Full Notification

Jan. 4, 2023 – A 31-year-old man died in the Harris County Jail on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

 A criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Jacoby Pillow is being conducted by the Houston Police Department, while an internal Sheriff’s Office investigation is being conducted to determine whether all departmental policies and procedures were followed.

Both investigations are standard procedure for all deaths that occur at the jail. Pillow’s cause of death is pending results of an autopsy that is being conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
 
The Houston Police Department arrested Pillow on a misdemeanor trespassing charge on the night of Jan. 1.

Pillow was in the process of being released from jail on bond at 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 3 when he assaulted a detention officer, which resulted in an additional charge being accepted by the District Attorney’s Office.

Jail staff used force to restrain Pillow in an effort to regain control of him. Immediately afterward, Pillow was evaluated by jail medical personnel and cleared for return to a cell.

A jail employee was conducting rounds at 8:07 a.m. when he noticed that Pillow was unresponsive in his cell.

Jail medical staff attempted to revive Pillow and called for an ambulance. Pillow was taken to a nearby hospital, where a doctor pronounced him deceased at 9:12 a.m.