‘Someone who didn’t want to die’: Lawyer demands release of Tarrant jail death video

Read the latest in our coverage of the death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and other issues in Tarrant County jail.

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn should immediately release video of what happened in the county jail leading up to the death of Anthony Ray Johnson Jr. or resign, the attorney representing Johnson’s family said.

“If it’s too much pressure for the sheriff to expose wrongdoing ... he needs to resign,” Daryl Washington said in a phone call Wednesday with the Star-Telegram. “They’re going to try to keep it from coming out for a long time. It’s going to be damning. You’re going to see someone who didn’t want to die.”

Jacqualyne Johnson, Anthony Johnson’s mother, and Washington met with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, after she and her daughters spoke out at the Tarrant County Commissioner’s Court meeting on Tuesday. Washington said he didn’t leave the meeting angry and is hoping for progress soon.

“I want to believe that there are going to be some attempts to move forward with something,” Washington told the Star-Telegram. “I didn’t come out of the meeting pissed off, but we need something and I hope it will come out soon.”

Jacqualyne Johnson said in a text to the Star-Telegram that she doesn’t feel like anything changed after the meeting.

The Johnson family has been demanding the release of any video of the April 21 altercation with Tarrant County Jail detention officers that led to Johnson’s death. They, and Washington, say they deserve to know exactly how Anthony Johnson, a 31-year-old Marine veteran, died.

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During the commissioners court meeting Tuesday, Johnson’s family demanded transparency, answers and the release of the video. They told the commissioners present — all but Roy Charles Brooks, who was absent and at a conference — that they don’t understand the torment his death has caused the family.

“You can’t see my pain right now, but I can make sure y’all turn colors and see pain,” Anthony Johnson’s sister Janell Johnson told county commissioners.

The family has also said they have been unable to get in touch with the Texas Rangers, who are investigating the in-custody death. The Texas Rangers have not responded to Star-Telegram requests for information.

The Star-Telegram has requested copies of any video from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. The district attorney sent that request to the Texas Attorney General’s Office requesting to withhold the video, citing an ongoing investigation. Authorities may request permission to withhold records based on an ongoing investigation, but are allowed to release documents and files such as video if they wish.

Media outlets and the family aren’t the only people being denied the video.

County Commissioner Alisa Simmons said during commissioners court Tuesday that she had requested to watch the video during executive session, outside of the public view, but that request was denied.

A spokesperson for Waybourn’s office could not be reached for comment on whether or not the sheriff directly ordered the video not to be shown.

State law says the sheriff is a “custodian” of the video.

During commissioners court Simmons echoed this and argued that as the custodian of the footage the sheriff does not own the video and that it is property of the county.

Simmons has asked for the Department of Justice to investigate the jail. A spokesperson for the DOJ confirmed to the Star-Telegram on Tuesday they had received that request but had no further comment.

The video was not shown during the meeting. Washington said he’s hopeful that it will be shown soon, at the very least shown confidentially to the family. They need to know and see what happened, he said.

“Not knowing is killing the family,” Washington told the Star-Telegram. “They go to bed every night not knowing how their son, their brother died.”