HPD officer arrested on the job, suspended

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An HPD officer was arrested on the job Tuesday, part of Drug Enforcement Agency investigation out of New Orleans.

Houston police arrested Noe Juarez Tuesday morning during roll call at the central command station at 61 Riesner, according to the FBI. The FBI and DEA were working together in an alleged federal drug probe, serving a warrant out of New Orleans.

Charges against him are sealed until after Juarez's first court appearance, but sources say Juarez was caught escorting a drug cartel across state lines, and apparently he was paid some big money. There are a number people, including law enforcement officers, being investigated, but the FBI wouldn't comment at this time.

Back in February 2008, Juarez was one of three officers involved in a shooting at Northwest Mall that left one officer wounded and a robbery suspect dead.

ABC-13 did some digging and uncovered Juarez was also involved in a lawsuit with the city back in 2007. Local artist Phillip Perez says Jaurez arrested him for no reason.

"I was doing an art workshop at a festival on Westhiemer and he came in and just it down. I was supposed to be there. He told me to stop talking or he was going arrest me. I said I can talk and then he handcuffed me and put me in the back seat," said Perez.

The suit claims Juarez falsely arrested Perez and violated his freedom of speech. His attorney says the city settled the suit for $20,000.

Perez says there are good cops and bad cops.

"There are those few and they'll be caught eventually," Perez said.

Houston police tell us Juarez, who became an officer in September of 1995, was suspended with pay Tuesday. He recently worked traffic enforcement, though spent the majority of his career working out of central patrol.