DALLAS — The Dallas police officer who was arrested last week and charged with two counts of capital murder has been fired, the police department said.
Bryan Riser, 36, is accused in the 2017 shooting death of Lisa Saenz and the death of Aubrey Douglas, who was reported missing that year but whose body has never been found.
The Police Department announced the officer’s termination Tuesday and said in a statement that it would not comment further because of an ongoing criminal investigation, NBC News reported.
“We received information from a witness that implicated Riser in both murders,” Police Chief Eddie Garcia said last week, adding that both killings were connected to Riser’s “off-duty” life.
Riser’s firing by the Police Department could be appealed under civil service rules. Jail records show Riser is being held in lieu of $5 million bail.
Toby Shook, Riser’s criminal defense attorney, said Tuesday that Riser is innocent and “was blindsided by the charges.”
Former Chief U. Renee Hall was criticized for allowing Riser to remain on active duty while the investigation developed, Law Officer reported. She said police investigators, in collaboration with the FBI, recommended not placing Riser on administrative leave after he was identified as a person of interest in 2019.
