Tangi Johnson
Tangi Johnson, 61, was a grandmother from Canton, Ohio, and her sister Tina Friedman called her her best friend, saying they did everything together. Her son Justin Johnson said she has grandchildren and children and that he is still taking her death hard. Her family says she had COPD and a heart condition, relied on oxygen, and that Stark County Jail staff did not take her breathing problems seriously. The sheriff's office said she asked for oxygen hours after arriving and that there is no audio or video of that request or of her later complaints of trouble breathing. She spent more than two weeks in intensive care on life support after a medical emergency at the jail in March 2024 before she died, and the family plans to take legal action.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). Her family says jail staff did not take her breathing problems seriously and they plan legal action, while the sheriff's office says she asked for oxygen hours after arriving and that there is no audio or video of that request or of her later complaints.
Reported by: Tina Friedman, her sister, and Justin Johnson, her son (family or their lawyers); Stark County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her).