A Texas cop who was fired for a ‘vile and disgusting act’ has been placed back into a law enforcement role in a new city.
Matthew Luckhurst, 42, was fired in 2016 for serving a homeless man a dog-poop-filled sandwich.
In a separate incident that same year, Luckhurst was accused of smearing brown feces-like substances across a toilet in the only women’s restroom available to female officers.
Despite facing two indefinite suspensions for his revolting behavior, Luckhurst managed to make his way back onto the force in 2019 – due to a legal loophole requiring discipline within 180 days of the sandwich incident.
The case went to an arbitration hearing in 2020, where San Antonio Police Chief William McManus testified about Luckhurst’s actions.
‘This was a vile and disgusting act that violates our guiding principles of ‘treating all with integrity, compassion, fairness and respect,’ McManus said in a statement at the time.
Floresville Mayor Cissy Gonzalez-Dippel confirmed that he was released from this position on Dec. 13, 2022.
‘Our city manager, Andy Joslin is implementing stricter hiring policies for all city of Floresville employees. He is also working with Chief Herrera on the Reserve program,’ the Mayor told KSAT in a statement.
But now the disgraced former San Antonio police officer has quietly slipped back into law enforcement – this time patrolling the streets of a small Texas town as part of the Benavides Police Department.
Benavides Police Chief Andre Hines confirmed that the department hired Luckhurst on Tuesday.
In a statement to KSAT, Hines said that their decision highlights ‘department’s commitment to offering individuals a second chance to demonstrate their dedication to public service.’
He also emphasized Officer Luckhurst’s ‘exemplary record’ since joining the department – despite the prior allegations.
‘Officer Luckhurst’s record since joining the department in April 2023 has been exemplary, with no complaints or issues reported,’ Hines wrote in the statement .
‘A thorough background check was conducted before he was sworn in as a peace officer, ensuring that all aspects of his history were carefully considered.’
‘Officer Luckhurst has consistently maintained that the allegations made against him during his time with the San Antonio Police Department-specifically the incident involving a homeless man-are untrue.’
The disturbing 2016 incident came to light when Luckhurst bragged to a fellow officer that he had picked up some feces, put it in between two slices of bread before placing the ‘sandwich’ in a Styrofoam container,My San Antonio reported at the time.
He then sat the container next to a homeless man, police officials said.
The officer reported that he told Luckhurst, a five-year veteran of the force, to go back and throw away the container.
The officer said he watched Luckhurst go back and assumed that he threw it away, but it’s not confirmed that he did.
Another officer reported Luckhurst’s actions to his supervisor, who then notified internal affairs of the shocking incident.
The case was investigated and presented to both civilian and sworn review boards, which recommended that Luckhurst be placed on indefinite suspension from the police force.
Police officials said Luckhurst had been assigned to downtown bike patrol for about a year before he was fired.
Police Chief William McManus met with Luckhurst and said that ‘type of behavior will never be tolerated.’
‘This was a vile and disgusting act that violates our guiding principles of ‘treating all with integrity, compassion, fairness and respect,” McManus said in a statement at the time.
‘The fact that his fellow officers were so disgusted with his actions that they reported him to internal affairs demonstrates that this type of behavior will never be tolerated.
‘The action of this one former officer in no way reflects the actions of all the other good men and women who respectfully serve this community.’