SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio police officer was suspended for 30 days for behavior he displayed during a burglary while off-duty, police records show.
SAPD officials released the records last Thursday, months after many of the suspensions were handed down. Officials have not provided a reason for the lengthy delay in releasing the paperwork publicly.
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On Sept. 6, 2022, on-duty SAPD officers were dispatched to a possible burglary in progress at 9613 New Laredo Highway around 5:47 p.m.
Austin Lee Benson — who was off-duty at the time — was contacted by one of the property representatives, and Benson relocated to the scene; however, it is unclear why Benson was attached to the call.
Upon arrival, Benson then displayed his badge alongside his civilian clothes and begin questioning the representatives, records showed.
Benson then accused one of the officers on the scene of incompetence, even going as far as to question the on-duty officer for not doing his job in front of property owners and other officers.
Around 7:15, Benson was heard on a police body camera uttering expletives. Soon after his comments, he began to argue with a male subject on the scene; and an on-duty officer had to intervene between the two men before it escalated, the discipline record stated.
Records show that one of the on-duty officers felt Benson was not giving his fellow officers the respect they deserved, violating SAPD’s Rules and Regulations.
Benson was described by colleagues in an incident report as being “confrontational” and “unprofessional.”
Benson was issued a 30-day suspension following the incident. Rather than facing disciplinary suspension, he opted to forfeit vacation and holiday time, police records show.
His suspension was active from March 18 to April 16, 2023.
Austin Lee Benson was hired by SAPD in January 2019.
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