DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – Former Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald testified in court Tuesday in his continued fight to get his job back.
Fitzgerald was fired by the Fort Worth Police Department earlier this year. He claimed he was terminated because he started investigating corruption within city hall. Fort Worth city leaders said Fitzgerald was fired because city leaders lost confidence in him. Fitzgerald and the City of Fort Worth have been tied up in a lawsuit he filed ever since.
An injunction hearing began Monday at the George Allen Courthouse in Dallas regarding whether or not Fort Worth can hire a new Chief of Police while the legal process plays out.
The former Chief was asked why he thought he was fired.
“I was terminated without cause for exposing activities in relation to violations by the city,” anwered Fitzgerald. “And retaliation for reporting those violations that were illegal.”
Gitzgerald testified that his firing is preventin him from getting another job and has hurt his family.
“It has hurt my son’s interactions in school by being teased that his father was terminated,” Fitzgerald said.
He called the city’s decision not give him an honorable discharge a “death sentence” for him regarding pursuing other jobs. The city instead issued a general discharge.
The former Police Chief gave clarity to his investigation into claims of city corruption.
“We had concerns that members of the IT staff may or may not have entered Police facilities after hours or during weekend hours in areas that were critcal to us,” Fitzgerald said.
Interim Fort Worth Police Chief Ed Kraus testified Monday that he was surprised by the firing.
“I wasn’t surprised by the announcemnet but I was suprised by the termination,” Interim Chief Kraus said.
Kraus said he was aware an investigator was looking into the city’s IT department.
“I know he was looking into physical access into facilities,” Kraus said.
Several other city officials were called to testify on Monday, including Mayor Betsy Price. The Mayor said she supported the decision to terminate former Chief Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald testified for close to seven hours Tuesday and will be back on the stand on Wednesday.
Listen to Clayton Neville’s story below:
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