Newly released video shows an El Paso police officer fatally shooting a prisoner in 2013.
The El Paso Times reports that the City of El Paso released the video on an order from the Texas Attorney General. The video was taken at El Paso County Jail, and shows a struggle between prisoner Daniel Saenz, officer Jose Flores and an unidentified guard.
Saenz, a bodybuilder, allegedly assaulted an off-duty officer on March 8, 2013. He was taken to the county jail but needed medical attention after police said he repeatedly banged his head against a doorway, according to CLEAT, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.
The video picks up as a shirtless Saenz is being dragged away in handcuffs to be taken for medical treatment by Flores and the guard. According to a statement by CLEAT, Saenz had been Tasered five times throughout the course of the day but continued to resist.
The El Paso Times reports:
When Saenz pushes off the guard, Flores draws his Glock semi-automatic handgun from his right holster. The guard moves away and Flores fires a single gunshot.
Flores then holsters his gun, pulls his yellow Taser and gets atop of Saenz, who is face down, bleeding from a shoulder and continues to kick for a few seconds until he stops moving as blood spreads on the ground.
According to Fox El Paso, CLEAT said in a statement that the unnamed guard hit the officer's hand, which caused the gun to fire. The shot struck Saenz in his left shoulder, and the bullet entered his chest.
Saenz was treated but later died from his injury at a hospital. Autopsy results show Saenz had dimethylamylamine in his system when he died. Dimethylamylamine, or DMAA, is a stimulant found illegally in certain dietary supplements, and some formulations of the synthetic drug known as bath salts.
The video was presented to a grand jury in February, which decided not to charge Flores with a crime. Flores is currently on leave.
His attorney called the shooting "a very unfortunate situation," according to a separate report form Fox El Paso.
Clarification: Language has been amended to more accurately characterize the uses of DMAA.
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