VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — The attorney for an East Texas sheriff is speaking out after his client was indicted for giving a false statement to a peace officer in connection with reportedly witnessing a deputy use excessive force against an inmate.
According to the Van Zandt County District Attorney's Office, Van Zandt County Sheriff Steve Hendrix, Chief Deputy Jerry Wood and Sgt. Blake Snell were found to have witnessed an event of excessive force by another officer and lied to a Texas Ranger when interviewed in Dec 2021.
On Jan. 10, 2022, former chief deputy Craig Shelton admitted to the Texas Rangers that he had struck a handcuffed individual in the face without justification, the DA's office said.
The trio was indicted on Mar. 25.
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.
This is a developing story, and CBS19 will update this article as more information becomes available.