LIBERTY HILL, Texas — The former chief of police for Liberty Hill has accused Mayor Rick Hall of threatening his two sons and using the "n-word" during a city retreat in Burnet County in January, according to KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
According to the Statesman, the Burnet County Sheriff's Office confirmed last month former chief Maverick Campbell reported complaints, which are under investigation as Class C misdemeanor allegations. The office did not specify how many complaints it was investigating.
Campbell said after he was fired in March he also sent a grievance letter to the City of Liberty Hill, saying the mayor had been interfering too much with police affairs, including asking Campbell to illegally order him a police light for his vehicle, the Statesman reported. Hall has reportedly denied these allegations.
Campbell's lawyer confirmed to KVUE in March he was fired, but, at the time, he said neither of them were given any reason as to why. The city councilmembers' vote was unanimous.
This came after nearly two weeks of investigation into Campbell's conduct. He was placed on administrative leave on March 1 due to alleged actions during a Law Enforcement Against Drugs conference in Atlantic City in February.
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The Statesman reported that Campbell said he had been put on administrative leave in February after he had gotten into a verbal argument with his wife at the conference. Campbell told the Statesman that having an argument with his wife while off-duty was not grounds for his firing.
“I have over 20 years of law enforcement experience,” Campbell said. “I would not terminate one of my employees for a verbal disagreement after hours as long as no one was charged.”
In the grievance filed with the City, the report states he and his family were at a retreat on Jan. 24 at Canyon of the Eagles in Burnet County when his sons, 7 and 8, were playing and tugged on Hall's shirttail. Hall allegedly told them to, "Get away from me you little 'n-word.'" Campbell also alleged that Hall later threatened to hang them from a tree.
The Statesman reports that Campbell, who is white, said via a phone interview he was "shocked, offended and disappointed" about what he heard because his kids are mixed race and his wife is Arabic.
The Statesman's full report can be read here.
This is not the first time Mayor Hall's conduct has been questioned. A February report by local newspaper The Liberty Hill Independent states city employees and their family members have witnessed threatening, vulgar and offensive behavior from Hall before.
The report states that during the same retreat, Canyon of the Eagles staff had to request Hall leave to his room because "he was intoxicated, loud and his language was offensive."
According to The Independent's report, Hall was seen at the retreat wearing a holstered handgun and allegedly stating things like "I'm the big d--- daddy of this town" and "I'm the f----- mayor, I can do whatever I want."
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