A San Antonio police officer has been suspended for fifteen days after records show he initiated and continued a high‑speed pursuit in violation of department rules.  Chief William P. McManus issued the suspension order on March 23 2026, directing Officer Lucas Zapot, a two year member of the department, to remain off paid duty from March 31, through April 14, 2026. The action follows an internal affairs investigation that found Zapot engaged in a chase that department policy explicitly forbids.

A late‑night chase on Blanco Road

The incident occurred just after 3 a.m. on September 29, 2025, on Blanco Road in San Antonio.  According to the disciplinary letter, Zapot was operating a marked patrol vehicle when a 2014 black Cadillac driven by John Paul Gonzales sped past him in the 5200 block of Blanco Road. Zapot followed the vehicle into a gas station at 5500 block of Blanco Road and attempted a traffic stop by activating his emergency lights.

Instead of stopping, the Cadillac accelerated out of the parking lot.  Zapot gave chase with his lights still activated.  After about 13 seconds, he turned off his emergency lights but continued to accelerate, eventually reaching 88 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. Data from the department’s Automatic Vehicle Location system later corroborated the speed. In his written response, Zapot admitted, “I didn’t realize I was driving at those speed at that moment.”

The pursuit continued through intersections.  The driver of the Cadillac took evasive actions—leaving private property without stopping, weaving across lanes and running a red light—yet Zapot did not disengage. He later attempted a second traffic stop on Northwest Loop 410, but the Cadillac again sped away.  Zapot told dispatchers he was “just following, following traffic laws,” yet AVL records show he reached 63 mph in another 35 mph zone. The letter notes that Zapot ran at least two red lights during the chase.

Violations of the Pursuit Policy

City officials cited multiple breaches of the San Antonio Police Department’s rules in Zapot’s suspension order. The order states that Zapot’s actions violated Subsection C of Rule XIII of the Fire Fighters’ and Police Officers’ Civil Service Commission rules, including acts of incompetency, conduct prejudicial to good order, and violation of an applicable police department rule or special order. According to the suspension order, the issue was not simply that Zapot attempted a traffic stop, but that the incident escalated into a pursuit for a traffic infraction. By continuing to follow the vehicle after it sped away and took evasive action, city officials found that Zapot acted contrary to department policy and compromised public safety.

The SAPD General Manual, Procedure 620, prohibits vehicle pursuits for traffic infractions, ordinance violations, non-violent misdemeanors, and non-violent felonies. The policy also requires officers to discontinue following a vehicle once the driver speeds away or takes evasive action, unless the incident meets the criteria for an authorized pursuit. In this case, the suspension order states that Zapot continued following the Cadillac after the driver accelerated away, made evasive movements, and ran a red light. The order further states that Zapot did so without supervisor authorization, despite the pursuit stemming from a traffic infraction.

The suspension order also cited the unsafe operation of a city vehicle. SAPD rules require city vehicles to be operated safely and in compliance with traffic laws, but AVL records cited in the order showed Zapot reached speeds between 60 and 88 miles per hour in 35-mile-per-hour zones. The records also state that Zapot ran multiple red lights during the incident, including one on Blanco Road and another at Northwest Loop 410 and Blanco Road. Although Zapot acknowledged looking both directions before running a red light, the order concluded that he failed to operate his patrol vehicle safely and in compliance with traffic laws. By engaging in a high-speed chase for a routine traffic infraction, the suspension order found that Zapot violated SAPD’s pursuit policy, a rule designed to limit unnecessary danger to officers, suspects, and the public.

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