The Marlin City Council has unanimously approved six months of paid leave for Police Chief James Hommel, who was recently indicted on 10 counts of animal abuse.
Hommel faces nine misdemeanor charges alongside a third-degree felony charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals at the Marlin Animal Shelter. Former Animal Control Officer Nicole Grams also faces the same charges. Hommel directly oversaw Grams but did not terminate her.
The city closed the shelter in late January 2024, weeks after Marlin resident Jeffrey Rich entered on January 9 to find his lost dog and instead found concerning conditions.
Rich took photos of emaciated and malnourished dogs, dogs covered in and surrounded by feces, and a dead dog lying on a cot in its kennel. He then posted these on Facebook.
When his photos garnered an immediate public uproar, Marlin officials later confirmed that a dog had died at the animal shelter but downplayed Rich’s discovery.
“Myself and a council member [were] here yesterday evening,” Hommel told KCEN-TV. “We walked through the kennels last night. I had an animal control person come in this morning, and she fed and watered the dogs this morning. The dog was not dead this morning.”
Cecil Sparks was the accompanying city council member.
Sparks, who was previously an Animal Control Officer, told the Waco Tribune-Herald that Rich “jumped to conclusions” and that “the situation is not as bad as it looks in the [Facebook] post.”
However, a Falls County veterinarian sent a report to Falls County District Attorney Kathryn “Jodi” Gilliam the next day. It stated, “NONE of the nine dogs were in acceptable condition […] Two were on the verge of death, one was injured, and all were filthy.”
Despite having this report and public information, Gilliam never opened an investigation.
Meanwhile, the Texas Police Chiefs Association recognized Hommel as a recipient of the Law Enforcement Command Officer Program award.
The Texas Rangers only investigated Hommel after local activists notified Gov. Greg Abbott during a primary get-out-the-vote event in February.
The activists claimed they approached Abbott because Gilliam and former Falls County Sheriff Joe Lopez refused to act despite multiple investigative requests.
Lopez, a Democrat, later lost his reelection bid by a landslide of almost 44 points to Republican candidate Jason Campbell.
Gilliam, a former Democrat who has held her office since 2001 and became a Republican in 2012, ran unopposed in 2024. She recently recused herself to avoid appearances of impropriety and a conflict of interest, given that her office works closely with the police department.
Despite the Rangers’ almost eight-month investigation, the Marlin City Council unanimously passed a resolution to give Hommel a 12.5 percent pay raise at the end of 2024. Although Sparks abstained from voting on the raise, he approved Hommel’s half-year paid leave.
Now, Robertson County District Attorney William Coty Siegert will prosecute the case before 82nd District Judge Bryan “Rusty” Russ Jr., who oversees both Falls and Robertson counties.
Eight of the nine surviving shelter dogs were placed with rescues and fosters for medical care before adoption. Mr. Rich adopted the last one.
After the council meeting earlier this month, Hommel shook hands and fist-bumped exiting council members.
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