Temple Police Officer Accused of Mishandling Evidence, Lying on Forms
A Temple police officer has been placed on indefinite suspension after investigators determined that he mishandled numerous items of evidence and falsified a government document concerning a particular case.
Temple PD Chief Floyd Mitchell said Monday that Officer Jayson Jordan violated department rules, regulations, and standard procedures while assigned to the General Investigations Unit between June 18, 2012 and June 17, 2016. He was placed on paid investigatory leave in September of last year when his misconduct came to light during an internal investigation.
According to Mitchel, Jordan failed to properly recover, document, package, and store evidence items including DNA evidence, video evidence, a loaded handgun, narcotics, computer equipment, cell phones, and other valuables related to cases he was investigating.
In some cases, Jordan allegedly stored the items in the trunk of his police vehicle or in a private gym locker from anywhere from 4 months to 4 years.
In a press statement, Mitchell said investigators also determined that Jordan falsified a government document that stated he'd returned evidence items to their owner, which was proven false when those materials were later discovered in a private locker.
Jordan was transferred out of the GIU in August of 2016 and his cases assigned to other detectives, who had difficulty locating evidence items Jordan described in case records. The items were eventually found, and Jordan once again found himself under investigation.
On January 3, 2017, Chief Mitchell met with Jordan and his attorney and asked Jordan to resign. Jordan refused, resulting in his indefinite suspension.
Chief Mitchell said he is working with District Attorney Henry Garza regarding the potential impact of Jordan's failure to maintain a proper chain of evidence on the criminal cases he was investigating.