PD Chief: Review board will examine IA findings into officer who pointed gun at kids

In a video posted on the City of El Paso’s Twitter account Thursday evening, El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen urged the public for patience as the internal affairs department investigates the incident involving an El Paso Police officer and a group of juveniles.

According to a complaint affidavit filed against Julian Saucedo, on July 5, 2018, Officer J. Rios was called to an apartment complex at 6719 Sambrano after a caller reported four juveniles were inside a vacant apartment unit. When Rios detained a group of suspect juveniles near the scene, the group hurled insults at the officer and refused to cooperate. Brothers Julian and Jacob Saucedo were taken into custody. As the group of teens began to walk near or behind Officer Rios, he momentarily pulled out his service weapon and pointed it at the kids.

El Paso Chief of Police discusses investigation process and review board. pic.twitter.com/KbCyLfToR3

— City of El Paso (@ElPasoTXGov) July 12, 2018

Julian Saucedo was eventually charged with interfering with a police investigation. He has since been released on a personal recognizance bond. The EPPD said the officer involved has been placed on desk duty, but stopped short of identifying the officer as the J. Rios mentioned in the Saucedo affidavit. Other documents obtained by ABC-7 identify the officer as Jose Rivas.

Allen Thursday said an “expited investigation by internal affairs is underway” and that “extra resources have been added to the investigation.”

The police chief said investigators are getting statements from witnesses and officers, “but this is a time consuming process.”

Allen said the findings will be presented to a review board consisting of five police officers and five members of the community. The findings will be presented to the police chief, then made available to the public.

In the video, Allen also explained why the complaint affidavit for Saucedo did not mention the officer pointed his service weapon at the group of juveniles. “The officer’s actions are not part of that affidavit … the facts included in the affidavit only pertain to the person being arrested,” Allen said.

The fact of the weapon being pulled and pointed have been documented in the “overall police report documenting the event,” Allen said.