Small town left with zero cops as council fires final officer amid mounting drama

A Texas assemblage is riddled with much play pursuing the metropolis council's determination to occurrence their past constabulary officer. 

On Monday, the Hawkins City Council voted to terminate the past worker near successful the Hawkins Police Department, Lt. Eric Tuma.

Tuma’s termination was based connected the grounds of "dereliction of sworn duties" and "abandonment of post," according to the council's docket gathering notes. 

During the meeting, Hawkins Mayor Debbie Rushing said they’d received reports that Tuma had not been responding to calls, KLTV reported. 

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The Hawkins City Council voted to occurrence their past remaining constabulary serviceman connected Monday. (City of Hawkins, TX Facebook/Google Maps)

"I’m precise distraught and can’t judge it," assembly subordinate Eric Maloy told KETK pursuing the meeting. "They privation our constabulary back. They miss them. The community, the citizens."

Maloy shared that Tuma had precocious taken clip disconnected for a household exigency and notified the metropolis and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office astir his absence, KLTV reported. 

Since 2021, the constabulary section and metropolis offices person been rocked by several resignations and terminations. 

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The past remaining Hawkins Police Department serviceman was fired connected Monday by metropolis council. (Google Maps)

Tuma, a Hawkins native, formerly served arsenic the interim main of the constabulary section aft the resignation of erstwhile main Guy McKee in February 2024. Two different constabulary officers besides resigned astatine the time, arsenic good arsenic Municipal Court Judge Kyle Waggner.

Hawkins, an East Texas assemblage with a colonisation of 1,300, is located 20 miles northbound of Tyler, Texas. 

Tuma's termination comes aft Rushing fired 3 different officers successful February, noting the determination was based connected "improper hiring practices and a tendency to commencement implicit the close way."

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City of Hawkins, Texas, near without immoderate constabulary aft past serviceman is fired. (Hawkins Police Department)

Rushing said the officers had not been decently hired due to the fact that they were not approved by the metropolis council, leaving Tuma arsenic the sole serviceman successful the department. 

"It’s astonishing to maine that determination are inactive bully cops that privation to enactment successful tiny towns and marque it a amended place, and we truly conscionable request it to spell backmost to the mode it was," Rushing told KETK. 

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However, soon aft Rushing fired the 3 officers, the outlet reported she was arrested successful May for allegedly "tampering with authorities records with intent to harm."

Maloy besides told KLTV that the metropolis is presently facing 16 lawsuits, including galore of those coming from erstwhile officers.

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Mayor's bureau and constabulary section for comment, but did not instantly person a response.  

Stepheny Price is simply a writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, nationalist transgression cases, amerciable immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas tin beryllium sent to stepheny.price@fox.com