Ruben Garcia Villalpando, a married father of four, was shot twice
in the chest on the side of a highway in February by Grapevine
police officer Robert Clark after a brief car chase.
Along with announcing the grand jury's decision, prosecutors also
released a police dashcam video of the incident, which showed
Villalpando raising his hands as he walked unsteadily toward Clark,
who repeatedly asked him to stop.
Villalpando was intoxicated at the time, the medical examiner's
autopsy report said.
His death triggered rallies calling for the officer to face
prosecution for a shooting that protesters said was racially
motivated. Demonstrators likened Villalpando's death to high-profile
police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and in
New York City.
About a dozen people demonstrated peacefully outside the Grapevine
police station on Monday evening, some carrying signs and chanting
"Justice Now!" and "Fire Clark, a killer!"
"We have to end police brutality," said Hispanic community organizer
Hector Flores.
The dashcam video also showed Clark shouting profanities at
Villalpando. At one point, Clark could be heard saying that
Villalpando was trying to reach for something, although the footage
showed he was standing still with his hands in the air.
The Villalpando family is seeking a federal investigation and plan
to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Clark and the Grapevine
Police Department, the family's attorney said.
The grand jurors were given complete access to all the evidence in
the case, including cell phone videos and the dashcam video from
Clark's vehicle, said prosecutor Larry Moore, who led the state's
presentation.
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Prosecutors made no recommendation to the grand jury, Moore said.
The grand jury heard from 13 witnesses, including Clark.
Grapevine Police said in a statement that Clark, who has been with
the force for less than a year, "acted professionally and within law
enforcement best practices."
Clark was placed on leave following the shooting but has returned to
work in a desk job.
The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the shooting
death of Villalpando.
Grapevine Police Chief Eddie Salame said: "This is not the first
time someone's judgment impaired by alcohol has created a situation
that led to their death."
(Reporting by Marice Richter; Editing by by Jon Herskovitz, Eric
Beech and Paul Tait)
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