Slain deputy’s former partner: ‘He was the perfect cop, taken away by evil’

A brother-in-arms says the spirit of Deputy Peter Herrera will live on in the sheriff’s office he so proudly served.

Herrera was shot multiple times during a traffic stop in San Elizario the early morning hours of Friday, March 22, 2019. He succumbed to his wounds two days later.

” We used to call him high-speed because he was always high-speed, ” said Sgt. Ricardo Perales , Herrera’s former partner, ” He would never take a break, even when we were busy, he would continue to do his thing. He was a great cop. ”

Perales told ABC-7 he was with Herrera minutes before the shooting on Chicken Ranch Road. Perales said he and other deputies wanted to relax, go out and get a bite to eat, but Herrera chose to get back to his shift.

” He was the perfect cop, the perfect person and he was taken away because of somebody’s selfishness and basically evil, ” said Perales .

No amount of training could prepare Herrera’s fellow deputies for the upcoming task of bidding their final farewells. ” It is going to be the hardest thing, not only as a supervisor, but as a friend and as a brother to have to endure, ” said Perales .

Some solace can be taken from the example Deputy Herrera set and keeping his spirit alive by following in the footsteps of his leadership.

” We are never going to forget him, ” said Perales , ” He was a joker. He was just fun-loving. ”

The U.S. Honor Flag is on its way from Nebraska to El Paso. According to the Honor Network, the U.S. Honor Flag has paid tribute to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, since Sept. 2001.

Facundo Chavez, the man accused of shooting and killing Deputy Herrera, is facing a slew of charges, including two counts of Capital Murder. El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles said he will ask the district attorney to pursue the death penalty.

Funeral and Memorial Services for Deputy Herrera listed below: