CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas — This is the second part is a two-part CBS19 investigative series.
Incident reports and body camera video obtained by CBS19 have revealed that a recently indicted East Texas constable allegedly ended a 2021 police chase by coming to a stop in front of a suspect's motorcycle, causing the driver to crash into him.
Cherokee County Pct. 4 Constable Jamie Beene was indicted in October this year on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
According to court documents, the indictment stems from an October 2021 incident that caused serious bodily injury to motorcyclist Jerry Stanfield when Beene used his service vehicle to hit Stanfield.
A CBS19 investigation uncovered new details about his arrest, laid out in his indictment, incident reports from multiple police departments and newly released video.
Alex Del Carmen, an expert on police policy and associate dean and professor at Tarleton State University’s School of Criminology, said the rules for law enforcement during a high-speed chase are complicated.
Del Carmen said Beene’s actions likely went outside the law.
"This likely violated not only one policy but multiple policies of that police department in addition to that violating the law," Del Carmen said. "There is an expectation that the public has that those individuals that enforce the law need to adhere to it."
On the body cam footage, a person could be heard saying, "James came to a complete stop just the way he is, completely stopped. He was completely stopped in time of collision. The guy leaned over and slid into him."
Del Carmen said trying to "play the cops in the movies that gets in front of the suspect" puts the officer and other people in danger.
"(It's) completely prohibited by most reasonable policies across the United States," Del Carmen said. "The big model that we use now nowadays in law enforcement is just because you can do something doesn't mean you should."
Del Carmen said policies on police chases are decided by each individual police department or sheriff’s office.
For instance, Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said it’s up to the supervisor on duty and up to the officer's discretion to decide whether to engage in a chase.
When asked specifically if constables should be involved in pursuits, Dickson said the sheriff’s office welcomes any help from any law enforcement.
Our attempts to reach Beene in-person and over the phone were unsuccessful.
Earlier this month, Beene announced he would be seeking re-election for the Pct. 4 constable seat. He has been the constable since 2009.
A district judge can decide to suspend Beene until he goes to trial. But if that doesn't happen, he will remain in his position. Under Texas law, he would be removed from office if convicted by a jury.
According to the Cherokee County District Clerk's Office, officials are working on setting court dates for Beene's case.
Stanfield later died in August 2023. He, his girlfriend, and their unborn child were killed in a motorcycle crash. He leaves behind a 3-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter.
To read the first part of our investigation, click here.