Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn says jailers “performed magnificently” ahead of the inmate’s death. Mason Yancey’s loved ones dispute the Sheriff’s account.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Wayboun said jail staff “performed magnificently” leading up to the death of Mason Yancey, who died in the Tarrant County Jail Dec. 27. Yancey’s family and friends dispute Waybourn’s version of events.
Officials from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, John Peter Smith Hospital and My Health My Resources of Tarrant County discussed the in-custody death of two men at the Tarrant County Commissioner’s Court on Tuesday.
Mason Yancey, a 31-year-old activist and co-founder of Open Carry Texas, was arrested on Christmas Eve for possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, WFAA previously reported.
Waybourn provided an account of Yancey’s death and the death of Vernon Ramsey, who died at JPS Hospital while in jail custody. Yancey’s family and friends dispute Waybourn’s account.
Yancey had underlying health issues and struggled with drug addiction, a condition shared by 80% of Tarrant County Jail inmates, Waybourn told commissioners. He died after collapsing in his cell surrounded by two nurses and life-saving measures were taken, Waybourn said.
Fort Worth Police are investigating the death and details likely won’t be released until summer, Waybourn said.
“Our people performed magnificently,” Waybourn said.
Of Ramsey’s death, Waybourn said he was being held on $1.4 million bond for seven counts of child sexual assault when he became unconscious in the jail and was transported to JPS where he died, Waybourn said.
During public comment, Yancey’s family and friends disputed Waybourn’s account of his death, saying jail staff denied Yancey medication for diabetes and ignored his cries for help.
“The more we learned about Mason’s death, the more angry and heartbroken we were, the more we learned about all the other deaths the more determined we became to speak out so that this never happens to another family.” Faith Bussey, a friend of Yancey’s said.
Darren Yancey Sr, Mason Yancey’s brother, called on the Texas Rangers to investigate his brother’s death.
“This cannot continue,” Yancey said. “How many bodies have to stack up before the stench makes you cry.”
Commissioner Alisa Simmons invited people to continue pressuring the sheriff, JPS, MHMR and the Commissioners Court to end the high number of deaths in Tarrant County Jail. She discusses not booking people in medical distress into jail, and modifying bonds for pregnant people.
“We cant ignore almost 70 deaths and we owe it to taxpayers to bring transparency. These deaths cost us, they cost you taxpayer dollars. We’ve got to reduce the cost, we’ve got to reduce the loss of life,” Simmons said.