El Paso begins compensation for family of young man killed by police in 2015

EL PASO, TX – The El Paso City Council has approved a settlement agreement to resolve the lawsuit filed by the Salas-Sanchez family, initiating a process of compensation to those affected and the implementation of improvements to law enforcement.

The family filed the complaint when Erik Salas-Sanchez, 22 years old and originally from El Paso, Texas was shot in 2015 by a police officer. Seven years after the incident, those affected reached a settlement with authorities and would receive a payment of up to $1.2 million in damages.

“We have reviewed the totality of the circumstances and believe settling this case is in the best interest of all parties. We are committed to moving forward and beginning the healing process for all involved,” said city attorney Karla Nieman.

She added that the settlement does not constitute an ‘admission or indication of wrongdoing’ on the part of the officers, however, the case has been taken as an opportunity to learn and improve public safety services in the community.

Greg Allen, chief of the police department indicated that the council’s decision to settle was understandable. “The city continues to reform public safety policies and procedures in the interest of our community, as we outlined on Monday, March 28 during the Safe City cross-functional team presentation,” he said.

The El Paso Police Department continues to seize the opportunity to continuously learn and improve to exceed community expectations.

Public safety results over the past seven years include implementing a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT); improving officer training; transitioning the Police Academy to a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Model (TCOLE); funding body cameras with state, federal and local funds; and updating use of force policies, among other factors.

The city reported that it has also worked with community members, including members of the Border Network for Human Rights Police Accountability Taskforce, to develop and expand public safety improvements.

In addition, it was noted that the work of the El Paso Disciplinary Review Board and the Shooting Review Board continues to be analyzed to address challenges, identify and implement best practices to enhance community outreach.

Source: MEXICONOW Staff