Late Friday afternoon, the City of Lubbock announced City Manager James Loomis demoted Lubbock Police Department Chief Roger Ellis to the rank of captain.

City of Lubbock
City of Lubbock
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According to the city, the demotion was in accordance with civil service laws. Assistant Chief Jerry Brewer (pictured) has been named acting police chief and he will remain in that position until a search for a new chief can be completed.

Ellis is a 30-plus year veteran of the Lubbock Police Department and according to KAMC News he began his career with LPD in 1983. Brewer has been with LPD since August of 1988, serving over 26 years.

It is expected that the Lubbock City Council will direct city staff to commence an official search for a new chief during a meeting in July.

The Lubbock Police Department has been involved in two controversies over the past two weeks.

The first is the reported payment of a $10,000 Crime Line reward to an alleged person of interest in the murder case of Lubbock teen Mark Ysasaga. The second is a pending lawsuit against the City of Lubbock by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

The DOJ asserts that LPD has discriminated against Hispanics and women in the hiring of new officers for the department.

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