A former Texas police officer previously fired over disturbing misconduct allegations is now serving as a police chief in a small South Texas town.
Matthew Luckhurst, formerly with the San Antonio Police Department, was dismissed following incidents in 2016 that drew national attention.
According to reports, Luckhurst allegedly placed dog feces between slices of bread inside a Styrofoam container and left it near a sleeping homeless man in downtown San Antonio. The man did not consume the sandwich.
Luckhurst later stated that he intended for the individual to throw the container away and not eat it.
Around the same time, additional allegations surfaced claiming Luckhurst had used a women’s restroom at a bike patrol unit facility and smeared a brown substance on a toilet seat.
Following these incidents, the San Antonio Police Department terminated his employment.
Luckhurst appealed the decision and briefly regained his position in 2019, but in 2020 an arbitrator upheld his termination, ending his employment with SAPD.
Despite this history, Luckhurst was hired as an officer in Benavides, Texas, in 2023.
On April 30, 2026, the Benavides City Council voted to promote him to police chief, and he officially assumed the role on June 1st.
Benavides is a small community of approximately 1,100 residents, located about 150 miles south of San Antonio. Luckhurst’s reported pay is $28 per hour.
The appointment has drawn attention and raised questions about hiring standards and oversight in smaller law enforcement agencies.
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