Ex-Fort Worth police officer who lied to grand jury sentenced to prison in perjury case
A state district judge on Friday sentenced to five years in prison a former Fort Worth police officer who lied to grand jurors about whether he told a hospital trespassing suspect that he was under arrest.
In a trial in December 2019, a jury found Jon Romer Jr. guilty of aggravated perjury in Tarrant County’s 297th District Court.
Romer, who was fired from the Fort Worth Police Department when he was convicted, elected to have Judge David Hagerman, not a jury, determine the sentence. The sentencing range that Hagerman considered was between two and 10 years in prison.
Romer is accused of using excessive force with a punch during the hospital encounter in November 2016.
As they tried to determine whether probable cause existed to pursue criminal charges in the case, grand jurors asked Romer why, in recordings, they could not hear him say that Henry Newson was under arrest.
Romer told the grand jurors that he was certain that he said it and that he could not help them understand why they did not hear it.
Romer, who is 41 and lives in Azle, will remain on bond pending the outcome of an appeal that he intends to pursue. The case was handled by special prosecutor Russell Wilson II. Lance Wyatt and Tim Choy represented Romer at trial, and last month Bob Gill and Miles Brissette assumed Romer’s defense.
The case involved an encounter on Nov. 5, 2016, in which Romer is accused of subjecting Newson to unlawful mistreatment, arrest, and search and seizure, according to a related official oppression indictment. Romer is accused of striking Newson with his fist, choking him with his hands and pushing him.
Romer arrested Newson on suspicion of resisting arrest and criminal trespass. At prosecutorial discretion, the charges against Newson were dismissed in March 2017
Newson testified that he was waiting at Texas Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth for his mother to pick him up when Romer approached him and put his hands on him. Newson said he did not touch the officer.
Romer maintained that Newson was resisting arrest by tensing his muscles, spinning 180 degrees and planting his feet firmly.
This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 9:06 PM.
