TARRANT COUNTY – A group of former deputies with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office are accusing the department of misconduct, wrongful termination and discrimination.

Phil Hill and Brandon Walker, who served as deputies for years, claim they were wrongfully fired after coming forward with allegations against members of the sheriff's office. The men have now filed whistleblower lawsuits against the department.

"The negligence has just been ongoing for so many years," Hill said. "When I came forward, everything really went downhill quick. I became kind of public enemy number one."

In Hill's whistleblower suit, he says his supervisors "gave bond agents inappropriate priority treatment and assistance to serve particular warrants."

"I witnessed them threaten family members with arrest if they didn't give out information on where the wanted person was," Hill told CBS News Texas in an exclusive interview.

In Walker's whistleblower suit, he claims he witnessed his colleague using illegal drugs while on duty in the narcotics unit, but says the claim was never investigated. "My lawsuit is about racial discrimination and retaliation. But in that process, I reported that some unlawful activities were being committed by my supervisors. Unfortunately, those supervisors were friends with Internal Affairs and a cover-up began," Walker alleges.

In a statement to CBS News Texas, the sheriff's office said:

"We believe this is a politically motivated attack against Sheriff Waybourn and the...

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