SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County Sheriff's Deputy now facing dismissal was driving nearly 100 mph before he was pulled over on St. Patrick's Day and arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a police report states.
Ryan Ferrell, 28, is facing a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated. Ferrell was stopped after a San Antonio Police Officer observed him making several lane changes, speeding past other drivers, at one point reaching speeds of 97 mph, a police report states.
One of the arresting officers, D. Luther, wrote in the police report that he initiated a traffic stop after he saw Ferrell drift in and out of marked lanes on the highway. According to the report, Luther ordered Ferrell off of the highway seven times using an intercom system before Ferrell finally complied and exited the highway, stopping at Santa Barbara and Interstate 10 West.
The report states that Ferrell, whose breath smelled of mints and intoxicants, told authorities his wife was pregnant, having stomach contractions and that he was trying to get to her. Police asked whether they should call an ambulance for her, but Ferrell said no, according to the report.
Ferrell also displayed his credentials with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office before police asked him to call his wife, according to the report. Police wrote in the report that Ferrell called his wife, who said she was OK and did not need an ambulance. Authorities later discovered that she was not having a medical emergency and had asked Ferrell for Tylenol because she was experiencing cramps from an illness, the report states.
According to the report, Ferrell told police that he was coming from his mom's house on the South Side. Luther noted in the report that Ferrell had a red 21-and-up wristband on and questioned him about it. Ferrell replied that it was from an event that occurred earlier in the afternoon, where he had two beers. He denied that he was coming from a bar.
During a field sobriety test, Ferrell had to be reminded to follow the light pen, couldn't keep his balance, the report said. When he was advised of his rights, the report states Ferrell told authorities he did not understand any of his rights.
While searching the vehicle, the report notes that Ferrell had a loaded gun in the front sear of his car. He was initially booked on a charge of unlawful carry of a weapon until results on his voluntary blood test were returned, the report states.
After his arrest, the Sheriff's Office said Ferrell, a six-year veteran with the Sheriff's Office, had been placed on paid administrative duty. He was subsequently served a notice of proposed termination hours later and placed on unpaid administrative leave, the Sheriff's Office said.
"A DWI in and of itself is bad enough, furthermore taken in totality with a pattern of misbehavior, makes a mockery of public trust," Sheriff Javier Salazar said in an emailed statement announcing Ferrell's proposed termination. "This will not be tolerated in the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office."
Ferrell previously had received a 30-day suspension for his role in a hazing incident captured in a Snapchat video, which showed a 4-year-old trying to use a department-issued stun gun on a deputy.
The Bexar County District Attorney's Office said in March 2018 that it would not charge Ferrell or six other deputies for the hazing incident, citing insufficient evidence. The deputies were facing possible charges of child endangerment, unlawful restraint and hazing.