Police officer could face traffic ticket for texting and driving in Texas

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Monday, August 19, 2019
Texas officer could face traffic ticket for texting and driving
A police officer could be facing a ticket after she was caught on camera using her phone and not wearing a seat belt, according to a Texas police chief.

KILLEEN, Texas -- A Texas police chief says the Killeen Police Department takes traffic safety "seriously" after one of his officers was caught on camera texting and driving.

Marcus Evans shared video of the incident on Facebook.

It shows the officer with one hand on the steering wheel and the other one on her phone.

Chief Charles F. Kimble says the complaint is under review.

"The Killeen Police Department was made aware of a video circulating on social media that depicted a Killeen police officer driving a marked patrol unit with allegations that the officer was not wearing a seatbelt and was texting while driving," said Chief Kimble in a statement. "Although, both of these violations are minor in nature, we understand that the expectations that our community expects were not met in this incident."

Chief Kimble says he's thankful to the public for bringing the incident to his attention.

Texting while driving is prohibited under Texas law and drivers are required to wear seat belts, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

"We take traffic enforcement and safety seriously and will handle this matter the same," said Chief Kimble.