Karen Gleason
DRPD Chief Fred Knoll Jr. confirmed Monday the FBI and the Del Rio Police Department are reviewing evidence in a reported incident involving at least one DRPD officer.
The alleged incident was referenced in a front-page story published in the Feb. 28 edition of the Del Rio & Eagle Pass News Leader. The story was printed without identifying its writer, and none of the information in the story was attributed to a named source or documents.
The story prompted a press release by the City of Del Rio, which noted, “. . . this incident was brought to the attention of the Del Rio Chief of Police on Feb. 12, 2021.”
The city press release also noted the reported incident was being investigated by the DRPD’s internal affairs division.
Knoll said in a telephone interview with The 830 Times, “I can confirm that our department’s internal affairs investigator is currently investigating and vetting all of the information. The investigator is DRPD Senior Officer Dulce Gonzalez, and Capt. Robert Guzman, the administrative captain, is overseeing her work.”
Knoll also said he called the FBI for assistance.
“The FBI has been consulted with and provided with all of the pertinent information in the case. They assured me that they would conduct a thorough review of the case and visit with prosecutors regarding any findings,” Knoll said.
The police chief said it is hard to predict how long the police department’s internal affairs investigation will take, but said it can be from a week to 180 days before such a review is finalized.
“The 180-day limit is a civil service limitation that applies if disciplinary action is to be brought after the internal investigation is completed,” Knoll said.
The chief also pledged transparency regarding the police department investigation outcome and said the city will issue a press release when the investigation is complete.
