Police News
Police News
Murder charge dropped mid-trial, DA calls for Texas Rangers to investigate Jasper Police Department handling of evidence
Jasper – Missing key evidence and other evidence stored improperly prompted District Attorney Anne Pickle to ask the judge to dismiss a murder case against Courtney Minter Miller on the third day of trial, and Pickle is calling for the Texas Rangers to investigate the police department.
Pickle’s request for dismissal came at about 11:15 a.m., after witness Steven Boyd testified about his frantic demands for the police and fire department to get Rexie McMullen out of the blazing house. Boyd left the stand and Pickle indicated to the court that she was having problems finding evidence stored in the Jasper Police Department’s evidence room. District Judge Craig Mixson granted Defense Attorney Matt Morian’s request to accompany Pickle and her staff to search the police department’s evidence room for the evidence.
Harris County jailer charged with body-slamming video
A former Harris County detention officer caught on video body-slamming a handcuffed woman has been indicted by a grand jury.
Deven Ortiz, a former jailer with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, was indicted Tuesday on two counts of misdemeanor assault. Both stem from separate incidents caught on camera, the first of which was made public in a 13 Investigates report last November.
The video was taken in January 2024. In it, Ortiz is seen forcefully taking down a small-framed woman who was already restrained.
Texas sheriff won’t be charged after leaving gun in Wendy’s bathroom
A sheriff who left his gun unattended inside a Wendy’s bathroom will not face any charges.
Officials say the distracted lawman’s actions eventually led to a teen accidentally firing the weapon.
Investigators say the sheriff went into the restroom with his grandson and removed his holstered firearm from his belt. The man, distracted by the child, left the restroom without retrieving his weapon.
Shortly after the sheriff left the restroom, a 15-year-old went in, found the unsecured weapon, and fired it when handling it.
After an investigation, the Newton County District Attorney’s Office decided not to file charges, determining that there was no criminal intent or criminal negligence.
Brookshire police chief resigns, mayor
Brookshire – The mayor called the change a mutual agreement, but said he couldn’t get into specifics.
“I’m not at liberty to say right now. There’s still some ongoing investigation on some things, but I’m not at liberty to say the reason for the resignation,” Richards said.
Sheriff Adam King is charged with abuse of office and sexual harassment
Johnson County Sheriff Adam King was indicted on abuse of office and corrupt influence charges, according to Johnson County Jail records.
King, 57, has been charged with abuse of office: official oppression – sexual harassment, and two counts of corrupt influence – retaliation against a witness.
King was elected sheriff in 2016 and is currently serving his third term. He previously served as commander of the South Texas Officers and Prosecutors Human Trafficking Task Force.
According to the indictment dated July 21 of this year, after learning the female employee filed a human resources complaint against him for sexual harassment, King tried to get her home address “knowing the fact would cause a reasonable person to feel harassed, terrified, intimidated, alarmed or tormented.”
Carrollton police officer arrested for sexual assault
A Carrollton police officer was arrested after being accused of sexual assault in Irving, the police department confirmed Monday.
Irving Police Department told CBS News Texas that at about 1 a.m. Saturday, June 21, Carrollton Police Officer Wes Melton was taken into custody in the 200 block of E. Las Colinas Boulevard for sexual assault.
Details of the alleged assault have not been released at this time, but officers said Melton was off duty at the time of his arrest.
Melton has been with the Carrollton Police Department since January of 2024 and is currently assigned to patrol, the department said.
Liberty Co. Pct. 1 constable indicted for intoxication manslaughter
Deuty is facing charges and is accused of driving drunk before a deadly crash.
The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office announced a grand jury indicted Precinct 1 Constable Tamara “Tammy” Bishop on charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.
The DA said, “Constable Bishop was operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated at the time of the offense,” which records show occurred last month, on May 10.
Records allege Bishop was driving west on County Road 133 S. “at an unsafe speed” before she hit a concrete driveway, reportedly causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times.
Silsbee Police Chief out of jail after being arrested for public intoxication
The Silsbee police chief is out of jail on bond following his arrest on a charge of public intoxication in the Texas Hill country.
