San Antonio Independent School District police officer Matthew Sanchez, 23, is out of a job after an off-duty night out spiraled into an arrest and criminal charge. Prosecutors say the case centers on allegations that Sanchez pointed a gun and offered drugs to a friend, a combo that is getting attention not just from a judge but from school district brass and critics of campus policing.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by KSAT, Sanchez was taken into custody on May 14 on a deadly conduct charge tied to an incident that allegedly happened in November 2025. The affidavit states he was ordered out of a dance club after becoming intoxicated, then headed with friends to a parking lot near Northwest Military Highway and Wurzbach Parkway. There, while in the passenger seat of a vehicle, Sanchez allegedly pulled a firearm from his glove compartment, waved it around outside the window and at one point pointed it at a friend. The document also alleges he offered that friend cocaine, which the friend reportedly threw into the grass, and jail records show Sanchez was released on June 1 after posting bond.
Having armed, district-employed officers on campus is now standard practice in much of Texas. More than 300 school districts operate their own police departments, according to the Texas Tribune, a number that climbed after a series of high-profile school shootings. Supporters argue that in an emergency, dedicated school officers shorten response times. Critics counter that putting more guns and more police on campus can increase everyday risks and that what officers do off the clock, as in this case, becomes a community safety issue of its own.
Legal consequences
Deadly conduct is defined in the Texas Penal Code as reckless behavior that places another person in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor, while an offense that involves discharging a firearm can be charged as a third-degree felony. The statute creates a presumption of recklessness when someone knowingly points a firearm at another person, and recent amendments carve out limited exceptions for peace officers acting within the scope of their official duties. The wording and penalties for the offense are laid out in the Texas Penal Code.
District response and next steps
SAISD officials say they are aware of the off-duty incident and confirmed that Sanchez “is no longer with the district,” but they declined to clarify whether he resigned or was fired or to name the campus where he had been assigned. Administrators also said an investigation into another off-duty district officer who was with Sanchez at the time is still ongoing. The criminal case will move forward in the courts at the same time the district continues its internal review, according to KSAT.
What comes next hinges on how aggressively prosecutors decide to pursue the case and on SAISD’s final administrative findings. A felony filing would require evidence that a firearm was discharged or other aggravating circumstances; otherwise the matter could remain a misdemeanor. For now, the public markers to watch are the court docket and whatever the district ultimately releases from its internal investigation.
