Six months after stepping in to run the Castle Hills Police Department, Chief Gary McHone is out. He resigned Thursday, and longtime department veteran Capt. Jose Davila is stepping up as interim chief while the city works through the transition. The leadership shakeup lands as an investigation continues into an officer-involved shooting that left a 24-year-old man dead in late March.
City officials said McHone submitted his resignation effective Thursday and that they plan to release his resignation letter. City Manager Chris Duque publicly thanked McHone for his work with the department and the community and, as reported by the Houston Chronicle, officials added that they wish him well in his future endeavors.
McHone took over as Castle Hills police chief on Oct. 1, 2025, succeeding retired Chief Esteban Zuniga. He joined the North Side municipality from the Salado Independent School District and brought about 30 years of public-service experience, including roughly two decades in supervisory law-enforcement roles. Those details are listed in the city's public directory, according to the City of Castle Hills.
Shooting on Loop 410 and dashcam footage
The officer-involved shooting that now looms over the department unfolded around 8:30 a.m. on March 26 on the westbound frontage road of Loop 410 in the 1000 block near San Pedro Avenue. Officers were investigating a reported hit-and-run when the encounter escalated.
Dash-cam video provided to local outlets shows a red pickup stopped on a median and a man, later identified as 24-year-old Jazz Joseph Fernandez, getting out and moving toward an officer while holding what appears to be one or more sharp objects. The encounter plays out in under 20 seconds before an officer fires. Reporters and witnesses say responders attempted to render aid after the shooting, according to local coverage.
The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the man as Jazz Joseph Fernandez and said he died at an area hospital from his injuries. State investigators led by the Texas Rangers are conducting an independent probe and have not released further updates. It remains unclear how, or whether, the reported hit-and-run and the fatal confrontation are connected, according to KSAT.
As McHone exits, Davila, who has been with the Castle Hills Police Department since 2012, has been appointed interim chief. City officials said he brings more than 30 years of law-enforcement experience and that the council and city administration will help oversee operations during the transition. Officials expressed confidence in Davila's leadership, according to the Houston Chronicle.
What comes next
The Texas Rangers' investigation is separate from the department's internal review and will determine whether criminal charges are recommended. If the Rangers advise charges, prosecutors would then decide how to proceed.
The city has not yet released McHone's resignation letter or offered a detailed explanation for why he stepped down. The officer who fired the shots has not been publicly identified. Investigators are still reviewing video and witness statements as the probe continues, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
