Dallas Officer Faces Consequences After Woman Dies In Custody

The Dallas Police Department has reportedly reprimanded an officer for failing to provide treatment for a woman who died in custody.

CBS 11 reports, Diamond Ross, 35, died of an accidental drug overdose in August of 2018.

Ross’ mother, Ethelyn Ross told the station that she and her family had recently made peace with Diamond’s death, when a detective called Wednesday to let them know that the story was coming out.

“I’ve been going on a year now not knowing anything about this.”

She said only after watching the three videos recently released by Dallas Police, did she learn the department scrutinized police officers’ actions before her daughter’s death.

Ross can be heard asking for water in video from an officer’s body camera and complaining she couldn’t breathe in inside the police car.

Police reportedly were called because she was in a disturbance.

DPD says officers requested an ambulance to evaluate Ross.

CBS 11 reports, Ross was taken into custody for outstanding city warrants after paramedics said she was fine and could be transported.

Officers kept her on scene for awhile, but when they arrived at the city’s detention facility, Ross appeared unresponsive as they placed her into a wheelchair.

No word if she was breathing at that point.

Paramedics were called for Ross and they arrived four minutes later, performed CPR, then transported her to the hospital where she died.

Ross’ mother told the station that officers should not have brought her to the detention facility. “She should have went straight to the hospital.”

Kia’tenai Thomas, Diamond Ross’ niece said, “She was not active. She wasn’t responsive and I’m not understanding how were you able to get her through the front door all the way back there to put her in the cage and realize she wasn’t breathing when y’all got there?”

According to reports, after conducting an internal affairs investigation, the Dallas Police Department gave a written reprimand Sr. Cpl. Larry Moody, after he failed to provide medical treatment for Ross as required by department policy and for failing to secure her in a seatbelt when transporting her.

Thomas said she wishes the officer acted sooner. “She would still be here.”

The family reportedly plans to call an attorney.

Dallas Police referred this case to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, which declined to prosecute the officer because Ross died of an accidental overdose.

Another officer involved, resigned for personal reasons, not related to this investigation.