Tarrant sheriff must release videos to show public what led to inmate’s death | Opinion

Read the latest in our coverage of the death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and other issues in Tarrant County jail.

It’s probably legal for Tarrant County to keep videos from the public even though they may shed light on a man’s troublesome death in the county jail, at least while an investigation unfolds.

But Sheriff Bill Waybourn and other officials should ask themselves: Is it the right thing for the community?

The answer is no. The death of Anthony Johnson Jr. after he was pepper-sprayed while reportedly fighting officers during a contraband check threatens to roil Fort Worth. The citizens ultimately responsible for the application of justice deserve to know how a 31-year-old former Marine died so suddenly. They need answers so they can demand better administration of justice from their elected officials and hold them accountable for it.

District Attorney Phil Sorrells cited an ongoing investigation when he asked the attorney general’s office, on the sheriff’s behalf, to deny a Star-Telegram reporter’s request for documentation around Johnson’s death. That’s a sound legal tactic, and the county is likely to prevail.

But allowing Johnson’s family and the broader public to see what happened need not jeopardize the investigation. If the videos absolve jailers or show evidence of a crime, that won’t change because more eyes have seen them. Another common concern is tainting a potential jury pool. Any case probably wouldn’t go to trial for months or even a year, and in a county of 2.2 million people, it won’t be hard to find people who never saw the videos or don’t even remember the case.

County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, an Arlington Democrat, said Tuesday that even she and her colleagues — who will have to approve costs arising from the case and whatever changes are needed at the jail — had been denied access to the videos.

Law enforcement agencies have, understandably, developed different strategies for handling footage of lethal encounters. When the video absolves officers, particularly showing that their lives were in danger, police release them in days. Some are not so clear-cut, and in those cases, too, the public needs to understand what officers faced and where they may have crossed the line.

It’s a matter of tradeoffs, and with so many questions surrounding the jail, it would be better for Waybourn to get the facts out. Johnson’s death was the fifth at the jail this year and the second in a span of a week. Yes, many inmates arrive with complicated medical histories, chronic disease and years of damaging substance abuse. No urban jail can prevent certain deaths. But there are plenty of signs this wasn’t the case with Johnson.

His case seems to symbolize the sharpened crisis of mental health, which lands at the jail’s doorstep. His family said they tried to get Johnson help for schizophrenia at a hospital but were turned away. He was soon arrested in Saginaw on charges of possession of a controlled substance, tampering with or fabricating evidence and evading arrest.

Johnson was taken to jail April 20. He died the next morning.

We lack money, facilities and systems for adequate treatment, so we ask law enforcement officials to serve as the last resort for treatment, and if they’re involved, it’s probably in a crisis. Waybourn has long lamented this and urged more attention and resources for the issue, and he’s right.

The sheriff took the rare step of speaking publicly on Johnson’s case just a few days after his April 21 death. Waybourn asked the public for patience, a reasonable request in a complicated case. The videos and other information might raise uncomfortable issues about poor staffing, stressful working conditions and other problems in the jail operation. They might pinpoint one bad actor. But whatever the answer, the questions should be aired while there’s focus and a willingness to act.

Responsibility for the latter falls on Waybourn, his staff and county commissioners. We’ve said repeatedly that commissioners must involve themselves in the jail’s problems at a granular level. The 3-2 Republican majority on the court cannot turn its head because of the potential political risk to Waybourn or anyone else.

After all, improving the jail would ease political pressure. It might be more fiscally responsible in the long run. Legal settlements are government spending, too. And if the federal government steps in and demands reform, the bills could mount quickly.

But it’s the human cost that matters most. Johnson’s mother and sister made their anguish plain at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Also hurting, no doubt, are the dedicated men and women who strive to do their duty every day and night at the jail.

Everyone involved deserves better. The first step is transparency.

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