Ten more Tarrant County Jailers were added to the Anthony Johnson Jr. Wrongful death lawsuit this past Monday, bringing the total to 15 jailers.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Anthony Johnson, 31, died after detention officers used Oleoresin Capsicum spray on him after he refused to exit his cell during a routine search. Johnson was examined by medical staff, during which time he became unresponsive. The medical team transported Johnson to John Peter Smith Hospital hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The lawsuit initially named former Jailers Rafael Moreno and his supervisor Lt. Joel Garcia, with the 10 additional jailers listed as “John Doe,” reported KERA News.
The lawsuit accuses the jailers of “inhumane treatment, lack of compassion, egregious and unconscionable actions, inexcusable neglect and cowardice acts,” for their alleged roles in the death of Johnson this past April.
If Tarrant County does seek legal counsel for the 10 additional Jailers added to the lawsuit, the expenses will need to be approved in a future meeting by the county commissioners, reported KERA News.
“We plan to take this case to trial,” Johnson’s family attorney Daryl Washington said, as reported by KERA News.
“I mean unless something just crazy happens.”
Waybourn held a press conference this past May showing that Johnson had a “homemade shank and razor” in his cell.
Deaths and allegations of mistreatment have plagued the county jail and have costed the county millions in settlements since 2022, reported KERA News.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas County has also seen jail deaths, with two inmates having died in the summer of 2023. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has in the past criticized the jail’s situation as a “mess.” The jail hit 97% capacity, prompting Dallas County officials to release inmates despite increased crime in Dallas.