Trial to start for police officer accused of lying about beating a man during arrest
A trial is expected to begin Tuesday for a Fort Worth police officer accused of lying to investigators with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office about his use of force during an arrest.
Jon Preston Romer Jr. also faces charges of official oppression and making a false report to a police officer, but the trial this week focuses only on the aggravated perjury charge, according to the special prosecutor for the case. Jury selection began Monday, and opening statements are expected Tuesday.
The charges stem from a Nov. 5, 2016, incident in which Romer allegedly used excessive force against a possible suspect.
Romer allegedly subjected Henry Newson to mistreatment, arrest, and search and seizure that was unlawful because Romer struck Newson with his fist, choked him with his hands and pushed him, according to an indictment on the charge of official oppression.
It’s unclear what led Romer to try to arrest Newson.
On March 10, 2017, Romer lied to investigators regarding his use of force against Newson, according to a separate indictment. Romer told Newson that he was under arrest prior to striking him in the face, the indictment said.
If convicted, Romer could face up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A lawsuit, filed in November by Henry Newson, describes the Nov. 5, 2016, incident at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Romer, an off-duty Fort Worth police officer, was working a security job at the hospital.
According to the lawsuit, Romer hit Newson in the face, kicked him and then put him in a headlock, taking him to the ground. Then, he and two other men the lawsuit named as hospital security guards Jeremy Flores and Jonathan Walterbach, piled on top of Newson and punched, kicked and handcuffed him while sitting on his head.
Newson, who according to his lawsuit had just spent two days in the hospital for an illness and was waiting for a ride home, was charged with resisting arrest and criminal trespass, but those charges were dismissed in March 2017 at prosecutorial discretion.
According to documents filed with the court, when Romer appeared before the Tarrant County grand jury investigating this matter, he allegedly provided false testimony about his interaction with Newson and the follow-up investigation. It is also alleged that Romer failed to acknowledge that he had previously made false statements related to the contact with Newson, court documents say.
The prosecutor also alleged that Romer failed to document that a security officer’s body-worn camera captured the incident under investigation, failed to document that Romer told a security officer to cut off his camera, and failed to document that Romer struck Newson when he was handcuffed and outside sitting on a bench.
The Fort Worth Police Department placer Romer on restricted duty pending the outcome of the trial.
Romer was also involved in the Feb. 28, 2011, shooting death of a 32-year-old handicapped father, Charal “Ra Ra” Thomas, during a traffic stop in east Fort Worth, police said.
Thomas refused to get out of his Ford Expedition when police ordered him to and instead locked the doors, police have said. When Romer reached through a partially opened window to unlock the driver’s door, Thomas rolled up his window, trapping the officer’s arm, police said.
Thomas then drove forward, dragging Romer, who eventually hopped onto the SUV’s running board, pulled his weapon and fired at Thomas, who later died. An adult passenger and three of Thomas’ children were also in the SUV.
Thomas lost a leg when he was 12 after he was wounded by a shotgun blast, relatives said. Thomas’ death caused a significant amount of friction between the police and the black community. Now Romer, who is white, is charged with hitting a black suspect, Newson.
