2020-02-13

Officer involved shooting in Amarillo leaves one man dead

On February 13, 2020, an officer-involved shooting happened on North Buchanan Street.

At about about 10:29 a.m., a suspect was located at a home on North Buchanan Street, between the 1200 and 1300 blocks. Police said he pulled a firearm and pointed it a the officers.

The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Aaron Marcos Valdez, was shot by return fire. No officers were injured.

Valdez was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died from his injuries at 12:10 p.m.^[1]

He had three felony warrants out of Potter County, one for aggravated robbery and two for aggravated assault from several shooting incidents on Northeast 24th Avenue that happened on February 11, 2020.^[2]

February 11, 2020

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Amarillo responded to the Toot ‘n Totum on the 2300 block of Dumas Drive just after 8 p.m. where two victims told police they had been shot in Thompson Park. Neither had life-threatening injuries.

The second call came in at 8:17 p.m. on shots being fired on the 2500 block of North Wilson.
A 19-year-old man was found a few blocks away with non-life threatening injuries from the shooting on the 2500 block of Thorne.

The third shooting took place at D & T Food Mart on the 1700 block of NE 24th at 8:35 p.m.

According to APD, a witness said a male subject was in the parking lot firing several rounds from a gun into the air, but no one was injured

Custodial Death Report

CDR Number: 20-170-UF
Version Type: AMENDED
Report Date: 8/27/2020 1:41 PM
Agency Name: Amarillo Police Dept
Reported by: Michael Dunn

Identity of Deceased: Aaron Marcus Valdez
DOB: 10/17/2000
Age at time of death: 19

Date/Time of Custody or Incident: 2/13/2020 10:28 AM
Death Date and Time: 2/20/2020 12:10 PM

Manner/Cause of Death

Has a medical examiner or coroner conducted an evaluation to determine a cause of death?

• Medical Examiner/Coroner Evaluation?: Yes, results are available

What was the manner of death? (select only one)

• Manner of Death: Homicide (includes Justifiable Homicide)

What was the medical cause of death?

• Medical Cause of Death: Penetrating gunshot wound to the head and torso

If death was an accident, homicide or suicide, who caused the death?

• Who caused the death?: Law enforcement/correctional personne

If a weapon caused the death, what type of weapon caused the death? (Hold CTRL to select all that apply)

• Type of weapon that caused death?: Rifle/shotgun

Location/Custody Information

Where did the event causing the death occur?

• Street Address: 1306 N Buchanan Street, Amarillo, Texas 79107
• County: Potter

What location category best describes where the event causing the death occurred?

• Location Category: Residence/Home

What type of custody/facility was the Decedent in at the time of death: Type of Custody:

• Pre-Custodial Use of Force

General Information

What were the most serious offense(s) with which the deceased was (or would have been) charged with at the time of death?

• Offense 1: Aggravated Assault DW
• Offense 2: Aggravated Assault DW
• Offense 3: Aggravated Robbery

What were the types of charges or reason for contact? (Hold CTRL to select all that apply)

• Type of Offense: Violent Crime Against Persons

At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent display or use a weapon?

• Decedent display/use of weapons: Yes, mark all that apply
• Decedent Display or Use Weapon Details: Displayed firearm without discharge

At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent:

• Attempt to Injure Others?: Yes (select all that apply)
• Ways Decedent Attempted To Injure Others: Attempted to injure law enforcement personnel

Summary of Incident

On Thursday February 13, 2020 at about 10:28 AM Amarillo SWAT and NARCOTICS AGENTS were conducting surveillance in the 1300 block of N Buchanan.

Aaron Marcus Valdez HM 19 was a wanted suspect in three shooting incidents on 2/11/2020 with three victims at the three different locations.

Amarillo Police Officers, members of the SWAT Team, had attempted to arrest Aaron Marcus Valdez HM 19 for multiple felony warrants. While in the course of taking Valdez into custody at 1306 N Buchanan, Valdez drew a concealed Glock 19 handgun and pointed it at officers.

Officers fired a total of eight rounds to prevent Valdez assault on them. Valdez dropped the gun when the rounds struck him. He was taken into custody and provided with first aid. He was transported to NWTH and at 12:10 PM died of his injuries.

2/11/2020

• 8:04 pm 2020-502985 Aaron Valdez and Lozaro Campos encounter Kyle Franklin WM 30 and his girlfriend Tabitha Lawlis WF 29 at Thompson Park. Valdez approached Franklin asking, “Are you Henry?” When Franklin replied no, Valdez shot multiple rounds into the victim’s vehicle. Victim Franklin is struck twice by bullets, left arm and left ear. Victim Lawlis is struck once by a bullet in the right forearm.

• 8:21 pm 2020-502986 Officers dispatched to 2500 block of N. Wilson on shots fired. Officers locate Lazaro Campos with a GSW to the left leg. Campos admits he was present when Aaron Valdez shot two people in Thompson Park a few minutes ago. Valdez then shot Campos and took Campos vehicle.

• 8:30 pm 2020-502987 Officers dispatched to 1712 NE 24, D&T Store on shots fired. Officers locate witness who described Valdez covered in blood coming into the store with a gun in his hand and his face covered. Valdez almost immediately leaves the store and fires multiple 9 mm rounds in the parking lot. Valdez also matched the physical description, lived in the general area of and behaved in a manner consistent with one of the suspects in Demond Thomas Homicide, APD 19-527366 from 12/17/2019.

• 5:31 pm 2019-527366 Victim Demond Thomas was shot while driving his vehicle EB on the 1700 block of NE 24th near the D&T Convenience Store. Demond was transported to NWTH with a GSW to his head. He died of his injuries early in the morning of Wednesday December 18, 2019. Video of the incident was obtained from nearby D&T Store. Suspect was described as a HM 18-22. One witness recognized the shooter as someone he went to high school with.

• On 2/24/2020, this witness identified Aaron Valdez from a photo array as one of the two shooters in this case.

• On Friday February 14, 2020, APD CSI attended autopsy. Preliminary cause of death was penetrating GSW to the head. Aaron Valdez also had two penetrating through and through GSW torso injuries and a through and through GSW of his arm. One bullet projectile was recovered from his body.

• On Wednesday February 26, 2020, the Potter County Grand Jury reviewed the facts of the case as an Original Matter. The Grand Jury determined the shooting of Aaron Valdez to be justified. This case is Exceptionally Cleared Death of Offender. Sgt Dunn 250 2/26/2020 1326