Body-camera footage from a late-September bike stop in Seguin shows a police officer taking a 16-year-old rider to the pavement, then holding him there for several minutes before letting him go without so much as a written warning.
The encounter unfolded at the intersection of N. Heideke and E. Cedar Street on Sept. 25, 2025. Family members say the teen left the stop with a concussion and scrapes on his arms and knees and that they have since filed a formal complaint and racked up thousands of dollars in medical bills.
The video, recorded on Officer Michael Godinez’s body camera and posted online by local creator Cory Weber, captures Godinez grabbing the teen bicyclist and forcing him face-first onto the pavement at the intersection. On the recording, Godinez can be heard saying, “What'd I just say? I said no, right? Now you're calling him. What's wrong with you?” The teen appears to be detained for roughly five minutes, then released without a warning or citation, according to KENS5.
State Law And Camera Rules
Texas law ties the duty to identify yourself to a lawful arrest and lays out detailed rules for how police agencies preserve and release footage from body-worn cameras.
Under Texas Penal Code §38.02, a person who is lawfully arrested must provide their name, residence address, and date of birth. Separately, Chapter 2B of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which was created by legislation recorded by the Texas Legislature, sets procedures for releasing body-worn camera recordings and includes exceptions that can keep footage out of public view while an investigation or prosecution is open.
Police Response And Legal Review
The Seguin Police Department has said that command staff reviewed the incident and defended the department’s overall practices. In statements cited by KENS5, the agency noted that it limits phone use during what it considers lawful detentions for officer-safety reasons and pointed back to state identification rules.
The department did not respond to questions about whether Godinez’s actions were consistent with his training or whether he remains employed with the agency. The teen’s family, meanwhile, says it has filed a formal complaint and plans to consult with legal counsel.
Legal Implications And Oversight
When a use of force is caught on a body camera and appears questionable, it typically triggers internal administrative reviews and sometimes civil claims that argue the force was unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment and Texas law.
The same state framework that governs identification during encounters with police also restricts when officers can compel that information and controls how quickly body-worn camera footage can be released while a case is active. Those rules can affect how soon the public gets a full view of an incident that prompts an early complaint.
For additional background on the statutes and on how similar encounters have been evaluated in court, commentary is available at Justia, along with the state code provisions that address body-worn cameras.
What To Watch
Supporters of the family are expected to highlight the footage and the complaint at the Seguin City Council meeting next Tuesday. How city leaders and police brass respond, whether any internal discipline follows, and whether the family decides to move forward with civil action will determine if this incident remains a one-off controversy or grows into a push for broader policy changes.
We will continue to track public records, legal filings, and official statements as the council and the department address the stop and the force caught on camera.
