Former Lake Worth officer indicted on assault, accused of hitting man with police radio
A former Lake Worth police officer accused of hitting a man in the head with a radio in an on-duty use-of-force incident has been indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury.
Landon Rollins, 44, turned himself in on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and was released on $55,000 bond, according to jail records.
Rollins was charged on Nov. 8 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and tampering with a government record.
On May 14, Tyler McKinney suffered serious injuries after Rollins hit him with a police radio and falsely reported that McKinney hit his head on a concrete retaining wall, the felony indictment states.
Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian said he intended to terminate Rollins on July 8, which was his last day of employment.
The Texas Rangers were asked to investigate the use of force and present their findings to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office for review, the Police Department said in a news release.
An internal investigation done by the Police Department also revealed that Rollins had violated multiple policies.
Rollins previously worked for the Fort Worth Police Department, and during his time there he was sued in connection with a shooting.
Rollins was suspended for 15 days for violating several Fort Worth police policies in the July 2020 incident in which he shot a man in the back five times, the Star-Telegram previously reported.
The man who was shot, Tracy Langiano, filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging that Rollins violated his rights by using “unnecessary, unjustified and excessive force.”
An internal investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department determined that Langiano had pointed a gun before Rollins shot him in a motel room while responding to a mental health call. But Langiano said that he was asleep.
According to a Fort Worth police disciplinary report, Rollins’ policy violations included not announcing himself as an officer, not wearing a body camera and breaking into the motel room without a warrant.
In 2022, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor granted motions for summary judgment, dismissing the lawsuit, according to federal court records. Langiano is appealing the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
After leaving the Fort Worth department, Rollins was hired as the field operations commander for Lake Worth police. At that time, Chief Manoushagian said in response to questions about the shooting and lawsuit, “Commander Rollins underwent a thorough background check where the details of this incident were carefully reviewed by our investigators. A Tarrant County Grand Jury also reviewed the case and found no evidence of wrongdoing. Following his honorable discharge from the Fort Worth Police Department, Commander Rollins was hired by LWPD.”
When announcing Rollins’ indictment on Wednesday, the chief said, “The Lake Worth Police Department respects the Tarrant County Grand Jury’s decision and remains wholly committed to the pursuit of justice for all.”
The department “is filled with talented men and women who serve with incredible integrity, professionalism and accountability,” the statement said. “The department has and will continue to hold members accountable who fail to uphold the high standards expected of a Lake Worth police officer.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 10:08 PM.