Tarrant County inmate's family speaks after jailers charged with murder

FULL NEWS CONFERENCE: Johnson family on jailers arrests

Family members of a man who died after a struggle at the Tarrant County Jail spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time since two jailers involved in the incident were arrested.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Family members of a man who died after a struggle at the Tarrant County Jail spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time since two jailers involved in the incident were arrested.

Anthony Johnson's family is calling for more action after Tarrant County corrections officers Rafael Moreno and Joel Garcia were indicted for murder.

Both jailers turned themselves in to law enforcement and have since been released on bond.

Johnson's family says it's calling for more people to be held accountable for what happened, saying they have a long journey to justice.

"We are thankful that at least two jailers have been indicted. I think that's important because it sends a strong message that inmates have rights and this is not going to be tolerated," said Darryl K. Washington, the family's attorney.

On April 21, Johnson was involved in a struggle at the jail during a routine contraband check.

Jailers charged in inmate's death arrested

Texas DPS announced the arrest of two corrections officers indicted in connection to the death of 31-year-old Marine veteran and inmate Anthony Johnson.

During the struggle, Moreno kept his knee on Johnson's back and shoulders for more than a minute after Johnson had been restrained.

Lt. Garcia, who was a supervisor at the time, recorded the incident on his phone, which Sheriff Bill Waybourn says delayed the process to summon medical help.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Johnson's death was a homicide, listing mechanical and chemical asphyxia as his cause of death.

Anthony Johnson

The presence of methamphetamine was also listed as a contributing factor.

Johnson, a 31-year-old Marine veteran who battled mental illness, was in jail after being arrested in Saginaw for behaving erratically with a knife at an intersection.

VIDEO: Jailer kneels on Tarrant County inmate

31-year-old Anthony Ray Johnson died on April 21 following a struggle with corrections officers at the Tarrant County Jail. Two jailers were fired on Thursday because of the incident.

Moreno and Garcia were fired after the incident but were then reinstated due to improper protocol with their terminations.

Both Moreno and Garcia will remain on administrative leave while the investigation continues, according to Sheriff Waybourn.

Garcia’s attorneys released a statement saying they are confident a jury will find that he "committed no crime in discharging his duties as a Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant with nearly 25 years of devoted service."

The Johnson family is calling for a release of the full video of what happened at the jail.