A Tucson police officer reinstated to the department after being fired for not paying for a burrito was disciplined by the state agency that oversees law enforcement certification, officials said.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board accepted an agreement with Jose Olivares on Wednesday, and issued a retroactive suspension of his state certification, according to AZPOST documents.
Olivares was fired from the Tucson Police Department last February after he failed to pay for a burrito during an October 2015 visit to Viva Burrito, according to AZPOST documents.
The day after the incident, one of Viva Burrito’s employees told a police lieutenant what had happened, leading to a department investigation.
Olivares told investigators he forgot to pay, but security footage from the restaurant showed him reaching toward his pocket at least four different times, but never producing any payment, AZPOST documents show.
The investigation determined Olivares committed theft while in uniform and on duty, and he was fired.
Olivares appealed his termination with the city’s Civil Service Commission, which ruled there wasn’t just cause for the type of discipline imposed.
He was reinstated to the department after serving an 80-hour suspension, city records show.
His suspension with AZPOST was considered served between Feb. 26 and March 16, 2016, according to AZPOST documents.
Olivares is on full-duty at TPD, working in the department’s Alternative Response Callback unit, according to a department spokesman.
