Fort Stockton police sergeant fired

FORT STOCKTON A Fort Stockton police sergeant was stripped of his badge and taken off the job earlier this week after he was involved in a fight with his girlfriend’s ex-husband, Police Chief Juan Castro said.
   Adam Marquez, who had worked with the department for two years, was fired Tuesday following an internal investigation stemming from an Oct. 14 incident. Castro said Marquez’s girlfriend and her ex-husband had an argument that prompted Marquez to intervene by heading to the ex-husband’s home. Castro said the two came to blows and other officers were called to stop the fight.
   Castro said Marquez was on vacation at the time but was called to his office the next morning and placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal investigation. Castro said he decided to fire Marquez on Tuesday. Castro said he needs to hold his officers to a higher standard and couldn’t let them engage in the kind of crime they are supposed to prevent.
   “That’s my thing,” Castro said. “Odessa may be different because it is a bigger city, same with Midland, but here, if you don’t do something about it I don’t feel I am doing my job.”
   Castro said another department would have to determine whether or not any criminal charges would be filed against Marquez since there’s a conflict of interest with his own department charging its former sergeant, but Castro said he was not aware of any effort to charge Marquez.