5 BCSO detention bureau deputies suspended for street brawl

Records: June 2017 incident started with house party

SAN ANTONIO – Five Bexar County detention deputies who took part in a rowdy street brawl more than a year ago recently served suspensions for their roles in the incident, records show.

The fight happened in June 2017 in the 1400 block of Dancing Wolf. At the time, a witness said, "there were several guys on this one guy."

Suspension orders obtained by the KSAT-12 Defenders said the fight took place at a house party with deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office detention bureau during which the group was consuming alcohol.

"During the party a verbal altercation took place inside the residence and later a physical altercation took place outside the residence in the public roadway, resulting in a 911 call being made by citizens to BCSO dispatch for the disturbance," the records said.

Detention Deputies Justin Silva and Jordan Martinez were identified as being part of the street brawl, leading to each man receiving a 10-day suspension without pay.

Deputy Joshua Montoya was also identified as being part of the outside fight. He received a three-day suspension without pay.

Records show Detention Deputy Khigh Pease was involved in the argument inside the home. He received a five-day suspension without pay.

Detention Cpl. Ryan Ferrell received a one-day suspension without pay after the department determined he "used insulting and antagonizing language towards other members of the Sheriff's Office inside the residence, in front of civilians," records said.

Three of those deputies were also suspended for a separate incident in Aug. 2017 where "horseplay" at a party with another deputy used a Taser on a restrained deputy. Video showed a 4-year-old girl grab the taser and hold it near the deputy's head.

KSAT-12 reported in September that Ferrell and Macias each received 30-day suspensions for that incident while Montoya received a 15-day suspension.

Another deputy received a five-day suspension without pay for an incident inside the jail.

Deputy Fernando Cuellar was assigned to a post monitoring the jail's elevators Jan. 4 when an inmate passed through the basement doors and walked outside the jail.

That inmate had reportedly disappeared from the booking area "between the female clothing exchange room and the banking entrance at the main jail" and "walked out of the facility unescorted, without leg restraints and in civilian clothing."

Cuellar "did not recognize or recall seeing the inmate pass through the basement doors," the records said.