Policy

Daniel Castillo, Jr.

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As I posted earlier, the 17-year-old Houston resident was shot to death Tuesday by a police SWAT team during a drug raid on his family's home. It's increasingly looking like yet another paramilitary drug raid gone horribly wrong.

The father of a 17-year-old killed by a police officer who was looking for drugs at his home said the shooting was unprovoked.

[…]

The elder Castillo said his son was awakened by the pleas of his 20-year-old sister, Ashley. When the younger Castillo turned toward Falks, he said, the officer shot him in the face.

"My son heard her say, 'Don't shoot.' He got up to see what was going on," the elder Castillo said.

The teen's sister was with her 1-year-old when Falks burst into the bedroom, the elder Castillo said.

[…]

Castillo said his son had no criminal record and was not selling drugs and that he fears the shooting will be ignored.

It's not online, but another version of the story from the Houston Chronicle accessed through Lexis contains the following passage:

Meanwhile, the state director of the League of United Latin American Citizens said Wednesday he will ask the FBI to investigate. Rick Dovalina said he spent Wednesday with the family and officials in Wharton to discuss the shooting.

Dovalina said he obtained a probable cause affidavit for the search warrant issued by Wharton County Justice of the Peace Jeanette Krenek. He said the task force seized no weapons or drugs at the scene.

Authorities aren't commenting.