m. on January 7, 2020. He was then arrested on an outstanding warrant at approximately 4:30 p.m. Police officers then transported Mr. Wood to the City of Mansfield jail, and Mr. Wood was released to jail staff at approximately 4:57 p.m.

The report indicates that all of Mr. Wood’s movements within the Mansfield jail were captured on surveillance video. Mr. Wood was booked into the City of Mansfield jail, to a cell that contains bunks, a toilet, and a sink. The wall has a partition between the bunks and toilet. It contains holes allowing guards to check on inmates during routine checks.

At approximately 5:59 p.m., Mr. Wood was observed, presumably on the recording, walking behind the partition. There were holes in the partition. Mr. Wood tied a knot in long underwear and used a hole in the partition to hang himself. Ultimately, at 6:07 p.m., other inmates in the cell, who were asleep before the incident, noticed Mr. Wood and summoned assistance. Life-saving measures were instituted. Mansfield Fire Department EMS arrived and transported Mr. Wood to Medical City Arlington Hospital.

On January 8, 2020 at approximately 2:30 a.m., Mr. Wood died. The Medical Examiner’s office conducted an autopsy. The custodial death report reads, “There were no indications of the Decedent’s intentions during any contact with the Burleson Police Department or the Mansfield jail staff.” The Texas Commission on Jail Standards regulates county jails. There is no Texas agency that oversees city jails such as that in which Mr. Wood died.

The United States Constitution requires that jailer protect pretrial detainees from self-harm, up to and including suicide. If jailers are aware of self-harm tendencies, and they fail to act as a result, they can be liable to certain surviving family members. We are not alleging that this is true with regard to Mr. Wood. Also, if a policy, practice, and/or custom of a Texas city or county results in the death of an inmate, then the city or county can also be liable for constitutional violations.

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