SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Police Chief William McManus defended his decision to indefinitely suspend former officer Abdiel Munoz during an arbitration hearing Tuesday, saying the officer’s failure to properly search a detained teenager before transporting him to jail led to a preventable tragedy.
The hearing centers on the March 3, 2024 death of 19-year-old Jesus Gonzales, who was able to bring a handgun into the Bexar County jail and died by suicide while in custody.
During several hours of testimony, McManus said the transporting officer is ultimately responsible for ensuring a detainee is properly searched.
McManus said no proper search was conducted before Gonzales was placed in the transport vehicle and that the failure put others at risk.
Body camera footage shows Munoz only appearing to check Gonzales’ pockets.
“The failure of officer Munoz resulted in the death of this individual,” McManus said. “As bad as it was, it could have been worse.”
The chief also testified that, despite questions about similar incidents involving officers receiving lesser punishment, he believed an indefinite suspension was warranted because the case resulted in a death.
“This was not a good faith error. It was just a neglect to do the search,” McManus testified.
The case has also drawn attention to actions taken by other agencies involved. A corporal with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office who checked Gonzales upon his arrival at the jail received a 30-day suspension last year.
The arbitrator is expected to review testimony from the two-day hearing before issuing a decision. A ruling could take between three and six months.
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