Steven "Craig" Shelton
Service Record
Whitehouse Texas Police Department
| Rank | Chief[1] |
| Dates of Service | Ended July 2015[2] |
| Last Known Status | Resigned[3] |
Smith County Texas Precinct 1 Constable's Office
| Rank | Reserve Officer[2] |
| Dates of Service | 2019[2] |
| Last Known Status | Separated |
Van Zandt County Texas Sheriff's Office
| Rank | Chief Deputy |
| Dates of Service | January 1 2021 - January 14, 2022[2] |
| Last Known Status | Separated |
Incident Reports
2015 Sexual Assault Accusation
On May 14, 2015, a woman accused Shelton of "grabbing and pushing" her and later claimed that Shelton touched her chest, grabbed her head, and groped other private areas.[2][1]
Response Timeline
Shelton was placed on paid administrative leave.[4]
On July 8, 2015, Shelton was charged with assault, a class A misdemeanor.[5]
On July 24, 2015, the charges were dismissed after the accuser lied under oath about an earlier affair she had with someone else.[3]
On July 27, 2015, Shelton resigned.[3]
2021 Assault of Nicholas Crouch
Response Timeline
On January 10, 2022, Shelton admitted to striking Crouch and agreed to permanently surrender his peace officer license in a deal to avoid local prosecution for use of excessive force.[6][7]
On January 19, 2022, the Texas Rangers opened an investigation into Shelton's actions.[8]
On March 31, 2022, Shelton surrendered his license and entered a pre-trial intervention contract.[2]
On July 6, 2022, Shelton pleaded guilty to federal charges of deprivation of rights under color of law and faces a 44-month prison sentence.[9][10]
On May 31, 2023, Shelton was sentenced to 44 months in prison.[11]
LEO Ratings
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Affidavits show conflicting accounts of 2015 incident involving Whitehouse police, KLTV, 2016-08-22
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Jeff Wright, Former chief deputy avoids excessive force prosecution through deal with Van Zandt County DA, KTRE, 2022-03-31
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Dave Goldman, police chief resigns, KHOE, 2015-07-27
- ↑ Whitehouse Police Chief resigns, points finger at Texas Municipal Police Association, KLTV, 2015-07-27
- ↑ Charges dismissed against Whitehouse Police Chief due to false testimony, KLTV, 2015-07-24
- ↑ Reagan Roy, Former Van Zandt County chief deputy Craig Shelton avoids prosecution for excessive force by surrendering peace office license, CBS 19, 2022-03-31
- ↑ Texas sheriff to resign following indictment, Spectrum News, 2022-04-30
- ↑ Jeff Wright, Texas Rangers investigating excessive force allegation against Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, DA confirms, KLTV, 2022-01-19
- ↑ Former Texas Chief Deputy Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Offense for Assaulting Detainee, U.S. Department of Justice, 2022-07-06
- ↑ Jeff Awtrey, Former Van Zandt County chief deputy to plead guilty to federal charge, KLTV, 2022-07-05
- ↑ Former Texas Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Sentenced for Using Excessive Force, U.S. Department of Justice, 2023-05-31
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