Former police nominee fired from Fort Worth job

Fitzgerald was Pugh’s choice to oversee Baltimore department

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald — who was nominated in November to be Baltimore’s top cop but withdrew his name less than two months later — was fired Monday amid questions of his “judgment and leadership,” Texas officials announced.

Fitzgerald had been former Mayor Catherine Pugh’s choice to oversee the Baltimore police department but withdrew his name from consideration when he said his son became ill. Fitzgerald remained as the chief in Fort Worth until Monday when City Manager David Cooke announced Fitzgerald’s termination.

“In determining what is best for the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department I have decided to remove Chief Fitzgerald as Police Chief effective today,” Cooke said in a statement.

Cooke said he questioned Fitzgerald’s commitment, citing a recent incident in Washington, D.C., but did not detail the allegations.

“[T]here was an incident and it brings again into question judgement and leadership,” Cooke said.

Fitzgerald had a “heated encounter” with a police union representative at a National Police Week gathering May 12 in Washington, D.C., according to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram news story. Sgt. Todd Harrison, president of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, told the newspaper “there was no physical contact in the dispute, just inappropriate behavior from a leader in front of a large crowd that was at [an] event honoring police officers and survivors.”

The confrontation came after Fitzgerald was suspended from a state police union. The state union said it was because he’d joined the state police union without being a member of his local union.

Cooke said the incident, in addition to Fitzgerald being nominated by Pugh, left the community and some within the department with questions about his “commitment and leadership.”

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said in a statement that she supported Cooke’s decision.

“Our citizens deserve a police chief who is committed to building relationships in all communities, by furthering trust and transparency,” Price said. “Our police officers, who risk their lives daily for our community, deserve a leader who will be present, active, and engaged.”

After Fitzgerald withdrew his name for the Baltimore job, then-Mayor Pugh selected Michael Harrison to serve as Baltimore’s 41st police commissioner and the department’s third leader in just a year.