July 23, 2015
As controversy over the death of Sandra Blake in a Texas prison continues to grip the nation, a 38-year old man hanged himself at a Houston Police Department Jail on Thursday, one day after he was arrested on a drug possession charge, officials said.
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A Houston Police Department spokesman said that the man, who has not yet been identified, was found at about 1:30 pm Thursday afternoon. He was alone in his cell and had hanged himself using a pair of pants, according to The Houston Chronicle.
The man arrived at the jail around 1:30 am following his arrest. Police said that just prior to the incident, the man had used a phone to call someone and then returned to his cell.
In the last five years, there have been four deaths in custody at the HPD's two jails. Two of them, both suicides, occurred at the same 61 Riesner jail as the current incident.
