The Tarrant County Sheriff鈥檚 Office wants to get body cameras for every detention officer and conduct a comprehensive third-party review of its policies, months after the death of a prisoner was ruled a homicide.
Anthony Johnson Jr. died on April 21 after an altercation with jail staff, who pepper sprayed him and restrained him face-down on the ground. Johnson told them he couldn鈥檛 breathe as a jailer knelt on his back, video of the incident shows.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office ruled Johnson鈥檚 death was a homicide by mechanical and chemical asphyxiation. Two jailers involved in the altercation now await trial for murder, and more are being sued by Johnson鈥檚 family.
Commissioners gave the Sheriff's Office the go-ahead to pursue these programs, voting 4-0 Tuesday, with Republican County Commissioner Manny Ramirez absent.
Ramirez praised the reforms before he left the meeting early, saying he had a previous speaking engagement.
鈥淚鈥檓 very pleased that the Sheriff鈥檚 Office has decided to go seek a third-party firm to come in and do a comprehensive review of those policies, so we can ensure best practices,鈥� he said.
The request for a third-party policy review comes after 四虎影院 reported the Sherriff鈥檚 Office has not updated its use-of-force policies in more than a decade. Records obtained by the Fort Worth Report and 四虎影院 show a lieutenant drafted overarching policy updates in 2021 that were never put into place.
Sheriff鈥檚 Office Chief Jennifer Gabbert told county commissioners Tuesday the initiatives they approved have been in the works for 鈥渕onths or years.鈥�
鈥淲e're hoping with new court that is interested in kind of going outside of the previous comfort zones, that some of this would come to fruition for us,鈥� she said.
A press release from Ramirez鈥檚 office outlined other initiatives the Sheriff鈥檚 Office is working on, including a national search for the new jail administrator. The previous top jail official, Charles Eckert, retired shortly after Johnson鈥檚 death.
The Sheriff鈥檚 Office also plans to streamline background investigations to fill open jailer positions more quickly, according to the press release. The jail has struggled with understaffing for years.
"Whether it be a Detention Officer, Deputy or a Jail Administrator, we want to recruit top tier talent and hire the best people at the Tarrant County Sheriff鈥檚 Office," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
The Commissioners Court agenda items did not lay out a timeline for when these proposals would be implemented.
"The Court voted to support the Sheriff鈥檚 Office in pursuing these long-awaited projects and we look forward to implementing them in the near future," the Sheriff's Office wrote in its statement.
Bishop Mark Kirkland told 四虎影院 he doesn't have much faith in these proposed reforms. He's the pastor at and a frequent speaker on jail issues at Commissioners Court.
Kirkland pointed out cases where Black Americans have been killed by police, and those killings were caught on camera, like the death of Eric Garner and Breonna Taylor.
"We have all of these recordings. What is it doing for my people? What justice are we getting?" he said.
Deaths and allegations of mistreatment and neglect in the Tarrant County Jail have drawn attention and condemnation for years. More than 60 people have died in county custody since 2017, when Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office.
The county has paid out at least $2.8 million in jail lawsuit settlements. The largest lawsuit settlement in county history 鈥� $1.2 million 鈥� went to Chasity Congious, who gave birth unattended in her cell. Her baby died 10 days later.
Several more lawsuits are working their way through the courts, including the one from Johnson鈥檚 family.
Some community members, and Democratic Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, have called on Waybourn to resign.
Republican commissioners, including Ramirez and County Judge Tim O鈥橦are, have been steadfast in their support for Waybourn, who is running for reelection in November.
This story has been updated with a statement from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on X @MirandaRSuarez.
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider today. Thank you.
