(Alton, Texas) The police chief in this South Texas town has been acquitted of sexually assaulting one of his male officers and a charge of assaulting a second male officer has been dismissed.

Forty-four-year-old Jose Luis Vela was fired shortly after the charges were pressed. The rapes were alleged to have occurred during drunken parties at Vela’s home in Mission.

Investigators accused Vela of performing oral sex on a male employee after the man passed out drunk at one of the parties in August 2006. He also was charged with violating another male employee “with an object while that man was passed out” at a party in July.

A jury this week found Vela not guilty in connection with the August incident.

District Judge Letty Lopez dropped the second charge after Vela agreed to surrender his law enforcement license. Jury selection was to begin next week in that case.

As he left court, Vela said that he had no interest in returning to law enforcement.

Vela has not disputed that sex with the two officers occurred but maintained it was consensual.

Alton is located 10 miles north of the Mexican border in the Rio Grande Valley and has about 4,400 residents. The police department has 18 employees.