Peter Herrera, a 35-year-old Hispanic male, was a Deputy Sheriff with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. On March 22, 2019, he was fatally shot during a traffic stop in San Elizario, Texas. Deputy Herrera had pulled over a vehicle for a registration violation near the corner of Chicken Ranch Road and Socorro Road. As he approached the car and asked the driver to step out, the driver fired 15 rounds, striking Deputy Herrera multiple times.
Despite the efforts of a civilian and members of the U.S. Border Patrol and El Paso County Sheriff's Office to provide aid, Deputy Herrera succumbed to his wounds two days later in a local hospital.
The driver and the passenger fled the scene in the vehicle, which stalled out several blocks away. They then fled on foot but were located and apprehended a short time later by responding deputies. The driver, Facundo Chavez, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. The passenger, Arlene Piña, pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The trial of Facundo Chavez was marked by heightened security and emotional moments, with the jury deliberating for only about 30 minutes before finding him guilty of capital murder. The sentencing phase of the trial saw Chavez sentenced to death, with the jury unanimously agreeing that he would continue to be a danger to society and that there were no mitigating circumstances for why he shouldn't receive the death penalty.
Deputy Herrera had served with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for 11 years and was a deputy for more than five years after first working as a detention officer. His family and colleagues remembered him as a dedicated law enforcement officer who dreamed of serving his community since he was a child. The loss of Deputy Herrera was deeply felt by his family, colleagues, and the community, with his mother expressing that there would never be closure from his tragic death.
