GALVESTON, Texas – A former Galveston police officer is now on the other side of a jail cell after he was accused of assaulting a child and several people at an apartment complex pool.
The Galveston County District Attorney’s Office did not detail how the assault took place but said it happened on June 25. According to a press release by a law firm representing the victims, former Galveston PD officer Jared Rivas was working as a courtesy officer at Island Bay Resort. The Galveston County DA’s Office said Rivas was fired after the incident occurred.
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During that day, attorneys say teenagers were celebrating a birthday party with their parents present when Rivas “launched an unprovoked and brutal assault on them.” The attack was caught on camera where the victim’s attorneys say he was seen “punching, kicking, and restraining the young individuals while berating them with profanities.”
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His badge was also visible in the footage and the victim’s attorneys say other Galveston PD officers stood by “as passive observers while Rivas continued his violent behavior.”
Prosecutors say evidence was presented to a grand jury and the former officer was indicted on eight charges including assault and injury to a child. The total charges and potential punishments are listed as follows:
- Two indictments for injury to a child, a third-degree felony punishable by two to ten years in prison
- One indictment for unlawful restraint of a child, a state jail felony punishable by up two years in a state jail;
- One indictment for official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail;
- Four indictments for assault causing bodily injury, also a Class A misdemeanor.