Man dies after medical emergency in custody at Tarrant County Jail
A 40-year-old man died in custody of the Tarrant County Jail after experiencing a medical emergency Monday afternoon, officials with the Sheriff’s Office said.
The man’s cellmate saw the medical emergency, and jail staff began to attempt life-saving measures until medical personnel from John Peter Smith Hospital arrived, according to a news release.
The man was taken to JPS, where he was later pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was taken into custody Sunday by the River Oaks Police Department on a charge of violating a bond or protective order.
The man did not consent to or cooperate with a standard medical screening usually conducted upon booking at the Tarrant County Jail, according to the release. Jail personnel cannot force a person to comply with the evaluation, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the man’s cause of death and identify him at a later time. His death, as with all deaths in the county jail, will be reviewed by agencies including the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, according to the release.
