Tommy Joe Smith
Tommy Joe Smith, 40, died in January 2017 after he was attacked by other people held in a dorm room at the Tangipahoa Parish jail in Amite City, Louisiana. The Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office said he died of injuries from the beating. Investigators say he was struck from behind after he tried to alert a deputy, and the sheriff's office called the attack unprovoked and said staff responded promptly. Twelve people were indicted in May 2017 in connection with his death, and the district attorney said the case is pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Sheriff's Office and grand jury indictments say fellow inmates beat him to death in a dorm room, and he had tried to alert a guard before the attack, per investigators; the family did not dispute the cause in these accounts.
Reported by: Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney Scott M. Perrilloux and grand jury (court).