EDINBURG — A former McAllen police officer was sentenced to six months of probation Wednesday after a jury convicted him of official oppression for assaulting a man in handcuffs during a 2016 arrest.
Dash cam video taken during the arrest shows Ulysses Bautista kicking Aaron Soto in the face after Soto spit on Bautista and his partner Luis Zuniga. The McAllen Police Department subsequently fired Bautista for unnecessary force and Zuniga resigned.
District Judge Mario Ramirez also ordered Bautista to pay a $250 fine as part of his sentence.
After being found guilty of the Class A misdemeanor earlier this month, Bautista was facing a possible jail sentence of up to a year and a fine of no more than $4,000.
Before learning his sentence, Bautista told the judge he wanted to go to trial because he felt that he could justify his actions and be acquitted of the charge, giving him an opportunity to return to law enforcement.
