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Texas Rangers will investigate a complaint that a state trooper used excessive force while making an arrest Oct. 10 on the Dallas North Tollway, the director of the Department of Public Safety announced Friday.
Arturo Perez’s actions during the arrest are "readily observable" in video taken by a camera mounted in Perez’s cruiser, DPS Director Steven McGraw said in a news release.After Perez, 42, was given notice that he would be fired for misconduct, he retired from the department, McGraw said. "Our troopers receive the best instruction available in the world on use-of-force issues," McGraw said. "We do not tolerate behavior that so clearly contradicts that training as evident in this instance."Excessive force during an arrest can result in criminal charges for official oppression under the Texas Penal Code, according to the news release.Perez worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for 16 years before entering the DPS academy in 2006, the DPS said. He was stationed in Waco and Ennis before he was transferred in July to patrol the tollway in Dallas. Perez had a "legal option" to retire before the process of firing him was completed, McGraw’s news release stated."This employee had worked in state and military service for almost 24 years," McGraw said. "He had a legal right to retire from state service and exercised that right before the termination was final."The Rangers’ investigative report will be presented to the Dallas County district attorney’s office.The video footage is considered evidence, so it won’t be released until the Rangers complete their investigation, McGraw said.The Rangers are a division of the DPS. One of their duties is to conduct internal investigations for the department.
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