Recent news recounts stories in which several county and municipal jail inmates in the U.S. have died after being in restraints. In each instance, there are suspicions that the use of a method of restraint contributed to the custodial deaths. Information on one story follows, though without specifics as far as names or locations.

An Inmate is Restrained and Dies Suddenly

Within minutes of being booked into a county jail, an inmate in his 60s, who had been placed in restraints during his arrest, was discovered unresponsive. Reports suggest that multiple jailers had forced the man onto his stomach and held him down before booking him into jail and leaving him alone on the cell floor.

The type of prone restraint technique used was reportedly the same as the one used on a detainee whose death gained worldwide interest. He was placed on the ground on his stomach in a prone position, and an officer placed one of his knees on the detainee’s shoulders and the other knee on his back to restrain him while being handcuffed.

The inmate was transported to a local hospital after it was discovered that he was unconscious, and he died at the hospital, still in the jail’s custody. The grieved family is most confused about why their loved one was jailed instead of being provided with psychiatric care. The man had a history of mental illness, and it had long been untreated before his behavior escalated to the point that he became disruptive and violent. Even the notes that officers took prior to the deceased’s arrest indicate that he was clearly mentally unstable.

See this ongoing series.

Helping Texas county and municipal jail inmates by providing informative resources is the purpose of this website. Making insinuations regarding the involvement of organizations or individuals in wrongdoing is never intended.

–Guest Contributor