The detainee who was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in the Shelby County Jail Wednesday, Oct. 4, has been identified as the man who was suspected in a barricade situation near Bartlett in September. 

Susan Niland, a spokesperson with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, identified the man who died as Martin Perez-Estrada, 29.

He was “found unresponsive, apparently due to a suicide” shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to an earlier statement from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

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He was transported from the jail at 201 Poplar Ave. to Regional One Health, where he was pronounced deceased.

SCSO contacted the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office, which requested a TBI investigation.

“The investigation is ongoing,” SCSO said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Josh DeVine, a public information officer with TBI, said the state agency was investigating the death at the request of Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy.

“At this time, the death does not appear to involve foul play, but a full autopsy will be performed as part of the ongoing investigation,” DeVine said.

“At this time, the death does not appear to involve foul play, but a full autopsy will be performed as part of the ongoing investigation.”

Josh DeVine
A public information officer with TBI

Perez-Estrada was accused in a barricade situation in the 6100 block of Ashton Road near Summer Avenue and Raleigh LaGrange Road Sept. 20.

Perez-Estrada had threatened to shoot his two roommates, according to Memphis police. Both were able to escape unharmed. 

Perez-Estrada allegedly shot at officers who were attempting to make contact with him, non-critically injuring one officer.

He allegedly fired six shots at police using a handgun and a rifle, MPD assistant chief of police services Shawn Jones said while negotiations were ongoing.

A Spanish-speaking negotiator was able to successfully resolve the situation.

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Perez-Estrada was charged with criminal attempt of second-degree murder, eight counts of aggravated assault, 10 counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and employing a firearm with intent to commit a felony. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 12.

His is the fifth death at 201 Poplar in 2023, according to data obtained by The Daily Memphian.

Thomas Earl Williams, 70, died Aug. 22. The cause of his death is undetermined pending an autopsy report.

The Daily Memphian reported in June that there had been 40 deaths inside 201 Poplar since 2019. The Commercial Appeal recently expanded that data, finding 52 deaths had occurred since 2016 for those in SCSO custody.

In 2019, there were four deaths within the jail. There were nine, 10 and 14 deaths there in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Nine indicted in jail death of Gershun Freeman

Thursday, Oct. 5, marks the one-year anniversary of the death of detainee Gershun Freeman, 33.

SCSO records said Freeman’s cause of death was “exacerbation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to physical altercation and subdual, contributory cause of death probably psychotic disorder.”

Coroners ruled the death a homicide.

Nine corrections officers were indicted Sept. 19 in connection to Freeman’s death. 

Two SCSO employees, Courtney Parham and Stevon Jones, have each been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault in Freeman’s death. Jones also is charged with assault-bodily harm.

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The other corrections officers — Chelsey Duckett, Jeffrey Gibson, Lareko Elliott, Damian Cooper, Ebonee Davis, Charles Gatewood Jr. and Anthony Howell — are charged with aggravated assault resulting in death of another.

SCSO initially declined to release a video taken of Freeman moments before his death; it was later released by Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk after Mulroy recused his office from the investigation.

The video showed Freeman being subdued and beaten by officers.

During a Sept. 20 taping of the WKNO-TV program “Behind The Headlines,” Floyd Bonner Jr. said he thought the video release of Freeman’s encounter was illegal and the handling of the investigation has been politically motivated.

In announcing the charges Sept. 20, Bonner, who also is a candidate for Memphis mayor, said he supported the indicted deputies.

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“I want this community to know that I stand with these officers,” Bonner said, even saying he would donate to their legal fund if someone were to organize it.

Freeman’s family is currently suing for wrongful death. A team of lawyers, including notable civil rights attorney Ben Crump, is representing the family.