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Police Reports on Washington County Sheriff
Deputy Sheriff Left Inmate in Hot Van, Then Accidentally Fired A Gun a Week Later
Brenham, Texas – Deputy Billy Ruemke of the Washington County, Texas Sheriff’s Department transferred two inmates to the county courthouse for court. Deputy Ruemke took out one inmate and left the other inmate in the department’s transfer van. The inmate was in the hot van for two hours before someone heard the inmate screaming.
Eleven days prior, Ruemke accidentally discharged his firearm in the restroom at the sheriff’s office. Ruemeke decided it was time to resign.
COURTHOUSE-IAD-2025-003_Redacted-10.23.25-5Washington County Attorney Renee Mueller is refusing to release the Sheriff’s records to the public
It has been over 30 days, and Renee Mueller has still not released records to the public, despite the Texas Attorney General’s instructions to release the documents.
Mueller asked the Texas Attorney General if she could keep Washington County Sheriff records secret from the public. The Attorney General told Mueller, NO, that Mueller must release the records. State law allows 30 days for Mueller to release the records.
Out of over 200 requests we have made, Mueller is the first agency to use the 30-day rule on releasing records that the Attorney General allows. Every other agency in Texas we have dealt with has released records within 1 or 2 days after receiving a decision from the Attorney General.
Why doesn’t County Attorney Renee consider the importance of transparency and public engagement in law enforcement?
Sheriff Trey Holleway Fails His First Jail Inspection
TCJS Cites Washington County Jail for Non-Compliance.
Sheriff Trey Holleway receives his first non-compliant inspection. Washington County Jail in Brenham, Texas, has been added to the list of non-compliant jails on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. A notice of non-compliance was sent on May 28, 2025, which was a day after a special jail inspection. TCJS inspectors found that the Washington County Jail has failed to comply with the rules of inmate supervision. Inspectors’ notes follow:
It was discovered that Washington County Jail exceeded the 60-minute minimum requirement for face-to-face observations.
Details on Custodial Deaths in the Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Records show that six custodial deaths occurred in the six years ending 2019 in association with the Washington County Sheriff and/or the Washington County Jail
The death of 31-year-old Cameron James Pritchett on March 6, 2019, at Washington County Jail was a suicide.
The custodial death of 19-year-old Madeleine Gene Richardson in July 2013 was reported as a likely drug overdose. The inmate admitted to jailers upon her arrival at Washington County Jail that she had swallowed a large quantity of meth.
Thirty-three-year-old Charla Glene Mikeska was arrested and jailed at Washington County Jail in 2017, and she was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for abdominal pain. She was returned to the jail and then later taken to a hospital again and released from custody. It is common for jails to release prisoners in order to save on the cost of health care and seemingly to be in a position to claim that it was not a custodial death. The woman died 11 days after being booked into the jail.
En route to Washington County Jail in July 2016, 48-year-old Alvin Lamar Ray of Brenham complained that he was feeling ill. Washington County EMS was contacted, and they said the suspect was experiencing a heart attack. The suspect had run from the police before his arrest. Ray was transported to a nearby hospital and died in the emergency room.
Washington County and the Sheriff’s Department Sued Over Inmate Suicide at the Jail
washington-county-sheriffA federal lawsuit was filed on Feb. 12 in Austin on behalf of the family of a man who died at the Washington County Jail in 2019. The lawsuit claims the defendants violated 31-year-old Cameron Pritchett’s constitutional rights to reasonable medical and mental health care, to be protected, and not to be punished as a pre-trial detainee. Pritchett had the classic signs of a person who commits suicide in jail and the jail allowed Pritchett and other prisoners to block viewing of their cells with blankets, said the lawyer representing Pritchett’s family. He had been in the jail before and the jail had significant information regarding his serious mental health issues
Washington County Attorney Renee Mueller is stalling to release records to the public
Washington County Attorney Renee Mueller is stalling to release records to the public after the Texas Attorney General told her to release the documents.
Washington County Attorney Renee Mueller did not want to release police records that made the Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies look like clowns.
Mueller asked the Texas Attorney General if she could keep the records secret from the public, and the Attorney General told Mueller, NO that she must release the records. State law allows 30 days for Mueller to release the records.
Out of over 200 requests we have made, Mueller is the first agency to use the 30-day rule on releasing records that the Attorney General allows. Every other agency in Texas has released records within 1 or 2 days after a decision from the Attorney General.
Why doesn’t County Attorney Renee consider the importance of transparency and public engagement in law enforcement?
