FAIR OAKS RANCH – City Police Chief Tim Moring is on paid administrative leave in the wake of major accusations against him, according to Scott Huizenga, interim city manager.
City Council Thursday took roughly an hour behind closed doors to discuss a number of executive session items.
Notably on the list was discussion with attorneys about pending litigation with Richard Davila, a former police officer terminated from the local force in 2021.
No decision was made in public about the matter, but sources close to the litigation said the two parties have just begun mediation efforts before a trial can be scheduled.
This isn’t the first time a police chief has fallen under the scrutinous spotlight due to the Davila civil suit as former Police Chief Scott Rubin left the force just before Davila’s accusations of corruption became public.
Davila was terminated in October of 2020 for a two-way tiff between himself and another city employee. He filed suit in Bexar County courts in March 2021, claiming between $250,000 and $1 million in damages for loss of wages, health benefits, retirement funds and emotional pain, mental anguish, inconvenience, and more.
One of the biggest claims of whistleblowing made by Davila and his representation stems from an investigation into the storage of evidence at the city’s police department.
Davila’s lawsuit states he was placed in charge of the evidence room when he was assigned the criminal investigation department – a position he said previously was held by a former officer with the department, David Price.
Upon assuming his new role in evidence storage, Davila said he discovered missing items, unmarked items, improper storage and a lack of adherence to standard operating procedures in checking items in or out, or logging those who entered or left the evidence facility.
Davila said he notified then-chief Rubin and his other superiors of Price’s misconduct, which he said resulted in an investigation into Price and Price’s soon-to- follow retirement from the department.
The executive agenda item for the Thursday meeting read: “Legal considerations related to an internal affairs investigation being conducted by an independent third-party investigator into complaints within the Fair Oak Ranch Police Department and the Office of the Police Chief and other related issues to receive advice on pending litigation related to Davila v. City of Fair Oaks Ranch.”
Huizenga confirmed city staff and officials are conducting an internal investigation, which he said is “ongoing and confidential.”
City officials declined to comment on the nature of the internal investigation or the complaints which initiated it.
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