Arbitration underway for suspended WFPD officer
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Arbitration hearings are underway between the Wichita Falls Police Department and a former officer placed on an indefinite suspension.
Ralph Ryan Piper, 50, of Wichita Falls, was placed on indefinite suspension in 2023 after allegations surfaced that he'd been untruthful with WFPD leadership.
This marks the second time in the last decade that Piper has been suspended from the WFPD. In 2016, Piper was placed on indefinite suspension without pay after he was indicted for theft of over $20,000 but under $100,000.
Piper's charge was pending for seven years before his trial was held in January 2023 in the 30th District Court. Piper was acquitted of the charges against him after the jury found him not guilty.
READ MORE: WFPD officer acquitted of theft charges
Shortly after Piper was acquitted, he was reinstated as an officer with the WFPD. However, less than a year later, he was placed on another indefinite suspension. Now, he's fighting to be restored as an officer once again.
An arbitration hearing began on Monday, June 2, 2025, inside the conference room in the City Manager's office, located on the third floor of Big Blue in downtown Wichita Falls.
Diego Peña, an independent third-party mediator based in Arlington, oversaw the hearing. Julia Vasquez, Deputy City Attorney for Wichita Falls, is representing the city and the WFPD during arbitration.
The City called multiple witnesses in the case, including Sgt. John Spragins, who revealed the suspension stemmed from a burglary of a business owned by Piper's father, in which over $60,000 in property was stolen.
Sgt. Spragins testified that Piper was ordered not to be involved in the investigation at all. However, an audit of the department's Record Management System revealed he'd accessed the police report in the case.
Sgt. Spragins testified that Piper adamantly denied accessing his father's case on several occasions, leading to an investigation from internal affairs.
According to testimony from several WFPD officers, the internal investigation revealed that Piper's computer and credentials were used to access the information, and Piper claimed he'd taken a phone call, stepped outside, and left his computer open.
Piper said he didn't search the case, but had no evidence to support his claim, leading WFPD Lt. Joseph Puddu, who led the internal investigation into Piper, to conclude that Piper was being deceptive, which violated WFPD protocol and led to his suspension.
Arbitration is set to continue on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, with more witnesses set to testify, including Manuel Borrego, Chief of Police for the Wichita Falls Police Department.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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