Officer Joshua Kies was at the same scene as the two officers indicted for aggravated assault by a public servant.
SAN ANTONIO — The trial of former SAPD officers Thomas Villarreal and Carlos Castro entered its fourth day Wednesday afternoon.
The two officers entered the home of Eric Wilson on January 16, 2020 by kicking the door down and then proceeded to punch Wilson repeatedly.
Officers initially claimed Wilson had committed a traffic violation, but didn’t turn on their squad car lights until he entered his driveway. The officers told Wilson to stop and show his hands when he exited his car in the driveway. Wilson instead quickly walked inside his home and put his weight against the door so the officers could not enter. Officers eventually breached the home and Wilson was struck 20 times in the face.
Joshua Kies, now an SAPD detective, was in the same vehicle as Carlos Castro on the night of January 16th. The defense cross examined Kies Wednesday and addressed several questions around the incident.
One issue was the time that officers hit their lights when pulling Eric Wilson over. Wilson was already nearly in his driveway when the SAPD vehicle carrying Castro and Kies flashed its lights. Wilson claimed he didn’t see the lights until he got out of his vehicle.
Kies confirmed for defense attorney Jason Goss that the officers already knew Wilson was speeding beforehand but chose not to hit their lights earlier to because they didn’t want Wilson to flee. SAPD has a no-chase policy for minor traffic offenses including speeding. By waiting until Wilson was in his driveway, the defense claimed the officers were avoiding a potential chase situation.
Additionally, Kies said the officers didn’t know Wilson’s identity until after he entered his home. Kies agreed with the defense’s claim that it wasn’t possible to know if Wilson lived in the home at the time. When officers attempted to stop Wilson in his yard, he quickly walked towards his door. Another man, later identified as Wilson’s brother, walked out the front door of the home as Wilson approached and walked in. This meant it was possible Wilson did not live in the home.
Body camera video also shows officers asking Wilson’s father about his identity and about why he entered the home.
Finally, Kies said officers were concerned about engaging Wilson because the home was in a high-crime area and they regularly stopped people with guns in their car and on their person.
“At the area of Lamar and Walters, right across the street it’s controlled by… a gang. Not only that but, in that area, numerous times we’ve stopped a car and found guns, illegal narcotics and stuff like that. Earlier that night we were assisting another street crimes unit with a traffic stop where the guy evaded in a vehicle, ditched the car, and took off running with an AK (rifle). That was in the same area as well,” Keis said.
Defense attorney Goss said, for this reason, it was critical for officers to be able to stop Wilson and ensure he was not carrying a gun. He said the danger was heightened after Wilson entered the home.
The trial will continue Thursday.
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