After responding to a domestic violence call, Gilbert Flores told Bexar County (San Antonio) police that he wanted to die. They obliged him (after trying to talk down the knife- and chair-wielding man and, according to the linked report, unsuccessfully trying to knock him down with a Taser). This video was taken by neighbors across the street and was released after a grand jury cleared deputies Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez this week . . .

“If you only saw that second video, in my opinion, I think there would have been an indictment,” said Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood. “But we present everything, from the 911 tapes to everything.”

Roger that. Flores’s hands were in the air when the shots rang out.

“The 911 audio, when you hear that, you’ll get what I mean,” LaHood said. “You have a man saying he wanted to die by police officer, suicide by cop, he had been violent to his wife and to a baby and his mom was crying. It’s not a flattering 911 tape of the deceased.”

No doubt. But that video tape isn’t flattering of the officers actions either. A federal law suit has been filed on behalf of the family.

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31 COMMENTS

  1. I am not seeing how anything in any context could justify shooting that man at the point on the video when he was shot. When he was going for the cop car? Sure. When he was running around swinging his arms? Maybe. But at that point? Nope.

      • +1

        When people are distraught the police should look to deescalate the situation and realize the person is in distress. If they comply and put their hands up and then police still shoot, its bullshit. Nothing in this video seems to justify the shoot, he didn’t charge the officers. These officers probably would have shot any dogs in the general area for “officer safety”

        Looks like bad shoot

    • He was rampaging for at least a full minute on that one video and it looked like he grabbed something from his rear waist at one point. Just looking at that video he appeared irrational, uncontrollable and dangerous.

      • Which does not excuse the shooting AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING.

        And what I see in the “rampage” is some clown stomping in circles, flapping his arms, and daring the cops to shoot him.

        And what’s your definition of ‘dangerous’?
        At what point in the video does he appear to be a danger to anybody other than himself?

        • That is my definition of oxygen thief. Just had a murder suicide here on Thanksgiving. The husband shot his wife 5 times with a .44 magnum, two of those shots were to the head. Then he killed himself. I would like to lie and say we were surprised when it happened. Truth is nobody was surprised, if anything it was half expected. The male had attacked his wife and children several times. Each time the wife refused to testify against him and the state’s case would fall apart with not witness. When people start doing stuff like this it often gets quite bad. We can all call it what we want to.

          I read time and again about how we have too many dangerous people running around. I read about how the criminal justice system is a joke. I read about how criminals have more laws protecting them then their victims. Now comes a situation where a man has abused his family and is running around acting a fool and gets what he had coming. No, he did not get a trial; he got Justice.

        • Uh, how about the time when he goes to the police vehicle and we can’t see what he is doing with his hands, when he reaches into his waistband for two examples in the first minute of a cell phone video taken from a very long distance away?

        • Dev, is everybody dangerous because you can’t see if they’re doing anything?

          It sounds like something a trigger happy cop would say:
          1. I couldn’t see his hands so I had to kill him.
          2. I ordered him to show his hands and then I had to kill him because he pulled his hands out of his pants in a potentially threatening manner.

          But none of that has any bearing on the obvious fact that he was doing not a damn thing at the time he was murdered (or manslaughtered, if the shooting were negligent instead of intentional).

  3. I’m not saying he deserved to die. But there’s something disturbing about a grown ass man that can’t do better than throw a temper tantrum like a spoiled 2 yo.

    Really? You live in what appears to be a nice neighberhood. You got a wife and at least one kid and this is how you spend your down time?

    No. At that moment he didn’t need to die. But a bitch slapping…..

  4. I just must have totally missed it.

    Aside from picking up some folding chairs and putting them on his front porch, exactly why did this guy get shot?

    I never saw anything in his hands and they were up right up until he got shot.

    what did i miss?

  5. >unsuccessfully trying to knock him down with a Taser

    The video proves the cops did not attempt to use a taser. Get your story straight.

  7. Unarmed.
    Reasonable distance from anyone.
    Good lighting.
    Hands in the air.
    Motionless.

    Yes, these cops are murderers. And they wonder why so many distrust them. The increasing ubiquity of cameras capturing their TRUE actions is likely the main reason for the public’s antipathy for the po-po.

  8. What if some crazy jihadis are sneaking around dropping lsd or pcp in people’s cool-aid? Not probable, but definitely possible.

  9. Fuck that crazy piece of Shit. I am glad he is no longer a problem. Beating his wife, kids, and mom is rediculous. What if his wife was your sister? This dude got what he had coming to him. We are society filled with people who act out thinking nothing is going to happen.

    • “We are society filled with people who act out thinking nothing is going to happen.”

      I have not watched the video and am not commenting on that at all.

      But this statement you made exactly describes Qualified Immunity.

      Food for thought…

    • Don’t blame the jurors, the grand jury process is rigged from the start. The DA is free to present and omit evidence as he pleases. The success of a DA’s career is largely dependent on working with the police, therefore DA’s have extreme incentive provide professional courtesy to murderous cops.

    • “Where do they find these jurors?”

      Well, I’ll offer an answer to that that is sure to PO some folks.

      How many “good folks” work really hard at getting OUT of jury duty? What’s the old saying…”the jury is packed with folks too dumb to get out of jury duty?”

      So, we live in a culture when getting out of a civic duty is considered “cool” and “smart,” and then we complain when the system fails to function properly.

      I once saw people openly celebrate during jury selection when they were excused. It was pretty disgusting. While I was there under subpoena for the prosecution, I could not help thinking two things:

      (1) This dude, no matter what he’s accused of doing, deserves his day in court (which includes a jury that takes the duty seriously)

      and

      (2) If I’m ever sitting in court as the accused, I’d sure hope to have a jury that gave a sh1t.

  13. Doesn’t matter what he said…..words can’t hurt, hands are what kill.
    When he was shot his hands were empty and IN THE AIR. I don’t
    give a rats ass who you are or how shiny your badge is. THAT’S MURDER.

  14. Has anyone considered that a TX jury is just unlikely to sympathize with the plaintiff? The DA must consider that aspect of it, as well. That may be why she focused more on the 911 calls; she’s telling you “our jurists probably won’t care if his hands were up or not.”

    • In Texas it’s legal to shoot someone running away with your property. The threshold for shooting simply isn’t that high there. But, it’s legal. And that’s all that matters.

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