Harris County grand jury declines to indict HPD officers fired over death of Nicolas Chavez

[Judi Lynn]

Briana Zamora-Nipper, Community Associate Producer

Published: September 27, 2021 4:58 pm
Updated: September 27, 2021 10:18 pm


HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A Harris County grand jury declined to indict the Houston police officers fired for their roles in the shooting death of a man who had been experiencing a mental health crisis.

Nicolas Chavez, 27, was killed by police in northeast Houston in April 2020, during a confrontation that was captured on bodycam video and in part on a bystander’s cellphone.

Following an internal affairs investigation, four of the officers who fired their weapons at Chavez during the encounter were fired -- Officers Luis Alvarado, Omar Tapia, Patrick Rubio and Sgt. Benjamin LeBlanc.

“In officer-involved shootings, grand jurors have a range of options, from criminally negligent homicide to murder, and range of defense considerations, including self-defense and defense of a third person,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. “Civil Rights Division prosecutors presented all the evidence to ensure grand jurors were fully informed prior to making a decision,” Ogg said. “Our heart goes out to the Chavez family over the loss of their loved one. We respect the grand jury’s decision.”

More:
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/09/27/harris-county-grand-jury-declines-to-indict-hpd-officers-fired-over-death-of-nicolas-chavez/

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Earlier article:

4 HPD officers fired after unloading 21 shots at man in distress
Friday, September 11, 2020

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Four Houston police officers have been terminated after an internal investigation determined they did not use reasonable force when they fired their weapons 21 times at a man who had been experiencing a mental health crisis, killing him in April after he was already injured and on the ground, the police chief announced Thursday.

During a news conference, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo presented video footage from body cameras that showed 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez, who had already been shot and was bleeding, kneeling on the ground and grabbing a stun gun that had been dropped when the four officers shot him.

Acevedo said although Chavez had picked up the stun gun, the officers had plenty of time to back up and take cover. Chavez was already injured, having been hit by gunfire earlier in his standoff with police. Officers had also fired bean bag rounds and stun guns at him before he was killed.

"Quite frankly, it's inexplicable to me when they had plenty of opportunity to back up and continue to be doing what they were doing for them to stay the line and shoot a man 21 times," Acevedo said. "I cannot defend that."

More:
https://abc13.com/hpd-officers-fired-cops-houston-deadly-shooting/6417172/

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Nicolas Chavez

[exboyfil]

1. Seriously what is he going to do with a deployed taser?

With four cops with guns around?

Beanbag rounds and tasers don't seem an appropriate response to a mental health crisis.