Demoted Fort Worth police captain named chief in California city

A Fort Worth police captain who was demoted from assistant chief earlier this year over the leak of another officer's bodycam video has been hired as police chief of a small city in California.

Abdul Pridgen was named chief in Seaside, Calif., about two and a half hours south of San Francisco, on Tuesday, city officials there announced. Seaside, with a population of about 30,000, has about 50 officers.

Seaside city manager Craig Malin and an interview panel "were well aware" of Pridgen's demotion in May, according to a news release announcing the hiring.

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald accused Pridgen of leaking the bodycam video and personnel file of officer William Martin -- who was involved in a controversial arrest of a woman on Dec. 21, 2016 -- to a lawyer, who leaked the information to the media.

Pridgen has denied leaking the video, which showed Martin arresting Jacqueline Craig and her two daughters after Craig had called police to report an alleged assault of her son. Martin is white and Craig and her daughters are black.

During the hiring process, Seaside officials interviewed references in Fort Worth "who assured them the purported release of the video was inconsistent with Mr. Pridgen's long record of professional policing," the news release said.

The officials did not speak with Fitzgerald, but they felt confident that Pridgen is "an exceptionally qualified police professional," Seaside city manager Craig Malin said.

When asked if he thought Prigen leaked the video, Malin responded: "Did the Fort Worth Telegram ever publish any information proving that he did it?"

"I have not heard one person tell me how this purported leak was consistent" with Pridgen's track record, Malin said.

Pridgen and Vance Keyes, who was also demoted in the incident from deputy chief to captain, sued Fort Worth in November, seeking reinstatement to their former positions and recovery of lost wages.

Pridgen's attorney, Jason Smith, could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Ryan Osborne: 817-390-7684; Twitter: @RyanOsborneFWST

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Demoted Fort Worth police captain named chief in California city."