One former and two current Denton police officers were indicted Thursday in misconduct cases that came to light in a months-long investigation, the city announced.
The two current employees — officers Ronald Foy and William Hulslander — are currently suspended without pay.
A Denton County grand jury indicted Foy on one count of official oppression, and Hulslander on one count of official oppression and one count of tampering with a governmental record.
The former officer, Joel Weinstein, had already left the Police Department before the alleged misconduct surfaced. He is charged with one count of tampering with a governmental record.
The investigations began Feb. 5, when the Denton County District Attorney’s Office notified the department about concerns with a case and would be dropping criminal charges against a person experiencing homelessness.
Foy had arrested the person in March 2024 on suspicion of evading arrest or detention with a previous conviction and evading arrest, search or transport.
The DA’s Office reported that the probable cause affidavit, written by Hulslander, did not align with body-worn camera footage.
The footage, according to a press release, showed Foy deploying department-issued chemical spray in a manner inconsistent with department policy and training.
Denton’s chief spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck declined to provide details about how the chemical spray was used.
The release states Foy and Hulslander were immediately placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
Police Chief Jessica Robledo directed the department to begin a separate but concurrent Internal Affairs investigation and Major Crimes criminal investigation.
While investigating Foy and Hulslander, complaints about arrests by Weinstein also came up.
Weinstein left the department in March, Sternbeck said, prior to the discovery of misconduct.
The Internal Affairs investigation began shortly after the DA’s Office notification and concluded in July, Sternbeck said.
The chief indefinitely suspended Foy without pay, which, Sternbeck said, was essentially his termination. However, Sternbeck said, Foy has appealed the suspension and is therefore still a current city employee.
Hulslander in August agreed to a 90-day suspension without pay, forfeiting the right to an appeal.
The indictments delivered Thursday have resulted in a new indefinite suspension for both Foy and Hulslander, essentially nullifying Hulslander’s original 90-day suspension.
Neither Foy nor Hulslander are currently working at the department .
“When allegations of misconduct arise, we owe it to the Denton community and to the men and women who serve honorably every day to confront them directly,” Robledo said in a press release. “When we discover we have fallen short of our core values, we commit to taking steps to restore the trust that the community has placed in us.”
BROOKE COLOMBO can be reached at 940-566-6882 and bcolombo@dentonrc.com.
For more than 120 years, the Denton Record-Chronicle has been Denton County’s source for locally produced, fact-based journalism. Your support through a tax-deductible donation or low-cost subscription is vital to our ability to deliver credible, relevant, unique coverage of our community.
