Victor Runnels
Victor Runnels, 61, was held at the Tarrant County Jail in June 2026 and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital after a medical emergency. The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office says he was released from custody before he died there on June 25 or 26, so it does not count his death as an in-custody death. His family says he was still handcuffed to his hospital bed when he died and that they were not told he had been moved to the hospital. The family and a county commissioner are calling for an independent investigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff's office says Victor Runnels was released from custody before he died and that his death does not count as an in-custody death, while his family says he was still handcuffed to his hospital bed, and the family and a county commissioner are calling for an independent investigation; the cause of death has not been reported.
Reported by: Tarrant County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his family; a county commissioner.
News reports (4)
- Another Tarrant County jail inmate dies - FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth
- Another man has died after being in Tarrant County Jail custody — the fourth death in 2 weeks
- Tarrant County residents protest, demand accountability over June’s jail deaths
- Protestors demand answers after Tarrant County jail deaths - FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth