Coverage of police department operations, leadership, and accountability in small Texas cities. Includes reporting on department policies, officer conduct, and the relationship between law enforcement and local government.
According to Councilmember Raymond Mosley, Mayor Clinton Sulak-Tovar texted him that he could sue ITXN for defamation if it doesn't fix the quote. Mosley says the Mayor said it to him. Italy PD now says it has been investigating the harassment allegations since September 14.
Tool Police Chief Robert Walker confirmed that Officer Juan Ochoa was terminated effective October 7 for repeated body camera failures. The department's own records show the problem was in writing by June 2025.
An Italy resident sent me a written complaint alleging a sergeant is making sexual harassment remarks toward a rookie female officer. It lands less than three weeks after the city upheld Kevin Oginski's firing, in a case that began with an allegation its own investigator did not sustain. The Chief's unread statement is attached.
Two members of the Italy City Council said publicly this afternoon that nobody told them an officer had been terminated. One of them learned about it from a resident, two hours after asking the city administrator directly.
An update on Chief Charles Gregory and the Trinidad Police Department storyline after process service today, the side of the story most people are missing, and what is on the agenda for the May 28 council meeting.
Winston Wesley Noles filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday over his May 12 arrest at Trinidad City Hall, alleging First Amendment retaliation, an unconstitutional Fourth Amendment seizure, and municipal liability against the City of Trinidad.
A connected timeline of recent Trinidad events: two arrests, on-record water-quality remarks from the city's contracted operator alongside a contrasting view from a neighboring mayor, and a call to action for the May 19 council meeting.
Jennifer Combs of Kerens was arrested on a state jail felony charge over a Facebook post about Trinidad's water system, with Trinidad PD's §42.06 warning fifteen days before the City's own Boil Water Notice.
Thank you for the response. Here is what I am seeing in your accounts, where things stand with the city, and how you can help move this forward.
Official Tool PD records reveal a motorcycle strike with a patrol vehicle, body camera violations, and disciplinary records that raise questions about officer accountability.
Former Seven Points police officer Justin Shaffer has filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against the city, Mayor Keith Betts, and Anthony Katsoulas. Both individual defendants have been served.
I had a half-hour conversation with Brandon Torres. He left me cautiously optimistic, but the mold problem at the police department isn't going away on its own.
If something in your town, your agency, or a business near you does not add up, send it. Documents help, but a date, a place, or a name is enough to start. I read every tip myself.
How I handle tips and protect sources →