Small town left with zero cops as council fires final officer amid mounting drama

A Texas community is riddled with more drama following the city council’s decision to fire their last police officer. 

On Monday, the Hawkins City Council voted to terminate the last employee left in the Hawkins Police Department, Lt. Eric Tuma.

Tuma’s termination was based on the grounds of “dereliction of sworn duties” and “abandonment of post,” according to the council’s agenda meeting notes. 

During the meeting, Hawkins Mayor Debbie Rushing said they’d received reports that Tuma had not been responding to calls, KLTV reported. 

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“I’m very distraught and can’t believe it,” council member Eric Maloy told KETK following the meeting. “They want our police back. They miss them. The community, the citizens.”

Maloy shared that Tuma had recently taken time off for a family emergency and notified the city and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office about his absence, KLTV reported. 

Since 2021, the police department and city offices have been rocked by several resignations and terminations. 

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Tuma, a Hawkins native, formerly served as the interim chief of the police department after the resignation of former chief Guy McKee in February 2024. Two other police officers also resigned at the time, as well as Municipal Court Judge Kyle Waggner.

Hawkins, an East Texas community with a population of 1,300, is located 20 miles north of Tyler, Texas. 

Tuma’s termination comes after Rushing fired three other officers in February, noting the decision was based on “improper hiring practices and a desire to start over the right way.”

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Rushing said the officers had not been properly hired because they were not approved by the city council, leaving Tuma as the sole officer in the department. 

“It’s amazing to me that there are still good cops that want to work in small towns and make it a better place, and we really just need it to go back to the way it was,” Rushing told KETK. 

However, shortly after Rushing fired the three officers, the outlet reported she was arrested in May for allegedly “tampering with government records with intent to harm.”

Maloy also told KLTV that the city is currently facing 16 lawsuits, including many of those coming from former officers.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mayor’s office and police department for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.  

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]