Yet Another Unfortunate Bexar County Jail Death – 33-Year-Old Man

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, in San Antonio, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Manuel Perez. Mr. Perez was only 33 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 09//29/2023, at approximately 1113 hours, Deput R Alcala conducted an observation check and found inmate Manuel Perez #XXXXXXX sitting on the toilet. At approximately 1140 hours Deputy M. Rios #2708 was passing out trays and noticed inmate Perez laying down on the cell floor, unresponsive. Deputy Rios entered the cell in an attempt to get inmate Perz to respond. Deputy Rios checked for a pulse and did not find one. Deputy Rios initiated a Code 1 Blue (Immediate Medical Emergency) at approximately 1141 hours. Special Emergency Response Team (SERT responded to the Code 1 blue. Medical staff arrived to the cell and continued providing life saving measures to inmate Perez. At approximately 1215 hours, it was determined life saving measures were unsuccessful and inmate Perez was pronounced deceased.”

The report mentions that Mr. Perez did not appear intoxicated and did not exhibit any medical problems. No information is given as to whether Mr. Perez was receiving any medical treatment prior to his death.

Detainees in Texas county jails have the right to receive reasonable medical care under the United States Constitution. If a county and/or jailers violate such a person’s rights, and the person dies, then family members may be able to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our Texas jail neglect law firm is handling a number of such cases across Texas.  We in fact have two lawsuits pending against Bexar County as a result of jail deaths. 

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.