Gerardo Contreras Dies After Being Subdued by Corpus Christi, Texas Police Officers

The Corpus Christi Police Department, for at least the second time in March 2018, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas.  We make no allegations in this post about any alleged wrongdoing but are instead simply providing information obtained from that report.

Gerardo Contreras, 46 years of age, passed away on March 22, 2018.  Corpus Christi police report that they received an “unknown nature” call indicating that Mr. Contreras was banging on the front door of a residence.  The call was later updated to indicate that a gun was involved.  Several officers attempted to take Mr. Contreras into custody.  He allegedly physically resisted and was subsequently shocked with an electronic weapon.  He was then handcuffed.  He became non-responsive and passed away the next day in a local Corpus Christi hospital.

The 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution requires that force used by police officers be reasonable.  The determination of whether force is reasonable depends on all the facts and circumstances occurring at the time police officers choose to use force.  Body cam is helping when making this determination and assuring that citizens are treated appropriately.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.