HOUSTON, TX (Covering Katy News) - The Texas Rangers are investigating the in-custody death of a Harris County Jail inmate who died following an apparent medical emergency on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
The Rangers are investigating because of a state law requiring an outside law enforcement agency to investigate all jail deaths. The death has also been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
Robert Terry, 32, asked to visit the jail clinic at approximately 6:20 a.m. and then collapsed. Harris Health medical staff evaluated him while awaiting transport to the hospital by ambulance. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at approximately 7:32 a.m.
"Terry had no obvious physical injuries," a press release from the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. "He had been in jail since May 13."
The Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed, which is standard following the death of a person in jail.
The man's cause of death will be determined by an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.