A Texas sheriff’s detective is on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into his having “consensual sexual conduct” with a witness in a police killing case.

According to CBS News:

Court records filed Friday show Harris County prosecutors have told attorneys for suspect Shannon J. Miles that veteran Harris County sheriff’s investigator Craig Clopton had disclosed his conduct to district attorney’s investigators. Miles is charged with capital murder in the death of Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth.

Goforth was shot 15 times outside a Chevron station in northwest Harris County Aug. 28.

Clopton’s conduct has been condemned by his superiors. Sheriff Ron Hickman said that Clopton had behaved in an “unethical and inexcusable” manner. Clopton has been taken off duty.

Defendant Shannon Miles’ attorney, Anthony Osso, believes the evidence of Clopton’s presence at the gas station where Goforth was shot should mitigate his client’s culpability in the murder. He claims that Clopton was at the gas station to meet with the woman he was having an affair with and not in an official capacity.

For more on this, read the article from CBS News titled: “Docs: Investigator in deputy’s murder had sex with key witness.