A San Antonio police officer’s shifting explanation for why his body camera was covered during a traffic stop has landed him off the streets indefinitely. Officer Thomas Rivas of the San Antonio Police Department was placed on indefinite suspension on Jan. 13 after investigators concluded he gave conflicting explanations about covering his body-worn camera while examining a suspect’s cellphone. Records show investigators focused on two written statements Rivas filed in May and June that they say do not line up, according to San Antonio Express-News.
Investigators Say His Story Shifted
In documents reviewed by the paper, Rivas initially wrote, “I never went through (the suspect’s) phone.” He later amended his account to say he swiped on the device and briefly covered his body camera to view images he believed showed narcotics. Investigators concluded the June account contradicted the May statement and that Rivas changed his initial response after being questioned, as reported by San Antonio Express-News.
Officer Named in Federal Civil-Rights Suit
Rivas also appears as a defendant in a federal civil-rights lawsuit that grew out of an April 11, 2024, traffic-stop encounter, according to court filings. The case docket and related memoranda are available on Justia Dockets & Filings, which show motions and orders tied to the encounter.
SAPD Policy and Discipline Trends
SAPD’s body-worn camera procedure requires officers to keep cameras recording until an incident concludes and to “verbally document, stating a specific reason” for any stoppage, per the department’s Procedure 410 manual. Yet a KSAT analysis found that from 2018 to 2021 the department suspended officers in only about 16 percent of alleged body-camera violations. Critics say that low suspension rate undercuts accountability and transparency in camera discipline; the KSAT investigation has more detail on those findings.
Appeals and What Comes Next…