By FREDDY JIMENEZ
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Three weeks ago, San Benito police officers were involved in a car chase which led to the shooting and death of 21-year-old San Benito resident Ricardo Treviño III, however, the specific details of that Friday evening still remain clouded in mystery as officials have been hesitant to provide critical information to the public, such as how many officers were involved as well as the officers’ identities.
Texas Rangers have now been overseeing the incident that occurred on the late afternoon hours of Friday, Dec. 7, in which, according to the statement released by the Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Johnny Hernandez, Trevino refused to stop and evaded law enforcement.
Ricardo Treviño III was fatally shot by San Benito Police following a high speed chase in the afternoon hours of Friday, Dec. 7. The chase began at approximately 3:07 p.m. after a San Benito police officer approached Treviño’s vehicle near the 400 blk. East Expressway 83 following a call to EMS to care for Treviño who had allegedly suffered some type of reaction upon taking what may have been medication. Treviño then panicked and drove off.
Treviño live streamed and recorded the incident using Facebook. The 20-plus minute footage depicts Treviño driving as his phone camera lies in the passenger seat facing upward. As the phone falls and shifts, Treviño can be heard cursing loudly and disparaging his step-father. His cell phone can also be heard ringing but Trevino continuously ignored the notifications. Prior reports on the case have stated that Treviño’s step-father, Art Flores, a supervisor with the San Benito PD, even made calls to dispatchers and officers alerting them that the person being chased was his step-son.
The DPS statement further reads, “According to the preliminary investigation, the suspect, Ricardo Treviño III, 21, of San Benito eventually stopped near a cul-de-sac north of Ranch Park Road. Once at Ranch Park Road and Maya Street, suspect drove towards a law enforcement vehicle and struck it head-on. Officers discharged their firearms, and the suspect was fatally wounded.”
The San Benito Police Department declined to provide a comment for last week’s issue.
The last five minutes of the video portray the shooting. Treviño can be heard yelling, ‘They’re gonna kill me” several times as he attempts to shift the gear forward but to no avail. Shortly after, a barrage of gunshots rang out but Treviño appeared unfazed. Another gunshot is heard to which Treviño reacted by reaching for his forehead. Then another wave of gunshots can be heard and seen as their impact is visible on the victim as he falls over.
The City of San Benito was quick to send out a press release that same evening, which read, “The Texas Rangers are on the scene of an incident overseeing an investigation that resulted in a fatality south of Los Indios. The incident began with a call for service to the San Benito Police Department that included several members of the department. The officers involved have been placed on administrative desk duty, as per policies and procedures where fatalities are involved.”
Last week, the News sought updates on the case from City Hall, to which the response was, “The City Manager is awaiting the findings of the investigation by the Texas Rangers and no comment will be made while the investigation is pending.”
After the shooting took place, the video also captured police officers exchanging brief comments such as that EMS is on the way while another vocally counted Treviño’s wounds.
Members of the family have shared their opinions on the matter, such as Treviño’s mother, April Treviño, who took to Facebook to comment, “I’m not ready to bury my son. I will fight with all my strength to get him justice.”
An anonymous family member also told the News that “Justice needs to be done. We need to stop these officers from killing people for no reason.”
Treviño had been described by family members as a young boy who was always smiling and happy.
Chief of Police Michael Galvan did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Apart from the being an SBPD officer’s step-son, Treviño was also Commissioner Rene Villafranco’s second-cousin.
Some of Treviño’s family members and others in the community were set to speak during the public comments section of a Commissioner Meeting that was to be held on Tuesday, Dec. 18, but could not do so due to the meeting being canceled as it did not reach quorum. According to City Manager Manuel De La Rosa and Commissioner Antonio Gonzalez, Mayor Ben Gomez and Commissioner Villafranco were absent due to illness while Commissioner Carol Lynn Sanchez had prior family engagements.
Treviño’s parents were present outside City Hall that evening, but were not speaking to the press. Instead, they had Alfonso Benavides, a community activist, speak on their behalf.
The News attempted to obtain the names of the officers involved in the incident from De La Rosa and PR Director Martha McClain at that same meeting, but they declined comment.
The crowd of family members and others is expected to show up to the next commissioner meeting in larger numbers.
The next city meeting was slated for Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
“I warned the commission last year, ‘You have been undermining this community by keeping Michael Galvan as Chief of Police.’ Now look at what has happened,” said Benavides. “They, our residents, have a right to know who these officers are. They have failed to provide identification of them, so where’s the transparency that they talk about?”
The family’s attorney, John T. Blaylock, did not respond to messages left to him as of press time Thursday.
City officials, late Wednesday afternoon, referred any questions or inquiries on the matter to attorney Ricardo Navarro out of Harlingen.
Navarro provided some brief insight onto the matter saying that the City has retained him on risk pool matters.
He also said that each officer involved has their own individual union counsel and that he’s spoken to them as well.
He further commented that while Constables and Border Patrol were also in on the chase, only three San Benito police officers, including Chief of Police Michael Galvan, are involved in the Texas Rangers investigation.
Navarro also said that that he and other attorneys, as well as city officials, have to stand back while they await the Texas Rangers findings.
Lt. Johnny Hernandez of the DPS told the News in an email inquiry that state offices were closed on Dec. 26 but would reach out to the Texas Rangers the following day (Dec. 27).
While we now know three officers were involved, unknown still is which officers they were, which of those officers fatally shot their weapons at Treviño, and which of them were placed on administrative desk duty.
Treviño made brief comments in his Live Stream that he had a weapon with him in the vehicle, but it remains unexplained if he really did or what reason officers had to believe that he did.
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