Fort Worth police officer fired for excessive use of force reinstated after appeal: lawyer
A Fort Worth police officer has been reinstated after an independent arbitrator determined he didn’t violate the department’s use of force policies during a confrontation with a suspect, his attorney said.
“Officer Hugo Barron completed the appeals process which resulted in his reinstatement,” the department said in a statement on Tuesday, Dec. 24.
Barron shot a 33-year-old suspected car thief the night of Dec. 13, 2022. A Tarrant County grand jury declined to indict Barron on criminal charges, but his chain of command decided he had used an unjustified level of force. Police Chief Neil Noakes agreed with their findings and fired him from the department.
Officers responded to a burglary in progress at C&A Auto Repair in the 2700 block of White Settlement Road around 11 p.m. A 911 caller reported that someone had broken into vehicles at the shop and then drove away in a black Range Rover that had been left there for repairs. There was also reported to be a gun under the driver’s seat, police said.
A pursuit ensued when officers spotted the vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop. The suspect, Frank Pierce, failed to yield, according to police. Pursuing officers deployed spike strips, which flattened the tires on the SUV. Pierce lost control of the Range Rover at Northwest 28th Street and Chestnut Avenue and drove into a wall.
Officers commanded Pierce to exit the vehicle, but he didn’t respond. In a video released by Fort Worth police, a sergeant is seen using a baton to break a rear window. Officers in a helicopter say they can see Pierce trying to break the front windshield.
One Fort Worth police officer shouts, “He’s reaching down,” according to the video. Barron, who was covering the driver’s side door, fired one shot with a rifle, striking Pierce, police said.
Pierce was taken to a hospital and survived his injuries. He pleaded guilty to evading arrest and the unauthorized use of a vehicle and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, according to court records.
Police confirmed shortly after the the shooting that they found a gun inside the vehicle, but they were still investigating whether the driver had reached for it.
Barron was placed on administrative reassignment while the criminal and Internal Affairs investigation into the shooting were underway. He was terminated in April 2024.
Barron appealed his termination, according to his attorney, John Snider.
Evidence and testimony from Barron, Noakes and several witnesses who saw the shooting, was presented to arbitrator Don Williams in September. After deliberation, Williams determined that “Barron did not violate any of the use of force policies as alleged by the police chief and therefore did not use excessive force,” Snider told the Star-Telegram in an email.
The arbitrator ordered Barron reinstated, and under civil service law he will receive full back pay and recover all of his seniority, leave time and other benefits, Snider said.
Barron had been with the Fort Worth Police Department for 10 years at the time of the shooting. He was assigned to the Patrol Bureau.
“He is overjoyed to clear his name and return to the profession he loves serving and protecting the people of Fort Worth,” Snider said.
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 2:11 PM.
