EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Attorneys Robert Melendez and Jeff Edwards, alongside the family of Xavier Hernandez, announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the El Paso Police Department and several officers. <\/p>\n
The lawsuit alleges that on July 13, 2025, Hernandez, a 30-year-old experiencing a mental health crisis, was subjected to excessive force by EPPD officers. <\/p>\n
According to the complaint, Hernandez was unarmed and on his knees when officers tased him multiple times, choked him, and applied pressure points to his neck. <\/p>\n
VIDEO: El Paso police release body cam footage in I-10 incident that led to man’s death (credit: El Paso Police Department)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
According to the lawyers, despite being handcuffed and not resisting, officers allegedly kneeled on his back and crushed him into the ground for nearly ten minutes, leading to his death by asphyxiation.<\/p>\n
Hernandez’s autopsy report confirmed asphyxia as the cause of death, with cocaine in his system as a contributing factor. <\/p>\n
The report classified the death as a “homicide,” a term police emphasize is medical and not indicative of criminality. <\/p>\n
EPPD stated that Hernandez was combative and attempting to jump off the highway during the incident, prompting the use of a taser.<\/p>\n
The family, supported by community organizations, argues that the incident reflects a broader issue of preventable injuries and deaths resulting from EPPD’s inadequate training and response to mental health crises. <\/p>\n
EPPD presser on autopsy results of Xavier Guadalupe Hernandez ruled as homicide <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
RELATED: VIDEO: El Paso police release body cam footage in I-10 incident that led to man’s death<\/a><\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: Family to sue El Paso after man dies in police custody on I-10, calling death ‘needless’<\/a><\/p>\n