An inmate at the Tarrant County Jail died Saturday after the sheriff's department says he committed suicide. The inmate, a 36-year-old man, had been arrested Tuesday, February 4 for a parole violation in Palo Pinto County.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Department says the man was arrested for "multiple sexual assault convictions as well as failing to register as a violent sex offender."
The department says the suspect was screened for medical, mental and developmental impairments.
"TCSO Detention Officers identified behavioral concerns and the inmate was referred to Tarrant County MHMR for further assessment. The inmate was screened and cleared by MHMR and assigned housing per minimum jail standards," the department wrote in a statement.
Thursday, the inmate was screened again.
"It was noted that the inmate did not display any suicidal ideations and was cleared to remain in general population housing," the department says.
Later that day, the sheriff's department says the man's cellmate found him unresponsive. The department says officers and medical staff started treatment "within seconds," but the inmate died at the hospital Saturday.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Department, JPS Hospital medical staff, Texas Rangers, Texas Commission on Jail Standards and Tarrant County medical examiner are investigating.
Almost 70 people have died at the Tarrant County Jail since Bill Waybourn became sheriff in 2017. The department also says detention officers prevented 390 suicide attempts last year and 24 suicide attempts so far in 2025.
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