Texas cop gets job back after punching handcuffed woman — who was barefoot and pregnant: report

The San Antonio police officer fired for repeatedly punching a handcuffed pregnant woman in the back of a police cruiser was reinstated to her job by a third-party arbitrator.

"Officer Elizabeth Montoya, an eight-year veteran of SAPD at the time of her January 2019 firing, testified during her arbitration hearing in March that she was trying to gain compliance from suspect Kimberly Esparza during the July 2018 incident west of downtown," KSAT-TV reported Wednesday.

During her testimony, Montoya testified the "compliance strikes" were "rabbit punches" and not haymakers.

"San Antonio’s city attorney expressed disappointment in the ruling Wednesday while pointing out that the arbitration was heard under the previous collective bargaining agreement," KSAT reported. "SAPD in-car camera footage played during Montoya’s hearing showed her punch Esparza seven times in the head. Esparza was handcuffed, barefoot and six months pregnant."

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The incident occurred during a drug search.

"Montoya, whose discipline paperwork stated she left a handcuffed and barefoot Esparza on the ground in heavy rain for 26 minutes, remained on patrol after the incident until being told of the proposed indefinite suspension nearly six months later," KSAT reported. "Her attorney argued during the arbitration that Montoya had been subjected to disparate treatment by the department, pointing to 17 other SAPD officers who were suspended, but not terminated, after the department determined they did not properly care for people in their custody."

Read the full report.

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