SAN ANTONIO – A law enforcement expert says a Texas Highway Patrol trooper’s history with the department could be the start of a troubling pattern.
The Department of Public Safety, which has yet to respond to KSAT’s request for a response, suspended Trooper Apolonio Gomez months after a March 2023 pursuit that ended in Mexico, according to an administrative investigation uncovered by KSAT Investigates.
Gomez, who has been employed with DPS since December 2016, is currently facing a wrongful death lawsuit for another controversial chase in Converse. Federal filings show the case is pending.
‘I guess it’s their side’
Dash camera footage, obtained by KSAT through a public records request, shows the El Paso skyline glimmering just before 5 a.m. on March 25, 2023.
Gomez is behind the wheel when a red car is seen speeding past the patrol unit. The car weaves between lanes, and Gomez flips his lights and sirens on to begin the pursuit.
The chase picks up speed as the red car heads towards Juarez, Mexico. Dash camera footage shows Gomez driving on the Cordova International Bridge.
He’s seen driving past several signs, including a warning sign that indicates he’s leaving the United States, and a big blue sign that reads “Welcome to Mexico.”
The chase ended in the Mexican customs facilities two minutes after it began in El Paso.
“Get out of the car,” said Gomez, who walked toward the red car with his gun drawn.
The video shows Gomez opening the door to pull the driver out and forcing her to the ground to handcuff her.
Shortly after the incident, Gomez called DPS communications operators.
“Did you cross those or are you still on the side?” asked an operator.
“I don’t even know, sir,” responded Gomez. “I’m right here. Like, on their little. I guess it’s their side.”
A Mexican law enforcement officer told Gomez he couldn’t leave because he brought a weapon, adding that it’s extremely prohibited.
On the dash camera footage, the woman who Gomez arrested told the trooper he messed up.
Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de Leon, the Consul General of Mexico in El Paso, wrote a letter to DPS Director Steven McCraw two days after the incident asking for an investigation.
Mexico Letter by akmoreno on Scribd
According to the investigation report, Gomez violated several department policies when he crossed into Mexico, including:
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Competency to perform duty
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DPS Ten General Orders
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Standards of Ethical Conduct for State Employees
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International Association of Chief of Police Canons of Police Ethics
Gomez may have suffered from tunnel vision, lieutenant says
Kevin LaChapelle, a former law enforcement officer in San Diego, California, spoke with KSAT after reading the investigation report.
“Having a firearm or even ammo could pose a very serious issue of even being able to leave and get back over to the U.S. because you could be put in jail, for example,” he said. “Even an officer.”
DPS suspended Gomez for 10 days without pay for the pursuit and for sharing the video in a group text with friends in DPS, according to records.
The video of the pursuit was leaked on social media.
In an interview with a DPS investigator in April 2023, Gomez said he wanted to show the group how easy it was for him to get into Mexico.
“I mean, it’s a group chat and we all bs on there, so I never thought they would send it to somebody else,” Gomez said.
According to the report, Gomez’ lieutenant, Jaime Aburto told investigators he believed Gomez “may have suffered from tunnel vision during the pursuit as well as the mentality of catching the suspect at all costs.”
“It’s very hard in law enforcement when you’re trying to pursue someone and they’re not stopping because you have to resist the tendency to say, ‘I’m going to catch this person no matter the cost,’ as opposed to looking at the safety of the community,” said LaChapelle.
Aburto added that he believes Gomez “probably made an honest mistake” when crossing the border.
‘Why did he shoot him?’
More than a year later, Gomez was involved in another controversial pursuit.
In April 2024, DPS said Gomez shot and killed Luis Navarro, 37, in Converse, Texas after a chase that ended in a crash.
DPS said the chase started in New Braunfels and Navarro refused to stop. They said Gomez tried to shock Navarro with a Taser, but it didn’t work.
Two witnesses shared videos with KSAT showing the moments leading up to the shooting. Navarro appears to be unarmed.
**WARNING: The video contains graphic footage. Viewer discretion is advised.
KSAT has asked DPS if Navarro was found with a weapon several times, but the agency has refused to answer.
It’s unclear if Gomez has been cleared from the shooting.
Days after the incident, KSAT spoke with a woman who recorded one of the clips. She asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation.
“The first thing that I thought was why did he shoot him?” said the woman. “You know, he, he wasn’t coming at the cop. He didn’t have, a gun or a knife on him.”
It’s a question Navarro’s family wants answered.
Last week, they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Gomez, claiming the “use of deadly force was not necessary and was patently unreasonable.”
Gomez’ training records provided to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement reveal he took several courses after the shooting, including on pursuit driving and use of force.
The Bexar County Jail confirmed Navarro had an active warrant at the time of the chase.
DPS’ chase policy states chases should be abandoned especially if the suspect is known and if they can be caught later.
DPS Pursuit Policies by sheath on Scribd
LaChapelle said Gomez’s two questionable chases should be a red flag, a claim DPS has yet to respond to.
“Do you see a pattern forming for this trooper?” asked Ibarra.
“I would say that it leads me to question a potential pattern,” responded LaChapelle.
KSAT requested interviews with DPS several times for this story. A spokesperson declined.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.