A Fort Worth police officer has been fired after investigators uncovered his alleged “dishonest” behavior while working an off-duty job as a security guard.
Officer Eddie Tellez was terminated following an internal affairs investigation that concluded he had lied about how many hours he worked during a shift at his second job, according to the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD).
The decision marks the third officer firing at the FWPD this month, according to WFAA.
FWPD explained in a statement released last Monday that they received a complaint on July 11 claiming Tellez had submitted an invoice for an off-duty job showing that he had worked five hours. However, the employer’s security camera footage allegedly showed that had actually only worked for about 20 minutes.
“When the employer disputed the hours listed on the invoice, Officer Tellez continued to be dishonest and told the off-duty job coordinator that he worked approximately four hours, but left early due to a family emergency.
“During the investigation, Officer Tellez admitted to being dishonest, leaving the job after working approximately 20 minutes, and that he did not have a family emergency that caused him to leave early,” the statement read.
Fort Worth Chief of Police Neil Noakes reviewed the investigation’s findings and determined that the officer had violated multiple department policies. Consequently, he put an end to Tellez’s employment with the department.
“The Fort Worth Police Department holds its officers to a high standard both on and off-duty and does not tolerate criminal misconduct or unethical behavior. Our department will continue to hold accountable those who do not meet that standard and in doing so, will continue to be transparent and open with our community,” the statement explained.
Tellez worked for FWPD for five years and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau, according to the FWPD.