A family is facing the holidays without a 34-year-old loved one who died in a jail outside Texas, and they have made complaints against the jail based on video evidence. On the day that the 34-year-old was arrested, an altercation with jailers resulted in his being hospitalized. He died from his injuries two days later.

Among the alleged facts is that fifteen hours after being booked into jail, the man was alone in a cell, completely unclothed, and behaving irrationally and aggressively. One jailer said that when he tried to provide the inmate’s dinner tray, the food was refused and the inmate began taunts that the jailer said were evidence of mental problems.

Allegedly, the jailer placed his taser through the food slot and threatened the inmate with tasing. The inmate allegedly tried to knock the taser from the jailer’s hand but failed.

The following are more of the alleged events:

• Two jailers opened the inmate’s cell door and the inmate attempted to escape.
• The inmate and a jailer had an altercation
• A third jailer went to the scene, jumped onto the inmate’s back, used a chokehold on the inmate, and pulled him onto the floor.
• Three additional jail employees arrived at the scene. Allegedly, they, along with the original jailer who stuck the taser into the cell, tased and struck him repeatedly.
• After the inmate was handcuffed, he was face-down on the floor and obviously unresponsive. Jailers can allegedly be seen pressing down on the inmate’s neck and back.
• An attempt to resuscitate the inmate was made, but it failed. The inmate was then transported to a nearby hospital. Reports show that he had multiple bruises and cuts, including a black eye and large contusion on the left side of his head, fractures of multiple ribs, a spine fracture, and acute kidney injury.

The inmate never showed any spontaneous movements after the altercation with the jailers. It was confirmed in the hospital that he was brain dead. Life support was removed, and he died from the injuries he had suffered in the altercation.

Among the constitutional rights of inmates is the right not to be handled aggressively or with unreasonable or excessive force.

The purpose of all posts on this website is to assist Texas prisoners, current and former, as well as their families. At no time is it intended to imply that a person or institution has in any way engaged in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor