Family sues over fatal shooting of Texas man, seeks release of videos of shooting
The family of a Texas man who was fatally shot by two Bexar County sheriff’s deputies last August has filed a wrongful death suit against the county, the sheriff’s office and the two deputies.
The suit, filed Monday by the family of Gilbert Flores, alleges that officers used excessive force and that Flores’ civil rights were violated, the Associated Press reports.
The two deputies were responding to a domestic disturbance when Flores was shot. The lawsuit says Flores had already given himself up when he was shot.
“The deadly force used by defendants [Greg] Vasquez and [Robert] Sanchez against the decedent was unjustified and objectively unreasonable under any circumstances,” the suit says.
The shooting was recorded on at least two videos, one of which shows Flores had his arms raised when he was shot. A second video, which the AP said shows Flores holding a knife, has not been released by the sheriff’s department.
“Mr. Flores’ actions in surrendering with his hands raised, with or without a knife, reflected that there was no immediate danger of bodily injury to the officers or others,” the suit says.
The suit also seeks a court order directing the sheriff to release all video and audio recordings of the shooting in their original forms.
A spokesman for the sheriff’s office said he couldn’t comment on pending litigation.
