Humble police chief resigns amid department investigation

HUMBLE, Texas - Humble Police Chief Dan Zientek has resigned from his position as a third party continues to investigate the department.

Humble PD chief resigns

Humble Police Chief Dan Zientek speaks with FOX 26 in June 2025 regarding a bomb threat at Deerbrook Mall.

What we know:

A statement from the City of Humble confirmed that Police Chief Dan Zientek offered his resignation, which went into effect on Monday.

According to the Humble Police website, Chief Zientek has been with the department since June 2022. He was promoted to chief in June 2025.

Captain Kris Battenfield will continue to serve as interim chief. City officials say the interim chief has been with the department for 20 years.

The City of Humble is expecting to start searching for a permanent police chief in the coming weeks.

Investigation underway

Dig deeper:

Zientek was initially placed on leave last December after the city started a third-party review of Humble PD's "management and operations." City Manager Jason Stuebe later specified that the investigation was in regard to Zientek.

Zientek was initially placed on paid administrative leave. One week later, Stuebe said the pay ended after "new information and allegations came to light beyond the scope of the original investigation."

What we don't know:

Details about the investigation are not available.

No updates are available about the progress of the invesigation.

Full statement

What they're saying: