Former Lake Worth police commander faces aggravated assault charges amid excessive force investigation
LAKE WORTH — A former Lake Worth police commander has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly using excessive force with a suspect, police said.
Landon Nicolas Rollins, 44, turned himself in to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. He was also charged with tampering with a government document. The terms of his release were not immediately available.
A sheriff's office spokesman said the department had no additional information on the arrest.
Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian told CBS News Texas that his department's investigation began when fellow officers reported the commander's actions after an arrest in May that involved "an unlawful use of force, excessive force."
Manoushagian said the suspect in that arrest was a criminal gang member with an active parole warrant who was selling drugs to an undercover officer.
Following best practice, the Texas Rangers were asked to investigate and present their findings to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office for review.
An internal affairs investigation was launched and the Texas Department of Public Safety was brought in.
Rollins was fired in July and the investigation was referred to a Tarrant County grand jury. The actions of the grand jury were sealed until the former commander was arrested, Manoushagian said.
"The Lake Worth Police Department respects the Tarrant County Grand Jury's decision and remains wholly committed to the pursuit of justice for all," the department said in a statement.
The department planned to hold a news conference as early as Thursday to discuss the case, Manoushagian said.
Rollins had been with the department for about three years, the chief said.
"We want to face it head-on," Manoushagian said. "We're going to be transparent. We want the community to be aware of what we did."