Family members and friends of Kenneth Christopher Lucas, a black father, want to know what happened to their loved one? He was in jail because his ex-wife notified police that he returned his kids late after his turn in a joint custodial visit. Approximately five days after his arrest he had a court hearing on Feb. 17, 2014. After that court hearing, when he was returned to jail, law enforcement had a problem with Lucas. According to family members, jail officials told them Lucas disabled a smoke detector and became disruptive. The Specialized Emergency Response Team Unit of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department extracted Lucas from his cell. Lucas, 38, was then placed in a holding area and put in a restraint chair.
According to leader of the New Black Panther Nation Bro. Quanell X, “Thirty minutes after the unit left, Lucas was found unconscious with no pulse in the restraint chair and was transported to the medical center where he was pronounced dead.” This marks the 137th in-custody death at the Harris County Jail according to the Texas Attorney General’s website.
At this time the exact cause of death is unknown and the family awaits the autopsy report. The distraught family held a rally for justice in front of the Harris County Jail this past Sunday with over 100 demonstrators in attendance.
