“Are you going to wait until after it’s your family member who was killed in custody, and then you’ll start caring?” CJ Grisham said.
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Civil rights activists in North Texas are calling for answers after the latest in-custody death at the Tarrant County Jail.
Mason Yancy, a 31-year-old activist and co-founder of Open Carry Texas, passed away on Dec. 27 after being transferred to the Tarrant County Jail by Grapevine Police. Yancy was arrested on Christmas Eve for possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
CJ Grisham, a civil rights attorney and fellow activist, described Yancy as a passionate advocate for Second Amendment rights. After he heard about an in-custody death at the Tarrant County Jail, Grisham started doing some research only to end up in unbelief.
“This has got to be someone else; it’s not our Mason. There’s no way he’s dead,” CJ Grisham said after learning the news.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office released a statement explaining Yancy disclosed a history of medical issues during booking. He was placed on detox protocol and scheduled for a medical and mental health evaluation. Sheriff Bill Waybourn said Yancy suffered a medical emergency while in custody, prompting detention officers and JPS medical staff to administer life-saving treatment. Despite their efforts, Yancy passed away.
“Why is this continuing to happen? Why is this continuing to happen?” CJ Grisham repeated.
Local activists plan to rally to bring awareness to Yancy’s jail death and others that have occurred in Tarrant County. Grisham told WFAA that the circumstances surrounding Yancy’s death have sparked renewed calls for transparency and accountability.
He and other activists have organized a rally during the first Tarrant County Commissioners meeting of the new year, scheduled for Jan. 14. Grisham shared he was already bothered by the number of in-custody jail deaths in Tarrant County, and now, it’s personal. He doesn’t want any more families in the community to experience what Yancy’s family is going through.
“I think the community needs to come in and demand accountability,” Grisham urged, encouraging public participation, “Mason is just one of many. And if you don’t do something now, when? Are you going to wait until after it’s your family member who was killed in custody, and then you’ll start caring? This just made me care more now that it’s one of our own.”
Yancy’s family is devastated about his death. They are in the middle of planning his funeral but have also vowed to demand more answers.
Sheriff Bill Waybourn’s plans for transparency and accountability inside the correction facility include outfitting jailers with body cameras.
Waybourn’s statement said all in-custody deaths are reviewed and investigated by Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office jail staff, the TCSO Criminal Investigations Division, an outside law enforcement agency, JPS Medical Staff, The Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.