Mother plans to file civil lawsuit against EPPD officer seen in viral video
The mother of the two teenagers seen being taken into custody in a viral video that shows an El Paso Police officer pointing a gun at a group of kids told ABC-7 she plans to file a civil lawsuit against the officer.
Elizabeth Flores says she doesn’t agree with a review board’s decision to clear Officer Jose Rios of wrongdoing. Flores said she and a group of parents plan to sue Rios, but not the police department, in civil court.
On July 5, 2018, Officer Rios was called to an apartment complex at 6719 Sambrano after a caller reported four juveniles were inside a vacant apartment unit. When officer Rios detained a group of suspect juveniles near the scene, a larger group children approached the officer, hurled insults and refused to obey the officer’s orders.
During the incident, police took Flores’ two sons, Julian and Jacob Saucedo, into custody. As the group of belligerent teens began to walk near or behind officer Rios, he momentarily pulled out his service weapon and pointed it at the kids. The officer then immediately holstered his weapon.
Julian Saucedo, 17, was eventually charged with resisting arrest. No charges were filed against Jacob Saucedo, 16.
Flores maintains Officer Rios choked her son, telling ABC-7 she witnessed it with her own eyes. “I saw him and God is going to punish him,” Flores said. “I don’t care that they say that he didn’t do it. They weren’t there to see it, but I saw it, the kids saw it and God saw it.”
El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said neither witnesses, nor videos, shown to the review board supported Flores’ claim that her son was choked.
The board’s finding that Officer Rios felt threatened is another thing Flores takes issue with. “He’s making excuses,” Flores says. “He knew what he did was wrong. He thought I caught him on camera choking him, that’s why he tried to run after us. Why would you do that if you didn’t have a guilty conscience?”
