Hays Post
A district judge revoked and reinstated bond for the WaKeeney Police Chief at a hearing Monday in Ellis County District Court.
Terry Eberle was arrested Wednesday, May 3, of suspicion of blackmail, harassment by telecommunications device, attempted interference with law enforcement, intimidation of a witness or victim, tampering with a public record, and two counts of theft.
He was released on his own recognizance and under the terms of his bond Eberle was instructed to have not contact with witnesses in the case except his son, Josh Eberle. He was also allowed to have limited contact with law enforcement personnel in order to conduct police business.
On Thursday, May 4, Eberle was arrested for an alleged violation of bond, according to the Trego County Attorney. Eberle was held in the Ellis County jail until his bond hearing Monday morning.
At Monday’s hearing, Trego County Attorney Christopher Lyon called on Assistant WaKeeney Police Ashley Garza to testify to an interaction she had with Eberle at the police station at approximately 6:30 p.m. May 3.
Garza, who has worked with the WaKeeney Police Department since 2009, testified Eberle called her on his wife’s phone asking to talk with her at the law enforcement center. While there, according to Garza, Eberle said he was there to work on the schedule, but Garza had already started working on it after she was appointed acting Police Chief by Mayor Kenny Roy.
According to Garza, Eberle was visibly upset that she was working on the schedule and that the Kanas Bureau of Investigation still had his office taped off. Eberle then told a KBI agent that if they need to contact him regarding his office they can do so through Garza.
Garza said she then asked Eberle how she was supposed to contact him and he told her that he did not want her talking to him because her name was his arrest affidavit.
Eberle then told Garza he felt he was “stabbed in the back” and they were supposed to be “running this department together.” He then told her he would talk more once his lawyer was present.
According to court documents, Eberle is charged with theft for a 2015 incident involving Garza where he allegedly obtained Garza’s hours in an attempt to alter them.
Lyon recommended the court revoke Eberle’s bond and reinstate it with the condition that he have no contact with any witnesses or victims in the complaint filed by that state, except his son. Lyon also requested Eberle be placed with court services for supervision.
Judge Blake Bittel told Eberle after reading through the transcripts of the previous bond hearing it was made “very clear” as to the conditions of the bond.
Bittel added, “I am concerned, Mr. Eberle, that you directly went and violated those conditions.”
He revoked and reinstated bond with further conditions that Eberle cannot have any contact with any law enforcement or witnesses listed by the state.
Eberle is also not allowed to go to the WaKeeney police station and Bittel said, “You’re not going to be conducting any police business until this case is resolved.”
Paul Oller, Eberle’s attorney, told the court that the “City of WaKeeney Police Department is going to have to figure out how to conduct its business without him.”
The WaKeeney City Council has called a special meeting for 6 p.m. Monday to discuss Eberle’s arrest.
Lyon and Oller will work with Bittel’s office to schedule his first appearance in district court.