County settles civil lawsuit tied to a 2008 shooting
El Paso County leaders have settled a lawsuit tied to a 2008 shooting.
Juan Ortegon was shot by El Paso Deputy Constable Mario Ramos in August 2008. In March, Ramos was acquitted of wrongdoing in criminal court. Shortly after the acquittal, Ortegon filed a civil lawsuit.
ABC-7 reported a preliminary deal struck during the first week of June.
During Monday’s Commissioner Court meeting, the case was discussed behind closed doors before any announcement was made.
After talking with county legal staff, Commissioners agreed to settle the case. The county attorney told ABC-7 that the amount of the settlement was $600,000.
Ramos shot Ortegon on August 16, 2008, in what Ramos described as a traffic stop that turned sour. According to federal documents, Ramos crashed into Ortegon’s vehicle.
In 2008, an eyewitness told ABC-7 that she saw Ortegon get out of his vehicle with his hands up and back to Ramos. That’s when, Ortegon claims in those federal documents, Ramos shot him in the rear end and the back.
According to ABC-7 archives, Ramos was also accused of beating two men during a traffic stop. He was also accused of using excessive force while working for the Department of Public Safety, the Anthony Police Department and the Socorro police department.
