MART, Texas (KXXV) — Shane James, the City Administrator and Chief of Police for the city of Mart, is off the job following his arrest on drunk driving charges in Waco.
The Mart City Council placed James on paid administrative leave Thursday night in an emergency meeting Mayor James Miller described as “somber.”
“This is something I’ve never had to deal with before in my life,” Miller said. “We are still in the investigation stages.”
The Waco police department confirms James was involved in an accident in what appeared to be a patrol vehicle, and that he seemed to be drunk. No significant injuries were reported. According to a department representative, James was medically cleared, then booked into the McLennan County Jail on charges of driving while intoxicated.
“He is now out on bond,” said Miller, “as for what happens next, we’re going to wait until the internal and external investigations are done. The charges are pretty serious. There are legal avenues we have to follow.We are working on the advice of our attorney.”
This would not be James' first brush with drunk driving charges. In 2020, when he was an investigator for the Falls County District Attorney's Office, James was arrested and charged with DWI following an accident in Robinson. Miller said he has been hearing recent media reports of a previous case involving James but said he had not been aware of any such incidents himself.
City Council appointed Rob Douglas to serve as Interim Chief of Police and appointed Mayor James Miller to serve as Acting City Administrator until further notice.
