SAPD Cop Who Attacked a Black Man and Broke Into His Home w/o a Warrant after an Unlawful Stop in Arbitration to Get His Job Back, Seeks to Resume Imposing Unwanted Mandatory Service in Liberal City

From [HERE] Former SAPD Officer Thomas Villarreal revealed Wednesday that he'd initially been offered a fifteen-day suspension for what happened during this January 2020 traffic stop of Eric Wilson.

That contemplated suspension was rescinded months later and upgraded into an indefinite suspension the department's equivalent of a firing, and criminal charges.

Villarreal and another officer, Carlos Castro, were both ultimately indefinitely suspended in August amid allegations they violated department policies by kicking in Wilson's door and using excessive force to arrest him. They were also charged with aggravated assault.

The criminal aggravated assault case against Villarreal and Castro resulted in a mistrial last year after the District Attorney's (DA) Office failed to turn over critical evidence to the pair's defense attorneys.

The DA's office initially said it would refile cases against both of the former officers, but only charged Castro on a lesser charge of assault earlier this year.

That charge against Castro was dismissed in July because the District Attorney's Office could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, records show.

Today, Villarreal and his attorney called on retired and current SAPD officers who trained cadets at the training academy, who had also weighed in on his and Castro's criminal case.

Each told the arbitrator they felt Villarreal was justified in entering Wilson's home or that he had used reasonable force.

Among those officers was one retired officer who trained cadets on the use of force, criminal procedure, searches, and other topics.

Ret. Officer "Then I gave my opinion was that they did have exigency to get inside the house,” said Retired Officer McDonald.

“That they did have exigency?” clarified an attorney.

“Yes," said McDonald.

It'll be a few months before the arbitrator returns his decision in this case, but if reinstated, the city could be on the hook for tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay to Villarreal.