An San Antonio Police Department officer's off-duty antics have led to a month-long suspension, according to detailed reports by San Antonio Police Department and the San Antonio Current. Officer Kristie S. Bush, also known as DJ Kristie Rose, was disciplined after an event on March 16 where she was supposed to provide musical entertainment at a real estate gala. Instead, she became part of an unwanted spectacle at the University of the Incarnate Word’s Rosenberg Sky Room, as captured in over 11 hours of body-worn camera footage released subsequent to a public records request by KSAT.
Bush, hired by a realty company to spin tracks, reportedly interrupted the event host mid-speech, hurled expletives, and demanded to be paid in accordance to her contract that stipulated payment before her DJ set. "I’m not going to stand here and look like a f***ing criminal," she insisted, as described by attendees and caught on camera. The discipline, originally slated to be a 45-day suspension, was reduced to 30 days after Bush met with San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus, per the KSAT coverage.
Despite Bush's assertion of having consumed only "one wine," officers from UIW PD and later San Antonio Police Department were called to the scene due to her behaviors, noting her bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, according to body camera footage obtained by San Antonio Current. Witnesses provided similar observations, highlighting her intoxication and disruptive impact on the event.
During the incident, a second off-duty San Antonio Police Department officer, Jonathan Kavanagh, also became involved in a heated confrontation, but unlike Bush, SAPD officials confirmed to KSAT he did not face disciplinary action. Bush was eventually persuaded to leave the venue, only to later be accused of using profanity towards a cadet as she was being questioned by an San Antonio Police Department sergeant, which was recorded on camera.
The San Antonio Police Department has cited several violations in their disciplinary records against Bush, including use of intoxicants, being discourteous, and unfit for reporting for duty. The event concluded without criminal charges or a formal complaint filed against Bush. She has since served her suspension from September 20 through October 19, as detailed in the records. Officer Bush has not publicly responded to requests for comment on the situation following her suspension.
