Sheriff Eric Fagan, a 30-year Fort Bend County resident, was elected on November 3, 2020, as the Sheriff of the County. On January 1, 2021, Fagan became the 45th Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas and the first African American to serve in the position since Reconstruction.
It should be noted that he was the second person elected to the post. In 1869 Walter Moses Burton was elected sheriff and tax collector of the county, becoming the first Black elected sheriff in the United States.
Fagan ran on a broad platform which included: promising body cameras for sheriff’s deputies, improved mental health training and better community policing. He ran to bridge the gap between the Sheriff’s Department and the community. A graduate of Prairie View A&M University, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, where he graduated number one in his class. Fagan also earned a Master of Science degree in Juvenile Forensic Psychology.
During Sheriff Fagan’s 31-year career with the Houston Police Department, he was a three-time winner of the prestigious Officer of the Year Award. Sheriff Fagan served as President of the African American Police Officer’s League where he was named President Emeritus because of his leadership and ability to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the citizens they serve.
Among the many divisions Sheriff Fagan was assigned to during his career was the Internal Affairs Division in the Alternative Dispute Resolution section where he served as a mediator/facilitator, and he personally mediated over 200 cases with a 100 percent rate of agreement between the parties.
Sheriff Fagan served on Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s protection detail giving him exposure to world leaders, government officials from different municipalities, and planning for catastrophic events that occurred in the City of Houston. Sheriff Fagan is certified by The Texas Department of Public Safety in Dignitary Protection. This training taught him how to protect domestic and foreign dignitaries and how to be on alert for possible terroristic and domestic threats. During Super Bowl LI he worked with the NFL security team, the FBI, Homeland Security, METRO, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement municipalities around the City of Houston in planning for and protecting over one million citizens and visitors who attended the festivities.
Sheriff Fagan’s tenure has not been without controversy. He hired Sam Hayes Jr. who was reputedly responsible for a number of violations of police procedure when he had served with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Despite his questionable record, Fagan hired Hayes to be a Fort Bend County deputy.
Tragedy also struck the Fagan family on May 4, 2013 when Eric’s son, Patrick Wayne Fagan died in a two-vehicle wreck. Afterwards Sheriff Fagan and his family allowed Marilyn Jones, CEO of Unlimited Visions Aftercare, Inc., (UVA) to craft a program partnership called “Patrick’s Project” in memory of his deceased son, Patrick Wayne Fagan. The project provided tennis lessons for underprivileged and underserved children in the community.