Residents in Forest Hill angered by the firing of the city’s chief of police expressed frustrations to the city council at its meeting Tuesday night.
Addressing the council toward the beginning of the meeting, they said they wanted to know specifics about why Eddie Burns Sr. was fired as the city’s police chief. They said they have concerns that Burns’ termination came as retaliation for a complaint he filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination and misconduct by city leaders.
The city said Burns was terminated after “a series of substantiated policy violations and a sustained lack of confidence in Burns’ ability to effectively perform in the position,” according to a news release. “This lack of confidence was echoed by a recent management survey of the Forest Hill Police Officers Association,” City Manager Venus Wehle wrote in the statement.
A copy of Burns’ personnel file obtained by the Star-Telegram showed three letters of reprimand, all from 2023.
Many of the same people who addressed the council also protested outside City Hall on Friday. Like former mayor Lyndia Thomas, who told the council that Burns was an asset to the city.
Burns would take time to follow up with residents of Forest Hill when they called him with questions or concerns and made it a habit to meet with people in the community to keep them informed about what was going on in the department, Thomas said.
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Other residents said they think it looks bad to those outside the city for Burns to be fired, especially with little explanation.
“This is a bad look. This is a bad business move,” Jeremy Scruggs, a pastor and business owner in the city, told the council. “Everything is going around us. But no business will want to come into a city where we only have 13 active police officers.”
The council is legally not allowed to respond directly to speakers at meetings.
Speakers also questioned why the council wasn’t notified of the city manager’s decision to fire Burns on Feb. 17 and why the decision came so quickly after Burns filed the EEOC complaint. Burns was hired in July 2021 and had been on medical leave before he was fired.
Forest Hill Police Capt. Lee Sumpter, a 19-year veteran of the department, has been named the city’s interim police chief. The city said it plans to conduct a search to permanently fill the position, which Wehle expects to take six to nine months.
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Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
