Coleman County Detainee Hangs Himself While Jailer Watches, Possible Trial 7 Years Later

COLEMAN, TX – Nearly seven years after Derrek Monroe’s death in the Coleman County Jail, his family may finally have their day in court.

Monroe, who had a history of mental health issues and suicidal tendencies, died after a second suicide attempt while in custody in September 2017. His family’s lawsuit against Coleman County has faced years of legal battles, with the case now returning to the trial court after two appeals.

According to information, Monroe was arrested and incarcerated on September 29, 2017. Despite clear warnings and his own admission of suicidal thoughts, the jail placed Monroe in a cell containing a telephone with a lengthy cord and assigned only one jailer to monitor him and at least one other inmate in a separate cell.

The next day, Monroe used the phone cord to hang himself. A jailer reportedly watched as Monroe wrapped the cord around his neck, but did not intervene due to Coleman County policy, which prohibited a lone jailer from assisting an inmate in such situations until another staff member arrived. Monroe suffered brain damage and died in a hospital the following day.

The jailer, who had the cell door key in his pocket, opened the cell door only after about 10 minutes had passed. He opened the door only after the jail administrator arrived.

The jailer later wrote in his statement that he did not enter the cell because of his training.  

Constitutional rights lawyer Dean Malone, who represents Monroe’s family, filed the lawsuit in federal court in San Angelo on April 13, 2018.

“Derrek’s death was completely avoidable,” Malone stated. “Coleman County’s policy of staffing the jail with only one jailer, when it has a known suicidal inmate, is beyond belief. The problem is made worse by Coleman County not even allowing that one jailer to intervene in a suicide attempt. A person suffers brain damage very quickly during hanging, and jails must be prepared to intervene. Derrek’s family hopes that this lawsuit will be a wake-up call to other jails around the country.” 

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards had previously warned county jails about the dangers of long phone cords after four inmate suicides in the preceding year. Despite this, Monroe’s cell was equipped with a phone cord long enough to be used for hanging.

The lawsuit has undergone extensive legal proceedings, including appeals to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which reversed a summary judgment in favor of Coleman County. 

Now, unless Coleman County is successful in obtaining relief from the United States Supreme Court, Derrek’s family will finally be able to have its day in court.

Malone criticized the delays caused by the appeals process, stating, “It is beyond belief that cases such as this can take years before any potential trial. Qualified immunity and related issues have worked to clog our courts with what should be unnecessary appeals and force families of those who die in jails to wait years to go to trial, if ever at all. We look forward to finally being able to present this case to a jury.”