Fullen, TCOLE Reach Agreement to End Nearly Two-Year Fight Over Sheriff’s Peace Officers' License The long, often controversial and politically charged dispute over Sheriff Jimmy Fullen’s peace officer license may soon come to an end. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and Fullen’s attorney confirmed on Friday (10/17/2025) that they have reached a settlement. Details of the agreement will not be disclosed until the TCOLE Commission meets, reviews, and approves the terms in December. That meeting is scheduled for December 3 in Nacogdoches, said TCOLE’s Director of Government and External Relations, Gretchen Grigsby, and Fullen’s attorney, Tony Buzbee. A complaint filed by retired Galveston County Sheriff’s Office deputy and online political activist Kenneth Williams, known as Costa Loca, initiated an investigation and led TCOLE to accuse Fullen of falsifying government records by knowingly omitting information on the required personal history form. TCOLE alleged that Fullen did not disclose certain details about his criminal history, including an arrest for assault in the 1980s. The fact that the two sides reached a settlement probably indicates that Fullen will not face revocation or suspension of his peace officer license. TCOLE’s Executive Director Gregory Stevens initially called for Fullen’s license to be revoked. After Fullen took office, TCOLE recommended suspending the license. Either action would have disqualified Fullen from holding the office of sheriff. Fullen sued, and the parties entered mediation. When formal efforts failed, Fullen’s legal team and TCOLE, represented by the Texas Attorney General’s Office, continued negotiations until they reached an agreement this week. Williams, in a social media post on his Costa Loca page, said “TCOLE likely retreated,” adding that it is a “serious blow to public trust and to every honorable Texas peace officer who follows the rules.” He called that outcome a “disappointment.” “If the state’s top licensing agency for peace officers truly backed down after all this, it’s a major disappointment,” he wrote. “Accountability means nothing if elected officials are protected from the same standards the rest of Texas law enforcement must uphold.” Despite the ongoing investigation and an online campaign where Williams claimed Fullen’s “lied,” the sheriff comfortably won the Republican primary over former Sheriff’s Office Major Ray Noland and secured a landslide victory in the general election. Since Fullen’s election, Williams has targeted other officials he calls members of a “cabal,” claiming they work to “cover up” corruption in Galveston County politics. Williams has targeted County Judge Mark Henry, Judge’s Chief of Staff Tyler Drummond, La Marque Council Member Joseph Lowry—all members of Galveston County Commissioners Court—Galveston Municipal Police Association President Detective Anthony Rogers, and most recently, State Rep. Terri Leo Wilson. He has also attempted to start an “independent” political movement, asserting that the Republican and Democratic parties are cartels.

Posted by i45NOW TJ Aulds at 2025-10-17 22:06:28 UTC