DALLAS – An officer with the Dallas Police Department (DPD) has been arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder.

According to a news release from the department, Officer Bryan Riser was arrested and taken to the Dallas County Jail Thursday morning. The charges stem from two separate homicides that took place in 2017. 

"We received information through a witness that implicated Riser in both murders," said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia. 

On March 10, 2017, 30-year-old Liza Saenz was found dead in the Trinity River close by Sante Fe Avenue. She was reportedly shot multiple times. The second murder took place Aug. 14, 2017. Police say the victim was kidnapped and later killed on Riser's order. 

"The witness also stated that Riser instructed him to kidnap and murder a second victim by the name of Albert Douglas," Garcia said. "Mr. Douglas was reported missing by his family in February of 2017. According to witnesses, he was also kidnapped and murdered in the 200 block of Sante Fe Avenue. Unfortunately, his body was never recovered."

During a Thursday press conference, Garcia said Riser had a relationship with one of the victims, which was uncovered during the investigation which the Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting the department with. The motives for the murders remain unknown at this time. 

"We’re conducting an administrative investigation as quickly as possible and moving forward towards termination," said Garcia. "I can’t make it more clearer than that. This individual has no business wearing this uniform, and that’s not just me says police chief. I guarantee you every man and woman that wears this uniform and does this job honorably does not want anyone tarnishing our badge."

Riser, who has been with the department since 2008, was also placed on administrative leave pending an Internal Affairs Investigation.

"We will be looking at the activity that he conducted as a police officer and his arrests as well to ensure that was nothing there visible and take a look at those arrests as well," said Garcia. 

Garcia told the audience that the department "wants to be as thorough as possible" with the investigation which is still ongoing and in the early stages. 

"We hire from the human race," he said. "There’s not a police chief in America that can look you in the eye and tell you that there aren’t officers in the organization that have no business wearing this uniform and the important thing about it is that we need to find those individuals and when we find them it’s the actions that we take that I believe all of us need to be judged by." 

This is a developing story; more updates will be added as available.