Fired Chief Speaks Up

LUFKIN — The Zavalla police chief fired after two months on the job spoke out Thursday about his termination, expressing indifference. According to KETK, in a phone interview, 69-year-old Jim Hodges maintained his reputation of being a man of few words in saying he didn’t have a lot to say about being let go earlier this week by the Zavalla City Council and Mayor Greg Fletcher. “They can do what they want to do and there’s not a whole lot I can do about it,” Hodges said. “If they had something on me, they should have told me. They’ve got it like they want it now and God bless ’em.”

Hodges was put on paid suspension last week while Fletcher launched an in-house investigation of alleged complaints against the chief. Monday night a special meeting was called with 72-hour notice given to the community via a memo posted on the front door of city hall. Hodges, who lives in Lufkin, said 72-hour notice had been given to everyone but him. “I had been on suspension, and I’m not going down there to look at the door when I’m on suspension,” he said.

In a phone interview Wednesday, Fletcher said he called Hodges and left a message for him Monday morning about the meeting. Hodges, who said he was out of town at the time, said that wasn’t the case.