CORYELL COUNTY, Texas —
Newly obtained documents are shedding more light on the events that led to the death of Kelli Page, the Coryell County inmate who passed away while in custody at the Coryell County Jail.
Family lawyer Dean Malone previously said in a news release that video of the event showed Page was not acting in a violent or aggressive manner when two jailers entered her cell, sprayed her with pepper spray and slammed her to the floor, but a transcript of a late 2017 inquest hearing gives another perspective.
In that transcript, Texas Ranger Adam Russell testified that Page had been banging on her cell window consistently that morning and was warned three times to stop.
Russell said another inmate he interviewed claimed Page was upset because she had lost commissary privileges.
When deputies came into Page’s cell to restrain her, Russell said Page continued to be non-compliant and had something in her hand, a brush, that the deputies thought could be a threat. When deputies took Page to the ground, Russell said Page took handcuffs from one of the deputies and held them underneath her so they could not pull her arms out from under her.
Russell stated that he believed something happened to Page’s heart during the struggle, but he was not convinced it was caused by prolonged suffocation.
KCEN Channel 6 went to the Coryell County Commissioners Court meeting to speak to county leaders about the newly obtained information, but neither the sheriff nor the county attorney would talk about the issue.
KCEN Channel 6 spoke to County Judge Roger Miller, but Miller was not knowledgeable about jail operations and was unable to speak on pending litigation.
A complete breakdown of the inquest hearing will be up on our site Tuesday.
***WARNING: This video is graphic in nature and not suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.***
