SANGER, Texas — A former Sanger police officer has been indicted by a Denton County grand jury on charges of assault and official oppression after the police department determined he used excessive force while making an arrest.
The officer, Cole Thompson, was indicted March 30. He was terminated from the Sanger Police Department on Dec. 9, 2022.
The initial incident happened after police received a call from the Denton County Sheriff's Office at 12:31 a.m. Oct. 23, 2022, regarding a vehicle disturbance, police said. A summary of the incident call reveals "a rolling vehicle and verbal disturbance" with the driver refusing to stop and allow a female and children to get out of the vehicle.
After stopping the vehicle in the 300 block of Willow Street, police say the driver was ordered to step outside, which he complied with and walked to the back of his vehicle. While attempting to place the driver in handcuffs, physical force and a taser were used before he was secured.
The driver at one point was taken to the ground and had "minor injuries to his face and head area by striking him with a closed fist numerous times," according to public documents released to WFAA.
A use of force report was submitted to the department later that day by Thompson, police said. But after comparing the report to body-camera footage and in-car camera footage, police said the incident warranted further review by Assistant Chief Jonathan Perkins.
Thompson does not dispute striking the driver in the internal documents. He wrote to supervisors the driver kept pulling away while being handcuffed and that the driver did not comply to multiple commands.
Perkins watched body and dash cam videos and wrote the officer's action, "was not reasonable or necessary to effect an arrest or detention."
Perkins described the actions taken by the officer were not congruent with policy or standard practice. The assistant Chief added, "the video clearly shows at no time did the driver physically attempt to assault you."
It was also revealed in the documents Thompson tased the driver without warning. Perkins wrote Thompson also never completed a field sobriety test for the suspected intoxicated driver.
The officer-in-training with Thompson was not involved in the altercation. The officer wrote in statements to supervisors that she felt the force was excessive and added that "Sgt. Thompson advised me on that weekend he was looking to get into action and he would show me who he was."
WFAA has made attempts to reach the driver involved. Thompson was placed on "administrative leave in November and fired the following month. WFAA made contact with Thompson late Friday and we were directed to an attorney for further comment. The attorney has yet to respond.
But in internal documents Thompson writes "these allegations are false and insulting, coming from a Chief that was not present at the time." Thompson is referring to Sanger Police Chief Waylan Rhodes. Rhodes joined as chief in November of 2021. Thompson wrote that his dismissal was part of a "personal agenda."
In February WFAA requested the dash and body cam videos of the incident. The city of Sanger has appealed the release of those videos to the Attorney General's Office.
Thompson was booked on April 4 and has posted a $10,000 bond.