Bill Waybourn

Bill E. Waybourn
Sheriff of Tarrant County, Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2017
Preceded byDee Anderson
Personal details
PartyRepublican
Residence(s)Tarrant County, Texas

Bill E. Waybourn is an American law enforcement officer who has served as Sheriff of Tarrant County, Texas since January 1, 2017.[1] His tenure has received sustained local, state, and national attention, particularly regarding deaths in custody at the Tarrant County jail and related calls for outside investigation and oversight.[2][3][4]

Early life and career

According to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, Waybourn served in the U.S. Air Force beginning in 1978 and later worked for the Dalworthington Gardens Police Department, including as chief of police and chief of public safety.[1] News coverage has also described him as a longtime North Texas law enforcement official prior to his election as sheriff.[5]

Sheriff of Tarrant County

Waybourn took office in January 2017. Reporting during his tenure has frequently focused on conditions at the county jail, including deaths in custody, medical care, mental health services, and transparency in public reporting.[2][6]

Jail deaths and calls for investigation

KERA News reported that more than 65 people had died in Tarrant County custody since Waybourn took office in 2017, and that advocates were urging a federal civil rights investigation into the jail.[3] At a public forum in January 2024, Waybourn was questioned about the number of deaths during his tenure, and he said he did not want any deaths to occur in custody.[2]

In June 2024, U.S. Representative Marc Veasey publicly called for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate what he described as a pattern of inmate deaths and incidents at the jail following the death of Anthony Johnson Jr.[7][8]

Death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and murder indictments

The death of Anthony Johnson Jr., a former U.S. Marine, generated national coverage after the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide and reported asphyxia as the cause of death.[4] The Associated Press reported that Waybourn said a detention officer's use of a knee on Johnson's back was inappropriate once Johnson was restrained.[4]

In June 2024, Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons announced that two detention officers had been indicted for murder in connection with Johnson's death.[9] Axios Dallas reported that two jail employees were charged with murder and terminated, and framed the case within broader scrutiny of custodial deaths at the jail during Waybourn's tenure.[10]

In February 2025, KERA News and NBC 5 Dallas Fort Worth reported that a judge dismissed Tarrant County and certain defendants from a civil lawsuit related to Johnson's death while other litigation and proceedings continued.[11][12] In December 2025, KERA reported further developments involving the lawsuit and appeals, including that two former jailers indicted for murder remained awaiting trial.[13]

Immigration enforcement and 287(g)

Waybourn has been a public advocate of immigration enforcement partnerships between local jails and federal authorities. In October 2019, the Texas Tribune reported on Waybourn's remarks at a White House briefing about immigration and jail releases, including comments that drew criticism from immigrant-rights organizations.[14] LULAC issued a public response criticizing the remarks.[15]

Tarrant County participates in the federal 287(g) program through a jail enforcement model agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[16] KERA News reported on controversy surrounding the agreement and public testimony to county commissioners about the program.[17]

Elections and political context

Waybourn was first elected sheriff in 2016 and has won reelection. In the 2024 election cycle, multiple outlets reported that deaths in jail custody were a central issue in the race between Waybourn and Democratic challenger Patrick Moses.[5][6][18] KERA reported that Waybourn won reelection in 2024.[19]

Personal life

Family members' arrests

In October 2019, NBC 5 Dallas Fort Worth reported that Sergei Waybourn, identified as the sheriff's son, was arrested in Arlington on a charge of indecent exposure.[20] Courthouse News Service also reported on the arrest in the context of attention to Waybourn's earlier 2019 immigration remarks.[21]

In March 2025, multiple outlets reported that William Waybourn, described as Waybourn's adopted son, was arrested in Arlington and faced charges including solicitation of prostitution of a minor, assault on a peace officer, and resisting arrest, according to court records and police statements cited by reporters.[22][23][24][25] A county-issued statement attributed to Waybourn addressed the arrest and emphasized that the justice system should proceed without special treatment.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Sheriff's biography". Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Tarrant County residents questioned sheriff over jail conditions; he offered them a tour". KERA News. January 19, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Tarrant County Jail needs federal civil rights investigation, advocates say". KERA News. November 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Family of Texas man who died after altercation with jailers wants federal investigation". Associated Press. June 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Tarrant jail deaths dominate race between incumbent sheriff, Democratic candidate". KERA News. October 21, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Will scrutiny over jail deaths unseat Tarrant County's sheriff?". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. October 25, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  7. ^ "Rep. Veasey urges Department of Justice to investigate pattern of inmate deaths, alarming incidents at Tarrant County jail". Office of Congressman Marc Veasey. June 10, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  8. ^ "Fort Worth lawmaker asks feds to investigate jail deaths". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  9. ^ "Indictment of detention officers". Tarrant County, Texas (Commissioner Precinct 2). June 28, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  10. ^ "Tarrant County inmate's death leads to murder charges and firings". Axios Dallas. July 9, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  11. ^ "Tarrant County dropped from lawsuit over Anthony Johnson Jr.'s death in jail custody". KERA News. February 10, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  12. ^ "Tarrant County defendants dismissed from Anthony Johnson civil suit". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. February 10, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  13. ^ "Family of Anthony Johnson Jr. wants Tarrant County added back to lawsuit over jail death". KERA News. December 9, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  14. ^ "Texas sheriff at White House briefing: If criminal immigrants are released, "these drunks will run over your children"". The Texas Tribune. October 10, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  15. ^ "LULAC responds to Texas Sheriff Bill Waybourn's comments at the White House". League of United Latin American Citizens. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  16. ^ "287(g) Jail Enforcement Model Memorandum of Agreement: Tarrant County, Texas" (PDF). U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. June 16, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  17. ^ "Tarrant County's controversial ICE contract is here to stay. This is what to know about the program". KERA News. July 15, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  18. ^ "Election results: Tarrant County sheriff race between Bill Waybourn and Patrick Moses". WFAA. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  19. ^ "Waybourn wins race for Tarrant County sheriff amid focus on deaths in jail custody". KERA News. November 6, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  20. ^ "Tarrant County sheriff's son arrested for indecent exposure". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. October 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  21. ^ "Son of Texas sheriff who called immigrants "drunks" arrested for indecent exposure". Courthouse News Service. October 14, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  22. ^ "Tarrant County sheriff's adopted son arrested in Arlington, accused of soliciting a minor". KERA News. March 4, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  23. ^ "Arlington PD: Tarrant County sheriff's son arrested". WFAA. March 4, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  24. ^ "Tarrant County Sheriff Bill E. Waybourn's son arrested for allegedly soliciting minor, assaulting officer". CBS News Texas. March 5, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  25. ^ "Sheriff Waybourn's son arrested in Arlington on suspicion of soliciting a minor". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. March 4, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  26. ^ "Statement: Sheriff Waybourn's son's arrest" (PDF). Tarrant County, Texas. March 7, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
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