VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — New details are emerging after the Van Zandt County sheriff and two members of the force were indicted for lying to officials.
According to Van Zandt County District Attorney Tonda Curry, ex-chief deputy Craig Shelton was made to surrender his peace officer license permanently in a deal to avoid prosecution for excessive force against an inmate, identified as Nicholas Scott Crouch, who had been arrested in Sept. 2021.
Crouch's lawyer, Mitch Adams, says he wants justice for his client after he was hit with a "closed fist."
On Jan. 10, 2022, Shelton admitted to the Texas Rangers he had struck an inmate in the face without justification, the DA's office said.
Van Zandt County Sheriff Steve Hendrix, Chief Deputy Jerry Wood and Sgt. Blake Snell were found to have witnessed Shelton's use of excessive force and lied to a Texas Ranger when interviewed prior in Dec 2021, according to the indictment handed up by a local grand jury.
Adams says he "won't step on anybody's toes in the Van Zandt County District Attorney's Office," but he'll always believe his client."
"Separate from this entirely, my goal for him is to get the best outcome for him," Adams said. "As for the legal proceedings involving the law enforcement officers and Sheriff Hendrix, I just want to see that justice is done."
Biggs & Greensdale Law, the attorneys representing Sheriff Hendrix, released the following statement on their client's behalf:
Our firm along with Attorney Greg Waldron have been retained to represent Van Zandt County Sheriff Stephen Hendrix regarding the recent indictment returned by a Van Zandt County Grand Jury for False Statement to a Peace Officer.
It is our understanding that these allegations surround the Sheriff’s account of events that resulted in the resignation of former Chief Deputy Craig Shelton. Despite recent media reports and other comments made publicly, no false statement was made during or since the inception of the investigation into the alleged misconduct of Mr. Shelton.
The Van Zandt County Sheriff has been and will continue to be fully cooperative with any state or federal investigators who seek to acquire information related to this alleged misconduct. We believe the charges brought in this indictment are baseless and the Sheriff looks forward to defending the allegations in court.
Due to the ongoing nature of a criminal prosecution, the Sheriff and his representatives cannot make any further comment on the matter.
The Sheriff is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support and respectfully asks for patience until this matter can be resolved in court.
As for Crouch, Adams said he's doing fine and is still behind bars at a different East Texas jail.