Meet the ACU Police Department

Jason Ellis
Police Chief

Ellis is a 1998 graduate of ACU and also holds a master’s degree in dispute resolution from Southern Methodist University. He joined ACU in 2021 after 23 years with the Frisco Police Department, more than 16 of those years in management and leadership roles. He previously served as supervisor of the School Resource Officer program for Frisco ISD, led the crisis negotiations team for several years and implemented a new peer support program for the police department.

Email: jason.ellis@acu.edu

Bucky Wright
Lieutenant of Administration/Services

Wright joined ACU PD in March 2020, after 20 years in the San Diego, California, area. He has 26 years of law enforcement experience as a forensic specialist (CSI), patrol officer, detective working homicide, narcotics and gangs and a sergeant while also serving as a member of the peer support team. He is a graduate of ACU (’24) with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Email: bucky.wright@acu.edu

Matthew Fox
Lieutenant of Operations

Fox joined ACU PD in 2022 after leaving the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, where he was a sexual assault investigator. Fox has a bachelor’s degree in government security management and is an army veteran of the global war on terror. He has been in law enforcement since 2012 at both local and federal levels. During his career, Fox has served many roles including drug enforcement and interdiction in California and Rocky Mountain states and working patrol in south Dallas for Dallas PD.

Email: matthew.fox@acu.edu

Teri Tilly
Office Manager

Tilly has been with ACU since 2009. She oversees the functioning of the police department office, including parking enforcement, student workers and dispatching of ACU police officers. She monitors Abilene Police Department radio traffic in the university’s immediate area for possible assistance from ACU police. The chief likes to refer to Teri as the “real boss” of the department.

Email: teri.tilly@acu.edu

Jason Ortolano
Community Service Officer

Jason “Ocho” Ortolano joined ACU PD in 2023 after retiring from the United State Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. During his 20+ year career in the Air Force, he was a master navigator and instructor weapon systems officer, with over 2,500 hours flight time in the B-1B Bone and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft. Ocho has multiple deployments during both OEF and OIF and has over 100 combat sorties fighting the global war on terror. Here at ACU, Ocho serves as the department’s community service officer and dispatcher.

Email: jason.ortolano@acu.edu

Brian Black
CCTV Systems Manager

Black joined ACU PD in 2016 and is a Master Peace Officer with 17 years of law enforcement experience, including work with the Hardin-Simmons University Police Department, Clyde Police Department and Taylor County Sheriff’s Office.

Email: brian.black@acu.edu

Robert Dalton
Sergeant Days/ Evenings

Dalton joined ACU PD in 2024 after leaving Clyde Police Department, where he served for 16 years, the last 10 as Clyde’s Chief of Police. Dalton is a graduate of Angelo State University. Upon graduation, he began his career in law enforcement as a United States Border Patrol Agent and later served with the San Angelo Police Department. Dalton is a certified Master Peace Officer and also serves as a part-time teacher at Clyde High School, where he teaches criminal justice classes.

Email: robert.dalton@acu.edu

James Torres
Sergeant Nights

Torres joined ACU PD in 2024 after leaving Fisher County Sheriff’s Office, where he was the chief deputy. Torres has over 30 years’ experience in law enforcement and has served as patrol officer, K9 officer, investigator, narcotics investigator, sergeant, lieutenant, and chief deputy, as well as interim sheriff for a short time. Torres is very knowledgeable in all aspects of law enforcement.

Email: james.torres@acu.edu

Andra Gibson
Police Officer

Gibson joined ACU PD in 2015. He holds a Master Peace Officer certification and has worked in law enforcement since 2002. He is formally trained in crisis negotiation, crisis intervention, peer support and chaplaincy. He currently serves as the chaplain for ACUPD. 

Email: andra.gibson@acu.edu

Stephan McNally
Police Officer

McNally joined ACU PD in 2016 and has served in law enforcement in for almost 40 years. He has worked in the university environment for 18 years. He started his law enforcement career at the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and also worked at Merkel PD and Hardin-Simmons University.

