The former sergeant testified the lead investigator rushed to judgment and faced political pressure when charging three ex-officers in Melissa Perez’s death in 2023.
SAN ANTONIO — A retired San Antonio police sergeant testified Monday that the investigation leading to the arrests of three now-former officers after the 2023 shooting death of Melissa Perez was rushed, biased and influenced by political pressure — a direct challenge to the lead detective’s account.
Retired Sgt. Lisa Miller, who also served as a detective during her nearly 30-year career with SAPD, took the stand as an expert witness for the defense. Miller said she spent hundreds of hours reviewing the case and believes lead investigator Detective Ronald Soto jumped to conclusions when he secured arrest warrants just 16 hours after the June 2023 shooting.
“I believe this investigation was corrupted by insertion of bias, making decisions too early before examining all evidence,” Miller said.
Perez, 46, was fatally shot after authorities say she came at officers with a hammer during a mental health episode at her south-side apartment. Former officers Alfred Flores and Eleazar Alejandro are charged with murder, while former officer Nathaniel Villalobos is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Defense questions thoroughness of investigation
The defense team has pointed out this was Soto’s first officer-involved shooting investigation. Miller testified she believes critical steps were missed.
She said she spoke with several officers who responded that morning but were never called to testify for the state. Three of those officers drew their weapons at one point during the encounter, Miller said, but did not fire—either because they lost sight of Perez or another officer was in their line of fire.
Defense attorneys argued those witnesses could have provided insight into whether deadly force was justified.
Miller also criticized the statements collected from responding officers after the incident, calling them “poorly done” and lacking questions required to evaluate legal use of force under Chapter 9 of the Texas Penal Code.
“They didn’t even try to apply Chapter 9 to the situation,” she said.
Asked by a member of the defense if any of the witnesses Miller spoke to were asked by investigators whether or not it was reasonable for the defendants to use deadly force, Miller said, “No.”
Claim of political pressure disputed
Miller further testified that a sergeant in SAPD’s training division told her he was in a meeting with Police Chief William McManus hours after the shooting in which that sergeant said he believed officers were justified.
She said the sergeant told her he was instructed to stay quiet or face consequences.
“Given (the) political atmosphere after the George Floyd situation and riots, several of us reached the conclusion there was some political pressure from the chief’s office to arrest these officers,” Miller testified.
That allegation contradicts Soto’s earlier testimony, in which he insisted he was under no pressure from police leadership or the district attorney’s office when he wrote the warrants.
Trial continues Tuesday afternoon
The state pushed back on Miller’s conclusions during cross-examination, suggesting officers could have changed their tactics to avoid gunfire altogether. Prosecutors have argued the defendants had barriers — including a wall and a locked door — separating them from Perez, and that deadly force was not necessary.
Monday marked the start of the fourth week of testimony. Miller has finished testifying, and the defense is expected to call another expert witness Tuesday afternoon when court resumes at 1:30 p.m.
The trial remains ongoing as jurors weigh whether the defendants were justified in their use of deadly force.
Background on the case
It was early in the morning of June 23, 2023, when authorities say Perez tampered with her complex’s fire alarm system, triggering a police response.
Later that morning, Flores, Alejandro and Villalobos fatally shot at Perez when authorities said she came at them with a hammer. Before 24 hours had passed, they were suspended from the force and jailed after Chief William McManus said their actions didn’t conform with protocols.
The issue of whether officers needed a warrant to enter Perez’s home continues to be a question in court. Prosecutors have argued the officers’ warrantless entry amounted to burglary of a habitation. Defense attorneys counter that Perez committed a felony earlier that morning when she threw a candle at an officer, allowing police to arrest her without a warrant.