Houston injury attorney asks: did you happen to read the news story announcing that the Houston, TX police officer that mishandled a DWI investigation involving another police office has received appointment as the head of the Police Department’s DWI task force? Does that seem a poor choice to you?
Ruben Trejo, a Houston PD officer, was on his way to work on the evening shift when he collided with an unoccupied school bus. Ruben Trejo’s blood alcohol level was found to be 0.21%, nearly THREE TIMES the legal limit in Texas. That’s a pretty high level of intoxication. And if he hadn’t crashed first, he would have spent the evening on the job as a police officer. The Houston PD fired Ruben Trejo.
Daniel S. Perales was the Houston PD officer who investigated the accident case. Reportedly he failed to mark open wine bottles in Trejo’s car as evidence, and he failed to initiate an investigation of the matter with Internal Affairs. Daniel Perales has been rewarded with promotion to head of the Houston, TX Police Department’s DWI task force. This Houston injury attorney re-read the news account of this promotion twice, thinking he must have misread the article. Apparently at least 30 people applied for the position of head of the DWI task force. Did not one of them have a better record regarding DWI cases?
The Houston, TX PD’s decision regarding Daniel Perales’ promotion seems to have strong implications for your safety on Houston roads. Houston already leads the nation in the number of drunk drivers and drunk driving accidents. If the Houston PD fails in its task of thoroughly investigating and prosecuting DWI cases, your safety remains at risk from drivers who believe that they can drink and drive with impunity.