Quincy Butler Remains in the Hospital After a Suicide Attempt in Smith County Jail in Tyler, Texas

The prisoner who attempted suicide in Smith County Jail in Tyler, Texas, on November 8, 2017, has been identified as 44-year-old Quincy Butler of New Orleans, Louisiana. When he was being booked into the jail, Butler answered questions in a way that put him on suicide watch. Usually, people who are at risk for attempting to kill themselves are not kept alone in a cell. Butler was also deemed to be a danger to others, however, and for that reason was segregated from the other prisoners, according to the sheriff’s office. At about 1:25 p.m. on the 8^th, a detention officer discovered Butler hanging inside his cell. He was immediately cut down and given emergency medical attention from jail staff and then Emergency Medical Services and the Tyler Fire Department. Butler was then transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains.

Butler was arrested by the Tyler Police Department less than a week before his suicide attempt.

In June 2017, a 21-year-old prisoner died in Smith County Jail. Carlos Jose Hernandez, Jr. was discovered hanging from shower in a side cell. He had also been placed on suicide watch because of some of his answers to questions at the time of booking. Like Butler, he was also segregated from the rest of the prisoners. Hernandez had been observed sleeping at 12:11 a.m. before being found hanging at 12:20 a.m.

The Texas Rangers handle jail suicide investigations, and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards does inspections to determine whether the jail staff followed minimum standard procedures.

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Written By: smchugh

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