Tarrant County Jail Employees Charged with Anthony Johnson’s Murder Released for Second Time

Read the latest in our story on the death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and other events at the Tarrant County Jail.

Two Tarrant County jail officers charged with murder in connection with the in-custody death of Anthony Johnson Jr. have been released for a second time.

Rafael Moreno Jr. and Joel Garcia were fired Tuesday, according to a news release from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. Both men had previously been fired by Sheriff Bill Waybourn in May but reinstated and placed on administrative leave a week later because civil service protocols were not followed.

The release of the two men came just days after they were charged with Johnson’s murder. Moreno, 37, and Garcia, 48, were booked into North Texas jails over the weekend and released on $125,000 bail, according to court documents.

Johnson died of asphyxiation in the Tarrant County Jail on April 21 after struggling with officers during a search for contraband, authorities said. The 31-year-old Marine veteran was pepper-sprayed and held in handcuffs until he lost consciousness, according to partial video of the altercation.

Anthony Johnson Jr. with his mother, Jacqualyne. Two Tarrant County jail officers who were charged with murder in connection with Johnson’s death in custody have been fired, officials said Wednesday.

In the cellphone video Garcia recorded, Moreno can be seen kneeling on Johnson for about 90 seconds, who can be heard on the recording saying he can’t breathe.

Tarrant County Sheriff Waybourn said Moreno broke rules by putting his knee on Johnson’s back while he was already handcuffed. Garcia, the supervisor, made decisions that delayed medical treatment for Johnson, according to Waybourn.

The Tarrant County Coroner’s Office ruled Johnson’s death a homicide.

Moreno turned himself in Saturday to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. He was released after posting bail. He was placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring as part of the bail conditions, according to court records.

Garcia turned himself in to Parker County police on Friday and was released after being charged, according to jail records.

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Daryl Washington, a lawyer for Johnson’s family, told reporters Tuesday that the murder charges against the two prison guards were “a victory in itself,” but that others present at Johnson’s death also deserved to be charged.

The case is being handled by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.

Washington said a civil lawsuit against those involved in Johnson’s death could be filed “at any time.”