Tarrant County sheriff defends jail amid protests, calls for change over in-custody deaths
TARRANT COUNTY — The Tarrant County Sheriff is defending his jail amid protests and calls for change from community members at Tarrant County Commissioners Court on Tuesday.
The contentious meeting came after two more in-custody deaths in December.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Department has been under scrutiny for months after several people died in custody in 2024.
Commissioners heard about two hours of public comment, which was mostly focused on conditions at the jail. The meeting came to a halt twice when two men were detained by deputies in separate incidents. Charlie Hermes, a Tarrant County resident, was charged with disrupting a public meeting and Manuel Mata, also of Tarrant County, was charged with disorderly conduct. Both are being held at the Tarrant County Jail.
"Mason was murdered," a friend of Mason Yancy told the court. "This was murder."
Yancy was brought to the Tarrant County jail on Christmas Eve on drug charges. The 31-year-old collapsed in his cell and died four days later.
His family and friends allege jailers denied him insulin, even though he had diabetes.
His death has renewed calls for change at the jail and inspired a protest outside Tuesday's meeting.
"This cannot continue," Darren Yancy, Mason's brother, said to commissioners. "How many bodies have to stack up before the stench makes you cry?"
Sheriff Bill Waybourn defended his deputies, telling the court staff did everything they could to save Yancy.
"All protocols were followed by Tarrant County Sheriff's Office personnel," the sheriff said. "I believe they were followed by all medical personnel in Fort Worth PD. Everybody followed the law and followed the normal protocols or in these circumstances."
The sheriff said Yancy had underlying health issues and a ketamine addiction but was given the best healthcare.
He told the court an inmate who died in December, Vernon Ramsey, was also given immediate medical attention.
"I think that that we've done everything that we need to do and our people perform magnificently," said Waybourn.
Yancy's brother said he rejected the sheriff's version of events. He also pointed to the nearly 70 in-custody deaths since Waybourn took office in 2017.
"You've got the number of deaths under various employees that keep occurring, and there's one man at the top, and that's Bill Waybourn," said Darren Yancy. "Now, at some point, you acknowledge a failure of policy and incompetency, or maybe you shouldn't be on this board… People birthing in jail, a young man being suffocated to death. Why are we having this man the sheriff right now? Please think about that. Please take the time to reflect."
Waybourn was reelected to another term in November.
Tarrant County recently hired a new chief to oversee the jail system. Shannon Herklotz previously worked for the Dallas County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
The former head of the Tarrant County Jail retired last May after a series of inmate deaths, including Anthony Johnson's. Two jailers have been charged with murder in his death.
"I'm not out to get anyone except the people that seem to be freaking okay with these numbers," said Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who pressed the sheriff, along with JPS and MHMR representatives, about the deaths. "We can't ignore almost 70 deaths. We owe it to taxpayers to bring transparency… These deaths cost us."
According to the sheriff's office, the majority of in-custody deaths are from natural causes or medical issues.
The two December deaths are still under investigation by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office and the Fort Worth Police Department.
