El Paso officer found not guilty of manslaughter in deadly shooting of Lower Valley man in back

An El Paso police officer was found not guilty of manslaughter Thursday afternoon in the deadly shooting of a Lower Valley man in the back in 2015.

It was the second trial for Officer Mando Gomez; his first trial earlier this year ended in a mistrial after a prosecutor collapsed in court.

Gomez had been charged in the shooting death of Erik Emmanuel Salas Sanchez, which happened when police responded to a domestic incident.

Gomez, who has been on administrative duty since the shooting more than five years ago, maintained he shot the man because he felt threatened — although prosecutors had pointed out that Sanchez was shot in the back.

He is believed to be the first El Paso officer ever indicted on charges stemming from an on-duty shooting.

The El Paso Police Department declined to comment on the acquittal.

KVIA 2019