Email: stephan.mcnally@acu.edu

Michael R. Janusz
Police Officer

Janusz joined ACU PD in 2018 after a 36-year career with the Abilene Police Department. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Janusz proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1975 to 1979. Janusz received both his bachelor’s (1994) and master’s (1998) degrees from ACU.

Email: michael.janusz@acu.edu

Ray Hernandez
Police Officer

Hernandez joined ACU PD in 2018. He previously worked for the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years.

Email: ray.hernandez@acu.edu

Luciano Chavez
Police Officer

Chavez has been with ACU PD since September 2023. He came from the Fisher County Sheriff’s Office, where he served in many roles, such as patrol deputy, investigator, sex offender registration, and courtroom security. Chavez also has 20+ years’ experience as a correctional officer within Texas County Jails and facilities with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Email: luciano.chavez@acu.edu

Jason Foster
Police Officer

Foster joined the ACU PD in 2024 and has over 30 years in law enforcement. Officer Foster began his career in 1987 by going undercover as a high school student. He has worked for several agencies during his career and served as both a patrol officer and patrol sergeant. Officer Foster is a certified Master Peace Officer and also a mental health peace officer.

Email: jason.foster@acu.edu

Myron Perkins
Police Officer

Perkins joined ACU PD in July of 2025. He began his career at Odessa Police Department in 2017, serving as a patrol officer and later promoted to corporal. After leaving Odessa, Officer Perkins started at Tye PD in 2022, where he held many roles as an officer and was promoted to Sergeant and later to Captain overseeing patrol operations and training. He has a bachelor’s degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Criminal Justice, and is an instructor, accident reconstructionist, drone pilot and field training officer.

Email: myron.perkins@acu.edu

Fritter
Lovable K-9

Fritter has 28 (dog) years of service, chasing down hugs and capturing smiles. Fritter holds special expertise in serving the ACU community with his innate ability to make everyone’s day better.  Fritter joined ACUPD in 2019 and has garnered worldwide recognition for the department since day one. Be sure to follow him on his Instagram account!

Randy Motz
Reserve Officer

Motz joined ACU PD in 2012 and retired as a lieutenant in 2021. He now serves as a reserve officer for the department.  Motz served as acting chief during his time with ACU PD. A certified Master Peace Officer, he has 35 years total law enforcement experience, including his 9 years with ACU PD and 26 years with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. He also spent 30 years serving as a U.S. Marine and retired as a corps sergeant major.

Email: randy.motz@acu.edu

Josh Davis
Reserve Officer

Davis joined ACUPD in 2022 as a reserve officer. Prior to joining ACUPD, Davis was with Richardson PD, where he served as a patrol officer, special investigations officer and Intelligence Unit officer.

Email: josh.davis@acu.edu

Thomas Valdez
Reserve Officer

Valdez joined ACU PD in 2008 after retiring from the Abilene Police Department, where he served for 25 years. His last 10 years with APD was as a detective in the criminal investigations division/crimes against children. Valdez was instrumental in developing the criminal investigations division here at ACU PD and still assists with investigations here at ACU.

Email: thomas.valdez@acu.edu

Gerald Moran
Reserve Officer

Moran joined ACU PD in 2024 as a reserve officer after a 30-year career with the Abilene Police Department. His experience includes working as a patrol officer, a field training officer, SWAT operator, patrol sergeant, internal affairs investigator/commander, street crimes commander, K-9 commander, ALERRT instructor, accreditation program manager and certified public manager. Moran is a graduate of the FBI National Academy class #266 and the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas Leadership Command College class 80. Moran is also a USAF veteran and served overseas during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Moran holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Cisco College.

Email: gerald.moran@acu.edu

Chris Barnett
Reserve Officer

Barnett joined ACU PD as a reserve officer in 2025. He was an officer for several years with Clyde PD, where he was a patrol sergeant. He has worked for other agencies during his law enforcement career, and his experiences include being a K-9 handler, SRO and field training officer. Chris is currently serving in the US Army Reserves.

Email: chris.barnett@acu.edu