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The high-profile 2018 shootout outside a San Antonio Strip club wasn’t the first time San Antonio Police officer Dezi Rios was involved in a road rage incident while off duty.
A monthslong investigation by the KSAT 12 Defenders reveals that Rios, who was shot six times during the shootout outside All-Stars Gentlemen’s Club, was involved in another road rage incident involving firearms less than a year earlier.
Rios, 36, was suspended 15 days in November and transferred out of his role as a physical training instructor at the Police Academy months after his involvement in the May 2018 shooting.
Just nine months earlier, in August 2017, SAPD records show Rios was involved in an unrelated road rage incident near downtown.
“Aggressive, very short-tempered, careless,” said Nathan Pezina, recalling his encounter with Rios along U.S. Highway 281 South as he was returning home from having breakfast.
Pezina, then 20 years old, was driving in the outside lane in his Dodge Avenger when Rios, in a rented Ford Expedition, attempted to merge into his lane, according to an SAPD incident report.
While Rios told investigators that Pezina sped up to block him from merging, Pezina told the Defenders Rios was the aggressor, repeatedly swerving his vehicle and nearly hitting the front bumper of Pezina’s vehicle.
“I could tell in a way he was mocking me or laughing about it. Kind of a smug sort of demeanor to him,” Pezina said.
The high-profile 2018 shootout outside a San Antonio Strip club wasn’t the first time San Antonio Police officer Dezi Rios was involved in a road rage incident while off duty.
A monthslong investigation by the KSAT 12 Defenders reveals that Rios, who was shot six times during the shootout outside All-Stars Gentlemen’s Club, was involved in another road rage incident involving firearms less than a year earlier.
Rios, 36, was suspended 15 days in November and transferred out of his role as a physical training instructor at the Police Academy months after his involvement in the May 2018 shooting.
Just nine months earlier, in August 2017, SAPD records show Rios was involved in an unrelated road rage incident near downtown.
“Aggressive, very short-tempered, careless,” said Nathan Pezina, recalling his encounter with Rios along U.S. Highway 281 South as he was returning home from having breakfast.
Pezina, then 20 years old, was driving in the outside lane in his Dodge Avenger when Rios, in a rented Ford Expedition, attempted to merge into his lane, according to an SAPD incident report.
While Rios told investigators that Pezina sped up to block him from merging, Pezina told the Defenders Rios was the aggressor, repeatedly swerving his vehicle and nearly hitting the front bumper of Pezina’s vehicle.
“I could tell in a way he was mocking me or laughing about it. Kind of a smug sort of demeanor to him,” Pezina said.
Rios told investigators that Pezina, while driving, lifted up a firearm and pointed it at him, causing Rios to fear for his safety, call 911 and then follow Pezina until on-duty officers pulled Pezina over on the on ramp from Interstate 37 South to Interstate 10 West.
https://www.ksat.com/news/sapd-officer-in-off-duty-shootout-involved-in-2nd-road-rage-incident-9-months-earlier