Man dies in Tarrant County custody, cause currently unknown

A man died at the Tarrant County jail early Thursday following a medical emergency, according to a news release from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

The man, identified as Roderick Johnson by online records from the Tarrant County medical examiner, was found unresponsive in his cell around 5:35 a.m. after he did not attend breakfast, officials said.

Medical personnel from John Peter Smith Hospital responded and attempted life-saving measures. MedStar and the Fort Worth Fire Department also responded and Johnson was pronounced dead, according to the release.

Johnson had been in custody since Dec. 4, according to the sheriff’s department. Court records show he was facing charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

His cause of death is listed as “pending” in medical examiner records.

All in-custody deaths are reviewed by several agencies, according to the release. Those agencies include an outside law enforcement agency, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office jail staff, the sheriff’s office criminal investigations division, hospital medical staff, the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.