Attorney Renee Mueller also refused to file charges against Brenham police officer Kevin Mertz for lying on a police report.
Deputy Billy Ruemke mishandled a gun, causing it to discharge at the Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Billy Ruemke carelessly mishandles a firearm, and it discharges in the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Holleway said the incident occurred in a secure area and only resulted in property damage.
Ruemke received discipline in the form of time off without pay and is scheduled for remedial training. Holleway said instances of this nature typically carry a suspension of two to three days, adding that the employee has completed that suspension.
Deputy Ruemke a 45-year career in law enforcement, can’t handle a firearm safely.
Billy Ruemke left the Sheriff’s Department one month later.
Sheriff Holleway never followed up by making Ruemke take the remedial training course on how to safely handle a firearm.
Deputy Eric Crosby
Deputy Eric Crosby is a safety hazard to drivers on the road in Brenham
Washington Sheriff
County Sheriff’s Office pledges to our citizens to enforce our laws fairly and firmly, yet be guided by a healthy amount of common sense. The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for more than 600 square miles of roadway with law enforcement protection offered to the 34,000 citizens living in Washington County.
Washington Sheriff
Washington Sheriff – We have started to obtain police reports and records from police departments across the state of Texas, under the state’s Texas Public Information Act. Records of police misconduct that are filed away, rarely seen by anyone outside their police departments.
We are collecting and publishing police complaints, internal affairs records, and disciplinary records of police officers. We also have obtained memos, cell phone text messages, videos, and even emails.
What you’ll find on our website are details about accusations of misconduct against police officers and how those cases were resolved by the agencies for which they work. You’ll be seeing a rare sight; it is a remarkably unusual occurrence for members of the public to view these records.
We’re also keeping track of roaming cops. A roaming cop is a peace officer who is about to get fired but quits and goes to work at another department because of police misconduct or poor job performance.
The very fact of your reading these reports can help prevent future abuse by police officers whose job it is to serve and protect your community, not cause harm. These are police reports from which you can learn much about the quality of policing in your city or town in Texas.
If you would like information on a police department in Texas or on a certain police officer or Deputy, contact us at PoliceTip@PoliceCrimes.com
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Brenham Texas
Sheriff Trey Holleway. Sheriff’s Office is an official law enforcement agency for the Washington Texas community. The office is located at 1206 Old Independence Road, Brenham Texas 77833
Sheriff Trey Holleway
Sheriff Trey Holleway.
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Brenham Texas can be a great location for those looking to start a new career as a washington deputy sheriff. The state’s police force, brenham sheriffs’ departments, and highway patrols are well-known for their professionalism as well as their dedication. Over 63,000 men and women work as police officers and washington sheriff’s patrol. Although the process for becoming a police officer in Texas is similar to most US states, Texas does have some additional specific requirements. The route to becoming a Texas deputy. Washington deputy sheriff. washington sheriff deputy.
Washintong Sheriff
Washington Sheriff Texas in the United States are the chief of law enforcement officers of a county. A sheriff is usually either elected by the populace or appointed by an elected body.
Sheriffs’ offices are typically tasked with operating jails, security at courthouses and county buildings, protection of judges and juries, preventing breaches of the peace, and coordinating with city police departments. Sheriff’s offices may also be responsible for security at public events and areas. Sheriff Trey Holleway.
A sheriff’s subordinate officers are referred to as deputy and they enforce the law in accordance with the sheriff’s direction and orders.
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POLICE CORRUPTION
Police corruption is the abuse of police authority for personal or financial gain, ranging from minor favors to systemic criminal behavior. It erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities.
The scale and nature of the misconduct can categorize corruption:
Corruption of authority: The misuse of a position of authority for personal benefit. This can include taking small gratuities like free meals or discounts in exchange for favoritism.
Extortion and bribery: In extortion, an officer uses threats to demand money or favors. In bribery, a civilian offers an officer money or favors for preferential treatment, such as avoiding a ticket or an arrest.
Internal payoffs: Practices within a department where promotions or favorable assignments are bought and sold.
Perjury: Lying under oath during investigations or court proceedings to protect other officers or secure a conviction.
The “frame-up”: Planting or fabricating evidence to ensure the conviction of a suspect, particularly in drug cases.
Noble cause corruption: Engaging in illegal or unethical behavior for what an officer believes is a good outcome, based on the belief that “the ends justify the means”.
Abuse of authority: This broad category includes police brutality, sexual assault, harassment, false imprisonment, and conducting unlawful searches and seizures.
Brenham Attorney Renee Mueller
* Renee Mueller County Attorney