Mario Alberto Torres

CUSTODIAL DEATH REPORT Agency Information CDR Number: 19-1412-UF Version Type: AMENDED 7/13/2020 10:15 Report Date: Status: Submitted AM Agency/Facility Information Brownsville Police Agency Name: Agency Address: 600 E. Jackson Dept. Agency City: Brownsville Agency State: TX Agency Zip: 78520 Director Information Director Salutation: Chief Director First Name: Felix Director Middle Name: Director Last Name: Sauceda Jr. Reporter Name: Fernando Flores Reporter Email: [email protected] Decedent Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 1 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Identity of Deceased First Name: Mario Middle Name: Alberto Last Name: Torres Suffix: Date of Birth: 11/29/1992 Sex: Male Race: Hispanic or Latino Age At Time Of Death: 27 Date/Time of Custody (arrest, incarceration) (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): Date/Time of Custody or 12/15/2019 2:17 Incident: AM Date/Time of Death (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): 12/15/2019 2:51 Death Date and Time: AM Manner / Cause of Death Has a medical examiner or coroner conducted an evaluation to determine a cause of death? Medical Examiner/Coroner Yes, results are Evaluation?: available What was the manner of death? (select only one) Homicide (includes Manner of Death: Justifiable Custodial Death Report :: Page 2 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Homicide) Medical Cause of Death: Medical Cause of Death: Gunshot wound of the head, was documented as the cause of death on the final autopsy examination report conducted by the Cameron County Forensic Pathology Department. Had the decedent been receiving treatment for the medical condition that caused the death after admission to your jail's jurisdiction? Medical Treatment: Not Applicable If death was an accident, homicide or suicide, who caused the death? Law Who caused the death?: enforcement/correctional personnel If a weapon caused the death, what type of weapon caused the death? (Hold CTRL to select all that apply) Type of weapon that caused Rifle/shotgun death?: Was the cause of death the result of a pre-existing medical condition or did the decedent develop the condition after admission? Not Applicable; cause of death was Pre existing medical accidental injury, condition?: intoxication, suicide or homicide If death was an accident, homicide or suicide, what was the means of death? Means of Death: Firearm Custodial Death Report :: Page 3 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Location / Custody Information Where did the event causing the death occur? Street Address: 674 Florence Ln. City: Brownsville County: Cameron Zip: 78520 What location category best describes where the event causing the death occurred? Location Category: Roadway/highway/street/sidewalk What type of custody/facility was the Decedent in at the time of death: Pre-Custodial Use Type of Custody: of Force Specific type of custody/facility: Specific Type of Custody/Facility: N/A What was the time and date of the deceased's entry into the law enforcement facility where the death occurred (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): Entry Date Time: Entry Date Time N/A: Where did the death occur? Death Location: Scene of incident Custodial Death Report :: Page 4 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- General Information Did any other law enforcement agencies respond to calls for service related to this incident? Other Agencies Respond?: Yes What were the most serious offense(s) with which the deceased was (or would have been) charged with at the time of death? Offense 1: Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant (x3) Offense 2: Discharge of Firearm in Certain Municipalities Offense 3: Not filed at time of Were the Charges:: death What were the types of charges or reason for contact? (Hold CTRL to select all that apply) Type of Offense: Other, specify Type of Offense, Other: Discharge of Firearm in Certain Municipalities At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent display or use a weapon? Decedent display/use of Yes, mark all that weapons: apply Decedent Display or Use Discharged firearm Weapon Details: Custodial Death Report :: Page 5 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Yes (select all that Attempt to Injure Others?: apply) Attempted to injure Ways Decedent Attempted To law enforcement Injure Others: personnel At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Appear intoxicated (alcohol or No Make suicidal statements?: No drugs): Exhibit any mental health No Exhibit any medical problems?: No problems?: At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Barricade self or initiate Resist being handcuffed