Staff at the Gillespie County Jail tell our news partner KFDM News that, according to jail records, 48-year-old James Shawn Keith Blackwell was arrested Monday by the Fredericksburg Police Department on a charge of public intoxication. They didn’t provide details of the arrest.
The charge is a Class C misdemeanor, like a ticket. If convicted, the maximum punishment is a fine of up to $500 and no jail time.
Liberty Co. Pct. 1 constable indicted for intoxication manslaughter
Liberty County Precinct 1 Constable Tammy Bishop indicted on charge of intoxication manslaughter
Constable Tammy Bishop was indicted earlier this month for her alleged role in the death of Jessica Yvette Rivera. According to the indictment, Bishop is accused of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated on May 10, with a crash resulting in the death of Rivera and serious injury to another person, Jeremy David Bishop.
Tammy Bishop was booked into the Liberty County Jail on Wednesday and released the same day on a $60,000 bond, according to jail records.
Trial set for San Antonio officer James Brennand after shooting a teen three years ago
The former San Antonio police officer accused of shooting an unarmed teenager nearly three years ago in a McDonald’s parking lot will go to trial in August on charges of aggravated assault by a public servant, District Judge Joel Perez ruled Friday, according to the Express-News.
The one-time officer, James Brennand, was initially charged with attempted murder for the shooting of Erik Cantu during an incident captured on video that grabbed national headlines. Those charges were later downgraded, however.
On Oct. 22, 2022, then-probationary officer Brennand allegedly shot Cantu multiple times after he spotted the teenager’s BMW parked in a McDonald’s parking lot. Brennand told authorities he recognized the car from a pursuit the night before and thought Cantu had stolen it because the tags didn’t match the vehicle.
Bowie County Sheriff’s Office is helping DeKalb, Texas, police after a pair of resignations
Bowie deputy sheriff Jeff Neal gives an update on the investigation into the deaths of Donna Culpepper and Charles Beckham in DeKalb, Texas, during a news conference Monday, June 23, 2025, at Bi-State Justice Center in Texarkana. The previous week, the DeKalb Police Department’s chief and a lieutenant had resigned, leaving two officers. BCSO is offering the department extra assistance until it is restaffed
Police officer Michael McGuir was arrested on DWI suspicion
Schertz Police Department said one of its officers was arrested early Thursday morning.
Police Sgt. Michael McGuire, 55, was arrested while he was off duty on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the department said.
McGuire, a 22-year veteran of the department, is assigned to the patrol division, police said. He will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Houston police officer charged with second DWI in two years after crash injures 9
A Houston Police Department officer is facing his second DWI charge in just a matter of two years.
Authorities say Sean Ratcliff is the HPD officer who they believe was behind the wheel during the crash at that intersection.
METRO officials say he rear-ended one of their buses. Two people were sent to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and seven others on board were also hurt.
State records show he started as an HPD officer in January 2013, and a decade later he was charged with a DWI. The records also show that his time of service with HPD ended in 2023. Marque police seize phones from Texas City staffer.
He is free on a $10,000 bond, according to jail records.
The department’s probable cause affidavit alleges Miller created a Facebook profile with the name “Joseph Lowry” and made several posts relating to Texas City employees and city commission matters, painting them in a positive light.
Deputy resigns after investigation into association with felons
Houston – A Harris County sheriff’s deputy resigned who was scheduled to be terminated over allegations that she maintained close ties with two known f.e.l.o.n.s.
According to HCSO personnel records obtained by ABC13 through an open records request, Deputy Selena Perez was under investigation for her alleged association with brothers Christopher Mejia and Paul Mejia Gutierrez.
Killeen PD officer charged with Assault with Bodily Injury
Killeen Police officer has been arrested and is charged with Assault with Bodily Injury.
The officer has been identified as Isaiah Guerrero. His bond has been set at $10,000. Guerrero has been with Killeen PD since January 2022, and is assigned to its Patrol Division.
