Fired APD Officer Leonardo Quintana says he is sober now and wants to re-join the force. After two days, his civil service hearing has concluded. His fate is now in the hands of an arbitrator.
Leonardo Quintana broke his silence Friday about the crash that cost him his badge.
"That was devastating, right after the accident, embarrassing to me, embarrassing to my partner,” he said.
On the morning of January 12, a Leander officer arrested Quintana after spotting him trying to pry his SUV off of rocks lining a traffic circle. His blood alcohol content registered a .192, more than double the legal limit.
Quintana has admitted to drinking at three different places before the crash. When testifying, he would not go into detail due to his pending DWI trial. He would simply confirm the statements were true.
Attorney Tom Stribling said, "You chose to drive a couple of times that evening, correct?”
Quintana said, “Correct."
Quintana did not hold back about his battles with alcohol. "After the May incident, the shooting incident, I was drinking pretty much every day, or every other day,” he said. Quintana is referring to May 11, 2009 when he shot and killed Nathaniel Sanders.
"That's not something that anybody, police officer or not, wants to do in their lifetime. That's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. Although, I think what I did was necessary to protect my life and my partner's life,” he said.
Quintana was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, but was placed on leave for six months during the investigation. He says he got to the point where even a six pack would not give him a buzz.
"I was having a hard time sleeping and nightmares. I was pretty much drinking to self-medicate,” Quintana said.
Quintana says after the DWI arrest he attended an eight-week counseling program and has not had a drop of alcohol since.
Quintana's main argument is that other officers have been suspended for a first time DWI offense.
The arbitrator must decide whether or not to reinstate Quintana by mid-October.
