An arbitrator will decide whether a former San Antonio police officer should get his job back after a 19-year-old detainee brought a handgun into the Bexar County jail and died by suicide in 2024.
This story may contain information that is not suitable for all audiences and has themes of suicide and self-harm. Call 988 if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide.after the March 3, 2024, death of Jesus Gonzales, 19 .
City attorneys argue Munoz failed to conduct a proper search before transporting Gonzales to jail, which allowed to bring a handgun into the facility. During Tuesday’s arbitration hearing, attorneys for the city said the tragedy could have been avoided and stemmed from Munoz’s actions. For the first time, body camera and jail surveillance footage from the incident was shown publicly.
Video played during the hearing showed Munoz repeatedly asking Gonzales whether he had any weapons on him before transporting him to jail. The footage appears to show Munoz checking Gonzales’ pockets but not conducting a more thorough pat-down search. San Antonio Police Department Internal Affairs investigator Sgt. Rachel Mendez testified that the search shown in the video raised concerns, particularly because Gonzales had a pending unlawful carry of a firearm charge at the time.
“Normally, you would ask them to spread their feet to perform a search up and down the legs,” Mendez said. “I don’t see that happening. ” According to investigators, Gonzales later produced the handgun during a strip search inside the jail and died by suicide. Munoz’s attorney argued that the punishment was excessive and inconsistent with discipline imposed in similar cases.
The attorney also contended that others had opportunities to discover the weapon after Gonzales arrived at the jail. Moments later, body camera footage captured the beginning of a strip search. After taking off his pants and shirt, Gonzales retrieved the handgun from his basketball shorts and fired a single shot. The arbitrator must now determine whether Munoz violated department policy and whether his termination was justified or if a lesser form of discipline would have been more appropriate.
SAPD fires officer for failing to pat down teen who shot, killed himself in Bexar County Jail SAPD body-worn camera video shows officers failed to pat down teen who killed himself inside Bexar County JailErica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.
Sal Salazar is a photojournalist at KSAT 12. Before coming to KSAT in 1998, he worked at the Fox affiliate in San Antonio. Sal started off his career back in 1995 for the ABC Affiliate in Lubbock and has covered many high-profile news events since. In his free time, he enjoys spending time at home, gaming and loves traveling with his wife.
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