or Yes Yes standoff?: arrested?: Physically attempt/assault Gain possession of officer's Yes No officer(s): weapon: Verbally threaten other(s) Escape or attempt to No No including law: escape/flee custody: Attempt gain possession No officer's weapon: Was the deceased under restraint in the time leading up to the death or the events causing the death? Under Restraint: No Summary of Incident Summary of How the Death Occurred: (max. 30,000 characters) Summary: The summary set out below is based on information known to date and could be subject to change based on further information. Custodial Death Report :: Page 6 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- On Sunday December 15, 2019, at around 2:08am, the Brownsville Police Department began receiving multiple 911 calls for service in reference to shots fired in the Galaxia neighborhood area. One of the 911 callers advised that he observed a man in the middle of the street discharging a firearm on the 600 block of Florence Ln. Another 911 caller also provided an address on Florence Ln. and stated a male subject shot 6 to 7 rounds (this same caller called back shortly after his initial phone call and reported the male subject shot an additional 10 to 11 rounds). Other 911 callers (14) reported hearing multiple gunshots in the area, to include two callers who described the shots as coming from a large caliber weapon. Emergency Communication Operators immediately dispatched the call for service as additional calls for the same emergency came in. The officers initially dispatched were Officer Rolando Trujillo Jr. #7267, Officer Lucio Cortinas #6833, and Officer Jacqueline Ramirez #8498. The officers responding were driving their clearly marked police vehicles and wearing their clearly marked police uniforms. While en-route, dispatch provided additional information to the officers about the call for service they were responding to from the continuous 911 calls that came in. At around 2:16am, two officers arrived in the area and drove west on Father Mestas Dr. towards Florence Ln. The first officer on scene was Officer Trujillo Jr. directly followed by Officer Cortinas. Both officers pulled over near 1365 Father Mestas Dr. as Officer Trujillo Jr. deployed his rifle. The officers then drove towards the intersection of Father Mestas Dr. & Florence Ln. (Officer Trujillo Jr., followed by Officer Cortinas, with Officer Ramirez slightly behind both officers). As Officer Trujillo Jr. slowly approached the intersection and turned slightly left onto Florence Ln., he observed a male subject walking on Florence Ln. towards his direction holding a midsize black object in his hand. While still sitting on the driver seat with the windows down and attempting to come to a complete stop in order to place the police vehicle in park, Officer Trujillo Jr. yelled at the male subject "show me your hands". Officer Trujillo Jr. then observed a flash in front of the male subject and heard a loud bang. Officer Trujillo Jr. realized he was getting shot at and fired a round at the male subject from the seated position. Officer Trujillo Jr. quickly exited his police unit and yelled "let me see your hands, let me see your hands now, drop it." The male subject ignored Officer Trujillo Jr.'s verbal commands as gunfire was exchanged. The male subject shot multiple rounds towards the direction of Officer Trujillo Jr., the other responding officers (Officer Cortinas & Officer Ramirez) and multiple homes in the area (one of the rounds struck the driver side rear window of Officer Trujillo's police unit). Officer Trujillo Jr. returned fire and shot multiple rounds at the male subject in order to protect himself, his fellow officers, and citizens in the area. He reasonably believed it was immediately necessary to use deadly force to stop the imminent threat and performed his duties. As a result, the male subject was struck by gunfire and collapsed. Officer Trujillo Jr., Officer Cortinas and Officer Ramirez then cautiously approached the male subject. Officer Cortinas removed an assault rifle from the male subject's immediate grasp and radioed dispatch for EMS and a supervisor to location. A U.S. Border Patrol Medic arrived on scene shortly thereafter and provided emergency medical assistance to the male subject until Brownsville EMS arrived on scene. He was later transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center by Brownsville EMS where he succumbed to his wounds and died at 2:51am. He was identified as Mario Alberto Torres. The preliminary Cameron County Forensic Pathology report documented the cause of death as "gunshot wound of the head" (confirmed on final autopsy report, see Manner / Cause of Death). Custodial Death Report :: Page 7 of 7