Man Dies from Medial Issues in Harris County, Texas Jail

The Harris County Sheriff’s Department, in Houston, Texas, recently submitted a custodial death report regarding the death of Jeremy Alan Renkel. Mr. Renkel was only 41 years old at the time of his death. We provide information obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

Mr. Renkel was apparently initially incarcerated in the Harris County, Texas jail on May 7, 2020. He passed away on May 30, 2021. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On May 30, 2021, the decedent was found unresponsive on the floor in his cell by detention staff, during security rounds. Officers determined the decedent was pulseless and started CPR. Medical personnel responded, continued CPR, and transported the decedent to the clinic with ongoing life-saving measures. HFD (Houston Fire Department) was contacted and responded to the clinic. HFD personnel arrived and assumed care of the decedent. HFD continued life-saving measures and transported the decedent to St Joseph Hospital. At approximately 10:47 a.m., Dr. Shin pronounced death.”

Thus, Mr. Renkel was apparently in the Harris County jail for over a year prior to the time of his death. We have no information as to what Mr. Renkel’s charges were, or what medical care he had been receiving, if any, before he was found unresponsive.

Texas jail inmates are entitled to receive reasonable medical care. When jailers are deliberately indifferent to the needs of a Texas jail detainee, and the detainee dies as a result, certain surviving family members might have legal claims. Those claims are usually filed in federal court.

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.