Newly released records from the City of Lockhart provide the first detailed account of disciplinary action taken against Lt. Zack D. Everett, months after he was placed on paid administrative leave in September 2025.

The Hawk’s Eye previously reported Everett’s leave status in December 2025, when the city declined to disclose details, citing a confidential internal investigation. Records now show that the investigation stemmed from a complaint filed with the Caldwell County District Attorney’s Office, which was later withdrawn by the complainant.

Internal Affairs Investigation into a September 2025 Incident

According to a notice of temporary suspension issued on December 8, 2025, the department’s internal affairs unit began investigating after telecommunications officer Jerome Wymore reported that Everett hit him with a “stretchy rubber band” toy inside the dispatch center on September 7, 2025.  Wymore told investigators the impact caused pain that lasted about 20 minutes and initially wanted criminal charges filed.  The incident was reviewed by the Caldwell County district attorney’s office and the Texas Rangers, but Wymore later dropped the criminal complaint and asked that the matter be handled administratively.  Everett was served with a written complaint and placed on paid leave on September 10, 2025.

Evidence, Admissions and Findings

During the inquiry, witness Officer Hector Winchester told investigators he saw Wymore being struck by the toy and noted that the telecommunicator appeared upset afterwards.  Dispatch video footage corroborated Winchester’s account, and Everett admitted in an October 7, 2025, interview that he shot the toy at Wymore, though he could not recall whether he had done the same to anyone else that day.  Investigators discovered that Everett also hit Officer Brandon Lancaster with the toy on September 7, 2025; Lancaster declined to file a complaint but confirmed the incident. 

Policy Violations and Departmental Critique

In his disciplinary letter, Captain Daniel Williams wrote that hitting a subordinate on duty was “completely unacceptable” and especially troubling because Everett, as a lieutenant, was supposed to set an example.  Williams criticized Everett for spending time in dispatch instead of patrolling and described the horseplay as embarrassing to the department and potentially creating a hostile work environment.  The investigation concluded that Everett violated multiple policies: harassment and abuse, acts bringing discredit upon the department, indulging in horseplay, and conduct prejudicial to good order under Texas Local Government Code §143.051.  The letter noted that Everett knowingly violated rules that prohibit officers from lingering in dispatch without a purpose, and that these violations were sustained.

Five‑Day Suspension and Appeals Process

Chief Gary Williamson concluded that Everett’s behavior brought discredit upon himself, his colleagues and the community.  In light of the sustained violations and Everett’s disciplinary history, Williamson imposed a five‑day suspension without pay.  The suspension was scheduled for December 15, 2025, through December 19, 2025.

Past Disciplinary Record Influenced Decision

The city’s disciplinary letter catalogued several prior infractions.  In 2021, when Everett was a patrol officer, he was reprimanded for failing to report damage to a city vehicle.  In 2023, while serving as a sergeant, he received reprimands for failing to activate a body‑worn camera, and for violating the department’s search protocol. Later in 2023, Everett was suspended for one day and forfeited twelve hours of vacation time after an internal affairs investigation found he used objectively unreasonable force by forcibly removing a handcuffed suspect from a patrol car to retrieve his wallet during a May 21, 2023, arrest.  Investigators in that case concluded that Everett and assisting officers failed to properly search the suspect before placing him in the vehicle, and that Everett violated policies on body‑camera use and search procedures.  Everett waived his right to appeal that suspension.

Promotion and Career

Despite the November 2023 discipline, the city promoted Zack D. Everett to lieutenant in April 2024, placing him in charge of daily patrol operations and supervision of school resource officers. A city social media post at the time noted Everett had been with the department for four years and previously served in the United States Marine Corps. Everett began his law enforcement career with the Lockhart Police Department on June 3, 2020, and advanced to the rank of sergeant before receiving discipline tied to improper use of force and policy violations in 2023. That disciplinary history did not prevent his promotion to a command-level position.

In 2025, Everett was again disciplined following an internal affairs investigation into on-duty conduct that was reviewed by the Caldwell County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers before the complaint was withdrawn. The department determined the allegations were sustained based on video evidence, witness statements, and Everett’s own admissions, and found he violated multiple departmental policies. In issuing discipline, the department explicitly considered his prior disciplinary history as an aggravating factor. Officials ultimately concluded that a five-day suspension was appropriate under the circumstances.

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