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Tarrant County officials brief court after two in-custody deaths; families and advocates press for independent probe
Summary
Sheriff's office, JPS Health and MHMR brief the Commissioners Court after two in-custody deaths in December; families and advocates pressed for outside investigations and named policy failures including missed medical care and information gaps.
Tarrant County officials briefed the Commissioners Court on Jan. 14 about two people who died while in custody in December, drawing heavily attended public comment from family members and advocacy groups calling for independent investigations and immediate policy changes.
The briefing featured a presentation from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office and health partners. Sheriff’s office spokespersons said both deaths remain under active investigation. “All protocols were followed by Tarrant County Sheriff's Office personnel,” the sheriff’s briefing said, adding that clinical teams and emergency responders performed life-saving measures on scene.
Why it matters: Public speakers — including family members of those who died — said county processes failed relatives and called for outside scrutiny. The court heard multiple accounts alleging delays or denials of medical care, and commenters said internal investigations and settlement spending have not delivered accountability.
What officials told the court - The sheriff's office said both cases are under active investigation, that emergency medical procedures were performed, and that results from the medical examiner and other investigative steps could take months. The briefing said one of the decedents was seen by medical staff “on nine occasions” in four days while in custody and that emergency resuscitation efforts lasted more than 40 minutes. - Zillia Ball, executive vice president for behavioral and correctional health at JPS Health, described how medical access is arranged inside the jail: intake screening by registered nurses, on-site clinics, triage of requests via tablet or officer referral, and a pharmacy available 24/7. Ball said inmates may refuse care and that care decisions follow clinical protocols. - MHMR representatives described the intake and referral process for behavioral health: screening at booking, database checks used to identify prior care, and multiple touch points (booking, classification, medical) that can prompt MHMR involvement.
Family accounts and public comment Family members and community advocates disputed parts of the briefings and gave eyewitness or family accounts that contradicted county descriptions. Darren Yancey, who identified himself as the brother of Mason (Mason Yancey), read messages from his brother shortly before his death and said Mason had called “begging me to get him out of jail saying that he needed to get to the hospital.” A cellmate’s account read to the court described staff laughter during an apparent seizure and a prolonged period in which the inmate lay motionless.
Advocates and health professionals called for transparency and outside review. Bishop T.D. Kirkland and multiple speakers urged an outside civil-rights or Department of Justice review; other commenters recommended adopting recommendations from the National Institute of Corrections report previously provided to the court.
Courtroom exchanges and administration response Commissioner Alyssa Simmons pressed for more aggressive transparency and said the court must “take seriously the high number of deaths occurring in this jail.” Court members and health partners acknowledged limits on what could be disclosed while investigations are active but the court’s discussion repeatedly returned to whether families and the public have adequate access to records and how families can escalate concerns about medical care.
What remains unresolved - The medical examiner’s reports for the two December deaths had not been released at the time of the briefing; county officials said those reports and other forensic work could take months. - Multiple speakers urged the court to require or request an independent external investigation rather than internal review; the sheriff’s office said investigations involve multiple agencies but did not announce such a third-party civil-rights probe during the meeting.
Ending: Commissioners acknowledged the depth of community concern and said staff and partners would continue to brief the court. Family members and advocates said they will continue to press for open records and outside review.
