Officer Ellis, who is Black, reported that he was ordered to make at least 80 traffic stops per month, with a focus on the east side of Hobbs, a predominantly Black and Latino area. He alleged that failure to meet these quotas resulted in threats of disciplinary action, including being written up, placed on an improvement program, or terminated. Ellis also reported hearing another officer use a racial slur during a briefing, which was not addressed by supervisors. These allegations were part of a lawsuit filed in 2017, which was settled in 2021 with the City of Hobbs agreeing to pay $1.4 million to the plaintiffs.
Brandon Ellis – Hobbs Police Department
Written by CBKN76