It’s Friday, and you show up for work like any other Friday, and your boss assigns you a task. You complete the task, just as you have been trained, then government officials show up, arrest you and charge you with a horrific crime. You are fired from your job and face a lifetime in prison. You have no job and no insurance, and the whole community knows that you have been accused of a terrible criminal act. But you’re innocent. You were doing your job, just as you were trained.
Being arrested for a horrific crime that you didn’t commit is a nightmare we think unimaginable in America. But America has changed and when people in power bow to political pressure innocent people end up behind bars, questionable investigations are conducted, and justice is in peril. In the August 2023 Blue Line newsletter, I wrote about three San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers, who, for this scenario, was a reality.
On June 23, 2023, SAPD officers were dispatched to an apartment complex for a disturbance. When officers arrived, they found 46-year-old Melissa Perez had cut the fire/security alarm system (a felony offense) to the apartment complex in which she lived. Officers were concerned she might start a fire.
As officers approached Miss Perez to investigate, she fled into her apartment and ignored the officers’ commands to stop. She was ordered to surrender and come outside. She refused, threw a glass candlestick at an officer, and yelled, “You don’t have a warrant.” One officer was hit by the candlestick. Sergeant Alfred Flores arrived on the scene and went to the back patio where Perez had assaulted the officer. Miss Perez swung a hammer at officers, officers fired and Perez was hit. Officers rendered first aid, but Perez died of her wounds.
The next day, in a press conference, Police Chief William McManus said the officers did not follow SAPD policy and “used deadly force, which was not reasonable given all the circumstances as we now understand them.”[1] Only sixteen hours after the incident, three officers were arrested and booked for murder. At issue is the officers’ intent. Was killing Perez the officers’ intent? No, of course not. The officers immediately rendering first aid confirms the officers had no ill intent.
I wrote in 2023 that what concerned me about this case is the haste in which the officers were charged with murder. Why not do a more thorough investigation before charging the officers with murder and firing them? These men are not a flight risk, neither are they a danger to society. When I worked Homicide on the SAPD, we didn’t always arrest a suspect right away. Unless there was a flight risk and/or further risk to the public, the best course of action was to take the time to investigate, rather than have a knee-jerk reaction to public pressure. Such is the case here. If arrests are warranted, they can be made later.
The trial was this past Fall. After four weeks of testimony, evidence, and arguments from both sides it took the jury less than two hours to find all three officers not guilty.[2] Clearly, the jury did not agree with Chief McManus and the District Attorney’s Office. But it’s not over. The officers now must fight to be reinstated to the SAPD. Continue to pray for the officers and their families.
Looking forward
Big plans. We’ve been working on a new project that will offer people the opportunity to support our work and support officers through prayer. More to come soon! Much of our 2026 schedule is now set and we have events scheduled in Arkansas, North Carolina, Iowa, South Dakota, New Mexico, and Washington.
Bringing Hope to Law Enforcement
The Strong Blue Line Foundation—at no cost to officers or their agencies—brings hope to LEOs with training seminars that help them navigate a myriad of issues they deal with. One issue is suicide. Statistics show that officers are much more likely to die by suicide than being murdered in the line of duty. In the “Suicide is Not an Option” seminar and book, officers learn not only why people who claim to be Christian opt for suicide, but where they can find real hope. Please partner with us to make strong officers with strong relationships by giving them real hope for complete victory! To help, go to TheStrongBlueLine.org and click on the “Donate” button.
On the Road
This month, we’re traveling to Colorado and then down to Arkansas for strategic planning and preparing for the 2026 schedule. Next month we have events planned in Arkansas and North Carolina.
Pray for your police.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash.com.
[1] https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/06/25/what-we-know-about-3-san-antonio-police-officers-charged-with-murder-in-death-of-melissa-perez/
[2] https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/melissa-perez-trial-verdict-sapd-san-antonio-not-guilty-acquitted-texas/273-be23105d-3a3f-4eb6-97de-552b00e1c0d6
