On Saturday, February 8, 2025, a 36-year-old inmate in the Tarrant County Jail passed away at John Peter Smith Hospital due to complications from an attempted suicide. The inmate had been booked into the jail on February 4, 2025, for a parole violation stemming from multiple sexual assault convictions and failure to register as a violent sex offender out of Palo Pinto County.
During the intake process, the inmate was screened using the required Screening Form for Suicide and Medical/Mental/Developmental Impairments in accordance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and the Sandra Bland Act. Detention officers noted behavioral concerns and referred the inmate to Tarrant County MHMR for further evaluation. After being screened and cleared by MHMR, the inmate was assigned housing according to minimum jail standards.
On February 6, 2025, after another mental health screening, no suicidal ideations were noted, and the inmate was cleared to remain in general population. However, later that day, the inmate was found unresponsive in his cell by his cellmate. Detention officers and JPS Medical staff responded immediately, providing life-saving treatment. The inmate was transported to JPS Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a few days later. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will release the inmate’s name and cause of death.
In 2024, TCSO Detention Officers prevented 390 suicide attempts, and as of 2025, they have intervened in 24 suicide attempts at the Tarrant County Jail.
All in-custody deaths are investigated by Tarrant County Sheriff's Office jail staff, the TCSO Criminal Investigations Division, outside law enforcement agencies such as the Texas Rangers, JPS Medical Staff, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Texas Attorney General's Office.
