Tyron Eli Dies After Three Months in Dallas County Jail
Fifty-seven-year-old Dallas County Jail detainee Tyrone Eli died on January 19, 2024. Mr. Eli’s cause of death is currently unknown and autopsy results are pending. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, under Sheriff Marian Brown, filed a custodial death report (CDR) about Mr. Eli with the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) on February 2, 2024. It was noted in the CDR that he had medical issues when he was booked into the Dallas jail on October 14, 2023. The correctional facility address where Mr. Eli was housed is at 111 W. Commerce St. in Dallas, TX 75207.
The summary of how Mr. Eli’s death occurred is void of any details about his health. The summary merely jumps from details of his arrest and booking to his being transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital with CPR in progress. Recent reports show that the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department occasionally fills in some particulars, as shown in details about the death of Raul Reyes, below. But there are more occasions in which no details are provided in the summary, such as in the case of Spencer Swearnger.
Detainee Raul Reyes Dies in Dallas County Jail
When 43-year-old Raul Reyes was booked into Dallas County Jail on November 23, 2022, several basic questions asked during intake indicated “unknown” as the answer. One of the questions is whether the detainee exhibited any medical problems. The summary of how Mr. Reyes’ death occurred provides the only information in the CDR about his medical condition during his incarceration. The summary indicates the following:
- Raul Reyes looked pale and was shaking when he took medication at 8:20 pm on September 29, 2023. A registered nurse evaluated Mr. Reyes’ condition and determined he needed further treatment at the Acute Care Clinic. Once at the clinic, they determined that he needed to receive further treatment at Parkland Memorial Hospital (PMH). He was transported by ambulance to PMH at about 10:45 pm. He apparently had a lengthy hospitalization because he stayed on at PMH until he was pronounced deceased on October 21, 2023, by a physician.
Are Inmates in Texas Jails Denied Medical Care?
It seems that CDRs perhaps have no jail records to refer to about the health care that deceased detainees received. Details verifying that inmates receive necessary medical care are also sparse in jail inspection reports. Based on the review of a deluge of citations to Texas county jails for minimum standard violations, inspections don’t pick up on occasions when a detainee has been denied medical care.
Texas Jails Can Be Held Accountable for Neglect
Are you or is a loved one a victim of jail neglect? In cases when there has been a very serious health problem or the death of a loved one resulting from jail neglect, it is possible to seek justice. Contact our offices to reach someone who cares. Call, text, or fill out our online form to see if we can help. We answer calls 24/7.
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