Together, the mounting stories of custodial deaths focused the spotlight on the inherent problems that obviously exist in the state’s county jails as a whole. One of the custodial deaths that resulted in a family seeking justice for their loved one ended with an agreement requiring two of the state’s law enforcement agencies to put new training procedures in place for the purpose of appropriately handling people in a crisis.

In that case, a 55-year-old man had been experiencing a schizophrenic episode. Police officers encountered the man running in traffic, and he was arrested. Witnesses who spoke up about the man’s case revealed that officers taunted the man, obviously finding his psychiatric crisis to be a laughing matter.

While in a county jail, the inmate displayed uncooperative and paranoid behavior. In response, a guard punched the inmate and threw him onto the floor. While lying on his stomach, his shackled legs were pulled back. Before going limp, the inmate cried out for help. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The family insists that their loved one was restrained in a manner that resulted in suffocation and death. The official report from the coroner listed the cause of death as drug toxicity characteristic of violent struggle, and it was noted that it was unascertainable, as to whether or not a role of restraint asphyxia was a contributing factor to the man’s death.

See Part 1 and this continuing series.

This and all posts on the site are meant to provide helpful information for current and former Texas inmates in city and county jails and their families, particularly when civil rights have been denied. The posts are not intended to imply that any person or institution has engaged in misconduct of any kind.

–Guest Contributor