What began as a routine Code Two response in December 2025 has sidelined a San Antonio police officer from street duty, after an internal investigation found he sped through city streets, rear-ended another patrol car and then misled supervisors about how the damage happened. The incident, captured on body-worn camera and flagged by vehicle-location data, was not reported up the chain until January 2026, and has now led to an indefinite suspension while the department sorts out what happens next.
According to KABB, disciplinary records state Officer Rafael Morado was driving a marked SAPD unit at up to 65 mph in a 35-mph zone on Castroville Road, and up to 60 mph in 30-mph zones on Guadalupe Street and South Zarzamora Street. Investigators concluded he drove through six red lights before his patrol car slammed into the rear of another marked SAPD vehicle at Brady Boulevard and South Calaveras Street. Both units then kept going to the call.
What department rules require
San Antonio Police Department policy requires officers to report any crash or damage involving a city vehicle to a supervisor right away and to route those incidents to Internal Affairs, according to the department's disciplinary manual and the San Antonio Police Department. Procedure 609 also instructs officers to exercise “due regard” for public safety, to come to a complete stop at intersections controlled by traffic devices, and it restricts how far they may exceed posted speeds during Code Two responses.
In this case, the records say neither officer reported the crash at the scene. The damage to Morado’s unit was reportedly discovered weeks later, when another officer noticed it and contacted supervisors. During a subsequent roll call, Morado initially told supervisors he had hit a curb. Investigators later reviewed video and determined the patrol vehicle had actually struck the rear of the other SAPD unit, finding that his earlier explanation was false, according to documents reviewed by KABB.
Discipline and next steps
The administrative action placed Morado on indefinite suspension without pay as Internal Affairs and department review boards weigh whether additional discipline is warranted. The SAPD General Manual outlines a multi-step internal review process, including the Crash Evaluation and Review Board and the Chief's Complaint and Administrative Review Board, which can recommend anything from counseling to suspension or termination before the police chief makes a final decision. Those processes are spelled out in San Antonio Police Department Procedure 303.
Part of a string of discipline notices
The case lands amid a recent run of SAPD discipline notices tied to patrol car crashes, risky driving and other misconduct, a pattern that has raised fresh questions in the community about training and oversight inside the department. Reporting by KSAT and other outlets has highlighted several similar internal cases in recent months.
For now, disciplinary records in Morado’s case do not indicate whether the second officer involved in the collision has faced any consequences, or whether a criminal investigation has been opened. Morado remains off duty while the internal review continues and supervisors decide whether to send the matter to formal disciplinary boards.
