HOUSTON – On Wednesday, Acting Houston Police Chief Larry Satterwhite confirmed to KPRC 2 Investigates that Officer Chandra Hatcher is no longer an Executive Assistant Chief (EAC) with the department.
“She is a member of the Houston Police Department, an active member of the Houston Police Department right now,” said the acting chief.
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KPRC 2 Investigates first reported that Hatcher, who was part of former Chief Troy Finner’s inner circle as an EAC, cited information from an executive staff meeting she claimed to have attended in November 2021.
These meetings typically address various department operations. In this specific meeting, former Assistant Chief Ernest Garcia and Commander Hong-Le Conn presented concerns about personnel shortages in the “Special Victim’s Division – Case Management.”
Hatcher sent Chief Finner a letter on February 22, 2024, requesting an investigation into the suspended cases to “determine if department personnel violated directives.”
In the letter, Hatcher claimed to have attended the November 2021 meeting where she learned about the issue. However, during an Administrative Discipline Committee meeting, it was revealed that Hatcher was not present. A source indicated that Hatcher was out of town at a retreat in the Texas Hill Country from November 2 through November 5, 2021, according to an attendance itinerary.
This mistake caused a delay in investigating the suspended cases due to personnel shortages.
“31 years of service, hard work, mistakes were made. I will say this, at our level, at the chief level, when we put on the extra star, we all know it’s an appointed position and things can happen. Sometimes within our control, sometimes without our control. Either way, we can still no longer be on the team. That’s the deal we all take, and we understand that,” said Acting Chief Satterwhite.
Regarding her future within the department, Satterwhite told KPRC 2 Investigates Mario Diaz, “She is still making decisions, and in respect to her, I’m letting her make those decisions, and she has some time to do that.”
Moments after the press conference, the above internal email went out to Houston Police Officers confirming what the Acting Chief told us.
It is unclear how much time the city is giving her or what role she will have if she remains with the department.