Former Van Zandt chief deputy won’t face criminal charges

CANTON – Former Van Zandt County Chief Deputy Craig Shelton won’t face criminal charges after admitting to using excessive force against an inmate, according to District Attorney Tonda Curry. According to our news partner KETK, Curry said Shelton entered into a pre-trial intervention contract addressing two potential charges against him. As part of that deal, along with other conditions, Shelton surrendered his peace officer’s license for life. Shelton allegedly admitted to hitting a handcuffed individual in the face without justification. Sheriff Steve Hendrix, Chief Deputy Jerry Wood, and Sergeant Blake Snell were questioned as part of the Texas Rangers’ investigation. According to their indictments, they all denied seeing Shelton hit an inmate.

Hendrix, Wood, and Snell were charged with providing false statements to a peace officer stemming from an investigation that began last December. An attorney for Hendrix has termed the charges against his client “baseless.” Shelton is a former Whitehouse police chief and had previous assault charged filed against him. Those charges were ultimately dropped after officials found the person who filed them lied under oath to a grand jury.