Pablo Alejandro Perez

CUSTODIAL DEATH REPORT Agency Information ORIGINAL CDR Number: PA16155C Version Type: VERSION Report Date: 4/15/2016 1:02 PM Status: Submitted Agency/Facility Information Houston Police Agency Name: Agency Address: 1200 Travis Dept. Agency City: Houston Agency State: TX Agency Zip: 77002 Director Information Director Salutation: Acting Chief Director First Name: Martha Director Middle Name: I. Director Last Name: Montalvo Off SA Reyes(Info Reporter Name: Reporter Email: [email protected] provided by Sgt K Tolls) Decedent Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 1 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Identity of Deceased First Name: Pablo Middle Name: Alejandro Last Name: Perez Suffix: Date of Birth: 1/23/1995 Sex: Male Race: Age At Time Of Death: 21 Date/Time of Custody (arrest, incarceration) (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): Date/Time of Custody or 3/20/2016 10:55 Incident: PM Date/Time of Death (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): 3/20/2016 11:30 Death Date and Time: PM 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) Custodial Death Report :: Page 2 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Accidental injury to Manner of Death: self Medical Cause of Death: Medical Cause of Death: Drowning 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? Who caused the death?: Deceased 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 Not Applicable 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: Other Location / Custody Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 3 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Where did the event causing the death occur? Street Address: 1000 Commerce St. City: Houston County: Harris Zip: What location category best describes where the event causing the death occurred? Location Category: What type of custody/facility was the Decedent in at the time of death: Police Custody Type of Custody: (pre-booking) Specific type of custody/facility: Specific Type of Custody/Facility: Custody of Peace Officer during/fleeing arrest 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? At the crime/arrest Death Location: scene General Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 4 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- Did any other law enforcement agencies respond to calls for service related to this incident? Other Agencies Respond?: 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: Evading arrest of detention in a vehicle Offense 2: 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: 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 weapons: At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Attempt to Injure Others?: At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Appear intoxicated (alcohol or Yes Make suicidal statements?: drugs): Exhibit any mental health Exhibit any medical problems?: problems?: 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: Barricade self or initiate Resist being handcuffed or No standoff?: arrested?: Physically attempt/assault Gain possession of officer's officer(s): weapon: Verbally threaten other(s) Escape or attempt to including law: escape/flee custody: Attempt gain possession 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: Houston Police Officer S. Running, while on official duty, observed a suspicious vehicle in the 2400 block of San Jacinto in Houston, Harris County. He attempted a vehicle stop on the vehicle, a white Lincoln Town Car. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop and fled northbound on San Jacinto. The driver continued until he reached Commerce and then turned west. He continued to Milam where he turned north. Milam is a one way street that runs south through downtown. The driver, apparently aware that he had gone the wrong way on a one way street, appeared to attempt a U-turn. He then apparently changed his mind and decided to abandon his vehicle, which he did as the vehicle was still moving. The vehicle continued, running off of the road and hitting a small tree adjacent to University of Houston Downtown. The driver, a Hispanic male in his early 20’s, had jumped from his vehicle on the portion of Milam that is a bridge crossing over Buffalo Bayou. Here he ran a short way south then went up to the rail on the side of the bridge. He slid over the side of the bridge and fell to the water below. Officer Running was joined in the pursuit by Officer J. Allen and V. Lagunas, riding in a two man unit. They were secondary in the pursuit and observed as the driver jumped from the vehicle. Another two man unit, with Officer K. Rogers and J. Kilty on board pulled up to the scene just as the driver exited the vehicle. All five of these officers observed the driver throw his leg over the rail of the bridge on Milam St. and jump to the water below. The driver, observed to be a Hispanic male possibly in his early 20’s jumped off the bridge on the north side of Milam. The current of the bayou pulled him east. Several officers ran down the embankment after the male. Due to the swift current of the bayou, this changed from a pursuit to a rescue operation. The officers' concern was to get him out of the cold, fast moving water. The male floated a short ways in the water until he was able to grab hold of a piece of wood sticking up out of the water. A water rescue rope was thrown to the male and he was directed to grab hold of it. He did and proceeded to wrap it around his neck. Officers were careful not to pull on the rope due to this. The male laid in the water refusing to come out. He wasn’t in deep water, estimated by some to be knee deep. He lay down in the water refusing to follow officers’ verbal commands to exit the water. He was speaking with officers and it was reported that his speech was slurred as if he was intoxicated on either Custodial Death Report :: Page 6 of 7 --- PAGE BREAK --- alcohol or marijuana. Several other officers came to the scene to assist. This included Officers K. Clopton, J. Martin, Sgt. C. Sedita and Sgt. S. Jewell. In addition Officers C. Nguyen and N. Byrd with the HPD CRU assisted in attempting to recover the male from the water. After about 30 minutes from the male jumping in the water, HFD made the scene with a water rescue boat. They launched the boat in an attempt to rescue the male from the water. HFD requested that an officer accompany HFD personnel in the boat so Sgt. Sedita did so. They threw him a life ring which he initially grabbed hold of. As the boat approached closer he let go of the life ring and floated out into the rapid flowing water. He bobbed up and down out of the water, which appeared to some to be on purpose in an attempt to evade capture. At one point the boat was about 10 - 15 feet from him, but he refused to grab a hold of the life ring they repeatedly threw to him. The man eventually slipped under the surface of the water and never came back up. Officers remained at the location for about 45 minutes searching the banks and navigating the bayou in the rescue boat in an attempt to locate and rescue the man but he never resurfaced. The man was later presumed to be Pablo A. Perez, the registered owner of the white Town Car. In speaking with Perez’s mother, he was last seen on Sunday night and had not returned home. At the time of the initial report, Perez had not been located or recovered from the water. On March 25, 2016 Perez was found dead in Buffalo Bayou near 700 N. Drennan. The HPD Dive team was called in to remove Perez from the water. He was transported to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences for autopsy. HCIFS was able to positively identify him as Pablo Perez, DOB 1/23/1995. As of the date of this letter, the autopsy has not been finalized and is still pending a final ruling as to manner and cause of death. Custodial Death Report :: Page 7 of 7