A San Antonio police officer has been indefinitely suspended without pay following the outcome of an internal administrative investigation into his conduct during a 2025 incident. The disciplinary action was ordered by San Antonio Police Chief William P. McManus and took effect immediately.

The officer identified in the disciplinary order is Thomas M. Rivas. Department officials concluded that statements he provided during a complaint investigation did not accurately reflect what occurred during an encounter involving a suspect’s cellphone and his body-worn camera. The department determined those inconsistencies violated internal rules requiring officers to provide truthful statements in official reports and written communications. As a result of those findings, the chief issued an indefinite suspension removing Rivas from his position with the San Antonio Police Department. 

Officer Has More Than Six Years With SAPD

Records show Rivas has served with the San Antonio Police Department since February 22, 2019. He had been employed by the department for just over six years at the time the suspension was issued in January 2026. Licensing records indicate he achieved basic, intermediate, and advanced peace officer certifications while serving in the profession.

Internal Affairs Review Discovered Conflicting Reports

According to the disciplinary order, the issue came to light during a review conducted by the department’s Internal Affairs division. On August 27, 2025, an Internal Affairs supervisor examined materials contained in Rivas’ personnel field file as part of the department’s Officer Concern Program review. The review was conducted at the South Patrol substation in San Antonio and involved examining records connected to a complaint investigation handled by the officer’s chain of command. During that review, investigators discovered that the officer had submitted two written responses describing the same incident. 

First Statement Denied Access to Phone

The disciplinary order describes the officer’s first written response, which was dated May 22, 2025. In that report, Rivas denied accessing the suspect’s cellphone and said he had no reason to do so. He also described covering his body-worn camera during the incident as accidental.

In that written response, Rivas stated, “I never went through S-2’s phone nor had any reason to, nor did I delete anything.” He also wrote, “I inadvertently placed my hand/arm over my body cam and will not do it again.” According to the disciplinary order, investigators later concluded the statements in that report did not accurately reflect the officer’s actions during the incident.

Second Report Provided Different Explanation

The officer later submitted a second written response dated June 11, 2025 after being given another opportunity to address the incident. In the later report, Rivas described leaning into the driver’s side of a vehicle while interacting with the suspect’s cellphone. He stated that he attempted to turn off the phone and observed several open screens while doing so.

In the second report, Rivas wrote, “I was leaned over in the driver side of the listed vehicle when I went to turn off S-2’s phone. I swiped up on S-2’s cell phone and there were multiple windows open which one was of the photo gallery.” He also addressed the body-worn camera recording, writing, “I covered my Body Worn Camera (BWC) to observe and preserve the pictures of narcotics in S-2’s cell phone.” The disciplinary order states the second report appeared to align more closely with what was visible in body-worn camera footage from the incident. 

Department Concluded Earlier Report Was Not Truthful

According to the disciplinary order, investigators determined the earlier written report did not accurately describe the officer’s actions during the encounter. The document states that the report dated May 22, 2025 failed to reflect the truth when it stated that the officer had not accessed the suspect’s cellphone. Investigators also concluded the report inaccurately described the body-worn camera obstruction as accidental. Those findings formed the basis for the disciplinary action taken against the officer. 

The disciplinary order states the officer’s actions raised concerns about his ability to continue serving effectively in law enforcement. According to the document, the department concluded the conduct was detrimental to the needs of the San Antonio Police Department. Based on those findings, the chief issued the indefinite suspension removing the officer from duty.  

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