Everman deputy fire chief arrested in Fort Worth in sexual assault case
A deputy fire chief with the City of Everman is one of two suspects who were arrested by Fort Worth police last week in an aggravated sexual assault case.
Fort Worth police officers were called to investigate the sexual assault on Feb. 21, according to a police report. The investigation found that the victim did not know the attacker but was able to get a partial license plate for the man’s vehicle, a police spokesperson said.
The Fort Worth Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit used surveillance video from nearby cameras to find the suspect’s vehicle.
Detectives said they learned that a second man, identified in court records as Everman Deputy Fire Chief Joel Jones, allegedly solicited the attacker to commit the assault.
Fort Worth police arrested Jones on Wednesday, March 26. The man accused of committing the assault, 30-year-old Tobasia Griffiths, of Dallas, was arrested on Thursday, March 27, police said.
Jones, 53, was arrested on one count of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of criminal solicitation of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, according to Tarrant County Jail records. He was being held in the jail Monday, March 31, on $300,000 bond.
Griffiths faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault. He was released on $25,000 bond on Saturday, March 29, according to court records.
In a statement, Everman Fire Department Chief Landon Whatley said that Jones’ arrest is not related to his work with the department and that the deputy chief has been placed on administrative leave.
“The Everman Fire Department is aware of the recent arrest by the Fort Worth Police Department of an Everman Fire Department employee,” Whatley said in the statement. “The alleged actions that led to the arrest of the employee are unrelated to his employment with the City of Everman.
“The nature of the allegations and charges are deeply concerning,” the chief said. “Department command staff is fully cooperating with the Fort Worth Police Department as they investigate this incident. ... We want to assure the public that we take matters such as this extremely seriously. The employee in question was immediately placed on administrative leave, in accordance with city and departmental policy, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. This investigation, which is separate from the criminal investigation conducted by Fort Worth Police Department, will be conducted independently to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability.”
“The safety, trust, and well-being of our community remain the City of Everman and Everman Fire Department’s highest priorities,” the statement concludes. “We are committed to upholding the values of integrity and professionalism that the public rightfully expects. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take further action as appropriate. The department would like to extend our thoughts and prayers for any individuals negatively impacted by this incident. As always, we remain dedicated to serving the residents of Everman.”
Fort Worth police said they are not releasing further details of their investigation because of the sensitive nature of the case.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 12:42 PM.
