I-TEAM: Suspect Killed By PD Officer Had Violent History

By ABC-7 News/Web Producer Joe Villasana

EL PASO — Police officials identified the man shot and killed by a police sergeant late Friday night as Ruben Troncoso, 31, of the 3100 block of Rockwall in East El Paso.

A police sergeant had to resort to deadly force to keep Troncoso from endangering pedestrians near the popular Cincinnati Street Entertainment District shortly before Midnight Friday.

“We have some witnesses — that we’ve learned through the investigation — that remember people having to scatter in an attempt to avoid being hit,” said El Paso Police Spokesman Javier Sambrano. “At that moment, due to the continous dangerous actions that Troncoso was placing people in, the sergeant felt no other choice but to discharge his weapon in an attempt to end the threat against other citizens.”

An ABC-7 I-Team investigation revealed Troncoso had a violent history that included several run-ins with the law.

Court documents show Troncoso threatened police officers on two separate occasions in January and February of this year. Those cases had yet to go to trial.

In 2003 — Troncoso was convicted on a charge of Assault Causing Bodily Injury in two separate cases of family-related violence.

In addition to the 2004 family violence charge — Troncoso was also convicted on a charge of making a “terroristic threat.”

That same year, Troncoso was also convicted of Driving While Intoxicated.

According to Sambrano, Troncoso was stopped by a police officer near the intersection of Pebble Hills and Lee Trevino. Troncoso allegedly sped away and led officers to the area near his home at the 3100 block of Rockwall.

Sambrano said a police officer had already been dispatched to the residence and Troncoso attempted to run over the officer with his 2009 Ford Mustang.

Police officers were ordered to stand down and Troncoso allegedly fled to the Lower Valley. He was spotted near the 7400 Block of Phoenix near the El Paso Community College Valle Verde Campus. According to Sambrano, a caller in the area reported Troncoso as “suicidal” and confirmed the suspect had two rifles inside his Mustang.

Troncoso once again managed to flee and led police to the intersection of Dale and North Loop in the Lower Valley. At that location, several motorists called police to report that a suspect — later identified as Troncoso — was pointing a rilfe out of his car at oncoming traffic.

Police officials said Troncoso then led them to east-central El Paso near Bassett Place. Officers were forced to use tire-deflation devices to blow out the tires of Troncoso’s Mustang. Still, he failed to stop for police officers and drove onto I-10 West, police officials said.

That’s when he led officers to the intersection of Executive and North Mesa in the West Side. Sambrano said the EPPD Sergeant chasing Troncoso ordered him to stop several times. The officer was forced to shoot him near the intersection of Cincinnati and Robinson.

Sambrano did not specify how many shots the officer fired but did confirm both the police unit and the Mustang were in motion when the shots were fired. All of the shots fired were accounted for and no pedestrians were hurt as a result of the incident, Sambrano added.

The EPPD’s Crimes Against Persons Unit, the Internal Affairs Department and the District Attorney’s Office are all conducting an investigation into the incident.