Van Zandt County sheriff’s lawyer releases statement on indictment

CANTON, Texas (KLTV) - A law firm representing Van Zandt County Sheriff Steve Hendrix has released a statement on his indictment.

“We believe the charges brought in this indictment are baseless and the Sheriff looks forward to defending the allegations in court,” stated a letter from Kenneth M. Biggs of Biggs & Greenslade Law.

Hendrix, Chief Deputy Jerry Wood and Sgt. Blake Snell were indicted on Friday and accused of making a false statement to law enforcement regarding the excessive force case against the former chief deputy, Craig Shelton.

Below is the full statement:

“Our firm along with Attorney Greg Waldron have been retained to represent Van Zandt County Sheriff Stephen Hendrix regarding the recent indictment returned by a Van Zandt County Grand Jury for False Statement to a Peace Officer. It is our understanding that these allegations surround the Sheriff’s account of events that resulted in the resignation of former Chief Deputy Craig Shelton.

Despite recent media reports and other comments made publicly, no false statement was made during or since the inception of the investigation into the alleged misconduct of Mr. Shelton. The Van Zandt County Sheriff has been and will continue to be fully cooperative with any state or federal investigators who seek to acquire information related to this alleged misconduct.

We believe the charges brought in this indictment are baseless and the Sheriff looks forward to defending the allegations in court. Due to the ongoing nature of a criminal prosecution, the Sheriff and his representatives cannot make any further comment on the matter. The Sheriff is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support and respectfully asks for patience until this matter can be resolved in court.”