The FBI’s San Antonio Field Office has launched an independent review into the actions of four San Antonio police officers at the request of the police chief, weeks after the officers were fired for excessive use of force.
The police officers — all of whom had been with the department for less than four years — received an indefinite suspension, which is tantamount to firing, in connection with two separate incidents in November and January.
“Excessive use of force will not be tolerated within this department,” Police Chief William McManus said in a statement Thursday. “The actions that these four officers showed on two separate incidents are indefensible and do not align with our use of force policy, de-escalation tactics, and our guiding principles.”
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, during a briefing Wednesday on COVID-19, said he hopes the firings of the four officers “stick,” noting arbitration has taken power away from McManus.
In the first incident, on Nov. 26, Officers Michael A. Brewer and Andre N. Vargas are accused of using excessive force while arresting Matthew Garza on suspicion of evading arrest.
According to the police department, Brewer placed his left knee on Garza’s head and neck, even though the man was handcuffed and appeared not to resist. While officers are allowed to use chokeholds and neck restraints as a last resort, it’s not clear what the department’s policy on knee-holds is.
On ExpressNews.com: In San Antonio, police are allowed to use chokeholds, neck restraints as a last resort
The department also alleges that Vargas used his Taser in an effort to arrest Garza — even though that type of force was not necessary —and lifted Garza off the ground in handcuffs, “causing him unnecessary and unwanted pain.”
In a separate incident, on Jan. 16, officers Thomas H. Villarreal and Carlos M. Castro are accused of using excessive force after a traffic stop, according to SAPD records. The driver, Eric Wilson, didn’t obey a command to stop, walked into his house and locked the door. The two officers tried to kick in the door of the house to force their way in and make, as noted in the records, a misdemeanor arrest. At the time, they did not have consent, a search warrant or a compelling reason to enter the house.
The beating left severe injuries, according to the department. In his mugshot, hours after the arrest, Wilson’s eyes appear to be bloodshot, swollen and bruised.
All four officers have denied the allegations and are appealing their firings through the arbitration process outlined in the city’s contract with the police union. Villarreal and Castro noted in their appeals that the punishment is excessive given the circumstances.
The firings come amid months of protests, locally and nationally, about police misconduct and racial inequality following the death of George Floyd in May. Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died after a white Minneapolis officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes.
In San Antonio, hundreds of activists and residents have called on city and county officials to institute police reforms. The ideas vary — from a suggestion to return military-grade equipment obtained through a federal government surplus program to a full-fledged campaign to defund the police and spend the money on social services.
This is a developing story. Check ExpressNews.com later in the day for updates.
Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Emilie, become a subscriber. eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton
"four" - Google News
August 14, 2020 at 01:07AM
https://ift.tt/3iCmxiZ
FBI reviewing actions of four San Antonio police officers fired after accusations of excessive force - San Antonio Express-News
"four" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ZSDCx7
https://ift.tt/3fdGID3
No comments:
Post a Comment