Two Tarrant County Jail employees have been indicted for murder for their roles in the death of inmate Anthony Johnson Jr.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Friday morning that detention officers Rafael Moreno, 37, and Lt. Joel Garcia, 48, were each indicted on a murder charge by a grand jury on Tuesday.
Johnson, whose death was ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner, died during a struggle in the Tarrant County Jail in April.
“The wheels of justice continue to turn in this case,” said Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn in a statement Friday. “I said from the beginning that we hold accountable anyone responsible for Mr. Johnson’s death and we are doing that."
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In May, Waybourn fired Moreno and Garcia following an internal investigation into Johnson's death. Waybourn said during a news conference that month that Moreno was fired for using a technique not approved by the sheriff's department. Garcia, Waybourn said, was fired for allowing the technique to be used and for failing to respond to the situation's urgency.
Waybourn said he was forced to reinstate the jailers under civil service rules three days after their termination.
The sheriff's office said the case will go to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office for prosecution. The Texas Rangers, a part of the Texas Department of Public Safety, are independently investigating Johnson's death.
Earlier this month, Daryl Washington, the attorney representing Johnson's family, told NBC 5 after a meeting with the Tarrant County District Attorney that he was 'confident' criminal charges would be brought against at least two people by the end of the month.
