HAWKINS, Texas – The Hawkins City Council voted to fire the last remaining officer in the city’s police department, CBS 19 reported.
During a regular meeting on June 16, the council unanimously terminated Lt. Eric Tuma, citing dereliction of duty and abandonment of post.
The dismissal follows a February decision by Mayor Deb Rushing to remove three of the department’s four officers. Rushing claimed the officers had not been properly hired or sworn in by the council. At the time, council members pushed back, arguing that such terminations required council approval.
“It requires a vote from the council to do that, and that was not done,” Councilwoman Eleta Taylor said during the earlier dispute.
Tuma previously stated that two of the dismissed officers had filed a lawsuit against the mayor and the city over their terminations.
Monday’s vote comes amid ongoing legal issues for Rushing, who was arrested in May on charges of tampering with government records. The case relates to a meet-and-greet event involving a city council candidate. Todd Eddington, a supporter of Rushing, was also arrested in the same investigation. Eddington had previously faced charges in January for allegedly posting council members’ phone numbers online in what authorities described as retaliation.
Mayor Rushing declined to comment after Monday’s meeting.
The situation remains fluid as legal proceedings continue and the city addresses concerns over the absence of local law enforcement.
