San Antonio cop who once faced charges for beating suspect wants his job back

A former San Antonio police officer who was fired and charged with aggravated assault by a public servant is vying to win his job back after the criminal case ended in a mistrial, KSAT reports.

Thomas Villarreal, who was fired in two years ago, faced criminal charges over a 2020 incident in which SAPD alleges he and another officer kicked in the door of an East Side home and beat up a suspect who walked away from at attempted traffic stop.

Villarreal and the other officer, Carlos Castro, faced up to life in prison for the charges, but their case ended in an October 2023 mistrial, KSAT reports. Prosecutors later dropped the case against the two former officers, and both have since appealed their firings via the department’s arbitration process.

Castro’s arbitration appeal is still pending, and Villarreal’s appeal began Tuesday, according to the TV station.

Chief William McManus opposes the pair rejoining the force, according to KSAT.

During Tuesday’s hearing, lawyers representing the city said the beating Villarreal and Castro dealt the suspect put him in the hospital for three days with a broken nose and broken orbital bone, the station reports.

“The citizens of San Antonio deserve to be protected by the police, not have their door beaten down and their faces bashed in over a traffic stop,” said Donna McElroy, an outside attorney for the city.

During the hearing, Villarreal’s attorney accused the city of scapegoating his client over justifiable actions, according to KSAT. The two officers have said they used force against the suspect because they feared he had a gun. 

“What we have here, Mr. Peña, is a case of — I’ll be quite honest — politics at play,” Karl Brehm, an attorney for Villarreal, told hearing examiner Diego Peña during his opening statement.

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This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2024.