PATTON VILLAGE, Texas – The mayor and police chief of Patton Village are giving two different stories about whether the police chief was fired.
Police Chief Raymond Grinder said he was officially fired Tuesday by Mayor Pamela Munoz. He said the mayor wanted him to rehire an officer who had been indicted along with the mayor last February, but later had the charges against him dropped.
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Grinder said the officer failed to qualify at the pistol range as required by law, so he told the mayor he couldn't hire him.
Grinder said the mayor told him to hand over his badge.
Mayor Munoz told Local 2 the chief had not been fired. She refused to answer any more questions and has not released a statement to Local 2.
In a council meeting last week, the mayor tried to push through a measure to reduce the town's police force. Munoz said Patton Village simply can't afford its current staff of 31 officers.
Some Patton Village citizens are pushing to have Munoz removed from office.
Mayor Munoz is due in court later this month on nine felony charges of theft, abuse, and misapplication of fiduciary property.