Tyler Thomas Ross Dies After Bell County Jail Incarceration

The Bell County Sheriff’s Office, in Belton, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Tyler Thomas Ross. Mr. Ross was only 23 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On July 3, 2023, at approximately 7:50 pm, Tyler Thomas Ross was brought into the temporary triage area of intake and screened by jail staff. Once screened by staff, he was placed in a temporary holding cell waiting to be changed out and moved to intake for processing. Inmate Ross was found to be hanging inside the cell. A medical emergency was called and life saving measures were performed until Temple EMS arrived and took over for medical personnel. Inmate Ross was transported by ambulance to Baylor Scott and White emergency room and admitted.

On July 11, 2023, Justice of the Peace Larry Wilkey pronounce Tyler Ross deceased at 2:56 pm and ordered an autopsy. At the time of this report, final autopsy report is still pending.”

Under the 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution, arrestees in Texas jails have the right to receive reasonable mental health care, and to be protected from themselves and others. If a county and/or jailers violate such a person’s rights, and the person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our law firm has handled and is handling several such cases across Texas, and we have handled and are handling a number of death by suicide cases. One such prior case was against Bell County, Texas.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.