Home › Forums › Texas › San Antonio Police Department › Officer Carlos Castro
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cburk.
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cburk
ParticipantIncident: Officer Thomas Villarreal and another officer (Carlos Castro) were involved in a violent incident on January 16, 2020, that led to criminal charges. After a traffic stop on the East Side, a suspect (Eric Wilson) fled on foot into his home. Villarreal and Officer Castro pursued Wilson into the house without a warrant, kicking in the door and forcing entry
. Once inside, bodycam footage showed them taking Wilson to the ground and delivering numerous punches while shouting profanities and commands
. Wilson, who was unarmed, suffered serious injuries – including a broken orbital bone and nose – and was hospitalized for three days
. The officers claimed they smelled marijuana and that Wilson resisted, but questions were raised about the legality and necessity of their level of force, given that Wilson was retreating and had only committed traffic violations.
Outcome: Chief McManus fired both Villarreal and Castro, citing violations of policies on warrantless searches and use of force
. Moreover, in 2020 both were indicted on charges of aggravated assault by a public servant – a first-degree felony that carried a potential life sentence
. Their joint trial took place in October 2023. Partway through, it ended in a mistrial after defense attorneys learned that three state’s expert witnesses had actually opined that the officers’ actions might have been legally justified, information not disclosed earlier
. Facing weakened prospects, prosecutors dismissed the charges against Villarreal and Castro in 2024
. With criminal liability gone, Villarreal moved forward with an arbitration hearing in late 2024 to try to get reinstated
(Castro’s appeal was still pending then)
. City attorneys argued vehemently that neither man should ever wear an SAPD badge again, emphasizing that “the citizens of San Antonio deserve to be protected… not have their door beaten down and their faces bashed in over a traffic stop”
. The arbitration outcome has not been publicly reported yet; as of the hearing, Villarreal remained fired from SAPD. This case highlights an officer fired for excessive force who escaped criminal punishment on a technicality but still might not regain his job. (Wilson, the victim – who himself had a criminal record – likely pursued civil action for his injuries, given the severity of the incident, though details are undisclosed.)
Officer Carlos Castro
Incident: Carlos Castro was the patrol partner of Thomas Villarreal in the above-described January 2020 excessive force incident involving Eric Wilson. Castro participated in forcing entry into the home and in the subsequent physical beating of the suspect. He, along with Villarreal, kicked open the door and grappled with Wilson, and was identified as landing several of the blows that left Wilson badly injured
. The internal investigation found Castro equally culpable in the unwarranted use of force and unlawful entry.
Outcome: Castro was indefinitely suspended (fired) by Chief McManus in 2020 alongside Villarreal
. He was also criminally charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, the same first-degree felony charge, for his role in the incident
. After the joint trial’s mistrial in 2023, the charges against Castro were dropped by prosecutors in 2024, effectively clearing him of criminal consequences
. His arbitration appeal of the firing was still pending as of late 2024 (he had not yet had a full hearing at the time Villarreal’s began)
. As such, Castro remained terminated from SAPD awaiting the chance to argue for reinstatement. Until any arbitration decision, he was off the force. The city’s stance was that his conduct was inexcusable and that neither officer should return to duty
. Castro’s case mirrors Villarreal’s: no conviction, but career in jeopardy. (Both officers’ firings are among the few high-profile cases in which, at least initially, the officers did not get their jobs back quickly. Their futures depended on the outcome of the arbitration process.)
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