SAN ANTONIO — A Bexar County jury heard opening arguments from both sides and saw body camera footage Friday in the trial of two San Antonio police officers accused of using excessive force during a 2020 traffic stop.
The focus of the trial is an incident that unfolded on Jan. 16, 2020. Authorities say the two officers were attempting to stop a man who was driving home when they ended up kicking his door in and punching him. That man also had a violent criminal history, and was on parole.
SAPD Chief William McManus terminated the pair, Carlos Castro and Thomas Villareal, from the department in July 2020. The two are appealing their termination through arbitration.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am not guilty," the two officers stood up and said, one at a time, in the 379th District courtroom.
Judge Ron Rangel is overseeing the trial. Castro and Villareal are charged with aggravated assault by a public servant. If convicted of the first-degree felony, the two face five to 99 years in prison and fines that could reach $10,000.
The prosecution says the officers hit Eric Wilson 20 times after kicking down his door in 2020. They say the attack fractured his eye socket, broke his nose and left him a bloody mess. He later had to have surgery on his eye.
Prosecutors also say Wilson was not actually pulled over by police, and he wasn't confronted by police until he was in his driveway. They said he went inside and told officers they don't have a warrant.
"He was in his home in his driveway. He reacted (like), 'I'm not sure I want any of this,' and he went into his home," said prosecutor Daryl Harris, a member of the Bexar County district attorney’s office’s Civil Rights division.
The defense, meanwhile, argued Wilson knew the officers were trying to pull him over much earlier for speeding and was trying to get away. They also argued Wilson was on parole from federal prison for a violent crime, and had drugs in the car at the time.
"He was on federal supervised release, and he didn't want to go back. He had a felony amount of drugs in the car. That's what Mr. Wilson was trying to get away from," said Jason Goss, representing the defense.
The officers are defending their decision to follow Wilson home, kick down his door and use force against him.
'Had his arm around my neck'
Wilson himself testified Friday. The man claimed he was already nearly on the ground when police came in, adding he put one hand over his face to shield himself from the blows.
"He had his arm around my neck and he was choking me. He was hitting me in the face at the same time," Wilson said.
The prosecution presented dash cam video showing police didn't actually hit their lights until they were in the victim's driveway. On the other hand, they are clearly trying to catch up to him and practically chase him to his door.
The jury also saw body camera footage of officers entering the door. They can be seen attempting to use a Taser before police find Wilson and bring him to the ground.
It's difficult to see exactly what's going on, but prosecutors did show the victim was clearly in a headlock.
The trial let out around 4:30 on Friday. It will resume Monday around at 12:30 p.m.
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