>> AN OFF-DUTY SAN MARCUS POLICE SUPERVISOR SPEEDS THROUGH A STOP SIGN. KILLING A
WOMAN IN A CAR.
DESPITE ADMITTING THAT IT OPEN
BEER CAN FOUND AT THE SCENE WAS
HIS SERGEANT RYAN HARTMAN WAS
RETURNED TO DUTY WITHOUT BEING
ARRESTED BY POLICE
OR PUNISHED BY HIS OWN
DEPARTMENT.
>> THAT A TEAM’S DILLON COLLIER
EXAMINES THE BOTCHED
INVESTIGATION BY MULTIPLE
AGENCIES, THE CONCERTED EFFORT
TO
LIMIT TRANSPARENCY AND THE
LASTING DAMAGE CAUSED BY
SOMEONE WHO HAS SO FAR
VIRTUALLY FACED NO
CONSEQUENCES. A WARNING THIS
STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIDEO.
>> LOCKHART POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO THIS RURAL STRETCH OF ROAD ON A SUNNY
AFTERNOON IN JUNE 2020
ENCOUNTERED A HORRIFIC CRASH.
A LARGE FOR TRUCK AND SPED
THROUGH A STOP SIGN NEAR STATE
HIGHWAY ONE 30 MANGLING THIS
HONDA ACCORD CRITICALLY
INJURING ITS DRIVER PAM WATTS
AND KILLING HER 56 YEAR-OLD
PARTNER, JENNIFER MILLER.
>> THEY GOT ME OUT, BUT THEY
NEVER GOT JENNA SHE DIED 40
MINUTES LATER SITTING IN THAT
VEHICLE.
>> THE OTHER DRIVER RYAN
HARTMAN SEEN HERE IN THE FRONT
SEAT OF AN AMBULANCE AFTER
BEING TREATED FOR
MINOR INJURIES WAS HANDLED WITH
KID GLOVES, ACCORDING TO WANTS
HIS ATTORNEY
AFTER OFFICERS REALIZED HARTMAN
WAS ONE
OF THEM. A POLICE SERGEANT FROM
THE NEIGHBORING TOWN OF SAN
MARCUS.
AND WHILE LOCKHART PD WAS READY TO RELEASE HARTMAN FROM THE SCENE WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A
CITATION FOR RUNNING A
STOP SIGN THAT CHANGED AFTER
HIS TRUCK WAS FLIPPED BACK ON
ITS WHEELS. OFFICERS FOUND A
DOUBLE SIZE
24 OUNCE CAN OF DOS EQUIS BEER
STILL PARTIALLY FULL.
AFTER
AFTER HARTMAN REFUSED TO PROVIDE A SPECIMEN OF THIS BLOOD.
HE WAS DETAINED ON SUSPICION OF
DRIVING DRUNK. IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT FOR SOME REASON OFFICERS DID NOT HAVE AND DO A
FIELD SOBRIETY TEST OR SUBMIT A
BREATH SPECIMEN
STANDARD PROCEDURE BEFORE
GETTING A WARRANT FOR A BLOOD
DRAW THAT WARNING
CARRIED OUT MORE THAN 3 HOURS
AFTER THE FATAL CRASH
SHOW THAT HARTMAN HAD NO
ALCOHOL IN HIS SYSTEM,
RAISING MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHY HE REFUSED TO
COOPERATE AT THE SCENE WE WISH
THAT THE POLICE THAT RESPONDED
WOULD HAVE PERFORMED A PROPER
INVESTIGATION WATCH HIS CIVIL
ATTORNEY JUSTIN MCMAHON.
>> SAYS DURING A DEPOSITION
TAKEN EARLIER THIS YEAR AS PART
OF A LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST
HARTMAN HE WAS OF A CIP ABOUT
WHY HE WAS DRIVING WITH AN OPEN
BEER IN HIS TRUCK. THE
VIOLATION OF STATE LAW HARTMAN
ACCORDING TO RECORDS
CLAIM THE CAN HAD BEEN IN THERE
A DAY OR 2 WHILE HE WORKED ON
HIS BUDDIES RANCH WHILE
QUARANTINE FOR A POSSIBLE
EXPOSURE TO COVID BEFORE
ADMITTING THAT THE SCENARIO
LOOK BAD AND WAS OBVIOUSLY AN
ISSUE FOR HIM AND HE HAD AN
OPEN CONTAINERS VEHICLE AND
THEN HE REFUSED A BLOOD DRAW.
