Shotgun blast killed man

HARLINGEN - An unidentified man trying to light a fire under an expressway ramp late Monday was killed by a single blast from a police shotgun after the man allegedly charged an officer while brandishing a knife, Police Chief Danny Castillo said Tuesday.

Three officers were present and Castillo refused to identify the officer who fired the shot, except to say he thought the officer had been on the force "for a couple of years."

Police would not release a description of the knife the man reportedly brandished.

"It's is a very traumatic situation for anybody to be involved in," Castillo said. "This is very hard on an officer. We're out here to serve and
protect the public. Right now he's currently on leave. He's not on any kind of disciplinary review at this point. It's proper protocol for us to allow the officer to collect himself. It's a very traumatic situation. But at the same time, he's cooperating with the investigation. It will be ongoing."

Every officer involved being interviewed at the police station, the chief said.

"We're talking with them, we're processing this whole thing with them, as far as what they had to cope with in that situation."

Counseling for the officers will be considered, Castillo said.

"We'll be doing what we think is prudent and appropriate for them."

Police are trying to identify the Hispanic man in his late 40s or early 50s, with dark hair and a slim build, the chief said.

It is not known if the man was homeless or why he was trying to start a fire under the expressway, but temperatures were in the 40s and there was a misty rain at the time.

"I don't know if he was homeless or not. We are trying to identify him at this point," the police chief said.

Dean Hall, director of Loaves & Fishes, an organization that provides meals and shelter to the homeless, said Tuesday that none of his staff had any information regarding the dead's identity.

"They said no one knew, on the street, who it was," Hall said. "He could have been someone passing through, but who knows."

Hall said police had not contacted Loaves & Fishes to ask if the shelter was familiar with him.

The police officers did have a non-lethal Taser weapon available, but instead used a department-issued shotgun, Castillo said.

"Yes. That's part of our investigation," the chief said. "It's very preliminary right now, the information we have. The Texas Rangers office was notified immediately after the shooting. They were out there with us at the scene, actively investigating, were taking statements and doing everything we normally would have to do involving this type of incident.

"The same thing with the district attorney's office," Castillo said. "They were called out to the scene as well. They assisted our agency with the processing of the crime scene."

The incident is being treated as any shooting would be, Castillo said.

"This is a criminal investigation," the chief said. "Ultimately all of this information, in cooperation with the Texas Rangers office, in cooperation with the Cameron County District Attorney's Office...I would assume that proper protocol is being followed and it will be submitted for the grand jury's consideration."

Castillo read a prepared statement:
"At approximately 6:55 p.m. on Jan. 5, police responded to the 200 block of North Expressway 77 in reference to a call of a suspicious male subject igniting a fire in the grassy area under the overpass," Castillo said.

"Upon arrival, officers located the male subject and attempted to interview him," Castillo said. "During the course of that contact, at one point, that subject pulled out a knife and charged at one of the officers with that knife in an attempt to stab that officer.

"A cover officer, or an assisting officer, discharged his firearm, striking the subject in the torso area. Immediately afterward, Emergency Medical Service was notified immediately, and the subject was transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center.

"At 8:38 p.m. that same evening, the subject was pronounced dead and Justice of the Peace (Rolando) Muniz ordered an autopsy. The identity of the subject is unknown, that's part of our investigation at this point," Castillo said.

"It's one of those unpredictable things," the chief said. "Officers involve themselves in a very serious, dangerous job on a daily basis. I think our officers did what they had to do, handling a very difficult situation. I don't think it's unique to Harlingen, but this is something that can happen anytime, anywhere."

Castillo said police will check records to determine the last time there was an incident in which a Harlingen police officer shot anyone.

Valley Morning Star records show that former Harlingen Lt. Joe Rubio and former Officer A.R. Garcia and two Cameron County sheriff's deputies fired at least 10 rounds at Jason Frederick Park, 28, of Harlingen in 1995 when he attempted to run over officers with his car near Las Yescas while under the influence of illegal drugs.

Three bullets struck Park. He recovered after surgery. No officers were injured.

Police, sheriff's deputies, county constables and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers chased Park after he attempted to forge a check belonging to his elderly mother, at a bank, the Star reported at the time.

Police thought Park was armed with a .22-caliber handgun, but did not find a weapon.

Reporter Gabriel Saldaña contributed to this report.