Detention Officer Charged With Murder of Anthony Johnson Jr. in Tarrant County Jail

Two Tarrant County jail guards have been charged with the murder of Anthony Johnson Jr.

Johnson, who was being held at the Tarrant County Jail, died on April 21 after an altercation with jail guards. Video of the incident released by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office shows Officer Rafael Moreno kneeling on Johnson’s back for about 90 seconds while he was being held down on the ground. Lt. Joel Garcia filmed the incident, according to the sheriff’s office.

In the video, Johnson told prison guards he couldn’t breathe. The Tarrant County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide caused by mechanical and chemical asphyxiation.

Both Moreno and Garcia were indicted by grand juries for Johnson’s murder. The indictments were filed on June 25, court records show.

KERA has reached out to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, as well as attorneys for Moreno, Garcia and Johnson’s family, for comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Have a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at [email protected]. You can follow Miranda on Twitter at @MirandaRSuarez.

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