Chief Foerster demoted Officer Zatzkin to the rank of Patrolman after several use of force incidents and failing to render aid after using force (as seen in the video below). Chief Foerster was doing his job while protecting the public from an officer who was displaying abhorrent behaviors.
Once demoted, Officer Zatzkin threatened Chief Foerster and City Manager Austin Bleess with the possible release of the masturbation memo on Council Member James Singleton in an attempt to reverse the demotion. City Manager Bleess then decides to protect his friend on council, James Singleton. Zatzkin’s demotion was then reversed by Bleess and Chief Foerster was terminated on a bogus charge based on an investigation that was initiated by Council Member James Singleton .The inquiry made by James Singelton was a clear (Charter Violation) that was conducted prior to any notice of investigation by the city. Multiple officers reported that Singleton contacted them seeking their assistance in terminating Chief Foerster to keep the memo from going public.
On 01/20/2021, Officer Zatzkin once again violated civil rights and department policy. This is after Chief Foerster warned the City Manager, Austin Bleess that Zatzkin was a danger to the public. Feckless city leadership is going to cost this city millions of dollars. Austin Bleess knowingly put Zatzkin back to work and he ignored all the warning signs the former chief warned about. Bleess totally ignored the early warning signs that Foerster had outlined. It is very clear that Foerster tried to do the right thing and warned the city:
Reported today (01.21.2021) that Zatzkin is resigning. The question now is did Chief Riggs allow him to resign without being served notice of investigation? What is his F-5 status (Should be dishonorable due to resignation under investigation)? Remember Riggs already stated at noon today that he had received a complaint and it was currently under investigation. This means Zatzkin resigned under investigation is no longer eligible for rehire according to city policy. My guess is Riggs allowed him to resign prior to being served with investigation notice? How is Riggs going to investigate his own lack of action on-scene. There is video and still photos of Riggs watching this happen.
How could Zatzkin be allowed to resign? Here is the video of Chief Riggs on 01.20.2021, the day of the incident. He states they have received the complaint from two people and they are investigating it. Very odd…but it is Jersey Village. If Zatzkin resigned anytime after this (which he did), he resigned under investigation.
WHY IS AUSTIN BLEESS STILL EMPLOYED WITH THIS CITY?
WHY IS CHIEF RIGGS STILL EMPLOYED WITH THIS CITY?
WHY WAS ZATZKIN ALLOWED TO RESIGN PRIOR TO INVESTIGATION?
Bleess abdicated his responsibility to serve the public and to protect them, even after the police department had sustained their charge against Officer Zatzkin. This was all communicated to every council member in written form as part of an appeal written to Bleess and the council members. They also decided to protect their own, James Singleton, with such a questionable history with Jersey Village, instead of a 9 year Police Chief who served the city with zero discipline in 9 years.
Clearly, Jersey Village should have listened to the former Chief of Police (Foerster) and they wouldn’t be in this condition now. Talk about a failure of leadership. The council, the city manager, and the current chief are all to blame.
Download the Internal Investigations below. All of this information was obtained through open records requests from the City of Jersey Village. Along with another case of abuse claimed from years ago.
It seems as if James Singleton is always around trouble when he is not tampering in the police department business.
Officer Zatzkin is now employed with the Waller County Sheriff’s Department in Hempstead, Texas 979-826-8282 (Sheriff Troy Guidry)