The consequences of the San Antonio police officers’ June shooting death of a woman persist.
According to disciplinary documents acquired by KSAT Investigates, a sergeant and a lieutenant were both suspended and later fired seven days after leaving their respective shifts on the night of Melissa Perez’s shooting death in her Southwest Side apartment.
According to an internal affairs inquiry, 30-year SAPD veteran Lt. Steven Velasquez departed work at 10:14 p.m. on June 22, which is almost four hours before his shift was supposed to finish. As a result, he was suspended indefinitely on December 11.
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Even though he was the senior member assigned to the south patrol service area, Velasquez did not respond to the site of the deadly police shot, according to his disciplinary documentation.
According to prior statements made by SAPD authorities, officers opened fire on 46-year-old Perez through a patio window and door in the 6200 block of Old Pearsall Road while she was armed with a hammer and suffering from a mental health crisis.
The incident happened at about 2 a.m., before Velasquez’s shift ended, according to documents.
According to data obtained by KSAT, Velasquez appealed the indefinite suspension on December 13th.
In the counterargument, Velasquez’s lawyer asserted that the lieutenant had been relieved of duty for the night by the supervising officer in charge of the SAPD, Sgt. Paul Rodriguez.
Ben Sifuentes, attorney for Velasquez, spoke with KSAT over the phone on Friday, explaining that the South African Police Department (SAPSD) has a 30-year tradition of allowing supervisors to leave early on their “Friday” at shift change if they are appropriately relieved by another supervisor. Steven has not broken any rules or procedures, and there is no evidence of such. He felt a great sense of relief.
Sifuentes told KSAT that a text message supposedly came from South African Police Service Chief William McManus, giving Velasquez the chance to retire after serving a five-day suspension.
“You will be entitled to an honorable discharge upon your separation from the Department if you serve this suspension before retirement,” the text message adds.
On Friday, KSAT emailed SAPD authorities to inquire as to whether McManus had extended the reduced suspension offer, but no one responded.
An internal affairs inquiry found that Rodriguez departed his allotted shift 45 minutes early, around 1:44 a.m., the night of Perez’s shooting and death; as a result, he was suspended for seven days.
Records show that less than twenty minutes before Perez was shot, the 22-year-old veteran of the South African Police Service (SAPS) was spotted leaving the substation in his vehicle, changing out of his SAPD uniform into civilian clothing.
Citations for rule infractions, including negligence of duty, were issued to both Velasquez and Rodriguez.
Last month, a grand jury in San Antonio indicted three policemen involved with the death of Perez.
The murder charges include Officer Eleazar Alejandro and Sergeant Alfred Flores. Authorities have charged Officer Nathaniel Villalobos with aggravated assault with a lethal weapon.
According to court documents, all three males are expected to make an appearance on January 29.
According to records from the city’s disciplinary department, Flores and Villalobos were both handed indefinite bans on December 6.
No data about Alejandro’s status with the department were included in the release of SAPD suspension records this week.
In late June, following the incident, all three cops were placed on administrative leave without compensation.