Report Due Today on Whitehouse City Employees

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse city officials are scheduled to receive today a report on the investigation of some city employees, including the police chief and city manager. The investigation was conducted by Smith County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Mark Simmons. The report will then be viewed by city council members. KETK reports Whitehouse Police Chief Craig Shelton (pictured) expects to give his an answer to an ultimatum made by Interim City Manager Stefani Wright on Tuesday, according to his attorney, David Dobbs. An extra day was requested by Shelton’s attorney to look over the resignation terms.

Shelton was offered the option of resigning from his position following last Wednesday indictment for assault. Wright issued a statement on the matter Friday afternoon. The statement reads, in part, “If Chief Shelton does not tender his resignation, appropriate action will be taken by the Interim City Manager or City Manager at that time, pending the outcome of the criminal charges against him and the content of the anticipated Independent Investigator’s Report.”

Shelton surrendered to authorities Friday morning and was booked into the Smith County Jail for assault causing bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor. His bond was set at $500. That’s one of several things coming to a head after a Texas Ranger investigation in the case of Shelton and four other Whitehouse city employees.

The original situation, involving the employees being put on paid leave, took place in May. That’s when authorities say, Shelton, City Manager Kevin Huckabee, and another man went into the home of the wife of a Whitehouse police officer. It’s alleged that Shelton assaulted the woman and later got into a fight with her husband. He’s then accused of retaliating against other police by putting them on leave. It’s also alleged Shelton was driving drunk that night.

That probe by Simmons will determine whether any city policies were broken by those four city employees during the May incident. When those results come to light, Interim Police Chief Dan Finkelstein will decide the fate of the three officers; the city council will handle Huckabee’s position.