Deputy suspended for five days after theft of
patrol unit
June 10, 2012 5:17 PM
EDINBURG — A deputy who had his patrol unit and assault
rifle stolen last month is back on the job after a five-day, unpaid suspension,
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said.
The Internal Affairs Division at the sheriff’s office
found the unnamed officer was justified in shooting at the thief as he drove
off May 14 with the deputy’s vehicle, Treviño said. The shooting was justified only
because the deputy was dragged a few feet and feared for his life.
Deputies are trained to respond to lethal threats with
deadly force, Treviño said. The officer fired at least three shots at the
police vehicle, but did not injure anyone.
Officers found the vehicle about five hours later in an
open field near the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Farm-to-Market Road 490 —
less than a mile from where it was originally taken.
Investigators, however, have yet to recover the deputy’s
personal assault rifle, a .223-caliber, semi-automatic AR 15.
The officer, who was placed on paid administrative leave
following the incident, “clearly violated” policy by leaving his vehicle and
personal weapon unsecured, so he was suspended five days without pay for it,
Treviño said.
Investigators identified Alex Valdez, 22, as a possible
suspect, but do not have enough evidence to prosecute him and find him guilty,
Treviño said.
Investigators, however, continue to follow leads that may
get them what they need in order to charge Valdez, he added.