CLEAT Speaks Out After Line of Duty Death Claim Denial

AUSTIN, TX—The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) is sounding the alarm ahead of a contested case hearing scheduled for Wednesday, July 1st. The hearing is related to the workers’ compensation claim denial by the Texas Municipal League’s Intergovernmental Risk Pool involving CLEAT member and Burleson Police Officer Mark Pate, who passed away after a work-related training accident last year.

CLEAT and the Burleson Police Officers’ Association (BPOA) have worked tirelessly alongside Officer Pate’s widow to ensure her family receives the workers’ compensation and line-of-duty death benefits they are entitled to under the law. Officer Pate sacrificed so much for the citizens of Burleson as a patrol officer, school resource officer, SWAT officer, auto task force member, and detective. Officer Pate suffered an injury in a training incident with the Burleson police department and tragically passed away due to complications from the injury.

“CLEAT has worked in the Capitol for decades to ensure our members and their families are taken care of in the event of a line of duty death. This includes creating statutory presumptions that certain injuries and diseases are work-related, which were ignored by the Texas Municipal League in Officer Pate’s claim,” said CLEAT Executive Director Robert Leonard. “We stand with the Pate family and urge the City, Texas Municipal League, and the Division of Workers’ Compensation to do what is right and approve Officer Pate’s claim. Officers need to know that when they dedicate their lives to public safety and lose their lives in the line of duty, the workers’ compensation system will be there as a safety net for their families.”

CLEAT and BPOA are encouraging family and friends to attend the hearing in support of the association and the family.

The hearing will take place at the TDI – Division Worker’s Compensation, 150 Westpark Way #345, Euless, TX 76040, on Wednesday, July 1, at 10:30am.

About CLEAT: Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) is the largest statewide law enforcement association in Texas, dedicated to providing legal protection, legislative advocacy, and professional support for law enforcement professionals statewide and consisting of over 28,000 members. With a commitment to protecting the rights of officers and ensuring they have the resources needed to serve their communities effectively, CLEAT stands at the forefront of law enforcement representation. For more information, visit www.cleat.org.

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