Three former San Antonio Police officers will be standing before the judge today to learn their trial dates in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman last June, as reported by FOX San Antonio. The officers, Alfred Flores, Aleazar Alejandro, and Nathaniel Villabos, face charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the death of Melissa Perez, who was shot inside her apartment at Miller's Pond Apartments on the Southwest Side.
Perez, 46, reportedly experiencing a schizophrenic episode, was shot by the officers on June 23, 2023, following a dispatch call concerning vandalism related to her allegedly cutting wires from an alarm system, the situation escalated when Perez retreated into her apartment after authorities attempted to engage with her while she was walking her dog; an officer attempted to arrest Perez by climbing over the patio railing and removing the screen from an open window, she grabbed a hammer and, at some point, threw a glass candle at an officer, after which an extended conversation ensued that ended tragically with police firing their weapons leading to Perez's death.
Details about the officers' history have surfaced as KSAT has obtained records showing Flores and Alejandro have faced multiple suspensions in the past five years, Flores having been suspended four times for a total of 43 days and Alejandro three times for 42 days respectively. One such incident on June 8, 2017, involved Flores in an off-duty disturbance where he was accused of yelling profanities and going home without authorization during his shift, another incident occurred on April 25, 2019, where he failed to respond to another officer's call for assistance during a disturbance, claiming he did not hear the call due to being on the phone.
Following the shooting, SAPD Chief William McManus stated the officers "didn’t follow department training or policy and used deadly force, which was not reasonable given all the circumstances as we now understand them," the severity of the situation is further highlighted by the charges laid against these officers and their previously noted lapses in adherence to department regulations, it is this same past conduct that undoubtedly casts a shadow over the current proceedings, setting the stakes not only for the individuals involved but also for a community grappling with yet another encounter between law enforcement and mental health crises.
