San Antonio Police Officer Paul Fencik has started a 25-day suspension this month after a departmental review found that he verbally abused a handcuffed suspect and drove recklessly during a July call. He has been working administrative duty since fellow officers arrested him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated last summer, and prosecutors later filed criminal charges. The disciplinary file also cites repeated body-worn camera lapses, smoking while on duty and instances of texting while driving.
The on-duty arrest unfolded July 31, 2025, at the South Patrol Substation after supervisors reported smelling alcohol and later found an open beer and a cooler of beers inside Fencik’s patrol vehicle, according to a news release from the City of San Antonio. The department moved Fencik to administrative duty while criminal and internal investigations proceeded, the release stated. Body-camera footage obtained by KSAT shows him struggling through field-sobriety tests and pushing back against questioning.
Disciplinary File Details On-Duty Misconduct
December disciplinary records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News describe a separate July 8 response in the 300 block of West Theo Avenue. Investigators say Fencik delayed turning on his body camera, muted it during a private conversation and later placed it face-down inside his patrol car. The report states that he smoked while interacting with members of the public, made disparaging remarks about the department’s mental-health unit, verbally abused a prisoner and drove the wrong way across traffic lanes and over a median with a handcuffed person in the back seat. The department initially proposed an indefinite suspension in November, but that penalty was reduced to a 25-day suspension that began Jan. 5, according to the Express-News.
Video Captures Tense Moments With Fellow Officers
The body-camera video later released and reviewed by KSAT shows Fencik swearing at colleagues and responding, “Are you kidding me?” as they read him his rights. The recording ends with officers placing him in handcuffs and taking him into custody. He posted bond and was released the same day.
Charges and Possible Penalties
Prosecutors filed a formal driving-while-intoxicated charge against Fencik on Dec. 2, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Under Texas law, a Class A misdemeanor can carry up to one year in county jail and a fine of up to $4,000, per the state penal code (Texas Penal Code).
City Reaction and What Comes Next
Chief William McManus called the conduct a breach of public trust and requested that the investigations be expedited, according to the city’s news release. His on-duty DWI arrest was previously covered, and the new suspension is the latest chapter in a string of personnel cases that city leaders say they are reviewing…