Kent resigns as chief, continues bid for council seat

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

 

On Wednesday afternoon, Nolanville chief of police Gary Kent tendered his resignation and gave notice that he is retiring from law enforcement.

 

This is on the heels of a former police officer presenting documents to the Leader-Press that showed inquiries and subsequent corrective actions issued by city manager Kara Escajeda in January and September 2016.

 

However, Kent said on Thursday morning that he gave notice to the City of Nolanville because he’s been contemplating retirement for some time now.

 

“After retiring with 24 years of faithful service in the military as a first sergeant, I now will be retiring as a Police Chief after 21 years of faithful service as a Texas police officer,” Kent said. “I will be retiring to be able to focus on some new areas I’m interested in.”

 

Nolanville’s city manager, Kara Escajeda, said Kent’s last day on the job in Nolanville will be Dec. 9, but he has agreed to stay on as long as he needs to in order to ensure a smooth transition.

 

In the meantime, Cpl. Michael Hatton will be interim chief of police.

 

A former officer of that department stepped forward and addressed the Copperas Cove city council in citizens forum on Tuesday night in response to Kent’s claims that her coming forward now and releasing documents was officer bitterness.

 

“What this is, is an officer who meant her oath when she took it. This is an officer who pursues justice, even after his actions caused her to pursue justice without a badge and without a paycheck,” she said. “He is the reason that I surrendered both. I am not bitter. I am a woman with standards, morals and integrity.”

 

The officer, who resigned on Aug. 5, told the council Kent’s actions were done while he sat “right up there” on the dais. She alleged to the council there are nine female officers who have been victimized in the last three years under Kent, four of them in uniform, and also alleged he falsified government documents, harassed women, assaulted her and abused official capacity.

 

In an interview with the Leader-Press, the officer said she loved the community of Nolanville itself and she had been hoping to one day work for the Nolanville Police Department again.

 

That doesn’t look like it will happen.

 

“I was told that Kara (Escajeda), the city manager, and Chief Kent both stated that no prior employees are to ever return to the police department,” she told the Leader-Press.

 

The officer had her first meeting with an attorney last week and said she would meet with her attorney again yesterday. She said she would have never left her position on the force if “Kara (Escajeda) had done her job in the first place.”

 

Kent, meanwhile, said he is continuing his campaign in the Dec. 13 runoff for place 4 of the Copperas Cove city council. He previously served on the city council from 2010-2015 and ran for mayor in the 2015 election.

 

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