Zavalla Police Chief on Leave

ZAVALLA — After two months on the job, Zavalla police chief Jim Hodges has been suspended with pay while the city launches an in-house investigation into allegations against him. According to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News, the decision was made by the City Council during Monday night’s meeting. The council spent nearly an hour and a half behind closed doors bringing in several community members and then 69-year-old Hodges. Zavalla Mayor Greg Fletcher said Monday night he could not go into detail on the nature of the allegations at this time. “Right now he is suspended with pay until we do an investigation into the allegations that were brought against him,” Fletcher said. Hodges declined to comment.

A Zavalla woman brought into the council’s closed-door session to voice her complaint against Hodges, Juanita Malone, also declined comment on the allegations but said she is happy an investigation is taking place. “I really don’t have much to say except for that I am aware of a third-party investigator,” Malone said. “The Texas Rangers are getting involved and I am happy about that.” Hodges, a 30-year police veteran, took the reins of Zavalla’s department at the end of May after former police chief Bobby Epperly accepted a chief position with Huntington.