City pays El Paso family $600,000 for 2015 tasing death of suicidal man

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Ramirez family is getting $600,000 from the City of El Paso to settle a civil suit connected to the June 23, 2015 tasing death of their son, Daniel.

The judge overseeing the case cleared the way for a trial last year. That trial was expected to begin next month. This settlement means the city can avoid a lengthy trial in which lawyers would have extensively discussed the El Paso Police Department's practices.

The family's lawyers argue that the officer accused of killing Ramirez used force that was unconstitutional and failed to call in specialized mental health units. They also accused the department of failing to properly train its officer to interact with people suffering from mental health crises and failing to discipline officers accused of using excessive force.

According to the family's lawyers, Daniel's mother called 911 after he threatened to take his own life. When the officer arrived, he found Daniel holding a rope, second-guessing his decision to die. The city says the officer ran up and used a stun gun on Daniel, causing his muscles and the rope to tense, killing him.

The officer later testified he believed he heard the dispatcher say that Daniel had a weapon and believed his use of the stun gun was justified. No other officer said they remembered hearing that Daniel had a weapon, and a recording revealed the dispatcher never mentioned a weapon, instead telling officers at least three times that Daniel had a rope.

Former Police Chief Greg Allen reviewed the case and decided the officer's actions lined up with department policies. The officer was not disciplined.

ABC-7 has reached out to the city for comment on the settlement.