Already fired over his conduct the night a woman was fatally shot by San Antonio officers, former police lieutenant Steven Velasquez has now been hit with a third indefinite suspension, this time after a felony indictment accusing him of tampering with department records. Velasquez, 55, is awaiting trial on a tampering-with-government-records charge tied to the department review of the 2023 shooting. The latest suspension was issued in late January, months after a Bexar County grand jury returned the indictment, as reported by KSAT.
Department Suspension and Records
Discipline paperwork obtained by reporters shows the third indefinite suspension was issued in late January in response to the criminal indictment, according to KSAT. The files state this comes on top of two earlier indefinite suspensions: one in December 2023 after investigators concluded Velasquez left his assigned shift early, and another in May 2024 tied to alleged edits to internal affairs files.
Indictment Alleges Altered Entry
A Bexar County grand jury indicted Velasquez in August 2025 on a state jail felony charge of tampering with a government record, alleging he accessed SAPD's internal affairs system and removed his own name and another supervisor's name from an administrative review entry while editing roles and snapshot data for officers, as detailed by the San Antonio Express-News. The paper reports the edits effectively erased any record of those supervisors being involved in the internal affairs case.
Defense's Response and Court Timing
Velasquez's lawyer, Ben Sifuentes, told KSAT he believes the indictment is "flawed" and argues Velasquez was authorized to make entries in the department computer program and had no intent to defraud or harm. KSAT also reports his trial was tentatively set for March 18, 2026, although Sifuentes said the case will likely be pushed back.
Ties to the Perez Shooting
The alleged record changes stem from the department review of the June 23, 2023, shooting of Melissa Perez at the Rosemont at Miller's Pond apartments in the 6200 block of Old Pearsall Road on the Southwest Side. That incident led to a high profile prosecution of three officers who were acquitted in November 2025 after a monthlong trial, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Legal Context
Tampering with a government record can be charged as a state jail felony in Texas. Under state law, a state jail felony generally carries 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and fines up to $10,000, with the statute allowing for enhanced punishment in some situations, according to Texas Penal Code §12.35.
The case puts a spotlight on how internal discipline and criminal accountability can collide inside SAPD and may influence local debates over how the department documents use of force incidents and supervises those reviews. Court filings and future hearings will determine when Velasquez's criminal case actually goes to trial, and his attorney has already signaled that the schedule is likely to shift.
