BANGS – On Monday evening, the Bangs City Council unanimously voted to terminate Police Chief Jorge Caramillo’s employment with the city.

Camarillo became the police in Bangs in December 2014. He had been on medical leave since early August due to high blood pressure. Two additional officers resigned from the force about the same time, leaving Bangs without an active duty officer for the last month.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and Brownwood Police Department have patrolled Bangs during that span. The City of Bangs is currently looking to hire two officers and now a chief.

Reasons for the termination included evidence not being logged into an evidence locker at city hall, Bangs Police Department guns located in a safe that could not be locked, not wearing a bulletproof vest and body camera, and not responding to calls.

Following the July meeting of the Bangs City Council, a formal complaint was drafted by Bangs City Attorney Mark Bessent and signed by Bangs Mayor Rick Phelps and then presented to Camarillo and his attorney John Lee Blagg. During the August meeting, where the resignation of the officers was announced, no action was taken regarding Caramillo’s status.