Officers Accused Of Tipping Off City Leader About Narcotics Investigation
TARRANT COUNTY (CBS 11 NEWS) - A Blue Mound police officer was fired and another resigned after they were accused of tipping off the city's mayor that his name was mentioned during a narcotics investigation.
Blue Mound police quickly stopped the investigation of Let's Ride Auto after the incident. Deputy Police Chief Barry Hinkle wrote that there were "immense concerns for sensitive law enforcement operations, and more importantly, officer safety."
Mayor Alan Hooks said in an interview Monday he has no involvement with drugs, and had no idea why the officers felt the need to inform him about the investigation.
The mention of Hooks came in February after an officer with the Tarrant County drug task force checked out a complaint of narcotics sales at Let's Ride Auto, on Tyson Street. Internal investigation documents obtained by CBS 11 News say an employee there told a confidential informant the shop had "friends in high places," and suggested the mayor purchased drugs from the shop.
Documents show that on four separate attempts, investigators were unable to purchase narcotics from the shop.
In April, the unnamed investigating officer asked Officer Robin Wall if he had ever seen Hooks go into the shop. He then told Wall about the information from the informant.
Wall wrote in a statement that he then called Officer Fred Jepsen and told him about the conversation. Documents detail how Jepsen then went to the Hook's home to tell him about it. "He said he just wanted to make sure I knew about it before, since they're investigating," Hooks said Monday. "And I said well, if they're investigating, I'll find out about it. Just go back to patrol and don't worry about it."
Hooks said he immediately called Deputy Chief Hinkle to tell him about the conversation. According to the documents, Hooks said Jepsen relayed the information "to prove Jepsen's loyalty to the Mayor."
"Police officers don't need to be telling, even the mayor, that something's going on," Hooks said.
Documents show that Jepsen denied knowing about Hooks involvement in the investigation, or knowing anything about it. He resigned from his position. Wall was fired from the department.
Hooks provided a copy of a drug test he took voluntarily in 2010 showing he was negative for marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines. He said he had been to the shop before, to have work done on his daughter's truck.
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