Cox was eventually fired from the department and had his license temporarily suspended. He’s still not with the department, but he’s trying to change that. This week, Cox will be appealing his firing in a hearing in front of a judge with Dallas’ civil service board.
The hearing will be conducted in two phases. First, the judge will hear evidence to determine whether the employee committed the violation that resulted in his demotion or discharge. If the judge finds that Cox committed any part of the alleged violation, the hearing will continue to the second phase. If the judge finds that the Cox didn’t commit a violation, he will be reinstated without penalties and the proceedings will be closed.
If the hearing makes it to the second phase, the judge will hear evidence on the appropriateness of the disciplinary action for the alleged violation. The judge may either sustain, reverse, modify or amend the disciplinary action. In the hearing, Brad Cox will be represented by his attorney, Robert L. Rogers. Assistant City Attorney Gregory Martin will represent the city of Dallas.
“I absolutely hope he gets his job back,” Jim McDade, president of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association, said of Cox. “He should have never been terminated.”
The Vess family said they were advised by their attorney not to comment at this time. However, back when the state returned Cox’s paramedic license, Vess’ mom, LaNae Vess, said: “... what more do they need to realize he doesn’t need to be on the streets, much less in contact with innocent people pretending to be a caregiver? I would be concerned that DFR will find a way to give him back his job just so he can get his retirement pension in.”
Cox was fired in 2021 after video surfaced of the 2019 incident in which he kicked Vess repeatedly.“He should have never been terminated.” – Jim McDade, Dallas Fire Fighters Association
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In August 2019, Cox and several others with DFR were responding to reports of a man setting grass fires on the side of a road in West Dallas. When they arrived at the scene they found Vess and suspected he was the one lighting the grass fires. Vess suffers from a mental illness similar to schizophrenia and the lasting impacts of a previous traumatic head injury.
Cox claims he was attacked by Vess when he tried asking him about the fires. He claims Vess threw a piece of PVC pipe at him and hit him in the face. Video shows the two getting into a physical altercation and tussling near a fire truck. Vess eventually fell to the ground where Cox kicked him repeatedly. As Dallas police officers responded to the scene, Cox stood over Vess. While police tried to figure out what to do, Vess began to sit up, and Cox kicked Vess again. Vess got up to approach Cox again and the then-paramedic appeared to land a couple of punches before DPD used a Taser on Vess, sending him to the ground.
This was all caught on camera but it would take more than two years for the footage to see the light of day. During that time, Vess faced charges for allegedly assaulting Cox. Vess later sued Cox and the city, and video of the altercation eventually surfaced. This led to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office dropping the charges against Vess on Oct. 27, 2021. Cox would be fired from DFR three days later.
While Vess's lawsuit against the former DFR employee is pending, Cox’s hearing is set to take place Wednesday and Thursday this week. The decision of the judge at the hearing is final unless it’s appealed to the state district court within one year. If the city wants to appeal the decision, the appeal must be approved by the city manager and city attorney.
