Skip to main content
Rain icon
35º

SAPD probationary officer fired, 12 other SA public safety employees disciplined

City released suspension documents finalized in February

No description found

SAN ANTONIO – A probationary officer with the San Antonio Police Department was fired after he tested positive for marijuana, documents obtained Monday by the KSAT-12 Defenders said. He is one of 13 San Antonio public safety employees who were disciplined in the last month.

Probationary Officer Elliott Gangwer was fired Feb. 8 for misconduct. The personnel order said on Jan. 16, Gangwer "provided a specimen as part of the mandatory drug testing policy." One week later, the results came back positive for marijuana.

Recommended Videos



"As a result of a positive drug test, you were given the opportunity to send the specimen to an independent lab at your cost. You elected to send the specimen to an independent lab for testing. The independent lab reported that the results of this second test were positive for the presence of marijuana," the order said.

Because he is a probationary officer, Gangwer cannot appeal his termination, the document said. A probationary officer has completed the department's academy but still has to pass a 14-week training with a field training officer to become a police officer. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TERMINATION NOTICE

The city released suspension paperwork on a dozen officers and firefighters whose discipline was finalized in February. They include:

  • Officer Alfred Flores, 10-day suspension. Flores initially received a contemplated indefinite suspension that was reduced to 10 days without pay. The suspension notice said he was involved in an off-duty disturbance during which he "yelled profanities" on June 8, 2017. Flores was also found to have left his assigned section on three dates while on duty without authorization from a supervisor. 
  • Detective Josef L. Piotrowski, 5-day suspension. Piotrowski initially received a 10-day contemplated suspension, but agreed to a five-day suspension. He served one of those days without pay. The rest of the suspension was held in abeyance, meaning if Piotrowski receives another allegation of similar misconduct, he will serve the remainder of the suspension. If he does not receive another suspension for similar conduct, the suspension will be vacated. The suspension notice said on July 12, 2017, Piotrowski was investigating two robberies when he accused supervisors of "messing with his case" and used profanities while talking to two different sergeants. 
  • Officer Onesimo D. Sifuentes Jr., one-day suspension. Sifuentes' suspension is in abeyance for one year. He was on duty and driving a city-owned vehicle on Oct. 28, 2017, when he was involved in a car accident. The department's Accident Advisory Action Board ruled the crash was chargeable.
  • Officer Patrick Rogers, 10-day suspension. Rogers was suspended without pay for five days without pay. The remainder of the suspension is held in abeyance for one year. Rogers was on duty and driving a city-owned vehicle on Oct. 23, 2017, and was involved in an accident.
  • Officer Ernesto Guzman, 1-day suspension. Guzman was suspended without pay for crashing his patrol car into a bridge wall on Nov. 13, 2017. "Officer Guzman got out of his vehicle and observed the damage, which was captured on Coban. Instead of reporting the accident immediately, Officer Guzman waited approximately 3.5 hours before notifying his supervisor," the document said.
  • Officer Gerald Rodriguez, two 1-day suspensions. Rodriguez received two separate one-day suspensions without pay. The first was for failing to activate his body worn camera while responding to an accident investigation on Dec. 4, 2017. The second suspension was related to an accident on the same date, but the suspension document said Rodriguez "failed to issue the at-fault driver a citation for no insurance," that he did not complete a crash report and that he failed to give either driver involved in the accident a crash information sheet. The two notices did not indicate if the two suspensions were connected to the same accident investigation.
  • Officer Caleb Bryant, 1-day suspension. Bryant's suspension was held in abeyance for one year. He was on duty and driving a city-owned vehicle when he hit a vehicle.
  • Detective Shawn Casiano, 1-day suspension. Casiano's suspension was without pay. She was helping execute a narcotics search warrant on Jan. 26. "Detective Casiano led the entry team up to the fourth floor and to the target apartment without having her service weapon," the document said.
  • Firefighter Ronald Bravo, 5-day suspension. Bravo's suspension was without pay. He is accused of failing to report his arrest for suspicion of DWI on Aug. 19, 2017.
  • Firefighter Anthony Salazar, 5-day suspension. Salazar's suspension was without pay. He was arrested in January 2017 for driving while intoxicated. He was required to notify the department about the outcome of his case within 10 business days, but the document said he did not.
  • Fire Engineer Emilio Montes, indefinite suspension (termination). KSAT-12 first reported on the termination of Montes in February, three days after the notice was signed. Montes pleaded no contest to a charge of insurance fraud. "As part of his plea agreement, he stipulated that the evidence presented, including the transcript of his confession to Investigator Von Ness, was true and correct," the document said.