Maryan Cade’s service with the San Angelo Police Department ended early this year after investigators accused her of lying about what happened after she responded to a call for service.
Cade was indefinitely suspended from the force for being “untruthful.”
San Angelo Police Chief Frank Carter testified Thursday Cade lied when she told fellow officers she had spoken with a complainant that night in November at a San Angelo apartment complex.
Cade testified Thursday about her side of what happened.
She had responded to a call for an unwanted person and said the complainant pointed toward where he thought the suspect had run to, but never spoke to Cade and so, she assumed the suspect had gotten away.
She said she freaked out because while driving into the complex she saw a truck leaving — which she later thought may have been driven by the suspect.
“I unfortunately had a mishap that night and i can apologize for that mistake. Do i believe this mistake is big enough to render me incapable of ever being in law enforcement again? Absolutely not,” Cade testified. “Because if that happened to every law enforcement officer and they accepted that–we would have no officers.”
Chief Carter said the basis for Cade’s suspension was lying–adding “there’s a difference–in this case–between mistakenly driving past a suspect’s vehicle and lying.”
Cade’s attorney claims Cade lacked experience in handling what became a DWI case–having been on the force for under 2 years and only experiencing one other similar case.
The attorney representing the city argued “inexperience is no excuse for lying.”
By Thursday night at 7–witnesses were still being called to testify in the Arbitration hearing. Regardless–the arbitrator, Reuben Campos, will not make a decision until at least 30 days from the end of the hearing.