Houston Police Chief discusses SUV fleet and carbon monoxide concerns

A Houston police officer was sent to the hospital after getting sick while driving a Ford SUV. Recently, other Texas police departments have decided to pull Ford Explorers from their fleets as concerns of carbon monoxide seeping inside the cab grow.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo responding to those concerns, stressing the point that his team is monitoring their SUV fleet for any possible malfunctioning.

"We actually tested that vehicle yesterday...and it appears that everything is in normal ranges," says Chief Acevedo when asked if the car the sick officer was in had possible carbon monoxide leaks.

It's a concern that Chief Acevedo is not ignoring, especially after the Galveston Police Department pulled all 27 Ford Explorers from their fleet earlier this month.

"Obviously concerned, but I can tell you that we're monitoring," says Chief Acevedo.

Ford Motor Company has already begun repairing Explorers in Austin, Texas where 400 were pulled from the police department's fleet. The company agreeing to repair the vehicles for free.

"The community needs to know that we continue to monitor all of our vehicles. I've asked my folks not to just test the Fords, but let's test all the other types of vehicles in similar environments," says Chief Acevedo.

While HPD could not specifically discuss the medical condition on the officer who got sick while driving the Ford SUV, the officer has been released from the hospital with no apparent signs of carbon monoxide inhalation.

"We're still monitoring it. We're looking at all avenues and we're making sure we keep on top of it because we want to keep our people safe," says Chief Acevedo.

Ford, meanwhile, is blaming the issue on non-factor outfitters that drill holes into police SUV's and then do not seal them properly. Chief Acevedo also says he's looking into that possibility, but as far as the most recent incident is concerned, he is confident it has nothing to do with a faulty Ford Explorer.