Why? Senseless murder!
7-11-2014 Texas:
Lawsuit names Officer Albert Gomez, City of El Paso and 20 city employees as defendants
EL PASO, Texas - The family of Bernie Morales filed a lawsuit against El Paso Police Officer Albert Gomez for the shooting death of Bernie Morales (
56) in 2012.
The lawsuit also names the City of El Paso and 20 of its employees as defendants for conspiring to cover up Morales' death. Morales' family said the shooting death was not justified because he was never armed.
Bernie Morales was shot and killed by Officer Gomez the morning of June 15, 2012 in the city's lower valley.
The lawsuit said Morales was picking up pecans along a canal that runs parallel to Alameda in the Lower Valley. Morales allegedly asked permission from property owner Larry Davis to take the pecans from the area, Davis consented.
Davis did call police because a few earlier officer were in the area asking about a man wanted by authorities.
In 2011, Morales was a wanted man by the El Paso Sheriff's Office for leaving a halfway home.
Morales was featured in EPSO's Manhunt Monday that made air on ABC-7 in late 2011. Investigators said Morales served 10 years for aggravated assault as was released to a halfway home in Horizon City. He reportedly left the facility and never registered as a sex offender.
It is still unclear if it was Morales police were looking for when they went to the area of the shooting days prior.