El Paso County Sued for Alleged Negligence After Inmate’s Death at Jail Annex

The family of Jesus Torres, the prisoner who died while housed at the El Paso County Jail Annex, has sued El Paso County, claiming that the county’s carelessness caused his death. According to KTSM, Torres was detained pending trial until his death after being arrested in June 2023 on suspicion of possessing a prohibited narcotic.

The county is accused in the lawsuit of having policies and procedures that directly led to Torres’s death and subsequent constitutional violations. “The County acted or failed to act at all relevant times through its employees, agents, representatives, jailers, and/or chief policymakers, all of whom acted under color of state law at all relevant times, and is liable for such actions and/or failure to act to the extent allowed by law,” the family’s legal team wrote, as obtained byKVIA. In particular, the lawsuit asserts that the county’s actions—or inaction—were directly accountable for carelessly permitting such a serious tragedy to take place.

Following Torres’s passing, the community became tense as a result of worries raised by the Sheriff’s Office leadership about possible reprisals both inside the jail and outside. The recognized presence of 11 gangs within the facility, three of which were deemed active security risks to the establishment by Jail Annex Assistant Chief Joe A. Chairez Jr., was the source of these anxieties, according to the El Paso Times.

Even though time has passed since the tragedy, it is still unknown if it has sparked further violent crimes. In light of possible internal conflict and exterior consequences, the Sheriff’s Office’s concern highlights the fine balance that must always be maintained in overseeing such establishments, protecting the welfare of individuals within. However, as a deliberate tactic to keep the gangs from becoming well-known, their names were kept out of the public eye.

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