Officer suspended over red light crash

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Police Chief Art Acevedo has suspended a rookie police officer for failing to turn on his lights, sirens, and dashboard camera while responding to a call. The officer ran a red light and caused a crash at the intersection of Far West and the Mopac frontage road.

According to an internal disciplinary memo, Officer Paul Johnson was responding as back up to another officer on a vehicle disturbance call on the afternoon of April 7. The memo states Officer Johnson intermittently turned on his lights and sirens, which activated his camera. But during the investigation, officers learned Johnson deliberately turned his camera off before running the red light.

"He was turning it on and off and he believed that he was within policy when he was doing that, but ultimately he was not within policy," said Commander Chris Noble with the Austin Police Department. "With the current state or perception about dashcams in Austin, it is a very serious violation of our policy."

APD dash camera policy has been under the microscope since Officer Leonardo Quintana shot and killed Nathaniel Sanders at the Walnut Creek Apartments back on May 11th. Quintana did not turn on his dashcamera. Video captured by the camera of another officer did not show what led up to the shooting. Officer Quintana has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the shooting by a Travis County grand jury.

In May, an Austin News investigation revealed dozens of Austin police officers running red lights. They were caught on the city's red light cameras, but only five of those incidents resulted in disciplinary action.

Chief Acevedo suspended Officer Johnson, a rookie with no prior disciplinary record, for three days for failing to activate his camera and failing to safely clear the intersection.

"It's a pretty stiff punishment for a first time offense," said Commander Noble.

The other driver involved in the crash was not injured.

In addition to his suspension, Officer Johnson will be required to complete a remedial driving and refresher course on proper use of dashcameras. He will also be placed on a performance improvement plan for six months after he returns from suspension.