Former GPD cop accused of assaulting teens at pool awaits court date A hearing scheduled for Thursday (4/3/2025) to set a court date for former Galveston Police Department officer Jared Rivas was reset for May 14. Rivas’ attorney Greg Cagle was unavailable for the hearing, so the case was pushed off for about a month. No trial date has been set. Rivas faces 3 felony and 5 misdemeanor charges stemming from a poolside rage incident last summer at a Galveston apartment complex. Rivas faces two counts of felony injury to a child and one charge of felony unlawful restraint of a minor after a June 2024 incident at the Island Bay Resort apartments where Rivas lived and was a courtesy officer. He is also charged with four misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury charges and a misdemeanor official oppression charge. Rivas responded to an apartment manager’s call about non-residents using the pool, confronting two families. While he displayed his badge and had a police radio, Rivas was not in uniform nor had clothing identifying himself as an officer, which was required by Galveston Police Department policy. Rivas’ verbal altercation quickly escalated and became physical after he slipped on a wet deck near the pool. The cell phone video then shows Rivas shoving and then tackling some teenagers. Eventually, other officers arrived, and Rivas was shown punching one person who was in handcuffs and detained by another officer, video of the altercation shows. Another video shows officers holding Rivas back as he went after another person who was in police custody. Rivas was subsequently fired and charged. The criminal cases are being heard in Judge Lonnie Cox’s 56th District Court.

Posted by i45NOW TJ Aulds at 2025-04-03 15:17:32 UTC