Cop Matthew Luckhurst who fed homeless man dog poo sandwich made chief of police in American town

A cop accused of a series of revolting acts has been made chief of police in a small American town.

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Troy de Ruyter
PerthNow
Matthew Luckhurst was given the top job in the town of Benavides in Texas — after having previously been accused of a series of revolting acts.
Matthew Luckhurst was given the top job in the town of Benavides in Texas — after having previously been accused of a series of revolting acts. Credit: Supplied

A cop who fed a homeless man a sandwich filled with dog poo has been made chief of police in a small American town.

Matthew Luckhurst was given the top job in the town of Benavides in Texas — after having previously been accused of a series of revolting acts.

Luckhurst was appointed police chief on June 1 after serving as one of just two officers in the department, which polices the town of about 1100 people.

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The promotion has reignited attention over the scandals that made international headlines.

In 2016, the former San Antonio police officer was accused of stuffing dog faeces into a sandwich and leaving it for a sleeping homeless man while on bike patrol.

The alleged prank horrified fellow officers, who reported him after he bragged about it.

Luckhurst denied the claim through his lawyer, who insisted it was nothing more than a joke and that the sandwich was never given to anyone.

Investigators were unable to locate the homeless man and Luckhurst avoided being fired over the incident on a technicality.

However, he was sacked by the San Antonio Police Department in 2020 after another faeces-related incident.

Luckhurst allegedly defecated in a women’s restroom at the station, failed to flush and smeared what investigators described as a “brown substance with the consistency of tapioca” on the toilet seat after a female officer had complained about the facilities being left dirty.

He later found work with the Floresville Police Department but was fired again in 2022 after public backlash over his hiring.

Despite the controversies, Benavides officials appointed Luckhurst as police chief after carrying out the background checks required under Texas law.

Originally published on PerthNow

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