Sex, lies & videotape

FERRIS – Outraged Ferris residents and business owners filled the council chambers to near capacity Thursday, March 29 and April 2 to protest the recent suspensions of beloved Ferris Police Chief Eddie Salazar and Investigator Walter (Gator) Weiss, demanding they be reinstated and elected officials “do their job” to restore the police department and “clean up” rumored sexual harassment and extra-marital affairs in city hall.

 

Concerned citizens were given three minutes each to voice their concerns to the council at the special-called city council meeting scheduled following a citizen protest staged outside city hall Tuesday after the officers were suspended on Monday, March 26.

 

Tina Miller, owner of County Corner Treasures, led the protests and demanded the council to be fair and just by either reinstating the officers or suspending City Manager Bill Jordan, who is currently under investigation for 11 complaints of alleged sexual harassment.

 

“He’s also under investigation but is allowed to come to work,” said Miller, who also served as president of the Ferris Area Business Association the past couple years.

 

“The officers were doing their job,” continued Miller who said, in her opinion, “It’s retaliation.”

 

In addition to the Jordan investigation, a police officer reportedly caught Ferris Mayor Micheal Driggers engaged in a sex act on the town square with the City Secretary in December 2017. No arrest was made, but an incident report was reportedly filed.

 

On Saturday, March 24, Salazar and Weiss were spotted by a relative of the mayor having lunch with The Ellis County Press Publisher Charles Hatfield in a Dallas restaurant.

 

“We were headed to Ray’s Gun Store in Dallas and decided to have lunch first,” said Hatfield.

 

Although the luncheon was unrelated to the mayor’s alleged indiscretion or the investigation and complaints against the city manager, the officers were put on administrative leave last Monday morning by Jordan, citing an “ongoing investigation.”

 

According to sources, Salazar was informed of his suspension by a text message while attending a conference at Texas A&M. If so, that could possibly be a violation of the Chief’s rights as a police officer since Texas law requires the officer must be presented by the complaint in writing, and it must be signed by the person making the complaint.

 

Texas law also states disciplinary action may not be taken against an officer until after an investigation is completed and there is evidence to prove allegations of misconduct.

 

Hatfield, who is also the president of the newly formed Ferris Chamber of Commerce said, “They (the mayor and Jordan) used it to silence the officers for doing their job.”

 

The second citizen complaint came from Sherie Chapman, daughter-in-law of long-time Ferris resident Joe Chapman and a candidate for city council for the upcoming election in May.

 

“Why isn’t Bill on leave?” asked Chapman, “Who’s running the city?”

 

She said it was a strange coincidence that the very morning of the council meeting a video had surfaced on a popular Ferris News FaceBook site alleging recent police criminal activity, but that the video shown was actually two years old and the case had been investigated and dismissed.

 

Chapman said she could only conclude that elected officials were “circling the wagon to cover their backs” concerning “sex, lies, and FaceBook videotapes.”

 

Restaurant owner Diane Lankford told the council the suspensions were affecting the children in her after-school program, where she provides meals for disadvantaged children in the area who regard the officers as their heroes, gathering presents for them at Christmas.

 

“They have always been great to the kids.”

 

“Please bring them back, “begged Lankford, “What’s going to happen to the police department?”

 

Area entrepreneur Bill Harris spoke about his interests in the Interstate 45 corridor from Interstate 20 to Corsicana and how this negativity affects the future growth of the area, citing at least three Ferris buildings already being currently up for sale.

 

“I want to continue to be proud of Ferris,” said Harris, “You need to drain the swamp – gotta’ get this stuff fixed – clean up your act.”

 

Throughout the half-hour meeting, the audience erupted with cheers and applause as the speakers mirrored it’s collective opinions concerning reinstating Salazar and Weiss and of any mention of elected officials “cleaning up their messes” and additionally calling for the mayor to “step down.”

 

“You people are elected officials – do your job!” shouted the crowd.

 

“(To) sum it up, if you haven’t noticed – your citizens know what’s going on – do the right thing!” said resident Becky Weldon.

 

After the public comment section of the meeting, the council discussed and approved an $8,000 outside investigative cost by The Bowman Group for five employees – Jordan, Salazar and Weiss as well administrative allegations against Economic Development Director Sean Overeynder and Finance Director Melissa Gonzalez – with the results to be sent to the council.

 

Councilman Jim Swafford asked for the “scoop,” specifically what were the administrative allegations – and City Attorney Michael Halla replied, “He’s (the investigator) looking at all of them.” The city attorney also said there would be no formal criminal charges coming out of the investigation itself.

 

During the public comment section at the regular City Council meeting Monday night, April 2, the questions continued.

 

“If there was enough evidence to suspend Chief Salazar and Gator, why didn’t you go straight to the DA with the information?” asked Sherie Chapman.

 

She continued, “If the DA thought there was a need for an investigation they could have referred it to the Texas Rangers for free – not the Bowman Group for $8,000.

 

“And lets clarify, ‘the Bowman group’ is misleading. In fact ‘the group’ is one person, and he is the Deputy City Manager for the City of Arlington that has this as a sideline business, i.e. the Bowman Group.

 

“Which looks like an $8,000 witch hunt being financed by the taxpayers of Ferris.”

 

According to some officials, the Texas Rangers will also be investigating, as well as a private investigator for The Ellis County Press.