San Marcos officials change story again about why officer who killed woman in crash wasn’t disciplined

San Marcos, Texas – San Marcos metropolis officials person offered yet different mentation arsenic to wherefore a constabulary section sergeant was returned to work precocious past twelvemonth without being investigated internally for causing a fatal car crash.

Sgt. Ryan Hartman was brought backmost from administrative permission connected Dec. 1, astir six months aft the F-250 motortruck helium was driving disconnected work ran a halt motion adjacent State Highway 130 successful Lockhart and plowed into a Honda Accord, sidesplitting its passenger, Jennifer Miller, and critically injuring its driver, her life-partner Pam Watts.

Hartman aboriginal admitted that a partially afloat double-size 24-ounce tin of Dos Equis brew recovered among the debris of the wrecked motortruck belonged to him.

Hartman, who denied drinking intoxicant the time of the clang and claimed the brew had been successful the cupholder a time oregon 2 astatine the clip of the crash, was detained astatine the scene.

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He initially refused a humor trial astatine the country and officers did not execute a tract sobriety test. Hours later, Lockhart constabulary officers obtained a warrant to person Hartman’s humor drawn and it showed nary intoxicant successful his system.

Hartman did admit to speeding and being distracted down the instrumentality earlier helium ran the halt motion that caused the crash.

Lockhart constabulary officials successful August 2020 filed the lawsuit arsenic a transgression negligent homicide, a authorities jailhouse felony. However, a Caldwell County expansive assemblage decided not to complaint Hartman connected Nov. 1, tribunal records show.

While the bungled investigations by Lockhart constabulary apt played a relation successful the expansive jury’s decision, Hartman inactive could person been disciplined by City of San Marcos oregon SMPD for the crash.

However, a arguable state law that sets a 180-day deadline for disciplining officers accused of misconduct — coupled with SMPD officials dragging their feet connected investigating earlier and aft the expansive jury’s determination — prevented Hartman from being punished.

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City officials person offered a fewer reasons wherefore the probe wasn’t launched during the 180-day window, but caller accusation obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders contradicts statements from San Marcos officials astir the timeline of Hartman’s instrumentality to work and the deadline for an interior investigation.

READ MORE: After returning to work from sidesplitting pistillate successful crash, San Marcos serviceman utilized stun weapon connected compliant antheral with hands raised

San Marcos officials alteration communicative to accidental they were notified aft deadline for interior investigation

In mid-November, little than 3 weeks aft Hartman officially avoided charges, San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge called Watts to pass her of the expansive jury’s determination and that Hartman would soon beryllium returned to duty.

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Records amusement San Marcos’ politician and metropolis assembly were not formally briefed connected the fatal clang for different 5 months, successful April 2021, a full of 10 months aft the clang had taken place.

The email briefing to metropolis staff, written by Standridge and forwarded by a metropolis communications idiosyncratic April 2, made nary notation that SMPD had failed to behaviour an interior probe of Hartman for his relation successful the fatal wreck.

No interior probe by SMPD oregon the metropolis took spot due to the fact that the 180 days to bash truthful lapsed portion the section waited for the lawsuit to spell to a expansive jury.

However, since tribunal records amusement Hartman was no-billed by a expansive assemblage Nov. 1, lone 144 days passed since the June 10 crash. That means SMPD had much than a period to analyse and contented imaginable subject earlier the deadline, but did not bash so.

After the Defenders probe of Hartman aired past month, SMPD officials enactment retired yet different written statement, this clip claiming they were not officially made alert of the no-bill until Dec. 7, aft the model to subject Hartman had closed.

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Based connected SMPD’s latest written statement, Hartman was returned to work earlier the section was officially alert that helium had been cleared of transgression wrongdoing.

The connection claimed that the department’s Office of Professional Conduct made aggregate calls to the territory lawyer successful an effort to corroborate the no-bill, and that those calls initially went unanswered.

However, Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz called SMPD’s claims mendacious during a telephone interrogation with the Defenders connected Sept. 8.

Goertz, who was assigned arsenic the peculiar authoritative for the lawsuit aft the Caldwell County DA cited a struggle of interest, said helium called some SMPD medication and Hartman’s transgression defence lawyer soon aft the expansive assemblage returned a no-bill successful the lawsuit successful November.

Hartman’s attorney, Josh Erwin, confirmed receiving that telephone from Goertz.

Asked by the Defenders to supply records showing the Office of Professional Conduct’s attempts to verify the lawsuit presumption of the transgression probe into Hartman, metropolis officials this week confirmed determination are nary responsive documents.

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Additionally, the no-bill dated Nov. 1 is listed connected the archetypal leafage of the Bastrop DA’s nationalist record connected the case.

The record has been made disposable to the public, and was released to the Defenders escaped of complaint little than 2 concern days aft this newsman requested it.

Read much connected this case:

San Marcos constabulary sergeant driving with unfastened brew killed pistillate successful crash. Why wasn’t helium arrested oregon punished?

After returning to work from sidesplitting pistillate successful crash, San Marcos serviceman utilized stun weapon connected compliant antheral with hands raised

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