Officers Back at Work Following Two Separate Shootings

LONGVIEW — Four Longview officers involved in two recent shootings have returned to work, police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said Thursday. According to KETK, officer Emit Kennedy was placed on leave after the August 28 fatal shooting of Devin Dial, 23, in the parking lot of a Northwest Longview business. Officers Dustin Ashworth, John Delgado and Armando Juarezortega were placed on leave after a shooting August 25 that injured Joshua Kennon Thomas, 17, in the parking lot of a business on Mobberly Avenue.

Brian said that their return to duty has no bearing on the ongoing Texas Rangers investigations into the shootings, which could take months. According to Brian, there is no set or standard time that an officer must remain on administrative leave after being involved in a shooting. Officers are free to return to duty after psychiatric evaluation and counseling has deemed they are fit to return to duty, she said.

Dial died at Good Shepherd Medical Center after an off-duty officer summoned police help shortly after 11 p.m. outside Walgreens in the 1700 block of West Loop 281, where he spotted a man who appeared to be wearing a mask.