Council votes out Kosse PD Chief Mark Morris
After a unanimous “Vote of No Confidence” in Police Chief Mark Morris by Kosse City Council, he has been relieved of duties as chief and the recently promoted Sgt. Brett New was appointed interim chief.
“The City Council felt that the police department needed a change in direction, and decided that a change in leadership was necessary,” Mayor Brooks Valls said after the special meeting June 15.
Morris opted to speak to the council in open session regarding a grievance against him that had been discussed at length in executive session at the regular council meeting June 9, which the council confirmed mostly pertained to a situation that occurred May 5, just outside Kosse city limits at Austin McCarver's house.
According to an exposure report by former mayor Jarrod Eno, who traveled to the scene as a paramedic at the request of responding officer Robert Koch, the subject (McCarver, as identified by Morris) was reportedly “extremely intoxicated” upon their arrival, and displayed behavior that was aggressive, uncooperative and violent. McCarver threw several punches that did not land, kicked Eno in the right thigh, and struck Koch on the left side of the head before he was detained and led to an ambulance Koch had requested for transportation to Limestone Medical Center, at which point Morris arrived on the scene.
