SAN ANTONIO — A suspended San Antonio Police officer's fight to stay on with the force came to an end this week after an arbitrator upheld the city's decision to terminate him, effectively inking his firing from SAPD.
Justin Ayars was indefinitely suspended in August of 2018 after an investigation into allegations he beat his ex-fiancee's face with a rock the May prior, breaking her orbital sockets, according to court documents.
An arbitration hearing was held over multiple days earlier this year, in which witnesses, including San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and a fellow San Antonio Police officer who was with Ayars the night of the incident, testified.
While the department has not yet released a copy of the arbitrator's opinion in the case, the police department said the arbitrator "found that Ayars severely injured his ex-fiancee and that the Chief’s decision to terminate him was appropriate."
“I find that the totality of the circumstances supported the conclusion that the appellant’s (Ayars) conduct was unwarranted, overly aggressive, unnecessary and unjustifiably violent,” police quoted the arbitrator as writing in his opinion.
While a grand jury declined to indict Ayars for the alleged assault, city attorney Andy Segovia said Ayars's case was “a clear example where termination is appropriate without relying on criminal prosecution. The facts established behavior that is inconsistent with the San Antonio Police Department’s standards.”
McManus said the outcome was "the only acceptable outcome to this case."
Records allege the assault occurred after a night of drinking when the pair returned to the apartment they shared in the 22200 block of Estate Hill Drive with two friends.
While at the apartment, a whiskey bottle broke, striking one of the couple's friends in the face and drawing blood, court documents state. Ayars' friends then left and Ayars followed, according to the prosecution guide.
The victim followed Ayars out of the apartment, thinking Ayars had taken her phone, records state. According to court records, Ayars assaulted the victim while outside the apartment after she tried to get her phone back.
The victim told investigators that Ayars "threw her down on the ground and then started hitting her." Records state that the victim also told police Ayars "grabbed a rock and punched her in the face with the rock in his hand."
Ayars left the apartment with his friends, also leaving his ex-fiancee behind. The group went to a police station to report the incident and Ayars told investigators it was the victim that hit him with a rock and that he grabbed her by the throat to get her off, but did not punch her, the records state.
When Ayars was informed of her broken eye socket, he said he couldn't say how she sustained her injuries and denied punching her, records state.
