Patsy Rosas Dies After Being in Baytown, Texas Police Jail
The Baytown Police Department, in Texas, filed a custodial death report regarding the death of Patsy Rosas. Ms. Rosas was only 47 years old at the time of her death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone related to Ms. Rosas’ death.
The summary portion of the report read in its entirety:
“REPORT BY OFFICER COX #102… ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 0336 HRS, I WAS FILLING OUT PAPERWORK AT THE MAIN DESK IN THE JAIL WHEN DETENTION OFFICER DARRYL STARR (B/M XX/XX/XXXX) YELLED FOR ME TO COME TO THE WOMANS BLOCK 4. OFFICER EDWARDS #162 WAS WITH ME AS WELL. WHEN I GOT TO THE BLOCK I OBSERVED A WHITE FEMALE, LATER IDENTIFIED AS PATSY ROSAS (W/F, XX/XX/XXXX) LYING FACE DOWN WITH THE TOP OF HER HEAD FACING WEST WITH A BLOOD POOL AROUND HER HEAD. STARR AND MYSELF TURNED HER OVER AND I CHECKED FOR BREATHING AND A PULSE BUT COULDN’T FIND ONE. I THEN STARTED ADMINISTERING CHEST COMPRESSIONS TO PATSY. WHILE ADMINISTERING CHEST COMPRESSION, I TOLD DETENTION OFFICER APRIL BRUNO (W/F, XX/XX/XXXX) TO GET THE AED READY TO BE USED. WITH THE HELP OF DETENTION OFFICER BLAKE HILL (W/M, XX/XX/XXXX), BRUNO WAS ABLE TO GET IT OUT AND I ASSISTED HER WITH PLACING THE CHEST PADS ON PATSY’S CHEST. FROM THERE I LET THE AED DO THE WORK UNTIL IT TOLD ME TO DO MORE CHEST COMPRESSIONS. I CONTINUED TO DO CHEST COMPRESSIONS UNTIL BAYTOWN EMS MEDIC 4 ARRIVED ON SCENE TO TAKE OVER. MEDIC WORKED ON PATSY IN THE BLOCK UNTIL THEY COULD GET HER READY FOR TRANSPORT. LET IT BE KNOWN, PATSY WAS BROUGHT IN TO THE BAYTOWN JAIL BY OFFICER PIGG #92 ON XX/XX/XXXX AT APPROXIMATELY 2255 HRS ON A PROSTITUTION CHARGE OUT OF HARRIS COUNTY. LATER AFTER EVERYTHING CALMED DOWN, I ASKED STARR WHAT HAPPENED. STARR ADVISED EVERYTHING WAS OKAY WITH PATSY WHEN THE 0130 CELL CHECK WAS COMPLETED. STARR FURTHER ADVISED WHEN DETENTION OFFICER HILL CONDUCTED THE 0330 CELL CHECK PATSY WAS FOUND LYING ON THE GROUND AND THEN THAT’S WHEN HE ALONG WITH BRUNO WAS CALLED DOWN TO THE BLOCK. STARR ADVISED HE WALKED DOWN OBSERVED PATSY ON THE GROUND AND SHOOK HER AND CHECKED FOR A PULSE BUT COULDN’T FIND ONE, STARR ADVISED HE CALLED FOR EMS AND THEN CALLED FOR ME. CDR Reports :: Page 3 of 3 I CONTACTED HILL WHO ADVISED WHILE HE WAS DOING THE 0330 CELL CHECK, HE PEERED INSIDE CELL BLOCK 4 AND NOTICED A PAIR OF FEET STICKING OUT FROM BEHIND THE WALL IN THE BATHROOM AREA AND CALLED FOR A SUPERVISOR TO COME DOWN AND TO CHECK IT OUT. WHEN THEY WENT INSIDE AND OBSERVED PATSY ON THE FLOOR, HILL ADVISED HE AND BRUNO GOT THE OTHER SUBJECTS IN THE CELL BLOCK OUT. I STAYED ON SCENE UNTIL SGT JONES #20 ARRIVED. OFFICER EDWARDS FOLLOWED EMS TO THE HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL. SEE EDWARDS SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. LATER JONES ADVISED DETECTIVES WOULD BE MAKING THE SCENE.”
The report indicates that Ms. Rosas did not make suicidal statements and/or exhibit any mental health problems. It appears, based upon the report, that the jail conducted rounds only once every two hours. While municipal jails are not governed by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, good practice requires rounds at much shorter intervals. County jails are required to conduct rounds, depending on the status of the inmate, at much shorter intervals.
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of those who are in county jails to receive reasonable medical care, mental health care, and to be protected from themselves and others. This only makes sense, because people who are in the custody of someone else, and who have no control over food, clothing, and medical care, must be provided it as a matter of fundamental fairness and decency. If a person is not provided reasonable medical care and/or protected from himself or herself, and dies as a result, then certain family members may have claims related to the death.
Dean Malone
Dean Malone