KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com | Punishments Handed Down to Deputies Involved in Round Rock Incident

Punishments Handed Down to Deputies Involved in Round Rock Incident

Staff Report
NewsWest 9

MIDLAND - Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter has fired one deputy and punished four others after an incident last week at a Central Texas restaurant.  

The five deputies were being investigated on allegations that they posed and took pictures of a restaurant employee in front of their patrol cars, holding a gun, in a Round Rock restaurant parking lot.

30-year-old Daniel Subia was fired because he handed the patrol rifle over to the restaurant waitress.

31-year-old Miguel Valdes Ramos, 37-year-old Ronald Eugene Wright and 34-year-old Christopher Lee Evans have all been suspended for three days without pay.

40-year-old Arturo Nunez Jr. was given a letter of reprimand.

Sheriff Painter told the news media at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that he was embarrassed for the residents of Midland County and the employees of the Midland County Sheriff's Office. Painter also told NewsWest 9 when he first heard about the incident he wanted to fire all five of the deputies, but Painter decided not to do that.

While the deputies are facing punishment from the Sheriff's Office, they will not be facing formal charges in Round Rock after authorities determined the deputies did not break the law.

The full Round Rock Police Department incident report states that four officers from Central Texas agencies witnessed the Midland deputies taking pictures of a "Twin Peaks" waitress holding a patrol rifle while sitting on the trunk of a patrol car.

The report says two of the deputies asked for "some form of professional courtesy," after police arrived to investigate. The Round Rock Police Detective told the deputies that was inappropriate.

The deputies had been in the Austin area for a training exercise.