Chief fires Fort Worth police crisis team corporal charged with assaulting his wife
A Fort Worth police corporal who was charged in June with assaulting his wife was fired on Tuesday by the department’s chief.
Mark Force, 40, was off duty when he was involved in a domestic disturbance in Fort Worth on May 25 and arrested by a colleague, police have said. Law enforcement authorities allege that Force assaulted his wife, according to defense attorney Robert Huseman, who represents Force.
The offense was classified by the department as an assault “committed by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth.”
Force was assigned to the department’s crisis intervention team, which handles mental health matters, at the time of his arrest. He was employed by the department for eight years. A department spokesperson declined to say at what time or location it alleges that the assault occurred or whether the person it alleges Force assaulted was taken to a hospital.
“I have been in regular communication with Corporal Force and his wife, who is the alleged victim in the case,” Huseman wrote in a statement. “She is extremely disappointed in the way the police investigation was conducted and is upset that her husband was charged. This has upended their lives and livelihood, and they are ready for it all to be over. Corporal Force is a dedicated police officer who has devoted his life to helping and protecting others.”
Chief Neil Noakes reviewed an administrative investigation and determined that Force violated department policies and terminated his employment, police said on Tuesday.
Force was placed on restricted duty upon his arrest. He is under the restrictions of a bond in the criminal case, which has not concluded.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 8:25 PM.
