Pubdate: Sun, 20 May 2001
Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 Amarillo Globe-News
Contact:  http://amarillonet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/13
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm (Tulia, Texas)

FORMER TULIA UNDERCOVER AGENT FIRED

Tom Coleman: The Undercover Agent Was Fired Three Weeks Ago From A Task Force

WAXAHACHIE - An undercover agent involved in a controversial drug 
bust in Tulia has been fired from the Southeast Dallas County / Ellis 
County Task Force, Ellis County District Attorney Joe Grubbs said 
Friday.

Tom Coleman was dismissed about three weeks ago after less than a 
year on the job, Grubbs said.

"It did not involve any of his work as an undercover officer," Grubbs 
said. "It involved his relationship with an individual in the 
community."

Grubbs said that when his agency hired Coleman, he had been named 
officer of the year in the Panhandle. He said it was after Coleman 
was hired that allegations about the drug bust in Tulia came to light.

The 1999 drug bust in Tulia prompted an investigation by the U.S. 
Justice Department. The bust in which 46 people - 40 of whom were 
black - were arrested brought national attention and questions about 
the way the state's drug task forces conduct investigations.

When contacted about Coleman's dismissal, 64th District Attorney 
Terry McEachern said he had heard Coleman might be in some trouble in 
Ellis County but didn't know any facts of the situation.

Amarillo attorney Jeff Blackburn represents one of the people 
arrested in the sting who filed a civil suit against Coleman and 
Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart. Blackburn said the dismissal 
was proof that Coleman is a crook.

"His problem apparently is he can't stop being Tom Coleman," 
Blackburn said. "He can't stop breaking the rules. He can't stop 
framing people and misusing his authority."

In the federal civil suit filed in February, Coleman and Stewart were 
sued by Billy Don Wafer, who was accused of delivery of a controlled 
substance, a charge that later was tossed out by an appeals court.

The suit seeks unspecified damages from Stewart and Coleman, alleging 
that they conspired to eliminate blacks from Tulia by manufacturing 
evidence in the drug sting.

Many of the cases against black Tulia residents were based solely on 
the testimony of Coleman. During the trial of Freddie Brookins Jr., 
24, testimony emerged about past charges against Coleman, Globe-News 
files show.

Coleman was charged with theft in Cochran County, where he worked in 
law enforcement before coming to Tulia, files state. According to the 
complaint from Cochran County, Coleman was charged with abuse of 
official capacity and theft for using a county credit card to 
purchase fuel for his personal vehicle.

Later testimony indicated Coleman took about five days off to settle 
the matter, which included paying off $7,000 in old debts and making 
restitution for $65, and the charges were dropped.

The Associated Press and Globe-News Staff Writer Ricky George 
contributed to this report.
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