Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Six years ago, 46-year-old Coryell County Jail inmate Kelli Page died while in custody after two jailers attempted to restrain her.
Page died at the Coryell County Jail on Oct. 8, 2017. Video footage from the jail shows a struggle between Page and the two jailers after they entered her cell. It shows Page trying to communicate with the jailers, and then shows them pepper spray and restrain her on the floor, where she died.
An autopsy report by the medical examiner revealed that Page died of mechanical asphyxia in association with physical restraint. It also claims she had several illnesses at the time of her death, including obesity, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and cirrhosis.
Two years later, constitutional rights lawyer Dean Malone filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family in federal court in Waco on Jan. 30, 2019.
According to a news release distributed by Malone’s office on Sept. 1, the jail was aware of her illnesses. The release also states that Coryell County’s written policies require a team of at least five jailers when attempting to extract someone from their jail cell.
“In my opinion, Coryell County knew, the day the lawsuit was filed, that it should settle claims arising out of Kelli’s death,” Malone said in the news release. “Nevertheless, Kelli’s family was forced to wait years, through an initial loss without a trial in the district court, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversing that loss, and then having to begin preparing for a trial, before Coryell County finally tried to resolve the case.”
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans set aside the judgment on July 14, 2022, and then the case was returned to trial court. Before the trial was set to begin, an $800,000 settlement was reached between Coryell County and Page’s family representative.
“I am relieved to see this situation resolved after nearly six years,” The Coryell County Sheriff’s office said in an email. “Ms. Page’s death was unfortunate, but it is important to remember that our jailers did nothing wrong and used appropriate force during the encounter, a fact confirmed by the Texas Rangers during their investigation, and no criminal charges were ever filed.”
The Coryell County Sheriff’s office added that the jailers were removed from the civil case on Aug. 22 at the request of the plaintiffs.
“Families whose loved ones die in Texas jails should not have to wait years for justice,” Malone said. “The law and procedure regarding jail neglect and abuse cases needs to change. Years of delay leaves families wondering whether justice will ever come.”
