For the last year, Texas Ranger Christopher Ryan Kindell has been on ice.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steve McCraw suspended Kindell in September 2022, accusing him of acting incompetently during the horrific attack on Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School earlier that year. After an internal investigation, McCraw followed up in January by firing Kindell over the objection of the ranger’s superiors.
Since then, he’s refused to hear Kindell’s appeal. That means the ranger sits at home drawing his $90,718 annual paycheck without investigating any crimes. From January to June, McCraw fired and promptly heard the appeals of 14 other DPS employees, according to records provided by the agency to the Texas Observer. Kindell was the only employee in that timeframe who hasn’t yet met with McCraw. When asked why McCraw hasn’t met with Kindell, DPS spokesman Travis Considine said the agency doesn’t “have any more information to provide at this time.” Kindell wouldn’t comment.
