Amarillo Globe-News, amarillo.com
BYLINE: Jim McBride, jim.mcbride@amarillo.com.
Amarillo, TX
Seven Amarillo police officers placed on administrative leave following an internal affairs investigation have returned to duty, but police on Friday said they are still gathering information to present to Randall County Criminal District Attorney James Farren’s office.
Last week, an Amarillo police officer tendered his resignation after investigators were unable to locate some missing pills after officers raided a south Amarillo home.
On May 27, eight APD officers executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4200 block of South Polk Street. During the search, police said they located what appeared to be 10 Xanax pills, prescription drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety.
A short time later, officers learned the pills were missing when they began cataloguing evidence. Officers then conducted detailed searches of each other, the premises and patrol vehicles before contacting a lieutenant to investigate further, authorities said.
The lieutenant again searched the officers, the residence and all police vehicles, police said, but the missing pills were not found. The lieutenant and internal affairs officers launched an investigation. The eight officers were then placed on administrative leave.
One officer, Dewayne Griffin, resigned during the investigation, but has denied any involvement in the missing pills, APD officials said in a news statement issued Thursday.
Amarillo Police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld said Friday officers arrested one person in the raid, but the arrest was not related to the search warrant.
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