SAN ANTONIO – A court security employee with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office was detained then released from custody overnight after a law enforcement officer from another agency witnessed him making traffic stops in an unmarked SUV that resembled a patrol vehicle, multiple sources have told the KSAT 12 Defenders.
The incident happened just before 1 a.m. at Timber Cloud Street and Ridge Leaf on the city’s far West Side.
The white sport utility vehicle, which has a light bar and a partition cage, was later driven off by a law enforcement officer on scene, according to a contract employee for KSAT who was gathering footage of the incident.
The vehicle is privately owned by a BCSO employee who lives less than a mile from where the SUV was stopped, a public records search revealed Wednesday.
Multiple BCSO supervisors called to the scene refused to provide preliminary information regarding the call.
The BCSO employee was briefly detained then released from custody.
He had not been criminally charged as of 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Multiple sources said Wednesday the court employee refused to identify himself after he was pulled over by a Northside ISD officer who witnessed him make two traffic stops in the unmarked vehicle.
“Through the course of questioning, the NISD PD officer became suspicious of the deputy and detained him until a BCSO patrol supervisor made the scene to properly identify the deputy," the sheriff’s office confirmed in a statement Wednesday. "Shortly thereafter, BCSO took responsibility of the incident and began an investigation.”
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that Internal Affairs and Public Integrity Units will independently investigate the case.
“At this time we are asking the public to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Public Integrity Unit at (210)335-5124 or email BCSOTIPS@bexar.org who may have been stopped by this BCSO Deputy between 12 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. near Loop 410 and Culebra Rd to Culebra Rd and Reed Rd.,” according to the news release.
The sheriff’s office identified the court security deputy as an 18-year veteran with the agency.
A spokesman for Northside Independent School District released the following information Wednesday morning:
A Northside ISD Police Officer observed another law enforcement agency vehicle engaged in what appeared to be traffic stops on or near Culebra Rd. The NISD Police Officer made an attempt to determine if the individual in the unmarked vehicle needed any assistance. The individual responded to Northside Police in a suspicious and inappropriate manner and did not identify themself. After determining the individual was with the BCSO, NISD Police deferred the matter to the appropriate agency.