Police officers disciplined

LA FERIA — One La Feria police officer was terminated and another placed on leave within the past 12 weeks, officials said.

One patrolman was discharged on April 17 for misusing his gun, La Feria City Manager Sonny Philip said, and the other patrolman is on unpaid leave to handle "personal legal issues."

Javier Briseño, 25, of Weslaco was discharged for "not properly securing his common issue (gun)," Philip said.

"(Briseño) misused (his gun) in a way that did not put anyone directly in danger," Philip said. "He wasn’t pointing it at anyone or shooting it at anyone."

Briseño had been an officer in La Feria for 14 months, according to a report from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.

The TCLEOSE report confirmed Briseño’s discharge date, but did not list a reason.

Philip would not provide further details on Briseño’s discharge.

"We always look at overall performance before discharging someone," Philips said. "But this was a clear violation of a policy."

Police Chief Don Garcia said he would not comment on Briseño’s discharge.

Patrolman Jaime Leos, 34, of Alamo will remain on unpaid leave while the city decides his case, Philip said. He has been on leave since May 21.

Philip would not provide details on Leos’s legal matters.

Leos has been with LFPD since April 5, 2007.

The Briseño case and the Leo’s case are unrelated, Philip said.