SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department fired Jose Bernal Rodriguez in March 2026, nearly 18 months after he was hospitalized and arrested following a drunk driving crash. The termination came one month after he was issued an indefinite suspension in February 2026.

Bernal Rodriguez, who had worked for the department since 2019, was off duty in September 2024 when officers responded to a major crash near West Loop 1604 South and Potranco Road in which he was injured. He failed a Standardized Field Sobriety Test at the scene and was taken into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Bernal Rodriguez had bloodshot, watery eyes and continued to sway during the interaction with officers. He repeatedly denied drinking alcohol when questioned by an officer, who recorded the interaction on a body-worn camera.

While being booked into jail, Bernal Rodriguez was medically rejected and taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. A subsequent blood draw showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.082, above the legal limit of 0.08 in Texas.

Bernal Rodriguez was formally arrested in February 2025 — approximately five months after the September 2024 crash — in connection with the incident. In early December 2025, he was granted pretrial diversion in his criminal case. Under the agreement, his case will be dismissed if he complies with certain requirements. Pretrial diversion agreements typically involve completing classes related to the criminal charge.

The department issued the indefinite suspension in February 2026 and then terminated Bernal Rodriguez the following month. The precise date of the firing in March 2026 was not specified in available records. The San Antonio Police Department and the relevant police union did not provide statements included in the available record on the termination.