Newly released internal affairs records show that a New Braunfels police officer was suspended for only one day despite a pattern of profanity‑laced outbursts and threats captured on his body‑worn camera.  The files, made public this year, detail how Officer Zachariah Alvarado dominated two calls for service in spring 2025 — a family‑violence complaint and a disturbance involving teenagers — with language such as “I’m not fucking around,” “you’re gonna get dropped bro” and “shut your fucking mouth.”  Investigators found that he intentionally uses aggressive profanity to force compliance and concluded that he violated several departmental and state rules.  Yet when the case reached Chief Osbaldo Flores in October 2025, the chief imposed only a ten‑hour unpaid suspension.

Alvarado began his law‑enforcement career with the Southwest ISD Police Department in August 2011 and spent six years there before joining the New Braunfels Police Department in October 2017. 

Family‑violence call on May 8, 2025

The first incident occurred on May 8, 2025, when officers responded to a family‑violence call involving weapons.  According to the complaint and body‑camera footage, Alvarado assumed contact with a man in the driveway and immediately resorted to threats.  His first words were, “Hold it right there … you’re gonna get shot”, followed by “I’m not fucking around,” and, when the man did not comply, “Do not move … I don’t give a shit”.  He barked rapid‑fire commands — “don’t move,” “keep your hands where I can see them,” “turn around,” “hands on your head” — while warning, “you’re gonna get dropped bro” and “you’re about to get dropped right now if you don’t listen to my fucking commands”.  At one point he told the man, “I’m tired of your freaking mouth.”  A supervisor later wrote that Alvarado made no effort to de‑escalate the situation and that his conduct did not meet the professional standards expected of a law‑enforcement officer.  The encounter ended without criminal charges against the man, but the harsh language became a central piece of the internal investigation.

Confrontation with teenagers on June 1, 2025

Less than a month later, on June 1, 2025, Alvarado responded to a call about teenagers loitering in the parking lot of an Ulta Beauty store at Creekside Crossing.  Dispatchers noted an “active disturbance,” but supervisors later said the group was peaceful when officers arrived.  He confronted the crowd immediately, shouting “who’s running their mouth?”, and brushed aside a male who tried to provide information.  Moments later he approached an agitated teen, ordered “stop,” and warned “you’re about to get tased … dog” while pointing a Taser.  When the teen talked back, Alvarado snapped, “shut your fucking mouth,” and while handcuffing him said, “you’re out here spouting off a bunch of shit bro,” ignoring the youth’s claim that he had been assaulted.

Instead of calming the situation, he escorted the handcuffed teen to his patrol Tahoe without speaking to him.  Video shows the teen complaining that he was the victim of an assault and had a bloody lip, but Alvarado dismissed the complaint, placed him in the back seat without a pat down or search and slammed the door.  He then addressed the larger group — approximately nineteen teenagers — collectively, ordering them to come back and line up so he could check their identification.  The teenagers complied while Alvarado shouted and paced, making no attempt to de‑escalate.

The encounter intensified when several of the youths began recording with their cell phones.  Alvarado told one boy, “put your phone down, don’t record me, or I’ll put you in handcuffs”.  When the teen replied that filming was legal, he responded, “oh you want to try me,” handcuffed the youth and wrestled the phone from his hand.  When another person began recording, Alvarado warned, “you can get a ticket, or you can go to jail,” and later demanded, “give me your goddamn phone”.  He also shouted at the crowd, “dude, shut your goddamn mouth, don’t call me a N****,” and added, “I ain’t no goddamn N*****.”  During the commotion he explained to another officer, “so just put (them) in cuffs and restrain their hands so they can’t record.”  Investigators noted that despite the officer’s threats, the teenagers remained calm and non‑resistant.

After the incident, Alvarado mischaracterized the scene as a “full‑on brawl” and told a colleague he planned to cite every teenager for violating a city ordinance.  A supervising officer intervened and advised against mass citations, concluding that such an approach would be inappropriate.  Ultimately every teenager was released without charges except for one citation for minor in consumption of alcohol.  The attempt to portray a compliant gathering as a chaotic brawl and to ticket them in mass became another point of concern in the subsequent internal investigation.

Admission of aggressive tactics

The two incidents prompted an internal investigation, citing concerns about potential civil‑rights violations and a pattern of intimidation.  During a June 19, 2025, meeting with his sergeants, Alvarado reviewed the body‑camera recordings and acknowledged that his conduct likely violated departmental policy.  He described his own behaviour as “super obnoxious and aggressively profane” and candidly explained that he acts that way intentionally because he believes being “super obnoxious” and “aggressively profane” is “successful” in getting people to “listen” to him and “control” the situation.  Investigators noted that he said his outbursts were fueled by frustration with repetitive calls for service and his perception that being loud and insulting helps him establish control.  Supervisors responded by telling him unequivocally that such tactics violated departmental standards and would no longer be tolerated.

Sustained policy violations

Following the internal investigation, Chief Osbaldo Flores issued a notice of pre‑disciplinary hearing.  In that memorandum, he detailed multiple allegations and listed which policies were sustained and which were not.  The sustained violations included three primary findings.  First, Alvarado was found to have violated the city’s Rules and Regulations and Standard Operating Guidelines — a broad category encompassing all departmental orders and procedures.  Second, he violated Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143.051(12), which makes a police‑officer’s violation of an applicable rule or special order grounds for suspension.  Third, he violated the Professional Standards & Conduct section on Restrictions on Behavior, which requires officers to be courteous, kind, patient and respectful and explicitly prohibits “harsh, coarse, violent, profane, indecent, suggestive, sarcastic, bigoted, or insulting language”.  Other allegations, such as failure to recognize civil‑rights obligations, were classified as not sustained, and use‑of‑force policy violations were exonerated.  These sustained violations formed the basis for the chief’s eventual disciplinary decision.

Hearing and one‑day suspension

Chief Flores held the pre‑disciplinary hearing on October 29, 2025, giving Alvarado an opportunity to respond to the sustained allegations.  The following day, Flores issued a disciplinary decision letter that reiterated the officer’s abusive language and disproportionate responses and noted that Alvarado had admitted to acting intentionally in order to gain compliance.  The letter concluded that the conduct violated professional standards yet imposed what amounts to a single shift’s punishment: a temporary suspension “without pay for 10 hours.”

---

---

Disclaimer

The content provided in this publication is for educational and informational purposes only. The Hawk’s Eye – Consulting & News strives to deliver accurate and impactful stories. However, readers are advised to seek professional legal counsel and guidance for their specific legal inquiries and concerns. The publication does not assume any responsibility for actions taken by individuals based on the information presented. 

Additionally, while every effort is made to ensure the reliability of the information, the publication does not warrant the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the content. Readers are encouraged to verify any legal information with official sources and to use their discretion when interpreting and applying the information provided.

A Couple of Our Other Reads

You may be interested in our publishing about a Texas judge filing a lawsuit over same-sex wedding refusals.

Or you may find our publishing on a TABC agent receiving a stipend for a degree he didn’t hold, of interest. 

Follow Us on Social Media

If you are interested in staying updated on matters about your government in Texas and other important stories, trust The Hawk’s Eye – Consulting & News to provide reliable information that matters to you. You can follow us on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, Reddit, YouTube, Tumblr, and LinkedIn to stay connected and informed.

FACEBOOK: TheHawksEyeNews
INSTAGRAM: Hawk_s_Eye_C_and_N
X: TheHawksEyeNews
REDDIT: TheHawksEyeCN
TUMBLR: The Hawk’s Eye – Consulting & News
LINKEDIN: The Hawk’s Eye – Consulting & News

---