The former president of the Dallas Police Association is giving up his peace officer license after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor tied to a deadly car crash last year.
Jaime Castro pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a police officer. In addition to giving up his badge, Castro will have to pay a fine and serve one year of probation.
The plea came almost exactly a year after the crash resulted in the death of 25-year-old Atianna Washington. On March 15, she was hit while attempting to cross a dimly lit stretch of West Northwest Highway near Harry Hines Boulevard. Castro was a passenger in the vehicle.
After the crash, Washington’s family told CBS News Texas that police told them the crash was a hit-and-run. However, DPD said in a public statement that the driver remained at the scene. The family said the driver was Castro’s girlfriend, and they felt that the officers were trying to cover it up.
Both DPD and the DPA placed Castro on leave while investigating his actions at the scene of the crash. John Snider, an attorney representing Castro, said in a statement at the time that they “fully expected that the department’s review will determine that all procedures and protocols were followed in a professional manner.”
Castro retired from DPD in January.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said Friday that DPD’s initial investigation of the crash was incomplete.Â
“Were there other crimes committed or criminal liability stemming from the original offense, unfortunately, we may never know despite our exhaustive efforts to find the truth,” he said.
Creuzot also thanked Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux, who took over the department during the investigation, for continuing work to address the incident.
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