The Houston Chronicle reported that the investigation of a Baytown jail inmate who died hours after he struggled with jail personnel will probably go to a grand jury, according to a Harris County prosecutor, and, in this regard, a preliminary autopsy finding indicates that the inmate, Richard Eugene Mathes, had “internal physical trauma” severe enough to cause the death of the 50-year-old Mathes who was found dead in his jail cell on August 5, 2008. See, Noonoo, Jemimah, “Baytown Jail Death Case May Go To A Grand Jury,” Houston Chronicle, 8/24/08, p. B3. Authorities are investigating whether those injuries occurred during an altercation Mathes had with Baytown jail personnel. Id.
According to people interviewed by the Chronicle who knew Mathes, the deceased was a mechanic who loved dogs, had an affinity for pigeons, and, as related by neighbors, was a relatively quiet man who never bothered anyone. Id. One person described him as a good guy. Id.
However, Baytown police allege that Mathes was intoxicated when a city marshal took him into custody for outstanding municipal warrants August 1st and was treated at a hospital for an illness related to a longstanding alcohol addiction before being returned to jail the next day where he was moved into a padded cell a few days later when he became agitated and agressive, refusing to stop standing on a bench in the cell. Id. According to a Baytown police source cited in the article, Baytown jailers “had to use physical force to transfer Mathes to the less harsh cell environment.” Id. Mathes was later found unresponsive in the cell, where paramedics pronounced him dead. Id.
Whether alleged excessive force or police misconduct and brutality occurs in Baytown or elsewhere, victims and their families may request investigations by the responsible employer and may consult an attorney to determine whether a police brutality lawsuit may be appropriate under the facts and circumstances of the incident. more
