Two people were arrested at Tuesday鈥檚 Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting, which saw multiple confrontations between law enforcement and members of the public.
A crowd of people came to speak about deaths in jail custody. That鈥檚 a constant topic of conversation at these meetings, but Tuesday鈥檚 meeting 鈥� the first of the year 鈥� drew more than the usual jail reform activists.
The latest person to die in custody, Mason Yancy, was an open carry advocate, and his friends and the Libertarian Party of Texas used social media to encourage people to speak on his behalf at the meeting.
Darren Yancy, who identified himself as Mason鈥檚 brother, took the podium during public comment and called on the sheriff to step down.
鈥淭his cannot continue. How many bodies have to stack up before the stench makes you cry?鈥� he said.
Almost 70 people have died in Tarrant County custody since 2017, when Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office. Since 2022, the county has paid out more than $4.3 million in lawsuits over allegations of neglect and abuse behind bars. Two former jailers have been indicted for murder in the asphyxiation death of Anthony Johnson Jr. last year.
Yancy鈥檚 cause of death has not yet been made public. Neither has , who also died in custody in December.
Democratic County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, a vocal critic of the jail, put Ramsey and Yancy鈥檚 deaths on the agenda for the meeting Tuesday.
The meeting was contentious from the start.
Charlie Hermes, , shouted along with the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of the meeting. He followed the last line 鈥� 鈥渨ith liberty and justice for all鈥� 鈥� with 鈥渋ncluding Mason Yancy!鈥�
County Judge Tim O鈥橦are warned him to keep quiet or be "removed immediately," but Hermes shouted at commissioners again soon after 鈥� questioning why they were voting on a resolution to honor the county鈥檚 175th birthday without hearing public comment first.
O鈥橦are told sheriff鈥檚 deputies to remove him. They handcuffed Hermes behind his back while he laid face down in the aisle between seats in the meeting room. They carried him out into the hallway.
A deputy asked Hermes for his name and if he wanted to walk, before the group picked him up again and put him belly-down on the floor of the elevator.
Hermes is now in custody at the Tarrant County Jail, according to . He was booked for disrupting a meeting or procession. He was also at UTA鈥檚 pro-Palestine protests.
Around 11:45 a.m., during the briefing about jail deaths and healthcare in the jail, voices from the hallway leaked in through the courtroom doors. Outside, attorney and Second Amendment advocate was arguing with a sheriff鈥檚 deputy. A crowd of people streamed out of the courtroom to watch and film the argument.
During that confrontation, sheriff鈥檚 deputies cuffed Grisham and brought him to the hallway behind the commissioners courtroom. They slammed another person, , against a wall and pulled him into an elevator.
Mata was recording the argument with Grisham on his phone, according to a press release from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
"He aggressively demanded the names and badge numbers of the deputies that were present. He continued his disorderly behavior to the point that the court had to be shut down. As a result, he was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and is currently being held in the Tarrant County Jail," the statement said.
Mata often films government meetings and other news events. In 2022,
鈥淐ommissioners Court has an official decorum that individuals must follow while attending Court,鈥� Waybourn said in the press release. "Public comment is welcomed, but it must be limited to the posted agenda, the business of the County and must be made at the appropriate time. We are always respectful to our citizens who attend our meetings, but we do require they follow the rules and return the same respect.鈥�
Grisham did not get taken into custody. 四虎影院 interviewed him outside the county administration building in downtown Fort Worth where commissioners meetings are held.
Grisham was carrying a gun, which a sheriff鈥檚 deputy told him wasn鈥檛 allowed, he said. Grisham maintained that he could carry a gun, due to his status as a 鈥渞etired federal agent from the Army,鈥� he said.
Grisham had showed up to show support for Yancy. He described himself as 鈥渁bout as right-wing as they come,鈥� but he said Republicans need to stop blindly supporting law enforcement and start holding them accountable.
鈥淣ow, I'm a law-and-order guy, but it doesn't make you all-powerful,鈥� he said.
During his briefing about Ramsey and Yancy鈥檚 deaths, Waybourn said both men got medical care while they were in custody. Ramsey died in the hospital. Yancy died in the jail, but he collapsed in front of two nurses, Waybourn said.
鈥淟ifesaving stuff was taking place immediately,鈥� Waybourn said.
He doesn鈥檛 expect Yancy's autopsy results for months, he said.
Simmons, who has previously called on Waybourn to resign, pointed out the tragedy and expense of every death.
鈥淚 am not out to get anyone except the people who seem to be frickin鈥� OK with these numbers. We can鈥檛 ignore almost 70 deaths. And we owe it to taxpayers to bring transparency. These things cost us,鈥� she said.
People are going to die in custody, and thinking otherwise is 鈥渁bsurd,鈥� Waybourn said.
鈥淪omebody drops dead of heart attack 鈥� happens all the time,鈥� he said.
Yancy鈥檚 brother, Darren, declined to talk to reporters after the meeting. But he told commissioners his brother was diabetic, and he rejects the sheriff鈥檚 description of events.
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.鈥�
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