Parents file lawsuit on officers including officer seen in viral video drawing a weapon

Four parents have filed two civil rights lawsuits on behalf of their eight children against five El Paso Police Officers, including the officer seen in the viral video drawing a weapon and pointing it at children.

The news conference happened Tuesday afternoon at the Mariott near the airport.

The two lawsuits allege that Officer Jose Rivas, the officer seen in the viral video, and four other officers violated the Constitutional rights of the parent’s eight children on the July 5 incident caught on camera or a separate incident back in late 2016, according to a statement made by the parents’ spokesperson.

The El Paso police department exonerated Rivas in August clearing him of any charges.

Ron Martin, President of the El Paso police union, says the department did extensive research, even using six civilians to review footage, and assist in the investigation, which reports Rivas was pointing at just one child.

“You can’t see him go back-and-forth he’s looking around he’s not doing that just for the hell of it. His brain is giving him that warning there’s a threat,” said Martin.

Solomon Radner, the attorney for the seven plaintiffs, says he’s not buying that, and that the proof is in the video. Radner says the offenses of officer Rivas aren’t just pointing a gun. He also claims that the officer violated the children and their parents constitutional rights.

“There’s absolutely no excuse for it there’s no justification for it when you’re gone at a group of children and then claiming I was scared I thought they might attack me makes no sense,” said Radner.

In the second incident, which occurred back in November of 2016, Officer Rivas allegedly used excessive force to arrest a teenage girl.

A unnamed female officer also allegedly used excessive force took a house key from the girl’s bra, and two other officers allegedly used that key to enter the girl’s house without a warrant or probable cause.