MISSION – Mission cops arrested one of their own on a
driving while intoxicated charge Sunday morning.
Officer Randy Garza hit a mailbox in the 1500 block of Sheri
Lee Drive in Mission about 7:15 a.m. Sunday, said Mission police Chief Martin
Garza. Cops who were called to the scene noticed that Randy Garza displayed
signs of intoxication and arrested him. Randy Garza, who was off-duty at the
time, declined to perform a field sobriety test or take a Breathalyzer test.
“He was immediately suspended with pay after the arrest and
we’re going to continue looking into finalizing further disciplinary action,”
Chief Garza said.
Chief Garza said the Police Department will do an internal
investigation to determine how to discipline the officer. He said he’ll make a
final decision later this week.
“We’re putting together all of the city and Mission Police
Department policies that were violated during the incident,” he said.
Randy Garza has worked for the Mission Police Department since
June 2010, according to city records.
Although he was arrested Sunday, the officer was not
arraigned until Monday, and he went to the Hidalgo County Jail on Monday
evening, Chief Garza said. Police did not have all of the witness statements
together in order for the arraignment to take place Sunday, so Randy Garza
promised to come back the next day.
“As law enforcement officers, we need to be responsible for
our actions,” Chief Garza said. “I think this is just an irresponsible act of
any person who enforces these types of laws.”