The ruling came down Friday, according to the Fort Wort Star-Telegram.
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor on Friday dismissed claims against Tarrant County in a civil lawsuit filed by the family of Anthony Johnson Jr., who died in custody at the Tarrant County Jail in April 2024, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Johnson, a former Marine, died on April 21 in the Tarrant County Jail’s custody after a struggle with jailers outside his cell. Examiners ruled that Johnson died from mechanical and chemical asphyxia, meaning he could not get enough oxygen because his airways were restricted by a chemical and a physical force or object.
Two jailers, Rafael Moreno and Joel Garcia, were indicted on murder charges following Johnson’s death. Moreno was seen in video footage kneeling on Johnson’s back for approximately 90 seconds. Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn confirmed that pepper spray was used during the incident, but the medical examiner’s report didn’t list the chemical that affected Johnson’s breathing.
The lawsuit included Tarrant County as Johnson’s family argued it was liable under the “conditions of confinement” doctrine. However, the recent ruling removes the county from the lawsuit, leaving nine jailers as defendants, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said Daryl Washington, the Dallas-based civil rights attorney representing the family of Anthony Johnson Jr., expressed firm resolve despite the dismissal of Tarrant County from the lawsuit. While he declined to reveal the family’s next legal steps, Washington emphasized that the dismissal does not alter the fundamental truth of the case.
“This is not going to change nothing,” Washington stated. “It doesn’t change the fact that Anthony was killed. Not only killed, he was murdered”
