The inside of a jail cell at the Tarrant County Corrections Center in Fort Worth on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled that accidental drug overdoses were the causes of two jail inmates’ deaths at John Peter Smith Hospital in April and June.
Both deaths were a toxic combination of fentanyl, methadone and methamphetamine.
John Barr, 36, died on April 19 in the JPS Hospital emergency room. Barr had spent three days in jail on a parole violation before he was found unresponsive in his cell, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. Medical staff from JPS Correctional Health administered lifesaving measures before Barr was taken to JPS Hospital.
James Kent Johnson, 40, died on June 15. A news release from the Sheriff’s Office said Johnson experienced a medical emergency, witnessed by his cellmate. Jail staff began life-saving measures until JPS Hospital personnel arrived and took him to the emergency room, where he died. Johnson was brought into the jail the day before by River Oaks police. He had a charge of violating a bond or protective order.
The release said Johnson did not consent to or cooperate with a standard medical screening usually conducted when he was booked into the Tarrant County Jail, which cannot be forced by staff.
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Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.