Bexar County sued over 2021 killing of jailed man

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SAN ANTONIO — A 69-page federal lawsuit has been filed against Bexar County over the 2021 death of a jail inmate who authorities say was attacked by someone else while in the holding area.

Curtis Smith was killed in August of 2021. According to the lawsuit, Smith was put in a holding cell with two other inmates.

Investigators previously said one of those inmates, 52-year-old Mark Wong, strangled Smith with a bandana. The lawsuit claims all the inmates were allowed to remain in street clothes, alleging that led to Smith's death.

The statement from the Dallas-based firm that filed the suit also claimed Smith's death was a byproduct of "significant issues" at the jail concerning "staffing, conditions and deaths."

"The fact that the Bexar County jail was effectively an operational mess for years was not unknown either to Bexar County or the public at large," states the lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of Smith's relatives and seeks a jury trial, as well as an unspecified amount in damages.

>Read the full lawsuit below:

At least six people have died while jailed in Bexar County so far in 2023.

Wong was behind bars for a shooting, and had been in custody for mere hours before authorities said he killed Smith, who was 66.

KENS 5 has reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for a comment. We are waiting to hear back.

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