CIVILIAN News
Local news for Abilene and Taylor County first, plus the surrounding Big Country, reported and written by the CIVILIAN News Desk.
Police & CourtsPolice & Courts
29 stories from the CIVILIAN News Desk · Abilene first
Violent Crime Undercover Operation in Abilene
ATF wrapped up an eight-week violent-crime operation in Abilene with APD, Taylor County deputies, DPS and the U.S. Marshals. Officers served six search warrants, arrested 14 people and seized four guns and about a pound of suspected meth.
APD Officer Injured While Assisting Interstate 20 Crash
While an APD officer was using his cruiser to block traffic at an early-morning I-20 crash, an 18-wheeler struck the driver's side. He had to be cut out and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. KTXS later used the crash to highlight the Move Over, Slow Down law.
Council rejects motion to reconsider Axon contract; motion fails 4–3
A council member's motion to reopen the Sept. 24 Axon police-camera contract failed 4–3, so the deal stands.
Flock cameras back before City Council; no action taken
At the Sept. 24 council meeting, Chief Seratte and a Flock representative defended the license-plate cameras. Council members raised concerns about false positives, misuse and expansion, and no vote was taken. The council did approve a contract with Axon to replace body-worn, in-car and evidence systems.
Abilene SWAT arrests shooting suspect identified for wearing 'white sandals with pink bows'
After a brief standoff on S. 9th Street, SWAT arrested a man accused of shooting someone three times in May. Court documents say witnesses identified him partly by the white sandals with pink bows he had worn at a traffic stop the day before.
APD Launches Public Flock Camera Information Portal
Amid the Flock controversy, APD launched a public transparency portal describing how its license-plate cameras are used, retention rules and privacy safeguards.
City Council closed-session agenda lists 2026 small-claims suits against APD and an APD officer
The council's Sept. 10 closed-session legal list includes two 2026 Justice Court cases: Matthew Bishop v. Chris Volirakis, APD (filed Mar 20) and Donald Schultz v. Abilene Police Department (filed Jun 18). The agenda does not describe the claims.
Social media hoax threat addressed by officials
Abilene ISD and APD looked into social-media threats against Craig Middle School that were part of a national online trend. Officers stepped up their presence at the school, and police found the threats were not credible.
Abilene police address concerns, explain use of Flock license plate reader technology
Responding to public criticism, APD defended its 13 fixed Flock license-plate cameras and one portable trailer ($70,000 a year). It said the system does not use facial recognition or live tracking and that every search is logged for audit.
Man arrested after SWAT responds to barricaded incident in north Abilene
After a family-violence call on Beech Street, a man barricaded himself in a home with a woman and two children inside and threatened officers. SWAT deployed gas, entered and arrested him. A 71-year-old woman was also arrested for interfering and resisting.
Abilene's Fourth of July Fireworks Crackdown Goes Viral Thanks to One High-Tech Twist
APD used a drone to spot illegal fireworks being launched inside city limits over the July 4 holiday and sent officers to those spots. Video of the tactic went viral and drew both praise and jokes online.
Police Investigate Another Bomb Threat at Abilene Zoo
For the second time in weeks, a caller claimed there were explosives at the Abilene Zoo. Staff evacuated, and the bomb squad cleared the grounds.
Adam Hymas of the Abilene police dept Engaing in prior restraint and retaliation.
A WTA clip accusing Officer Hymas of prior restraint and retaliation against WTA's filming.
UPDATE: Armed suspect arrested after pursuit through South Abilene
A wanted man seen with a handgun led Taylor County deputies on a chase through south Abilene, crashed near a home in the Indian Wells neighborhood and ran. Deputies and APD searched with K-9s and a drone, and APD arrested him later that afternoon.
Abilene police try's to intimidate journalist gathering content for a story.
A 6-minute WTA video. WTA says APD officers tried to intimidate WTA while it gathered material for a story. No officer is named in the caption.
Police Investigate False Bomb Threat at the Abilene Zoo
A caller with what sounded like a computer-generated voice claimed there were bombs outside the Abilene Zoo, which forced an evacuation. The APD bomb squad found nothing, and police linked the call to similar threats at zoos across the country.
Officer Adam Hymas #1404 cited a veteran in a security uniform near Dyess AFB
WTA says APD Officer Adam Hymas (#1404) cited a veteran who was wearing a security uniform near Dyess AFB. The details of the citation and its outcome have not been verified.
Abilene police departments OFFICER PABLO M GARZA JR playing beer pong WHILE ON DUTY!
A 14-second WTA clip that WTA says shows APD Officer Pablo M. Garza Jr. playing beer pong while on duty. APD has not confirmed this.
Kohanowski v. City of Abilene (federal civil-rights suit vs. city and APD officers)
An Abilene resident filed a pro se §1983 civil-rights suit against the City of Abilene, an individual named Mike Moschetto, and up to 10 unnamed APD officers and 5 unnamed supervisors. He later paid the full filing fee and the case moved forward.
Go pro angle of Ben Boyce attacking me.
A second camera angle (GoPro) of the Boyce encounter, which WTA describes as an attack.
Adam Hymas committing prior restraint
A short WTA clip accusing APD officer Adam Hymas of 'prior restraint', meaning trying to stop the filming.
Officer Benjamin Boyce of the Abilene police department attacking me & retaliating against me for filming
A 5½-minute WTA video. WTA says APD Officer Benjamin Boyce physically confronted and retaliated against the filmer for recording officers placing someone in a patrol car.
Free speech retaliation. Officer Benjamin Boyce in Abilene Texas.
A short WTA clip of the same encounter, which WTA calls free-speech retaliation by Officer Boyce. It is WTA's most-viewed APD clip (about 24K views when checked).
Turner v. Haught: excessive-force claim against APD officer survives screening
A magistrate judge dismissed most claims in a jailed plaintiff's suit over his arrest by Abilene officers but let a Fourth Amendment excessive-force claim against one APD officer go forward, ordering the U.S. Marshals to serve him. The court had earlier ordered APD and the jail to turn over records and video.
Felon who fired at Abilene police after chase sentenced to 15 years in federal prison
An Abilene man who fled a traffic stop in August 2025, then fired through a house wall toward officers and shot at the SWAT armored vehicle's windshield during an hours-long standoff, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on a felon-in-possession charge.
Operation Nightfall Arrests
APD, DPS, the Texas Attorney General's office and Homeland Security Investigations ran a two-day undercover online-solicitation sting in Abilene. Eleven men were arrested, several on charges involving minors and two on federal charges.
Owners of CBD House of Healing indicted for possession of THC
A grand jury indicted the Abilene couple who own CBD House of Healing on THC and marijuana possession counts. The case grew out of a 2025 APD investigation and August 2025 raid of the store, which the owners had challenged in a federal civil-rights suit against the city, APD, the chief and an officer.
Jones v. Abilene Police Department (federal civil-rights complaint)
A Taylor County jail detainee filed a handwritten federal §1983 complaint against the Abilene Police Department. The court ordered him to fix filing deficiencies and later dismissed the case when he did not comply.
Suspect Arrested for Breaking Into Gas Station
APD says a woman broke into the Walmart gas station on Ambler Ave. while a clerk was inside and refused to come out. After a short standoff, officers fired a non-lethal 40mm impact round to force compliance and arrested her.