Pubdate: Wed, 19 Mar 2003
Source: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (TX)
Copyright: 2003 The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Contact:  http://www.mapinc.org/media/841
Website: http://www.lubbockonline.com/
Author: Linda Kane, Avalanche-Journal
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm (Tulia, Texas)

WITNESS CITES PROBLEMS WITH UNDERCOVER OFFICER

TULIA - Lt. Mike Amos, with a narcotics task force in Amarillo that
worked in conjunction with Swisher County officials to oversee a now
infamous drug bust in 1999, testified Tuesday that the lone undercover
officer in the case had a bad temper, discipline problems and was
reprimanded after using a racial slur against blacks.

Since the massive drug sting that resulted in the arrests of 46
people, 39 of them black, undercover officer Tom Coleman's credibility
has come under attack.

Amos, the only witness to testify in evidentiary hearings Tuesday,
said he once reprimanded Coleman, who is white, after Coleman used the
derogatory word.

"I told him there's a time and place for that language," Amos
said.

He said he told Coleman that that language might be appropriate while
working undercover, but wasn't appropriate in an office setting where
Coleman had said it.

Amos also testified that Coleman had walked off another law
enforcement job during the middle of a shift, had discipline problems
and "possible mental problems."

Despite all this, Amos de scribed Coleman as an "exceptional" law
enforcement officer.

Evidentiary hearings began in Tulia this week to determine if four men
arrested after the 1999 drug bust were convicted solely on the word of
Coleman.

The cases include those of Freddie Brookins Jr., Jason Williams, Chris
Jackson, and Joe Moore, all black. The men received sentences ranging
from 20 to 90 years. Their cases were upheld on direct appeal.

The hearings also are in tended to clarify whether prosecutors failed
to turn over information from Coleman's background that could have
discredited his testimony.

Amos testified that several cases from the drug sting operation were
not presented to a grand jury because Coleman couldn't positively
identify some suspects.

He said Coleman did not follow proper procedures in filing incident
reports. In some cases, words were scratched out, Amos said.

In looking at court documents, Amos testified that Coleman said in at
least two reports that he made drug buys from two different suspects
on certain dates. However, time cards showed Coleman was not working
those days.

When asked by prosecutors if a mistake could have been made on the
time cards, Amos said yes.

He testified that an officer from Pecos County, where Coleman had
worked as an officer prior to Swisher County, said Coleman had been
accused of kidnapping one of his children and said he had "possible
mental problems."

Amos said a different officer with the Texas Department of Public
Safety said that Coleman was a good person and a hard worker, but had
a bad temper, needed constant supervision and would "tend to run to
his mother for help."

Amos attributed many of those concerns to marital problems Coleman was
having at the time.

During his 18-month undercover operation, Coleman was arrested by
Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart on a warrant out of Cochran
County. Coleman was accused of theft and official oppression there. He
paid restitution, and charges against him were dropped.

When questioned by another defense attorney about describing Coleman
as an "exceptional" officer, Amos stood by his testimony. How ever, he
said he probably would not hire Coleman today.

Amos went on to say he didn't know of any prosecutors today who would
try cases made by Coleman.

Other officers from the task force are expected to testify today.
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