TAMPERING INDICTMENT HITS EX-COP

A former Fredericksburg police officer stands accused of tampering
with evidence for allegedly releasing a small amount of marijuana
back to the person from whom it was seized in May 2004.

Clint Stewart, who has since left law enforcement, was indicted
Monday by a Gillespie County grand jury.

Texas Ranger Kyle Dean said his investigation indicated that Stewart
had apprehended a woman with about a half-ounce of pot, but he
elected not to file a misdemeanor possession charge and gave some of
the drug back after the woman provided information about drug traffickers.

"The arrested person told me, 'I just thought he was being real
nice,'" Dean said Tuesday.