Jonathan Paul
Jonathan Paul, 42, died on March 13, 2015, while held at the Arlington city jail in Tarrant County, Texas. According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, detention officers pepper-sprayed him, dragged him to another cell and left him on the ground for 23 minutes before paramedics took him to a hospital. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner ruled that restraint, pepper spray and acute psychosis played a significant role in his death. Two former detention officers were indicted on criminally negligent homicide and later sentenced to probation in 2017, while the family's wrongful death lawsuit alleges excessive force and the officers' attorney says they acted within training. His uncle, Marvin Phillips, said the family will likely never feel justice was done but that he forgave the two men, and NAACP Arlington chapter president Alisa Simmons said he should have been taken to a hospital instead of jail.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner lists restraint, pepper spray and acute psychosis as significant factors, while the family's wrongful death lawsuit alleges excessive force, and one account says officers left him lying on the ground for 23 minutes before paramedics took him to the hospital.
Reported by: Tarrant County Medical Examiner (medical examiner or coroner); his family's wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging excessive force by detention officers at the Arlington city jail.