BY
DEANNA BOYD
FORT
WORTH
A
police officer has been fired for allegedly failing to show up at a court for
an aggravated kidnapping trial and giving conflicting information about his
role in the case.
The
indefinite suspension of Officer Royce Brown, who had been with the department
since August 2008, took effect Monday, according to a disciplinary letter filed
with the Civil Service Commission.
Brown
has appealed, said Terry Daffron Porter, his attorney with the Combined Law
Enforcement Associations of Texas.
“I
am anxious to get a hold of the investigation as I already have serious
concerns with the method in which it was conducted,” Daffron Porter said. “He
looks forward to his appeal hearing.”
According
to the disciplinary letter, signed by now retired Chief Jeff Halstead, a
Tarrant County assistant district attorney had told Brown in July that she
needed to speak with him about his involvement in recovering a firearm used in
an aggravated kidnapping case.
Brown,
according to the letter, told the prosecutor he didn’t recall anything about
the firearm and that he only provided security at the scene. The attorney
replied that she might need to speak with him again later, the letter states.
But,
the letter alleges, Brown later did not returns calls or an email from the
attorney, in which he was informed he was needed in court.
Later,
a police supervisor learned that the prosecutor did not want Brown to testify
in court after learning that he had a prior suspension from the department for
untruthfulness.
Brown,
according to the letter, denied receiving any of the voice mail messages and
later told investigators that he did have a second conversation with the
prosecutor — a conversation she denies took place.
In
a later interview with investigators, Brown said he tried to call the
prosecutor but the call taker was unable to transfer him. He provided
investigators with phone records showing he called the district attorney’s
office but at a number different from the one provided by the prosecutor.
“He
submitted his phone records and his phone records bore out the fact that he did
call the DA’s office,” Daffron Porter said.
The
letter alleges that Brown also dramatically changed his account of his role in
the aggravated kidnapping case in separate interviews with investigators.
“Officer
Brown abandoned his obligation as an officer to testify in a criminal case that
could have possibly helped with the conviction of a felon,” according to the
letter.
The
letter states that Brown was also untruthful to both the prosecutor and
internal investigators about discovering evidence in the case. He denied to
investigators finding the gun in question in the aggravated kidnapping case
despite contradictory statements from multiple witnesses, the letter states.
“Officer
Brown’s integrity could always play a part in court cases, which could make him
not useful in court cases that he needs to testify in,” the letter states.
Brown
had previously received a 16-day suspension from the department on allegations
of failing to devote time/attention to duty, untruthfulness, improper use of a
police communications system, and disabling data components on a police
vehicle, the letter states.
