A Mexican judge has ruled that there is enough evidence to put a Chihuahua state police officer on trial for homicide. The officer is accused of being involved in the Jan. 5 shooting death of a resident of El Paso, Texas, in Juarez.
The judge ordered Arturo Ivan V.S., who works with the State Investigations Unit (AEI), to remain in custody for two months. During this time, prosecutors and his defense team will prepare for the trial.
According to the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office, the decision to proceed with the trial was partly based on an autopsy revealing that Julian Alfredo Rodriguez, a 19-year-old, died from a gunshot wound to the head, Border Report reported.
Investigators believe the bullet came from the officer's AR-15 rifle. A widely shared security camera video shows the officer firing the weapon at a blue Ford Mustang that was approaching him.
At the time, the officer was standing in the street monitoring traffic while his colleague served an arrest warrant at a nearby home in Juarez's Melchor Ocampo neighborhood. The 34-year-old officer claims he acted in self-defense, stating that he believed the Mustang's driver intended to run him over.
Rodriguez, who lived in El Paso and worked at a restaurant, a nursing home, and as a landscaper, was visiting his parents in Juarez. On the morning of the incident, he was with his brother and a friend, heading out to get food for a family meal, according to his relatives.
Last week, Chihuahua state authorities launched an investigation into the shooting to determine the circumstances and whether the officer's actions were justified.
At that time, Chihuahua State Deputy Attorney General Jesus Manuel Salas said, "We are looking for these videos that have been published and are circulating on social media. It is very regrettable that this happened."
Salas further said that two men in the vehicle, including the deceased and another who was injured, were believed to be American citizens. The third occupant, who recorded the video, is in custody. The state police's Internal Affairs unit is reviewing the shooting as part of the ongoing investigation.
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