Holding EPPD Accountable, Maybe

Photo bySteve Young

16 September 2024, Steven Zimmerman, El Paso, Texas – What follows is a series of Freedom of Information Act requests made to the El Paso Police Department. We will not be holding our collective breath for a response. Should a response not be forthcoming, will escalate our requests to the District Court level.

This is a multi-FOIA request

Operation Stonegarden

We are requesting the following in connection to Operation Stonegarden. We are already aware that Lt R Medina has had his computers removed. We are also requesting this information to corroborate what we’ve been told by three whistleblowers within the El Paso Police Department. Additionally, this information would support recordings we received 6 September 2024.

1. All budgeting material related to Operation Stonegarden, what was allocated to EPPD and how those funds were spent by the department.
2. How many units and officers were under Operation Stonegarden, per day, since the inception of the program, until computers were seized from Medina (We do have video of this event).
3. The current status of Lt Medina – suspended, terminated, riding a desk…

Concerning the shotting at 8500 Dyer October 2022

We would like to know, as Lt Frank Rodriguez, was the acting commander of the Northeast Regional Command Center, if he was doing overtime, and where, on the day of the shooting. And was that overtime within the department or was it off-duty work.

After hearing the radio traffic of the shooting, why was Fire Medical Services never released to attempt to save the victim after several officers requested FMS.

We are in possession of video, from several officers who were on scene at 8500 Dyer, that show after the scene was secure and Lt Rodriguez arrived, he began to berate officers. On another FOIA we were provided a report of hostile work environment filed by Sgt Christopher Camp. We would like to know why that report was determined to be unfounded. Did IA not watch the same videos we are in possession of?

Overtime as mentioned in the El Paso Police Departments Policy and Procedures Manual

The Policy and Procedures Manual, which was sent to us by multiple officers, indicates that that overtime, unless it is mandatory, is capped at twenty-five (25) hours. One Lieutenant has indicated that those officers working TxDOT are allowed to work unlimited overtime hours. This same Lieutenant, who has provided us copies of over one hundred Daily Activity Reports showing overtime beyond twenty-five hours per week.

Our questions on overtime:

1. Is TxDOT considered mandatory overtime for officers? If so, under what circumstances or conditions are they allowed to go beyond twenty-five hours?
2. Why does it seem that overtime is first offered to a select few officers before it is made available to other officers?
3. Why does it seem that off-duty overtime is given, largely, to Lieutenants?
4. Why are not Lieutenants barred from doing off-duty overtime? Lieutenants earn, starting, $118,000. Should not this overtime be given to regular officers?
5. Additionally, having Lieutenants perform off-duty over-time leads to situations like 8500 where the Lieutenant is busy doing off-duty over-time, and not there during the actual shooting, or to release FMS – sadly, a civilian died due to dispatch not releasing FMS.
6. How many Lieutenants have performed off-duty over-time for Operation Stonegarden, and other off-duty over-times

Minnie Holguin

We have been told by several officers that Minni Holguin, a civilian, had a job position manufactured for her so that she could be back in Human Resources? Our questions are as follows:

1. What is Ms. Holguin’s actual position within the El Paso Police Department?
2. What is her yearly wage? We are led to believe she makes more than an assistant chief.
3. Was this position publicly announced and published. If so, when and where?

HICKS Training

We have been provided with a video showing that a week of HICKS training was conducted at Mr. Han’s, father of Officer Stephanie Han, dojo. What we would like to know is,

1. Was this training placed out for public bid? If so, when and where was the bid request published?
2. What other dojos/gyms submitted a bid to provide space/personal for HICKS training?

Officer James Smith

Officer James Smith shot, and killed an individual at a Westside carwash, after saying he was in possession of a sidearm, and asking Smith if he wanted to go home that night. What we would like to know is:

1. What was the outcome of the shooting team investigation?
2. Was a firearm ever found?
3. Why did Smith not render aid to the suspect, which all officers are trained to do?
4. Why did Smith not retreat to the area behind his car and immediately call for backup?
5. Why was Smith allowed back on active duty after causing a SWAT situation wherein he took a police radio said he was going to kill himself and other officers?

Suicide at the Police Academy in 2023

Retired Officer Gaytan took his life at the El Paso Police Academy after accusations were made towards him. EPPD claims to embrace transparency, why was this event basically covered up? We would like all the information about this suicide, and the accusations that were made in order to corroborate what we are currently in possession of.

Status of the following officers

We would like to know the status of the following individuals – have they been terminated, riding a desk, perpetual suspension:

1. John Chavez
2. John Surface
3. Adan Chavez
4. Zina Silva
5. 1. Why does Silva work perpetually from home and not in the office
6. Jessica Grijalva
7. 1. For Grijalva, we would also like to know about her prior criminal history
8. 1. Why her DWI diversion program removed her mugshot and all evidence of her arrest
9. 1. Why she was allowed to remain on the job, even after lying in the videos we published, but Officer Spencer was terminated