Two top cops in Fort Worth have been temporarily removed from their jobs amid a criminal investigation into leaks as the department's handling of the situation is being questioned.
NBC 5 has learned Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen and Deputy Chief Vance Keyes have been questioned in a probe into who leaked documents from Officer William Martin’s personnel file and also body camera video showing his controversial arrest of a mother and her two daughters in December.
Even though the body camera footage showed the same incident as the viral cell phone video which the Craig family had already posted online, the department has said state law forbids the release of the officer's video because it included juveniles.
The personnel records were also supposed to be confidential.
Both Pridgen and Keyes have been placed on detached duty, meaning they no longer can act as officers and must stay home during work hours.
But in a break from past tradition, the department has declined to comment on their job status.
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Not even officers within the department have been notified of the changes in leadership.
“The department is maintaining the integrity of the investigations without influence,” Lt. Paula Fimbres said in an email. “When the department reaches a point that an official statement can be made, it will be made.”
The failure to release information on the duty status of officers is unprecedented.
For example, when Martin was placed on leave soon after the video surfaced, the department announced his suspension immediately, and the department’s practice has been to always confirm when an officer has been placed on leave.
Attorneys for Pridgen and Keyes have denied they leaked anything.
Also on Monday, a group of black preachers and activists stood by the two chiefs and suggested their suspensions were racially motivated.
"We denounce and we ask that the Fort Worth Police Department immediately call for an end to the witch hunt for the individuals responsible, or allegedly responsible, for the so-called leak,” said Lee Merritt, the attorney for the arrested mother, Jacqueline Craig. "The hypocrisy in bringing charges against only the black actors in this incident cannot be set aside. It would be one thing to call it playing the race card, but when race is a predictive factor in who will be targeted for criminal prosecution, sometimes you have to call a spade a spade."
Dr. Michael Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephens First Church, called for an independent panel to investigate racial issues.
"We demand the Fort Worth City Council get up off their butt and City Manager David Cooke immediately commission a citizen's police oversight board with teeth including with subpoena power,” Bell said.
In a separate issue involving Fort Worth police, Officer David Brintnell was arrested by Arlington police on Thursday for sexual assault of a child.
In another unusual move, Fort Worth police also declined to say if he is still on duty or not.
“There hasn’t been any policy change” about releasing information on officers’ discipline, Fimbres said. She did not elaborate.
Asked about who is in charge of the department with the top jobs in turmoil, she said, “The chief is the chief and is running the department.”
