DALLAS — Dallas city leaders have recommended medical changes at the city’s detention center after videos showed the accidental drug overdose of a woman there.
Just over a month ago, a WFAA open records request forced Dallas police to release footage showing Diamond Ross slumped in a wheelchair in a jail cell before she died of an accidental drug overdose. Those videos sparked outrage from the public and Ross’s family.
Now, city officials are requiring paramedics to check everyone before booking and a medical professional to be onsite in case of an emergency. Those changes were outlined in a memo, signed by Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune, sent to the Dallas City Council Friday night.
The changes include the following:
- Having a Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedic on-site at all times "to evaluate individuals as they are brought in for booking as well as to be available for medical emergencies while they are in custody."
- Enhancing DFR’s “field evaluation protocols to better determine those parents that should be transported directly to a hospital emergency facility rather than being taken” to the detention center.
The memo states that all DFR paramedics have been trained on the new guidelines.
Additionally, the memo states if an individual requires ambulance transport, a Dallas police supervisor will be immediately contacted after the person’s been transported to “review the circumstances and take appropriate action.”
WFAA first began asking for the documents and videos in Ross’ case this past summer.
On Nov. 6, after months of WFAA asking when the videos would be released, Dallas police suddenly released the body camera, dash camera, and surveillance camera footage from the detention center online.
The department also released the footage to WFAA around the same time.
The circumstances that led to Ross’ death occurred in August 2018 when Dallas police were initially called to a domestic disturbance. Police said Ross, high on PCP, fought with them when they arrived.
According to the videos, Ross went into medical distress as officers were trying to arrest her.
"I can't breathe," Ross told the officers.
Dallas Fire-Rescue treated her at the scene, and despite her being almost unresponsive, they told police it was OK to take Ross to jail.
She was arrested on outstanding warrants, police said.
Body camera videos released by the department show Ross begging for help.
"Water. I need some water," Ross said.
Video obtained by WFAA shows what happened once the officers arrived with Ross at the City of Dallas Detention Center.
They take Ross out of the squad car and leave her on the pavement.
The videos show an unresponsive Ross dragged into the detention facility. Her hands are cuffed behind her back and she's slumped over as the officers pull her face-first into a cell.
They put her down facedown before flipping over. They then bring a wheelchair into the cell. They put a seemingly-unresponsive Ross, with her hands still cuffed behind her back, into the wheelchair. Her head lolls back.
Ross is left alone in the cell for at least six minutes before anyone checks on her. A gloved jail employee appears to rub Ross's sternum. An officer later lifts up the handcuffed woman's head before it falls back off the wheelchair again.
Ross remains slumped in the wheelchair in the middle of a room while officers bring in another handcuffed man.
Paramedics arrive about 12 minutes after the video begins.
Ross was taken to Baylor Hospital, where she was declared dead the next day. Her death was ruled an accidental overdose.
She was pronounced dead 24 hours after she was taken into custody.
“I was crushed. My heart was crushed,” Diamond’s mom, Ethelyn Ross, said after seeing the videos last month. “To watch that, it was hurtful.”
Last month, in its first official action, the Dallas newly formed Community Police Oversight Board voted unanimously to review the death of Ross’ death.
Ross's family says police officers did not render appropriate aid at the time.
