Family members of Anthony Johnson Jr. call on officials to release full video of in-custody death
TARRANT COUNTY – The family of Anthony Johnson Jr. is speaking out after Attorney General Ken Paxton ruled that the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office can withhold video showing his death in the Tarrant County Jail.
Anthony Johnson Jr. was the marine veteran killed during a fight inside the Tarrant County Jail in April. The sheriff's office released some of the video which showed officers restraining Johnson, using techniques against TCSO's policy.
The jail refused to release the entire video, claiming their standards do not allow them to show deceased or unresponsive individuals to the public.
"Inhumane, the way they killed my brother was so inhumane, it was in a way, that it's a practice. They have been taught to do that," said Janelle Johnson, Anthony Johnson Jr.'s sister.
Anthony Johnson Jr.'s family has already endured having to watch the full video of how their son and brother died, but they've been pushing for the public to see it too. Paxton's office ruled that TCSO can withhold the full video from ever being released.
"To hear from Ken Paxton has been very disheartening and very devastating to our family and it just shows that it's not just Tarrant County, it's the state of Texas that does not want change," said Janelle Johnson.
TCSO said the following in response to Attorney General Paxton's ruling:
"It is against TCSO standards to release any images (still or video) of unresponsive or deceased individuals. We appreciate the ruling by the Attorney General supporting our decision in this matter."
"If they wanted to show that video, they could have shown it. Sheriff Waybourn has said on multiple occasions that he would release the video if the family gave him permission to do so. And on more than one occasion, the family said that they wanted the public to see this video. But we all know that November is fastly approaching. It's an election year," said family attorney Daryl Washington.
"This is about transparency. This is about accountability. This is about this administration being held and being responsible for what they've done," said Anthony Ray Johnson Sr., Anthony Johnson Jr.'s father.
The family also wants accountability from JPS Hospital in Fort Worth. They said the full video shows nurses there disregarded Anthony Johnson Jr.'s life and even made jokes while he was in their care.
"At least Sheriff Waybourn came out and said what his jailers did was wrong," said Washington. "We are still waiting for someone from JPS to come out and say the way our nurses treated Anthony was wrong and we are going to terminate these nurses."
CBS News Texas reached out to JPS Health Network for comment but did not receive a response.
Two Tarrant County jailers involved in Anthony Johnson Jr's death were indicted on murder charges but the family says their fight is far from over.
"What keeps me going is knowing that if this had happened to any one of us in our family, AJ would be doing the same fighting," said Anthony Ray Johnson Sr.