Deven Ortiz, 22, graduated from the Houston Police Academy in November 2024, but was fired by January when the video of his prior actions came to light.
While working as a detention officer at the Harris County jail, Oritz was caught on video pushing a handcuffed woman into a wall before forcefully slamming her to the ground. It happened in January 2024. Weeks later, he applied to HPD to be a police officer.
According to records obtained by Eyewitness News through an open records request, Ortiz stated on his HPD application that he had never been dismissed and/or allowed to resign in lieu of discharge. His supervisor at the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) provided a favorable reference, allowing him to move forward in the hiring process.
However, when the video surfaced months later, HCSO said that Ortiz had resigned amid multiple internal affairs investigations and was actually recommended for termination for policy violations. That was April, which was the same month he was hired by HPD.
"One of two things happened. He was not notified in anyway whatsoever by the county at the time he submitted this application that he was under investigation, or he was and he lied about it on his application," retired HPD captain Greg Fremin explained. "The recruiting and background process is very thorough. The last thing they (HPD) wants to do is bring somebody into their organization that isn't going to be a good fit."
Ortiz has not responded to requests for comment. HPD maintains that at the time of his background check and hiring, he was not the target of any active investigation. However, this contradicts statements from the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
While HPD has released records related to Ortiz's hiring, HCSO has refused to do so, citing a law enforcement exception and referring the request to the Texas Attorney General's Office for a decision.
When asked about the lack of transparency, Fremin speculated, "They're looking at litigation that is going to be coming from the complainant and they're looking at potentially criminal activity charges, federal civil rights violations."
HCSO's Chief of Staff confirmed that the District Attorney's Office advised them not to release any information due to an ongoing investigation.
The case has raised serious concerns among community activists and civil rights attorneys about departmental oversight and accountability in law enforcement hiring practices.
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