There have been enough custodial deaths related to restraint devices alone to justify any Texas county’s plans to maintain greater oversight over investigations of such tragic events. The following are two examples.

Arrest in Progress

In 2008, the custodial death of a 32-year-old man has raised red flags about the possible connection between the man’s death and the use of restraints. The official Custodial Death Report described the events preceding the man’s death. Basically, due to the combative behavior of the suspect as he was being arrested on suspicion of burglary, two sets of handcuffs that were linked together were placed on the man. The man continued to display aggression, and a leg restraint was also applied.

The police placed the man in the back seat of the patrol car and drove toward the jail. While on the way, however, the officers noticed that the suspect was no longer breathing. At that point, the officers removed all restraints, administered CPR, and drove the man directly to a nearby hospital. Within hours, the suspect was pronounced dead. The preliminary autopsy report showed no visible signs of trauma. The cause of death was reported as probable cardiac arrhythmia and methamphetamine drug delirium.

An Agitated Inmate Resists Detention Officers

In a Texas county jail in 2014, a man housed with five other inmates began creating a disturbance. Detention officers entered their cell and discovered the man behaving in a very agitated manner. The inmate refused to obey the jail staff’s verbal orders. Use of force ensued.

See Part 1 of this ongoing series. In the next segment, learn what else happened leading up to the inmate’s death.

The posts on this website are provided as resources to help  Texas inmates and their families. It is never intended to imply that improprieties occurred on the part of an institution or individual.

–Guest Contributor