SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association decided it will not move forward with holding a vote of “no confidence” in San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
In a statement, SAPOA President Danny Diaz emphasized that while the vote has been shelved, “this process has raised awareness of the ongoing concerns our officers are experiencing.”
“Ultimately, any decisions moving forward regarding Chief McManus is the responsibility of the City Manager,” the statement continued. “Our hope is that this becomes an opportunity for reflection and renewed focus on boosting officer moral(e), strengthening trust, leadership, and improving support for the men and women who serve our community.”
Discussion around the topic began just hours after three former SAPD officers were acquitted in the 2023 shooting death of Melissa Perez last month. She was killed by officers inside her own apartment.
In a previous letter to SAPOA members, Diaz accused McManus of making “knee-jerk reactions” and “politically motivated” decisions in the arrests of officers the same day Melissa Perez was shot and killed.
“They should have been placed on administrative duty and they weren’t,” Diaz said in the November letter. “They went directly to arresting them within 16 hours. That wasn’t the right decision to do, so our members don’t have confidence in the chief.”
The San Antonio Police Officers Association issued a vote of no confidence against the chief in 2016, with 97% of voting members disapproving of the chief. The vote took place during contract negotiations with then-city administration.
The union denied the vote was about contract negotiations and said the vote was because McManus was not reacting “appropriately” to staffing and morale issues in the department and showing “an unwillingness” to support officer John Lee after a deadly shooting.
Separately, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has dodged multiple questions from multiple KSAT 12 journalists about whether she publicly supports McManus.