North Richland Hills, Texas Chief Of Police Retires

JOHN KIRSCH
Fort Worth Star Telegram via the Associated Press

Embattled Police Chief Tom Shockley retired Wednesday, nearly a month after he was suspended without pay for erratic driving.

City Manager Larry Cunningham said he met with Shockley on Tuesday and Wednesday at City Hall to discuss the chief's future. Tuesday was Shockley's first day at work after a Dec. 13 back surgery.

Previously, Cunningham had written a memo to Shockley that said he had "serious reservations" about whether the chief should continue to lead the 109-officer department. A patrolman said his car was nearly hit by the chief during a Dec. 7 traffic incident.

Shockley, 54, could not be reached to comment Wednesday.

He will receive $18,447 in severance pay and will be eligible for continuing coverage under the city's health plan, city spokeswoman Mary Edwards said.

The city will also continue to pay Shockley's legal bills in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from a fatal police shooting of the son of true-crime author Barbara Davis, Cunningham said.

Shockley will be eligible for the retirement plan administered by the Texas Municipal Retirement System, which has 120,000 members statewide. A spokesman said the Austin-based agency does not comment on members' specific benefits.

As chief, Shockley earned an annual salary of $105,286.

Shockley began his career with the North Richland Hills Police Department in 1972 as a patrol officer. He left the department in 1976 but returned in 1982.

In his retirement letter to Cunningham, Shockley said he would "separate from the city as chief of police immediately so you can appoint someone to run the agency that can provide a seamless ending to what has been a great opportunity for me. It is time for me to see if there is life beyond the city of North Richland Hills."

Assistant Police Chief John Lynn will serve as acting chief. Lynn, a 31-year veteran of the department, said he plans no major changes in department operations.

Shockley was suspended Dec. 8-10 after he was stopped for erratic driving.

In a Dec. 9 memo to Shockley, Cunningham wrote that Shockley was suspended not only for driving while impaired on pain medication, but also for providing misleading information during Cunningham's inquiry of the incident.

In an interview then, Shockley said the incident happened because he had taken a muscle relaxant called Soma on an empty stomach.

In their discussions this week, Cunningham said the two talked about Shockley's health, as well as Cunningham's concerns about the driving incident. Shockley submitted his resignation in a 45-minute meeting Wednesday morning and Cunningham accepted it.

Cunningham said he would begin searching for a new chief immediately. The city manager said he will consider internal and external candidates and hopes to have a new chief in place in about four months.

Mayor Oscar Trevino said Shockley "served the citizens of North Richland Hills well." Cunningham credited Shockley with helping to reduce average police response times for emergency calls during his tenure. The average response time dropped from 8 minutes, 42 seconds in 1997 to 5 minutes, 13 seconds in 2003, officials said.

Councilwoman Nancy Bielik had questioned whether the traffic incident had been handled properly. On Wednesday, she said that Shockley took the proper action by retiring.

"Our Police Department employees are dedicated to the safety of the city and the citizens. Unfortunately, sometimes changes have to be made," she said.

Shockley's career was marked by controversy in recent years.

In March 2002, Shockley told a 911 operator that an armed woman was on his porch, according to the dispatch log. Officers arrived to find Shockley outside, holding a loaded gun.

He later said a prescription drug made him hallucinate.

Shockley was also criticized for his leadership after the Davis shooting in 1999. Barbara Davis has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the city.

During the Dec. 6 incident, a videotape recorded a shaken police officer telling a superior how he "about got nailed by Chief Shockley" when the chief was turning his car onto the 7400 block of Maplewood Avenue.

Shockley, who will be 55 on Jan. 26, was born in Fort Worth and graduated from L.D. Bell High School in Hurst in 1968, according to a biography provided by the city. He graduated from Tarrant County College in 1979.

IN THE KNOW

Controversial chief

Tom Shockley's career as chief of the North Richland Hills Police Department was marked by controversy. He retired Wednesday after being suspended for erratic driving in early December.

1972 -- Tom Shockley begins working as a North Richland Hills patrolman.

1975 -- Shockley is indicted on a charge of aggravated assault after a confrontation with a teen-age motorist. He is fired but reinstated by the city's Civil Service Commission, which suspends him for 30 days. His arrest record is later expunged.

1979 -- While working for the Grapevine Police Department, Shockley is accused of driving his patrol car negligently while returning from an off-duty job. He is disciplined for firing his gun without cause during the incident and placed on a year's probation. He resigns less than a year later.

1982 -- Shockley returns to the North Richland Hills Police Department. He is promoted to captain, leaves again for a civilian job, then returns.

December 1998 -- Shockley is promoted to police chief.

March 2002 -- Officers are called to Shockley's home after he reports seeing an armed woman on his porch. He later says a prescription drug made him hallucinate.

December 2004 -- Shockley is suspended for three days without pay for erratic driving. He says the incident happened because he had taken a muscle relaxant on an empty stomach.

Jan. 5 -- Shockley retires from his job as chief of the North Richland Hills Police Department.

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