Steven Zimmerman, Reporter, New Mexico/Israel
The El Paso Police Department’s PIOs (Public Information Officers) have repeatedly said that the department values transparency. In press releases and press conferences, they’ve said that accountability is a cornerstone of a good relationship with the public.
The El Paso Police Department (EPPD) seems to have a problem with officers receiving DWI (Driving While Intoxicated). Not only do they receive DWIs, but the department also seems to make them disappear once the spotlight brought by local and regional media outlets fades.
Today, we will focus on Officers Jessica Grijalva and John Chavez.
Sgt. John Chavez
Sgt. John Chavez, who recently moved to the Northeast Substation of the El Paso Police Department, has two bending DWI cases in District Court.
In the first case against Sgt. Chavez was pulled over for speeding by El Paso Police Officer N. van Buren. According to the case narrative, “Signs of intoxication were observed on the driver.”
Officer Van Buren placed Chavez into custody. This arrest was in September of 2023.
Then, in October 2023, Chavez was once again arrested for DWI.
Conducting a Google search, we could not find any mention of this officer’s arrest, his bonds, or any press releases. Is this transparency?
“I have seen your stories on the department,” said an officer under the condition of anonymity. “Chavez is a case they want to sweep under the rug.”
Another Regional Command officer reached out to us this evening to let us know that Chavez and his double arrests could be an embarrassment to the department.
“These are two arrests in twenty-nine days,” said the officer, “it’s a black eye for every single one of us trying to do a job out here.”
Why is the department hiding these pending cases?
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Jessica Grijalva
Another DWI is that of Officer Jessica Grijalva.
Officer Grijalva’s arrest was captured on video by the Horizon News Service. In that video, you can hear Grijalva arguing with officers, saying she knows people, asking responding officers to call someone on her behalf, and saying she had nothing to drink.
Police pulled Jessica Grijalva over for allegedly speeding at about 12:30 a.m. in May 2019, near the intersection of George Dieter and Rojas drives on the East Side of El Paso. Grijalva was booked into the El Paso County Jail and released on a $750 bond.
When the news of her arrest broke, the EPPD’s Public Information Officer said she was relieved of duty (read: paid administrative leave).
What happened in Grijalva’s case?
Officer Grijalva was placed in a program to have the charges filed against her dropped and her record expunged.
Grijalva agreed to attend DWI school, join a victim impact panel, take a defensive driving course, refrain from alcohol or drugs, pay $460 in fees, and comply with the conditions of her PR bond.
In the end, charges were dropped, and any trace of her arrest, bond, and court hearings have been removed from EPCounty.com.
The problem with the Grijalva case is that she refused to take a field sobriety test, which you can do in Texas. The refusal of a police officer to take such a test, combined with the fact that she was driving drunk, speaks to the officer’s integrity, or lack thereof.
Grijalva also lied to arresting officers, saying she had nothing to drink before getting into her car and speeding down the road.
Today, Grijalva is on the Lieutenant’s list for promotion. The El Paso Police Department has a history of rewarding bad behavior.
Here is the problem with Officer Grijalva. In Texas, an adult Class A Misdemeanor conviction, any felony, or court-ordered community supervision (adjudicated or deferred) is a lifetime disqualification for licensure as a peace officer or jailer in the state of Texas unless an agency applies for and receives a waiver on your behalf from the Commission.
Did Grijalva enter the deferment program before entering a guilty plea? We may never know. What we do know is that this arrest has been completely removed from the public record.
The El Paso Police Department is a rogue agency. If you report a fellow officer for misconduct, you will be in trouble with your superiors. If you do your job, you receive policy violations. It may be time for the Texas Department of Public Safety or Texas Rangers to take over the department and clean the house.
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3 COMMENTS
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One day youre going to need us and we won’t be there because of your hatchet jobs
This story is complete garbage and completely opinionated. Not worth the read.
Except for the fact that we did provide documents showing the DWIs. But, officer, we understand you want your department to be something other than the subject of such articles. Clean your department up from within. Don’t be part of the problem.