Citing ‘hostile’ behavior, Tarrant sheriff declines to brief commissioners
Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn sent an email through a county employee saying that he would not brief the commissioners court Wednesday on jail deaths because of to Commissioner Alisa Simmons’s “hostile” behavior.
Waybourn was scheduled to give a briefing at the meeting updating the court about “incidents in the county jail.” Over 70 people have died in Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office custody since Waybourn took office in 2017, the majority of which occurred at the John Peter Smith Hospital.
Multiple deaths have happened this year. The most recent were on Aug. 26 and Aug. 6.
In the email Waybourn sent to County Administrator Chandler Merritt Wednesday morning, Waybourn said if members of the public, media or elected officials, “including the Precinct 2 Commissioner,” want more information beyond what is provided in press releases, they can make a records request.
“Furthermore, the repeated lack of civility displayed by the Precinct 2 Commissioner toward the Tarrant County staff is both hostile and unprofessional,” Merritt read from Waybourn’s email. “I won’t subject anyone from this office to that type of inappropriate treatment. Therefore, no one from this agency will participate in briefings requested by the Precinct 2 Commissioner before this court.”
For years, residents have come to the court meetings asking for answers regarding the jail deaths. Simmons said it’s part of his job as an elected official to give the public what they want.
“I didn’t ask for your staff,” Simmons said as she looked into the livestream camera. “I asked you to come down here, and where are you? Big tall guy, big hat, guns, everything, and you can’t take questions from the citizenry, your constituents.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 5:34 PM.