ONLY ON ABC-7: Autopsy results of man who died in October officer-involved shooting
The autopsy of Richard Palafox, the man who died following an officer-involved shooting at the Pebble Hills Regional Command Center in October, states he was shot eight times.
“People are under this assumption that we can just stand back and shoot it out of their hand. that’s not how we do it, said Ron Martin, president of the El Paso Municipal Police Officers Association.
According to the autopsy report ABC-7 obtained he was shot once in the cheek, chest and back; twice in his left arm; and three times in the right arm.
“Our training. we do not shoot to wound. If we are going to use deadly force it’s to stop the threat,” said Martin. “Center mass, which basically hits all your main organs, all the way into your head area, which will take out your spine and stop the brain from functioning.”
A police report ABC-7 obtained detailing the incident states that on October 10, El Paso police said they received a call of a “suicidal subject” in the parking lot, who was armed in a car.
Since the incident, El Paso PD has started deploying the Crisis Intervention Team to work calls dealing with mental health situations.
“All of our officers on our entire force are trained in mental illness awareness so we’re familiar with that,” said Martin. “But the problem is just because you’re mentally unstable doesn’t mean that an officer has to shoot a round or two just to calm you down.”
Officers said when they arrived at the scene they saw authorities approaching the car Palafox was inside of at “gun point,” the report states.
Palafox fired a gun prompting the additional responding officers to fire back, according to the document.
Three officers fired shots, and were put on desk duty, which is standard practice, according to law enforcement officials.
Martin said he has seen officers break down after officer-involved shootings.
“After taking a human life, something in their soul, brain or whatever religious belief you have, told them ‘I can’t do this anymore,'” said Martin. “In a critical incident you are mandated by the chief to seek counseling.”
No officers were wounded.
Texas Rangers are investigating, which is protocol during an officer-involved shooting.
