San Antonio police officer arrested on suspicion of driving drunk while on duty

San Antonio Police Officer Paul Fencik was arrested Thursday on suspicion that he drove while intoxicated on the job, according to department officials.

Fencik, an 18-year force veteran, was taken into custody at the South Patrol Substation where he works, and has been placed on administrative duty, according to details released by the San Antonio Police Department. SAPD officials said they’re conducting both criminal and administrative investigations into the matter.

“I am deeply disappointed that an officer would choose to drink and drive, endangering the very community we are sworn to protect,” SAPD Chief William McManus said in a statement. “This behavior represents a clear violation of the public’s trust and the standards of conduct expected from those in our Department.”

Following the substation’s daylight roll call, a sergeant and lieutenant smelled alcohol on Fencik before he drove out of the parking lot in his assigned patrol vehicle, according an SAPD statement.

The lieutenant called Fencik back to the substation, at which point police personnel determined he had a blood-alcohol content over .15, which is a Class A misdemeanor, the document states. After his arrest, SAPD officers searched the patrol vehicle and found an open beer container on its center console plus a cooler full of unopened brews, SAPD also said.

The officer’s arrest comes after a study released earlier this year ranked San Antonio as the U.S. city with the fourth-highest risk of DUI fatalities. Around 82% of crashes here that end in death are a result of drunk drivers, according to researchers’ analysis of accident data.

The bust also comes a week after SAPD arrested newly elected District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez on a DWI charge, making her the third member of council in as many years to face such accusations.

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This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 6, 2025.