by Kim Hilsenbeck

Following three weeks of being on paid administrative leave, Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett is back on duty. Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers reinstated Barnett effective May 28, according to a statement released by the city.

Sellers placed Barnett on administrative leave beginning May 6 for the purposes of adjudicating a civil service matter related to Kyle Police Sgt. Jessie Espinosa, who was also on paid administrative leave at the time. The city hired an outside law firm to investigate Espinoza and his involvement with Dr. Glen Hurlston, the Lousisana doctor who filed a federal civil rights violation lawsuit against Barnett, the city of Kyle, the city of Princeton and one of its officers.

Kyle’s Sellers appointed Charles Edge, a former police chief with the Waxahachie Police Department, to Barnett’s post while the investigation of Espinoza concluded.

Under the Texas civil service statute, all personnel decisions must be completed by the department head. In order to ensure full and complete impartiality, the city manager placed Barnett on leave due to his involvement in the matter. City officials say that at no time was Barnett the subject of the investigation related to Espinoza.

The result of the adjudication process regarding Espinoza was that Edge suspended the officer indefinitely. Therefore, Edge concluded his role in the adjudication of the matter.

“I’d like to thank Chief Edge for the professional manner in which he handled the very important personnel matter,” Sellers said.

According to the city’s statement, the city has no further comment at this time in order to protect the integrity of Espinoza’s appeal of this suspension.