ARLINGTON, Texas – The San Antonio Police Department suspended an officer this summer after he was arrested outside a bar near Arlington's AT&T Stadium following a Dallas Cowboys playoff game in January, SAPD records confirm.
Officer Antonio Martinez was off-duty when he was taken into custody Jan. 15 on misdemeanor charges of evading arrest on foot, resisting arrest and public intoxication.
Officers from multiple agencies, many of whom were working security at Sherlock's Baker Street Pub, were first alerted to Martinez after witnesses saw him take a woman's purse, then walk outside around 10:30 p.m.
When told by officers to stop, Martinez instead "picked up his pace and tried to duck into an alley," according to an Arlington Police Department incident report obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders.
Officers were eventually able to cut off Martinez and surround him.
Martinez "purposely bumped" into one of the officers then "pulled his arms into his chest and tensed up" to avoid being handcuffed, according to Martinez's arrest report.
Martinez "continued resisting and actively pushing officers" before they were able to finally gain control and handcuff him, according to a report filed by a Watauga Police Department lieutenant who was working security during the incident.
Officers were then able to identify Martinez as an off-duty SAPD officer.
"When I first dealt with this guy, I really thought, there's no way. This guy is just one of those guys that doesn't like cops," said Haltom City Police Department Capt. Steve Irvin during a call with SAPD Internal Affairs in March.
Irvin also was working security at the bar during the incident.
"If he would have just been a little bit more cooperative, it probably would have turned out a whole lot different," said Irvin.
Even after being identified as an off-duty police officer, Martinez "continued to verbally belittle officers and several times said '(expletive) you' to officers," according to the Watauga Police Department report.
The woman whose purse was taken declined to press criminal charges and the purse was later recovered, according to Arlington Police records.
Arlington Police records also confirm Martinez was issued a non-contact order in December 2014 after a separate dispute with a woman.
Officers were unable to confirm whether the same woman was involved in both incidents.
Martinez, a seven-year veteran of SAPD assigned to West Patrol, was served a contemplated indefinite suspension May 9.
Records show Martinez also never reported his arrest to the chief's office, in violation of SAPD rules.
The suspension was shortened to 45 days after Martinez met with SAPD Chief William McManus.
McManus refused a request for an interview from The Defenders for this story.
SAPD's Public Information Office instead released the following written statement:
Officer Martinez’s off-duty conduct was unacceptable and not in-line with our guiding principles. After an Internal Affairs investigation and a meeting with the Chief, the Chief determined that a 45 day suspension and a Last Chance Agreement was the most appropriate corrective action to take in this particular case.
The last-chance agreement stipulates that any rules violations by Martinez the next two years could result in him being terminated.
Martinez's arrest happened a couple of hours after the Cowboys lost 34-31 to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs.
Sherlock's Baker Street Pub is located less than a mile from AT&T Stadium.
Martinez was arrested while wearing a Packers jersey-shirt, according to Arlington Police dash camera video and Martinez's booking photo.
He told Internal Affairs investigators he went to Sherlock's after attending the game and denied running from officers, claiming instead that he left the bar to use the phone.
A spokeswoman from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office said last month the case against Martinez had yet to be forwarded for prosecution.
Arlington police declined to release certain records related to the case, claiming its investigation is ongoing.
