An officer on scene felt compelled to take over the Dec. 23, 2024, arrest after noticing a “failure to act” from colleagues on the scene.
SAN ANTONIO — Two San Antonio police officers were suspended for breaking department rules while responding to a suspected DWI crash in December, records show—including one who indicated he wouldn’t pursue a driving while intoxicated charge even after the suspect allegedly admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel.
The 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of DWI after he crashed into a guardrail around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 23 on the far northeast side, according to a San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) report. The arresting officer reported the suspect admitted to drinking as recently as two hours before the crash, adding he was “disoriented” with glossy eyes and slurred speech.
The police report went on to say the suspect was “very hard to understand,” “complained of pain to his head” and “kept on saying that his vehicle was on fire.” Later, at the hospital, the report states he was drifting in and out of consciousness while being read his Miranda Rights.
According to SAPD suspension records, however, an officer on the scene that December evening felt compelled to take over after she noticed a “failure to act from other officers on scene.”
One of those officers, Jesus Perez, was heard telling a supervisor that he didn’t smell alcohol on the suspect’s breath and that “he was not going to pursue a DWI charge.” SAPD personnel found that violated agency policies pertaining to “requirement to take action” in public safety matters.
As a result, Perez was suspended for 10 days without pay from July 11-20.
Another officer, Virginia Moore, was slapped with a stronger suspension, though records state she was able to work down from being off the job indefinitely.
According to records, Moore violated three different SAPD policies when she responded to the December crash, where officials found she repeatedly made disparaging remarks about a fellow officer’s service time and ethnicity. While speaking to a colleague on the scene, Moore was found to have said of the handling SAPD officer, “Stupid heifer should’ve f***ing taken it” and “I’ll discredit her real quick.” She also compared her service time with that of the handling officer’s, saying, “I have more time than her, f*** that.”
She also, records say, was referring to the handling officer when she said, “F*** this b****” and “She’s a fricking Dominican person; you can’t understand a word she says.”
“Officer Moore’s statements and actions were directed at her coworker with the intent to destroy the morale, good order and working relationship with her coworkers,” SAPD found.
Moore was also found to have not taken proper action with the suspect at the scene of the crash. According to records, she said, referring to the suspect’s case, that it was “going to be tossed out” and that “you can’t prove s***.”
Moore was initially suspended indefinitely. But, according to records, she fought the allegations and agreed instead to a being suspended for 45 days without pay. She served that suspension from July 11 to Aug. 24.