One San Angelo Police Department lieutenant has retired and two have been suspended after an internal investigation into stolen firearms, according to police.
Texas Rangers handled the independent criminal investigation, police said. It is under review by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
On April 23, agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security apprehended a man at the border attempting to cross over into Mexico with firearms. At this time, there is no indication that the subject and the smuggling event is associated with any cartel.
“During the course of their investigation Homeland Security Agents discovered that one of the firearms was allegedly purchased at a gun show in another jurisdiction,” according to a September police media release. “During the investigation it was discovered that the firearm in question had, at one point in time, been in the possession of the San Angelo Police Department.”
One San Angelo Police Department Lieutenant has retired and two have been suspended after an investigation revealed the three were connected to stolen firearms, according to police.
In May 2024, an internal investigation in SAPD was initiated regarding the firearm alongside the criminal investigation.
Upon taking office, Chief Travis Griffith was made aware of this ongoing internal and criminal investigation that began months prior. Retired Chief Frank Carter had requested the assistance of the Texas Rangers regarding a theft of a firearm, and Griffith supported that decision.
“The San Angelo Police Department is committed to ensuring the integrity of both the administrative and criminal investigations,” a release on Friday stated. “This is why certain details were not released to the public initially. While transparency is important, the need to respect due process and protect the integrity of both investigations has guided our decisions.”
As the investigation progressed, the focus shifted to the Training Division of the San Angelo Police Department.
According to the Friday release, four firearms had been surrendered to the department by Walmart for destruction. These firearms were collected by a San Angelo police officer and later transferred to the Training Division for training purposes in 2021.
“The firearms remained in the possession of the Training Division until late 2022 when the firearms were alleged to have been given away by Lt. Brain Robinson (Ret.), which is against SAPD Policy,” the release stated.
The investigation uncovered that three of the four firearms were stolen by former officer Joshua Loudermilk in late 2022, according to allegations in the media release.
“Loudermilk sold two of these firearms at a local gun show, one of which was purchased by the smuggler at a Midland, Texas, gun show,” according to allegations in the release. “It was also discovered that Training Officer Charles Flores was involved in the removal and repair of one firearm, which he knowingly provided to Loudermilk for personal use. Two of the firearms remain missing and are listed as stolen.”
The investigation concluded that these actions violated San Angelo Police Department policies.
Robinson, the former commander of the Training Division, retired shortly after being questioned by the Texas Ranger, the media release stated.
Loudermilk has been suspended indefinitely and is in the process of appealing the suspension. Officer Charles Flores has been suspended without pay for 90 days and has waived his right to appeal.
“It’s important to clarify that sustained policy violations and administrative disciplinary actions do not imply guilt in the criminal case,” the release stated. “The independent criminal investigation will examine all the facts and determine if any criminal charges should be pursued. It is imperative for the public to know that we will hold any San Angelo Police Department employee accountable if they are found to have engaged in criminal activity or policy violations.”
During a press conference Friday, Griffith said SAPD had revamped policies and added new personnel to prevent such an incident occurring again.
All inquiries regarding the criminal investigation should be directed to the Texas Rangers or the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
More: City of San Angelo announces employee of the year, Butch Messer
More: Here’s when San Angelo rodeo tickets will go on sale
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: San Angelo officers focus of investigations into stolen guns
#San #Angelo #police #officers #retire #suspended #investigation #stolen #guns
