KAMC Investigates: Family Questions Why MHMR Man Died in Jail
By: Nick Ochsner
Updated: March 7, 2013
The family of a Lubbock man who died while at the Lubbock County Jail is
questioning why he was at the jail in the first place, after they tried
to have him committed to a mental treatment facility.
35-year-old Christopher Brown died February 26th while behind bars at the Lubbock County Jail.
His uncle, Rufus Johnson, is questioning why he was at the jail in the first place.
Johnson and his wife were the caretakers for Brown, who suffered a mental illness.
The Johnsons took the steps to have Brown committed to a mental treatment facility in mid-February after, they say, he stopped taking his medication and started acting strange and, other times, violent.
Rufus Johnson says deputies from the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office came to his home to take Brown away on February 15th. They expected deputies to take him to Sunrise Canyon for treatment but, somehow, Brown ended up at UMC.
While at UMC, Brown got into an altercation with a Lubbock police officer, according to an LPD police report, and was taken to jail on charges of assaulting an officer.
Brown died behind bars less than two weeks later.
Johnson and his wife have been unable to get any answers about their nephew's death, including why Brown was taken to UMC in the first place.
The couple are also concerned about why their loved one was left seemingly unsupervised at UMC, where he was able to assault an officer.
So far, neither the Sheriff's Office, Sunrise Canyon nor Lubbock County Judge Tom Head have released any documents related to the incident, citing medical privacy concerns.
35-year-old Christopher Brown died February 26th while behind bars at the Lubbock County Jail.
His uncle, Rufus Johnson, is questioning why he was at the jail in the first place.
Johnson and his wife were the caretakers for Brown, who suffered a mental illness.
The Johnsons took the steps to have Brown committed to a mental treatment facility in mid-February after, they say, he stopped taking his medication and started acting strange and, other times, violent.
Rufus Johnson says deputies from the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office came to his home to take Brown away on February 15th. They expected deputies to take him to Sunrise Canyon for treatment but, somehow, Brown ended up at UMC.
While at UMC, Brown got into an altercation with a Lubbock police officer, according to an LPD police report, and was taken to jail on charges of assaulting an officer.
Brown died behind bars less than two weeks later.
Johnson and his wife have been unable to get any answers about their nephew's death, including why Brown was taken to UMC in the first place.
The couple are also concerned about why their loved one was left seemingly unsupervised at UMC, where he was able to assault an officer.
So far, neither the Sheriff's Office, Sunrise Canyon nor Lubbock County Judge Tom Head have released any documents related to the incident, citing medical privacy concerns.
