Deaths in Custody
Died in jail or a lockup

Michael Tyree

31 years old · died August 27, 2015 · Santa Clara County Main Jail Complex, Santa Clara County, California

Michael Tyree, 31, lived with bipolar disorder and addiction, and his sister Elizabeth Ott said, "He was a person, he was valued, he was loved." He died in August 2015 in the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose. The medical examiner, Dr. Joseph O'Hara, found that he died of blunt force injuries and internal bleeding, and prosecutors said three jail guards beat him in his cell. A jury convicted three former deputies of murder in 2018, an appellate court set those convictions aside in 2022, and in August 2024 three former guards pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The defense has argued that he fell or hurt himself, a claim prosecutors dispute.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide from blunt force injuries, and prosecutors say three deputies beat him, while the deputies' lawyers say he died after slipping off his cell toilet or harmed himself; a family lawsuit and a settlement followed, and a 2019 independent investigation reviewed the use of force. Staff left him unattended after the force, according to witness accounts that he was screaming for help.

Reported by: Santa Clara County medical examiner (medical examiner or coroner); Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office (outside investigators); Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); a fellow inmate; the deputies' lawyers (family or their lawyers); Tyree's family lawsuit (family or their lawyers); jury verdict in the criminal trial.

Lawsuit: Tyree's family sued Santa Clara County over his death and the county settled the wrongful death lawsuit for $3.6 million.

News reports (34)

See on the national mapAll records

Questions, a correction, or a death I’ve missed? Email me at orion.j.taylor@gmail.com.