SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio police officer who was caught on his own patrol car dash camera challenging a handcuffed prisoner to a fight in August 2015 is still fighting for his job.
Officer Matthew Belver was given an indefinite suspension, essentially fired, for his treatment of the suspect based on what was on that video. Last week, Belver had an arbitration hearing where he was seeking to have his indefinite suspension overturned.
While Belver waits for the arbitrator to make a decision on his future with the San Antonio Police Department, the KSAT-12 Defenders have uncovered two similar incidents in Belver's past that nearly cost him his job in 2009.
While there's no video of those older incidents, the Defenders obtained hundreds of pages of official documents detailing the officer's troubling encounters with people he's arrested.
In the 2015 incident, Belver was recorded challenging his prisoner, Eloy Leal, to a fight for his freedom. Belver went as far as removing Leal's handcuffs to fight.
"As soon as they come off, I'm going to beat your ass. That's what I'm going to do," Belver said in the recording. "There you go. There you go. Now you can get out. Let's go, run. Do something. Do something."
Leal refused to fight Belver and was contacted by SAPD Internal Affairs investigators four months later, just days after an email was sent from the District Attorney's Office to the city attorney, raising concerns about the recording and Belver's past arrests.
According to the documents obtained by the Defenders, on Oct. 11, 2009, Belver responded to a disturbance call where an argument with a gun was reported.
The victims showed Belver where the main suspect lived and watched from their vehicle as he knocked on the door and then arrested the man who answered the door, Luis Ramos.
According to witnesses, he was placed in handcuffs and left on the front porch while Belver went inside, without a warrant, to arrest his brother Sammy Ramos.
Sammy Ramos was charged for his alleged involvement in the argument with the gun while his brother Luis was arrested for interfering with the arrest.
Belver wrote in a report that Luis "appeared from inside the residence, grabbed Sammy Ramos by the arm and attempted to pull him back into the residence."Â
Witnesses told investigators Luis Ramos was "already outside, on the front porch" and he "did not interfere with the arrest."
Sammy Ramos would later complain to Internal Affairs investigators that he was handcuffed when Belver "slapped him on the side of the head." Witnesses also stated they saw Belver hit Ramos but had different opinions on whether he used his hand or a flashlight to strike Ramos.
Even though the witnesses told Belver that Luis Ramos had nothing to do with the disturbance Belver allegedly told one witness, "Oh, I arrested him because ... (he was) being an asshole to me."
According to reports, Sammy Ramos was uncooperative during the arrest and he even told investigators he yelled at Belver most of the ride to the Bexar County magistrates office.
When they arrived at the magistrates office, Sammy Ramos claimed Belver removed his handcuffs and challenged him to a fight in the parking lot, saying, "Let's go. You think you're big shit, hit me," but Ramos refused to fight.
He stated he threw himself on the ground and Belver "started hitting me in the head and face."
Luis Ramos, who was also in Belver's patrol car, told investigators Belver said "he was going to take Sammy out of the car, remove the handcuffs and kick his ass."
The investigators determined Belver violated several rules, including warrantless search and arrest, treatment of prisoners and not being truthful.
The interference charge for Luis Ramos was dismissed due to insufficient evidence, while a charge of harassment of a public servant against Sammy Ramos was dropped.
Just 12 days later, on Oct. 23, Belver arrested Carlos Flores for his second DWI.
Flores complained to Internal Affairs, alleging Belver repeatedly hit him while handcuffed.
Flores told investigators he was begging Belver not to arrest him and then started arguing with the officer.
That's when he said Belver issued a familiar challenge, saying, "If you can kick my ass, I will let you go."
Flores declined and claimed Belver entered the back seat of the patrol car and "repeatedly struck (him) in the head, arms and back."
Flores admitted to kicking Belver in the face as he was "trying to defend himself."
In his report, Belver said Flores was uncooperative and wouldn't get in the patrol car and he had to use a leg sweep to take him to the ground where he held him until responding officers arrived.
Despite the obvious injuries on Flores' face in his mugshot, Belver said he didn't see any injuries.
Internal Affairs investigators found Belver violated rules for his treatment of Flores, not taking him to a hospital for his injuries and for not being truthful in his reports.
Years later, Flores' conviction was overturned due to Belver's misconduct.
Belver denied all the allegations and was initially given an indefinite suspension without pay, essentially fired, for the incidents.
He and his attorney went to arbitration and got the punishment reduced to two 30-day suspensions without pay, and Belver was placed in the department's Officer Concern Program.
It appears he stayed out of trouble until the incident with Leal last August.
Belver's future with SAPD is now in the hands of the arbitrator, who will decide if he gets his job back.
The Defenders reached out to Belver's attorney but did not hear back.
City Manager Sheryl Sculley wrote in a statement, "Officer Belver's actions were totally unacceptable, and he was fired for them. We will not tolerate officers that behave like this in the San Antonio Police Department."