Protesters in El Paso seek police reforms
Protesters gathered Monday outside El Paso City Hall to demand an end to police brutality, focusing on the death of Erik Salas-Sanchez, who was killed by a police officer in 2015.
The Border Network for Human Rights organized the protest, which began at 11:30 a.m. Monday in front of City Hall, 300 N. Campbell St. The demonstration centered on the El Paso Police Department, which protesters said has a “long history of unnecessary use of force.”
The demonstration came as thousands have taken to the streets to protest the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, 46, who died while being detained by four Minneapolis Police Department officers. The four officers have been charged in Floyd’s death. A white police officer held his knee on the black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
The protest Monday keyed on Salas-Sanchez, who was killed by El Paso police officer Mando Kenneth
Gomez on April 29, 2015, at Salas-Sanchez’s home in the 300 block of Jesuit Drive, Border Network for Human Rights executive director Fernando Garca said.
“The key points we are bringing is justice for George Floyd, but also, specifically, we want to bring attention to the case of Erik Salas-Sanchez — an El Pasoan who was killed in 2015 by an officer with the El Paso Police Department,” Garca said. “A federal court case was filed about a month ago explaining how a climate of impunity has been created in the El Paso Police Department.”
Salas-Sanchez, who court documents say was mentally ill, was killed after he had illegally entered a neighbor’s home, fled the scene and returned to his own home.
Gomez, along with officers Alberto Rivera and Pamela Smith, went to Salas-Sanchez’s home, where they claimed that he had a gun in his hand and lunged at them, which led to Gomez shooting him. An investigation revealed that the item in Salas-Sanchez’s
hand was a brake pad.
Gomez was acquitted of manslaughter in the death by a jury in October.
In 2017, Salas-Sanchez’s family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging their son’s death was part of a pattern of excessive force used against mentally ill residents by El Paso police.
The officers involved in the shooting, along with the city of El Paso, are named in the lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Philip Martinez ruled earlier this year that there was enough evidence to move forward with a civil suit and a jury should decide if officers acted with excessive force and whether there is lack of training and a pattern by El Paso police Chief Greg Allen of allowing officers to use excessive force. Allen has led the department since 2008.