A former Sanger Police officer fired last year after the department says he used excessive force during an arrest is now indicted by a Denton County grand jury on two related charges.
Sgt. Cole Thompson was terminated on Dec. 9, 2022, after the department said an investigation into a traffic stop determined the use of force was excessive and that a use of force report filed by the officer was not consistent with video recordings of the arrest.
On Oct. 23, 2022. Sanger Police were notified of a "vehicle disturbance" by the Denton County Sheriff's Office and when the vehicle entered the city limits Sanger officers stopped the driver. According to the department, the driver complied when ordered to get out of the vehicle and move toward the trunk. It was there police said that during an attempt to put the driver in handcuffs "physical force and a Taser were used."
Further details about the arrest and use of force were not shared by the department.
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Thompson, the department said, submitted a use of force report the following day, which is department policy, but police said when the report was compared to his body-worn cameras and in-car camera the arrest warranted further review.
On Nov. 7, 2022, Thompson was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into the arrest and he was fired the following month.
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Sanger Police said the case was presented to a Denton County grand jury last month and that on March 30 they returned an indictment against Cole for official oppression and assault. Cole was arrested on April 5 and has since bonded out. It's not clear if he's obtained an attorney.
In March 2022, in a statement announcing Cole's promotion from officer to patrol sergeant, Sanger Police said Cole was a five-year law enforcement veteran who had been with the department for just over two years. He was the department's firearms instructor and a member of their field training program to train new officers and was named the department's officer of the year in 2020.
