It happened in March 2013 when Daniel Rodrogi Saenz was detained at a supermarket for “erratic behaviour”, he was later shot and killed by El Paso Police officer Jose Flores.
Saenz was taken to a medical facility for medical attention, where he allegedly assaulted an off-duty police officer and medical staff.
This led to him being officially placed under arrest and taken to jail.
Police State Daily reports:
Officers say Saenz continued to act aggressively toward them, and was combative with other inmates. According to reports, Saenz also struck his own head against a door in attempt to injure himself.
Police say Saenz had not been stopped by earlier attempts to subdue him with a taser, and had reportedly demonstrated the capability of reversing his handcuffed arms to the front of his body which, along with his body-builder strength, made police deem him a “serious threat.”
In the video below, as Saenz is being removed from jail, he remains non-compliant. During his struggle with the officers, Officer Flores is thrown off the prisoner while attempting to restrain him. Flores does not take this well. He reaches for his gun, and shoots the man through the shoulder, killing him.
Shooting and preceding scuffle occurs at 18:06. Warning, Graphic:
Law enforcement spokesmen from the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texassaid this in a statement:
Flores drew his handgun because “Saenz could quickly front his cuffs and turn them into a deadly weapon, given his considerable strength, agility and demonstrated resistance to the Taser … At the same moment Officer Flores draws his weapon, Mr. Saenz pushes off on that curb and, with remarkable strength, sends the civilian escort flying backwards. The civilian escort’s arm then hits the trigger hand of Officer Flores, causing his weapon to discharge.”
Saenz was a competitive bodybuilder and trainer known at gyms across El Paso. An autopsy report said he was 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighed 217 pounds. The autopsy did not find cocaine, PCP or other hard drugs in his system but reported that Saenz tested positive dimethylamylamine, or DMAA, a substance found in both workout supplements and bath salts — synthetic stimulants that can cause paranoia, panic attacks and impaired perception of reality.
Accidental discharge? What do you think?
Earlier this year a grand jury declined to charge Flores. The city’s attorney’s has argued that the video should not have been released citing the “privacy of the deceased” as the primary reason.
The El Paso Police Department denied Police State Daily requests for comment in light of the videos public release, referring us instead to previously released statements.
