An El Paso Police Department officer is off the streets after being arrested last Friday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to city and jail records. Officials identified the officer as Jasson Medina Rivera; records show he was booked and then released the same day after posting a $2,500 bond.
Jail logs list the arrest as taking place on Friday and confirm Medina Rivera’s same-day release on bond, KFOX14/CBS4 reports. The station says the El Paso Police Department confirmed he is an EPPD officer, noted that he has been relieved of duty and added that it has requested the arrest report to clarify what led up to the traffic stop.
Department Procedure and Investigation
Under department policy, supervisors are required to notify command staff and contact the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) whenever a sworn employee faces a criminal allegation. SIU is then tasked with following up and can present the case to prosecutors.
As laid out in the department’s procedures manual, available on Scribd, officers who are arrested must report the incident to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. They may be placed on administrative duty or relieved of duty altogether while both criminal and internal investigations play out.
Local DWI Context
DWI enforcement is a major part of day-to-day traffic work in El Paso. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s DWI report shows El Paso Police filed more than 1,200 DWI charges in recent years: 1,255 in 2022 and 1,227 in 2023. Agencies and prosecutors use those figures to help steer patrols and enforcement priorities across the Borderland.
Legal Implications
A DWI charge remains an allegation, and posting bond does not indicate guilt. The case will move through the courts while investigators and prosecutors review whatever evidence is gathered.
Under Texas law, DWI is handled in the Texas Legislature’s Penal Code Chapter 49. Penalties can include fines, a driver’s license suspension and possible jail time, depending on any prior convictions and aggravating circumstances.
KFOX14/CBS4 quoted an EPPD spokesperson saying, “Yes, he is an EPPD officer, and he has been relieved of duty.” The station reported that it has requested the arrest report, and that the Special Investigations Unit and local prosecutors will review the case as records become available.
