A fired San Antonio police officer awaiting trial on the allegation he raped a woman while on duty is now the subject of a civil lawsuit.
The suit — which also names the city, the San Antonio Police Department and Chief William McManus — seeks compensation for emotional anguish, medical expenses and pain and suffering resulting from the alleged rape that then-Officer Raymond Ramos is charged with committing Nov. 11, 2007.
Ramos, 30, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. He is currently free on bail and is set to appear in court in January.
Ramos was arrested in December 2007 after an internal investigation was launched when a woman, 30, complained she was raped when the officer stopped her as she was walking along Somerset Road near Pitluck Avenue.
Upon dumping the contents of the woman's purse onto the hood of his patrol car, Ramos found cocaine, heroin and syringes, the woman said. She said he then took her to Golden Park and had her use some of the drugs to calm down before raping her, then let her go, according to court documents.
“The facts of this case are just horrendous,” attorney Neil Calfas said. “It's just an egregious case.”
The lawsuit alleges the city also is liable because the officer should have been better trained and supervised. A Police Department spokesperson deferred comment to the city attorney's office.
Winning such a lawsuit against a city is generally difficult unless the plaintiff can prove the actions were part of a custom or policy, City Attorney Michael Bernard said. That certainly wasn't the case here, he said.
“Obviously, we take immediate action when these types of things are brought forward,” Bernard said. “Any criminal act like that is beyond the scope of an officer.”
The suit was initially filed in state district court, but last week attorneys for the city filed documents in federal court asking that it be transferred there.
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