Man Dies After Interaction With Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Department

The Harris County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas on June 5, 2018.  The report was regarding the death of Ricardo Javier Vazquez.  Information in this post was obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing.

Mr. Vazquez was only 35 years of age at the time of his death.  Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded an alleged family disturbance regarding Mr. Vazquez and his girlfriend.  Mr. Vazquez was apparently under the influence of narcotics.  Harris County Sheriff’s deputies decided to restrain and transport Mr. Vazquez, pursuant to an emergency detention order, to a neuro-psychiatric center for treatment.  However, Mr. Vazquez was allegedly combative.  Officers on more than one occasion used an electronic weapon to attempt to gain compliance.  Mr. Vazquez died two days later.  The report does not indicate the cause of Mr. Vazquez’s death.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.