LaMonica Bratton walked up to the podium at the Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday and placed a shiny, cherry-red urn on top.
"I鈥檓 Miss Bratton. Yup 鈥� Chasity Bonner鈥檚 mother,鈥� she said, tapping the top of the urn. 鈥淭his is Chasity Bonner.鈥�
Bonner died in Tarrant County Jail custody in May, and Bratton says she鈥檚 still waiting for answers about her daughter鈥檚 death.
The County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office determined Bonner鈥檚 cause of death was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or hardened arteries. Bonner's family wants the full autopsy report, which the county won鈥檛 give them, they told commissioners.
"I'm not going to back down. I'm going to push, and I'm going to push, and I'm going to push 'til we get the information that we need," Bratton told reporters Tuesday.
Bonner's sister, Octavia Reed, asked why the county can't release the autopsy report if her sister's cause of death is already public.
"What is the hold up?" she said.
四虎影院 submitted a public records request for Bonner鈥檚 autopsy report in September. The Tarrant County District Attorney鈥檚 Office, which handles records requests, asked 四虎影院 to withdraw the request, due to the ongoing investigation into Bonner鈥檚 death.
All jail deaths get investigated by an outside law enforcement agency, like the Texas Rangers or the Fort Worth Police Department.
When 四虎影院 declined to withdraw the request, the DA鈥檚 Office asked the Texas Attorney General鈥檚 Office for permission to withhold the records from 四虎影院 and other news outlets, citing the ongoing investigation.
The office also refused to release the records to Bonner鈥檚 family for the same reason, .
In an email Tuesday, Tarrant County Sheriff鈥檚 Office Spokesperson Robbie Hoy said the Sheriff鈥檚 Office has completed its portion of the investigation.
鈥淭he case has been handed over to the Fort Worth Police Department鈥檚 Major Case Unit for their review as the next step in this investigation,鈥� Hoy wrote.
Bonner is one of at least 66 people to have died in Tarrant County custody since 2017, when Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office. That number includes one Tarrant County prisoner who died while incarcerated at a private prison outside Lubbock, which Tarrant County used as an overflow facility until September.
The number does not include a baby named Zenorah, who died after her mother gave birth to her, unattended, in her jail cell in 2020.
Since 2022, the county has racked up $3.55 million in lawsuit payouts over deaths and allegations of abuse and neglect in the jail.
The latest payout comes from the death of Georgia Kay Baldwin, a woman with severe mental illness. She died of a sodium imbalance that usually results from dehydration. The county offered Baldwin鈥檚 family $750,000.
Several other lawsuits are pending.
Cassandra Johnson sued Tarrant County this year over the death of her son, Trelynn Wormley. He died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody in 2022. The lawsuit alleges the county fails to prevent drugs from entering its jails.
Johnson was at Commissioners Court Tuesday. As Bratton wept in the hallway outside the meeting, Johnson embraced her and comforted her.
Johnson also spoke before commissioners wearing one of her son鈥檚 football jerseys.
鈥淗elp me, because I鈥檓 going to help you guys,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going nowhere.鈥�
Anthony Johnson Jr.鈥檚 family sued the county over his death from asphyxiation in April. Detention officers pepper sprayed Johnson, and one knelt on his back. Two now-former jailers face murder charges for Johnson鈥檚 death.
James Smith spoke at the meeting and compared that killing to the death of Atatiana Jefferson, who was killed by a police officer in 2019.
Smith was Jefferson鈥檚 neighbor. He had been worried about her door being open late at night, and he made the call that brought police to her door.
鈥淲hen Anthony Johnson died, that was Atatiana dying all over again,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭hose types of incidences magnify the trauma that I go through daily. It鈥檚 never going to be over for me.鈥�
Anthony Johnson鈥檚 sister Janell frequently attends the meetings at Tarrant County Commissioners Court. On Tuesday, she addressed comments from Tarrant County Sheriff鈥檚 Office spokesperson Laurie Passman, who that Johnson鈥檚 family鈥檚 attorney is 鈥渁n opportunist who profits off families dealing with loss."
鈥淥ur lawyer, that we hired, is here to help us expose the deadly culture that you guys are supporting,鈥� she said.
She called on the Sheriff鈥檚 Office, once again, to release the full video of the altercation that led to her brother鈥檚 death.
As she spoke, Johnson鈥檚 volume rose, and County Judge Tim O鈥橦are asked her to lower her voice.
She did not, and as her comments concluded, O鈥橦are ordered sheriff鈥檚 deputies to escort her out. This is the second time Johnson has been told to leave a Commissioners Court meeting.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on X @MirandaRSuarez.
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