By Aria Jones
A Fort Worth police officer was fired Thursday after being arrested in Benbrook on aggravated assault charges in May, Fort Worth police announced.
Police said Friday that Benjamin Johnson was fired after an “administrative investigation” into the incident in Benbrook, a town in southwest Tarrant County.
Johnson was off-duty when he was arrested on three counts of aggravated assault and he was later indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury, police said. Benbrook police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Johnson’s attorney Robert Huseman said his firm will conduct its own investigation into the charges against the officer.
”Until this process has concluded, we ask the public not to rush to judgment,” Huseman said in a written statement. “Officer Johnson is a former Marine and a devoted police officer who has dedicated his life to protecting and helping others.”
After learning of the arrest, Fort Worth police said the department began an “administrative investigation” and Johnson was placed on restricted duty and stripped of all police powers.
After Johnson was indicted, he was placed on unpaid suspension, and after a “thorough review,” Johnson’s chain of command determined he violated multiple Fort Worth police policies, police said.
Chief Neil Noakes agreed with the findings and fired him.
Johnson had been with the department for five years and, at the time of his arrest, was assigned to the Directed Response Unit. His firing is the latest in a string of investigations into the conduct of Fort Worth police officers by the department.
Last week, an officer was fired after an employee reported to the department he consumed alcohol while on duty, and another officer was fired months after a domestic violence arrest.
An officer was arrested in August on a family violence charge. And several officers throughout the course of the year were arrested facing DWI charges.
“The Fort Worth Police Department holds its officers to a high standard both on and off-duty, and does not tolerate criminal misconduct or unethical behavior,” police said in a written statement.
