{"id":332014,"date":"2026-06-11T11:14:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/332014\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T11:14:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:14:21","slug":"bodycam-video-shows-in-custody-death-for-el-paso-man-roel-contreras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/332014\/","title":{"rendered":"Bodycam video shows in-custody death for El Paso man, Roel Contreras"},"content":{"rendered":"

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM<\/a>) \u2013 Newly released footage showing the moments where Roel Contreras was encountered by El Paso County sheriff\u2019s deputies was released. The 46-year-old man was taken into custody on March 20, which he later died while in custody.<\/p>\n

Man ID\u2019d in El Paso County Sheriffs\u2019 in-custody death investigation <\/a><\/p>\n

According to the El Paso County Sheriff\u2019s Office, deputies were dispatched at 4:59 p.m. to the 12000 block of Campo Bello in response to a disturbance involving a male subject. When they arrived, deputies located Contreras in an open field. Footage showed Contreras who appeared to be acting erratically.<\/p>\n

\"Roel<\/p>\n

Roel Contreras shown in bodycam footage. (EPCSO)<\/p>\n

WARNING: FOOTAGE OF THE ENCOUNTER CAN BE HARD TO WATCH<\/p>\n

Deputies repeatedly told Contreras to \u201crelax\u201d because they were \u201ctrying to help him out.\u201d At one point, Contreras says, \u201cMy heart, bro.\u201d<\/p>\n

Authorities said Contreras became combative when deputies attempted to make contact. Deputies were able to detain him, but moments later he lost consciousness.<\/p>\n

Sheriff\u2019s Office: Man who died in custody had \u2018possible altered mental state\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n

Video showed deputies turning Contreras face down as they placed the handcuffs on him as they repeatedly said, \u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n

A short time later, Contreras stops moving, and the deputies began trying to revive him.<\/p>\n

\u201cStatus of life,\u201d a deputy says. \u201cMinimum pulse.\u201d<\/p>\n

A deputy is seen performing chest compressions on Contreras. \u201cYou got it,\u201d asked a deputy. \u201cNegative,\u201d says another deputy in uniform.<\/p>\n

Contreras was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.<\/p>\n

The Sheriff\u2019s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Texas Rangers conducted separate investigations into the incident. The Sheriff\u2019s Office Internal Affairs Division also completed an administrative review to determine whether deputies acted in accordance with department policies.<\/p>\n

The administrative review concluded that deputies acted within department policy and found no policy violations related to the incident.<\/p>\n

The Sheriff\u2019s Office said its Major Crimes Unit fully cooperated with the Texas Rangers throughout the investigation and submitted its findings for review. The Texas Rangers have since presented their case to the El Paso County District Attorney\u2019s Office for further review.<\/p>\n

Sheriff\u2019s officials pointed out that the Office of the Medical Examiner determined Contreras died from acute methamphetamine toxicity, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease listed as a contributing factor. The manner of death was ruled accidental.<\/p>\n

Man who died in custody suffered overdose from methamphetamine <\/a><\/p>\n

\"Mug<\/p>\n

Mug shot of Contreras from previous arrest made by Horizon City PD. EPCSO identified the man in the mug shot as Contreras<\/p>\n

\u201cAny loss of life is a tragedy, and our thoughts remain with Mr. Contreras\u2019 family and loved ones,\u201d Sheriff Ugarte said in a statement. \u201cFrom the beginning, we were committed to conducting a thorough and transparent review of this incident. We believe it is important that the public have access to the facts, which is why we are releasing the available video and sharing the results of the investigations. Transparency and accountability remain core values of this office.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sheriff\u2019s Office said the release of investigative findings and video footage is intended to provide the public with a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding the incident.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) \u2013 Newly released footage showing the moments where Roel Contreras was encountered by El…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332015,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[83977,138,140,139,83976,429],"class_list":["post-332014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-contreras","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news","tag-roel-contreras","tag-texas-rangers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332014"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332014\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/332015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}