The department received a notification that Guerrero surrendered himself to the Bell County Jail for an outstanding warrant for Assault with Bodily Injury – Family Member. He bonded out the same day. The arrest was a result of an off-duty incident investigated by the Temple Police Department.
Eustace police officer gets 20 years for child porn possession
HENDERSON COUNTY – A former Eustace police officer was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Cody Mitchell Burris was arrested four counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of possession with intent to promote child pornography. The arrest came after authorities obtained three videos reportedly depicting minors engaging in sexual conduct.
In December 2024, investigators examined the items collected during the search warrant, where they reportedly found screenshots of several videos of infants and young child pornography.
Former Galveston County Sheriff’s Office deputy indicted in inmate death
A grand jury Tuesday indicted Skyler Ray Chapman, a former sheriff’s deputy, in connection to the 2024 death of Saul Vargas, an inmate at the county jail, Sheriff Jimmy Fullen said.
Grand jury indicted Chapman on a charge of criminally negligent homicide, the District Attorney’s Office said.
The grand jury reviewed evidence from investigations by the Texas Rangers and DA’s Offices into Vargas’ death, the office said.
Those convicted of criminally negligent homicide can be sentenced to between 180 days to two years in state jail.
Investigation alleges former Pflugerville police chief pointed a gun at a lieutenant’s leg
The city of Pflugerville announced that a third party completed an investigation into former Police Chief Jason O’Malley, who allegedly pointed a gun at an employee’s leg.
In his report, Baker wrote that a Pflugerville Police lieutenant made a complaint against O’Malley during an exit interview. According to Baker, the lieutenant alleged that O’Malley “brandished a firearm and made threats toward an employee that he should shoot the employee in the foot.”
Off-duty deputy who pulled gun after domestic dispute
A Harris County Precinct 1 deputy constable seen in a video pulling a gun following a family dispute remains under investigation as her attorney says the public is only seeing part of the story.
Brittany Brown has been on desk duty since early August, after a video surfaced showing her confronting a man, reportedly her sister’s ex-boyfriend, with her weapon drawn. The video, which circulated widely on social media, captures a heated exchange filled with profanity and taunts.
Brown, who was in uniform at the time but off duty, according to Precinct 1, is seen pointing a firearm at the man while demanding the return of her sister’s phone. The man recording the incident said that he had taken the phone during an argument with the mother of his child.
Fort Bend County deputy arrested, charged with sexual assault
Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy is without a job after being accused of sexually assaulting someone.
Authorities said a grand jury indicted Deputy Whitney Johnson III with sexual assault on Monday.
FBCSO said Johnson served the sheriff’s office for nearly two years before his indictment.
“Deputy Johnson was terminated on the date of this indictment and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement was notified of his arrest. The allegation was for off-duty conduct and was investigated by the Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs section and the District Attorney’s Office,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Deputy caught allegedly drunk driving after leaving a bar in Katy
A Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy caught on video failing his field sobriety test made his first court appearance on Friday morning.
Former Sergeant David Hoang is accused of driving drunk after leaving his second job at a club in Katy on August 17.
Hoang, a 24-year veteran of HCSO, is being represented by attorney Tony Wadhawan.
Adams followed Hoang and then called 911. Records show Adams had called 911 at 2:49 a.m. He then recorded a startling video of the deputy having difficulty walking while trying to pass his field sobriety test.
Police Sergeant accused of stealing millions from shopping center
A 17-year veteran Harris County Sheriff’s Department is now in jail, accused of stealing millions of dollars from his extra job running security at the Highland Village Shopping Center.
Sergeant William Vides is facing three counts of forgery and one count of theft. Court records indicate that they originated from his tenure as head of security operations at Highland Village, spanning approximately 2021 to 2023.
“Highland Village management, they allege, according to them, you were using forged checks from several different witnesses and complainants, and they allege you were using these checks to embezzle money in the millions of dollars,” read a magistrate judge during Sgt. Vides’ initial appearance in the probable cause court.
The civil case was filed by Highland Village in 2023, alleging that during his time running security operations, Vides embezzled more than $4 million.