AND
YOU HAVE.
>> IN A DEFENDANT’S EVERY DAY
IN HAYS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF
SAN MARCUS THAT ARE BEING
PROSECUTED FOR SIMILAR CONDUCT.
>> A MONTH AFTER THE CRASH THE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR CALDWELL
COUNTY WHERE THE WRECK HAPPENED
RECUSED HIMSELF
AFTER HAVING PREVIOUSLY WORKED
IN THE SAME COUNTY IS HARTMAN
THE NEXT MONTH LOCKHART PD FILE
THE CASE AS A CRIMINAL
NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE BUT DIDN’T
CHARGE HARTMAN FOR THE OPEN
ALCOHOL CONTAINER. LAST
NOVEMBER HARTMAN WAS NO BILL BY
A GRAND JURY.
SO SAN MARCUS POLICE CHIEF STAN
STANDRIDGE CALLED THE CRASH
VICTIM WANTS TO LET HER KNOW HE
WAS RETURNING HARTMAN TO DUTY.
>> CALL NOVEMBER 19 WHEN I WAS
SITTING.
MY NEUROLOGIST PARKING LOT
GETTING TESTED FOR MY
BRAIN INJURY TO SEE WHAT MY
DEFICITS WERE AND HE WAS
ALREADY TELLING ME THAT HE WAS
PUTTING HIM BACK TO WORK.
>> WHAT THE POLICE CHIEF DIDN’T
MENTION THAT DESPITE THE GRAND
JURY’S KNOW BILL DECISION
HE AND HIS DEPARTMENT COULD
STILL TAKING ITS OWN ACTION
AGAINST HARTMAN DISCIPLINING OR
EVEN FIRING HIM
BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL WELL
WITHIN THE 6 MONTH WINDOW
ESTABLISHED BY
STATE LAW. BUT RECORDS OBTAINED
BY A SHOW THAT LATER STANDRIDGE
TOOK THINGS EVEN FARTHER THIS
TIME TELLING THE PUBLIC THAT BY
THE TIME OF THE
KNOW BILL THAT 180 DAY PERIOD
HAD LAPSED THAT’S FALSE ONLY
144 DAYS HAD TRANSPIRED
AND AGAIN THERE WAS NOTHING
STOPPING SAN MARCUS PEE DEE’S
INTERNAL INVESTIGATION FROM
PLAYING OUT WHILE LOCKHART PD
IS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DID
SOMETHING STANDARDS HIMSELF
ACKNOWLEDGED
IN MAY. THOSE SAME RECORDS ALSO
INDICATE THE CITY COUNCIL AND
MAYOR OF SAN MARCUS.
WE’RE IN FORMALLY BRIEFED ON
HARTMAN’S FATAL CRASH UNTIL
APRIL OF THIS YEAR. 10 MONTHS
SINCE IT HAPPENED.
LONG AFTER HARTMAN HIMSELF HAD
RETURNED TO ARRESTING PEOPLE.
>> ON ALCOHOL RELATED OFFENSES.
I MEAN HE TOOK AN ANGEL OFF OF
HER AND HAS SHOWN ABSOLUTELY NO
REMORSE FOR HAVING DONE SO.
>> THEY THINK HE DESERVES TO
STILL WEAR THE UNIFORM. AND
STAND IN JUDGMENT OF OTHERS.
>> AND QUITE FRANKLY I DON’T
GET IT. NOW NO ONE APPEARS TO
BE UPSET WITH THAT.
>> FOR THE DEFENDERS DILLON
COLLIER KSAT 12 NEWS.
>> THE SERGEANT HARTMAN DID NOT
RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR
COMMENT HIS CIVIL ATTORNEY
HOLDING UP WHEN REACHED ON THE
PHONE
FOR COMMENT. WATTS A CIVIL
LAWSUIT AGAINST HARTMAN IS
TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO GO TO