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Tarrant County Sheriff shares jail inspection results with commissioners during special meeting

Tuesday's presentation to commissioners included the cause of death of up to 58 inmates booked into the Tarrant County Jail.

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — On Tuesday, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn shared details from a new report showing the cause of death for nearly 60 inmates over the last seven years.

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) conducted the report during their visit from May 13-15 earlier this year. The N.I.C. is a division of the Department of Justice.

"I was in Washington in February, and with all the concern about deaths in the jail, I approached the DOJ and National Institute of Corrections, and I said, Tell me what you all do. And they said, we come, we inspect, we review, we suggest we do all those things," Waybourn said.

After repeatedly coming under fire for the number of jail deaths since becoming sheriff in 2017, Waybourn decided to open the jail to scrutiny by the N.I.C.

Tuesday's presentation to commissioners included 18 slides outlining the findings and recommendations. One of the slides revealed the cause of death of up to 58 inmates booked into the Tarrant County Jail. Waybourn insists that the number of deaths needs context which helps explain the numbers. 

“Forty-five of those have been natural deaths. You can see what they were from cardiac cancer, HIV, that type of thing. Suicide, six suicides, seven from toxicity, alcohol or drug issues," Waybourn said.

But the N.I.C. report is not enough for Alisa Simmon. She is the only commissioner calling for a jail investigation by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Since then, Texas Representative Marc Veasley has also done so according to Simmons. Simmon wants a deep dive done on each of the jail deaths followed by recommendations. 

“If nothing is wrong, then his door should be open. He should not be emotional about a commissioner's request to have the DOJ come in to see what's right to determine what's wrong and to come up with solutions," Simmons said.

Among the numerous jail deaths, Simmons wants the death of inmate Anthony Johnson Jr. to be reviewed. Jail video shows the ex-marine being detained on April 21 by two Tarrant County jailers. The video also shows more than a half dozen others who witnessed the incident but did not intervene. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner ruled his death homicide by asphyxia, resulting in Sheriff Waybourn terminating two of his jailers. 

“The DA's office has prosecuted two people related to the Johnson death, there's no criminal wrongdoing going on. And ultimately, with that case, a jury in Tarrant County will decide if what happened was criminal or not," Judge O'Hare said.

The Johnson family Civil lawsuit names the two jailers charged along with eight other employees. Commissioners voted Tuesday to hire outside counsel to defend the county and eight defendants. Simmons was the only one to vote no. 

Fighting the lawsuit could cost taxpayers big money.

“We're going to spend dollars wisely and I believe what was done today is an efficient use of taxpayer dollars that hopefully gets us to a resolution," Judge O'Hare said.

O'Hare makes it a practice not to comment on ongoing litigation cases involving the county. However, he did share with WFAA that he is not opposed to Tarrant County entering mediation with the attorney for Johnson's family in the civil matter.  

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