A kidnapping victim killed during a failed FBI rescue attempt grabbed the firearm of an agent as he entered the Texas home.
A kidnapping victim killed during a failed FBI rescue attempt grabbed the firearm of an agent entering the Texas home where he was being held captive, prompting the law enforcement officer to fire off a pair of shots into the dark room.
The agent made the “split-second decision” to discharge his rifle because he feared he was losing control of the weapon and did not want it to be used against his fellow responding officers, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said during a press conference Tuesday.
Ulises Valladares was still bound with duct tape when he was fatally struck by the agent’s gunfire as law enforcement attempted to rescue him in the early hours of the morning on Jan. 25.
The agent was using his M4 rifle in an effort to breach a window in the back of the home off Elbert St. after another agent lost control of his breaching tool.
Brother of kidnapping victim killed in FBI raid demands answers
The agents decided against using flashlights because they did not want to blind fellow officers attempting to enter from the opposite side of the residence.
When agents gained entry to the home, they immediately requested medical assistance for the victim. Valladares later succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital.
A day earlier, a pair of armed men broke into Valladares’ Conroe home and abducted him, according to police.
His 12-year-old son managed to flee and phone authorities, telling them the kidnappers claimed his uncle, Ernesto Valladares, owed them $8,000. He has since denied the claim.
FBI agent fatally shoots kidnapping victim during raid
“Neither my brother, nor I or anybody else owed anyone money,” Ernesto Valladares said in a previous interview with KTRK.
Authorities tracked two male suspects to a motel using their cell phone signals. The men directed FBI agents to the Houston home where they located a third female suspect. A pair of children were also present at the home when the officer-involved shooting occurred.
Authorities arrested Nicholas Cunningham, 42, Jimmy Sanchez, 38, and Sophia Heath, 35, on aggravated kidnapping charges. The men are also facing aggravated robbery charges.
Both were denied bail during their initial court appearance last week while Heath was given a $1 million bond.
Murder trial begins for cop who shot mentally ill Bronx woman
Acevedo emphasized Tuesday the people who kidnapped Valladares should be held accountable for the man’s death. He described the deadly incident as “tragic” and “heartbreaking.”
“The FBI were there trying to save a man,” he said. “It did not end the way they wanted. It did not end the way I wanted. It did not end the way the city wanted.”
