SAN ANTONIO – A former San Antonio police officer is asking to be reinstated after receiving two indefinite suspensions in 2020.
Humberto Zuniga appealed one of his suspensions from the San Antonio Police Department during an arbitration hearing on Wednesday.
Zuniga was accused of showing up to work intoxicated at the SAPD training academy in February 2020.
A former supervisor testified that Zuniga arrived at the academy with a blood alcohol content of 0.207, more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle.
A second test confirmed Zuniga’s intoxication, which indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.220.
Zuniga’s lawyer argued that the evidence in the case is not legally sufficient to support the allegations.
The city’s attorneys said that Zuniga showed up to work intoxicated, despite prior violations.
“He took many courses regarding intoxication, had a prior matter involving similar violations, and received services to help,” a city lawyer said. “But he still showed up intoxicated to the academy — for which there is no excuse.”
Even if the indefinite suspension is overturned, he would still have to successfully appeal another indefinite suspension related to a 2020 sexual assault allegation.
A few months after the alleged intoxication incident, in August 2020, Zuniga was arrested for sexual assault.
While the criminal case was eventually dismissed in 2023, Zuniga remains subject to an indefinite suspension tied to the incident.
Zuniga’s appeal of that punishment is still pending.
Prior to his intoxication suspension, Zuniga worked with the department for 17 years and eight months, according to SAPD.
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