Aggravated Assault against Peace Officer
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
800 E. Overland, 3rd floor, El Paso, Texas 79901
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Rick Glancey/Public Affairs Director
(915) 546-2285
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5290)
EMAIL: rglancey@epcounty.com
Release Date & Time: Friday, September 28, 2007 11:30 a.m.
WHO: El Paso County Sheriff's Office (Patrol Division).
WHAT: Aggravated Assault against Public Servant.
WHERE: East El Paso County, Texas.
WHEN: Thursday, September 27, 2007 at approximately 4:30 p.m.
WHY: Arrest of a Horizon City resident: Aggravated Assault against Public Servant,
Resisting Arrest and Evading Arrest Detention with a vehicle.
FYI: El Paso County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call around 3:56 p.m. “reference reckless driver in a white GMC Sierra pick-up truck.”
Deputies responded to I-10 east and Eastlake in search of the suspect vehicle. At 3:59 p.m. Deputies spotted the truck stuck in traffic at Gateway East and Horizon Blvd. The 911 caller also spotted the suspect vehicle and the Deputies at the intersection. The 911 caller advised them that the truck at the intersection is the vehicle being reported for reckless driving.
Deputies attempted to pull the vehicle over. The driver began to elude the deputies traveling North on Horizon Blvd. refusing to stop. The driver was also weaving in and out of traffic nearly colliding with another vehicle traveling south on Horizon Blvd. The driver eventually turned right onto Darrington Rd. fleeing from the Deputies. The driver of the truck attempted to make a u-turn on Darrington Rd. when his vehicle came to a stop. The driver exited the vehicle armed with an unknown object and struck a Deputy who was approaching the suspect. The Deputy was struck near his temple and right ear with what appears to be a large metal object.
The subject was subdued by another Deputy, assisting law enforcement personnel and a civilian.
The Deputy was transported to Del Sol Medical Center for observation of a head injury and was released late yesterday. His name is not being released at this time.
The driver of the truck is identified as 35 year old Juan Gabriel Espinoza of Horizon City, Texas. His bond is $460,000.00. He remains in the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility as of 11:00 a.m.
An investigation continues and we continue to follow up reports that this individual was reported for road rage/reckless driving earlier this week in the City of El Paso.
“This was a volatile situation and the Deputies used a tremendous amount of restraint in arresting this combative subject. The Deputy who was struck is very fortunate. This is an example of the old saying : ‘no such thing as a routine traffic stop!” said Assistant Chief Ralph Mitchell (Law Enforcement Bureau), El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.