The family of Anthony Johnson, who died in Tarrant County custody after jailers pepper sprayed him, is calling on the sheriff’s office to show them the video of what happened.
Johnson, 31, died after the altercation during a contraband check on April 21, according to the sheriff’s office. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet declared his cause of death.
Johnson’s mother and sisters spoke before the Tarrant County Commissioners Court at their meeting Tuesday, demanding more transparency in their loved one’s death and more oversight of the Tarrant County jail system.
More than 60 people have died in custody since 2017, according to state data.
“This has been festering in the county for years, and you’ve done nothing about it,” Johnson’s mother, Jacqualyne Johnson, said to commissioners.
The family, who calls Anthony “AJ”, told reporters they’ve struggled to get information about his death, which is being investigated by the Texas Rangers.
“We've asked the sheriff's office to give us any details. Nothing,” Johnson’s sister Chanell Johnson said. “[The] Texas Rangers, we were told, were going to come and talk to us to get a better idea – nothing.”
Johnson was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to Jacqualyne, who told reporters she tried and failed to get emergency mental health help for her son before his arrest. A treatment center turned him away because he was not a threat to himself or others, she said.
Saginaw Police later picked Johnson up after he allegedly wielded a knife at a driver, according to the sheriff’s office. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence and evading arrest.
Anthony Johnson informed police he was schizophrenic, Jacqualyne said. He died in custody the day after he was booked into the jail.
Jacqualyne called on the sheriff’s office to show her the video of her son’s altercation with jail staff, even if it’s not released to the public.
“The family? We should be able to see that film," Jacqualyne said.
The county has already moved to withhold the video from the public. KERA News requested the video but has not yet heard back from the county. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram submitted a public records request for the video, but the county appealed the request to the state Attorney General’s office.
Democratic County Commissioner Alisa Simmons put a discussion about recent jail deaths on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. Days before Johnson’s death, Roderick Johnson, 42, died in custody after being found unresponsive in his cell, according to the sheriff’s office. His cause of death is also pending.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, did not send anyone to the meeting to give a briefing or answer Simmons’ questions.
That’s because the investigations of those deaths are still open, spokesperson Robbie Hoy wrote in a text message.
“It would be unprecedented to interview on this case and could interfere with the integrity of the investigation,” Hoy wrote. “In order for the case to be completed properly and people to be held accountable, we will allow the outside agency, the Texas Rangers, to complete their investigation before our office makes additional comments.”
Simmons wants the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Anthony Johnson’s death, a request his mother echoed Tuesday.
“This is too many deaths. I mean, it should never have gotten to this point. The feds need to come in and do some investigation,” Jacqualyne said. “To me, that would be the independent investigation that needs to happen. And until that happens, they're just policing themselves.”
Other community members who spoke during the public comment period compared Johnson’s death to the death of Robert Miller.
Miller died in Tarrant County jail custody in 2019. A Fort Worth Star-Telegram investigation cast doubt on the county’s explanation he died of a sickle cell crisis. Miller didn’t have sickle cell disease, and he likely died of the consequences of being pepper sprayed repeatedly by jailers, the paper suggested.
The county initially promised to submit Miller’s autopsy for an independent review, but KERA News found that review never happened. The county maintains Miller died of a sickle cell crisis.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter @MirandaRSuarez.
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