NPR for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Man dies in Tarrant County Jail — the first this year — after attempted suicide

A maximum security cell at the Tarrant County jail in Fort Worth.
Yfat Yossifor
/
KERA
A maximum security cell at the Tarrant County jail in Fort Worth.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

A 36-year-old man died in the Tarrant County Jail on Saturday following complications from an attempted suicide.

He is the first person to die in the Tarrant County Jail this year.

The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said in a release that the man was booked into the Tarrant County Jail Tuesday on a parole violation out of Palo Pinto County for multiple sexual assault convictions and for failing to register as a violent sex offender.

When the man was booked in, detention officers identified behavioral concerns during screening for suicide and mental and medical impairments assessment.

The Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the man was screened and cleared by My Health My Resources of Tarrant County during the booking process and again on Thursday. As of his screening Thursday, the man allegedly did not display suicidal ideations.

Later on Thursday, the man was found unresponsive in his jail cell by his cellmate and he was administered life-saving treatment from jail staff.

The man was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital and died on Saturday. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office had not released the man's name as of Saturday evening.

According to the Sheriff's Office, detention officers have intervened in 24 suicide attempts in the jail this year. Officers intervened and prevented 390 suicide attempts in 2024.

There have been at least 70 deaths in the Tarrant County Jail since Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017.

Got a tip? Email Megan Cardona at mcardona@kera.org.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you!

Megan Cardona is a daily news reporter for KERA News. She was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and previously worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.