ONLY ON ABC-7: El Paso family believes police altercation was racially motivated

In April 2017, Pastor Eddie Sinegal received a startling picture of his son, Albert.

“Almost unrecognizable to me,” Pastor Sinegal told ABC-7. “I almost didn’t recognize my own son.”​

In that picture, his son’s face was extremely swollen. After an altercation with El Paso police, Albert’s family said their unarmed son walked away with bruised ribs and a concussion. Police reports say officers tased him multiple times.

“We want to make sure that this kind of behavior doesn’t continue to happen not just in the city of El Paso, but anywhere in this country,” Pastor Sinegal said.

Both sides agree on this: Albert Sinegal and his younger brother were traveling in separate cars through downtown El Paso. Police pulled over his younger brother for driving while using a cell phone, so Albert exited his own vehicle.

According to the police report, Albert Sinegal showed an “aggressive fighting stance” and a “verbal challenge to officers,” which they perceived as an “immediate threat.”

“In this case, you have a young man who is complying with officers,” said Joshua Spencer, Sinegal’s attorney. “He’s on the opposite end of the road – not armed – just watching his brother. They’re in his face. Albert was not going to leave because he wasn’t going to leave his brother behind.”​​​​​​​

According to the police report, Sinegal tried to take the taser from the officer. However, the Sinegals say there is no video to prove that.

“We don’t believe that it’s just ironic that there’s no video,” Pastor Sinegal said. “There’s no video for us to review.”

“Without a doubt,” Paster Sinegal said he believes the incident was racially motivated.

All charges against his son were dismissed last year, including interfering with public duties, attempting to take a weapon from a peace officer, assaulting a public servant and six charges of resisting arrest.

Albert Sinegal is a father, an athlete and a college graduate.

His father said he wants the city to pay and see the officers involved disciplined: Officer Chad Corpuz, Officer Peter Fonte, Officer H. Encisco, Officer R. Hernandez, Officer D. Mendoza and Officer R. Lincoln.

“Training of officers would teach them that you’re going to meet all kinds of people in the community,” Pastor Sinegal said. “You need not judge a book, so to speak, by its cover.”