Retired FBI agent shot by school police officer in El Paso was armed with ‘large rock’

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A new report reveals that the retired FBI agent who was shot and killed by an El Paso school district officer outside a high school was armed with a “large rock.”

According to an August 28 death report from the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 56-year-old retired FBI agent Julio Cordero of El Paso was shot and killed on August 22 on the campus of Franklin High School by an El Paso Independent School District police officer after he charged at the officer with a “large rock.”

The report said an officer confronted Cordero after they received a 911 call describing a man breaking windows at the high school in west El Paso.

According to the report, Cordero ignored the officer’s instructions, and the officer attempted to arrest Cordero using “less lethal methods.”

The report goes on to say that Cordero “picked up a large rock and walked toward the officer” before the officer shot him.

RELATED:The man killed in a police officer-involved shooting at Franklin High was a retired FBI agent

The report does not go into detail about which “non-lethal methods” the officer tried without success.

KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the EPISD police chief since the incident to find out if school officers carry Tasers, but the chief declined comment, saying he did not want to compromise the integrity of the case.

Nevertheless, Cordero’s relatives are demanding transparency regarding the shooting and say:

Why the hell didn’t you use non-lethal weapons to control him?” said Marco, Julio Cordero’s brother. “A taser knocks Julio to the ground.”

RELATED:Family calls for transparency after El Paso ISD police kill retired FBI agent

The obituary also states that coroner’s results are still pending.

The report lists the possible charges that Cordero could have faced:

• Serious criminal damage to property.
• Aggravated assault with a weapon against a peace officer.
• Escape from arrest/detention.

The type of crime listed in the report is “crimes against property.”

When asked whether Cordero was drunk, had mental health issues, was suicidal or had any health problems during the incident, the report simply states: “Unknown.”

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