Protesters gathered again Thursday afternoon to demand the release of the full video of Anthony Johnson Jr.’s death inside the Tarrant County Jail and the resignation of county officials.
The demonstration was held outside the Tarrant County Corrections Center and was organized by the Brotherhood Awareness Network and Fight for Justice – Tarrant County.
Earlier this month, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that Johnson’s death was a homicide, a reason that fueled Thursday’s protest.
Six incarcerated people have died in county custody this year, including Johnson, and 65 deaths have been reported since Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017.
In the group of about a dozen people was Angela Luckey, president of the Grand Prairie NAACP.
“People are hurt,” said Luckey. “Six people this year have already died. That is a lot of people dying in custody. This is about a system that's been broken for decades, and nobody wants to challenge it.”
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare was criticized after ejecting Johnson’s sister, Janell Johnson, during last week’s commissioners court meeting.
This action did not sit well with several protesters, including Payton Jackson, candidate for Texas' 33rd Congressional District.
“Her first amendment right was silenced just because she was speaking on the death of her brother,” said Jackson. “They will not even give us enough respect to look us in the eye when we come down and voice our opinion.”
Alongside Jackson at the protest was her son who has autism. She worries that, as her son grows up, law enforcement officers lack sufficient training to deal with those with developmental disorders, especially those in marginalized communities.
“It is scary for me,” said Jackson. “I don’t think our officers are trained to deal with people who battle with autism. He’s semiverbal, and they may take that as noncompliance.”
Calls for a Department of Justice investigation have also been requested, including by U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, and County Commissioner Alisa Simmons.
Jackson also believes that the DOJ should investigate the jail and Waybourn.
“Somebody has to do something,” said Jackson. “The sheriff isn't doing anything. The sheriff didn't even bother to show this past week at the county commissioner’s meeting.”
Fight for Justice member Liz Badgley also called for a federal investigation.
“We want the DOJ to investigate,” said Badgley. “We need a federal investigation because they have proven to be incompetent. We are demanding an immediate resignation from Sheriff Bill Waybourn, who we feel is incompetent because of the deaths that have occurred under his watch since he took office. We are the people, we are the constituents, and we hold the power.”
KERA News contacted the Sheriff’s Office seeking comment.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's summer 2024 SPJ news intern. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela at erivas@kera.org.
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