A Duncanville police officer has been arrested on three counts of official oppression following an investigation by the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, according to a Tuesday news release from the Duncanville Police Department.
Duncanville police said they were made aware of "serious allegations of police misconduct while on duty" in Dec. 2020, when officers spoke up about the actions of Christian Pinilla, a two-year veteran of the department. Pinilla was placed on paid administrative leave while the Sheriff's Office conducted an independent investigation, according to the news release.
Pinilla was arrested on three counts of official oppression Tuesday, a class A misdemeanor. According to the Texas Penal Code, a public servant acting in an official capacity commits official oppression if they:
- intentionally subject another to mistreatment or to arrest, detention, search, seizure, dispossession, assessment, or lien that [they] know is unlawful
- intentionally deny or impede another in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power, or immunity, knowing [thier] conduct is unlawful; or
- intentionally subject another to sexual harassment.
The Duncanville Police Department said an internal investigation is currently wrapping up, and the department will take "appropriate discipline, up to and including dismissal from the Duncanville Police Department," once the investigation is done.
"The allegations brought against this officer do not reflect the values of the Duncanville Police Department or its members," the Duncanville Police Department wrote in the news release. "We take very seriously the public’s trust, and our employees work diligently every day to safeguard that trust.
"We would like to thank Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown and her team for investigating this matter in a professional and efficient manner. The criminal complaints involving this officer are being referred to the Public Integrity Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office."
