Lee Roy Villarreal

Date: 9/27/2022          Location: Edinburg, TX         FACTORS (1,2,3,4,5,8,10,19)          

Name: Lee Roy Villarreal                              

Criminal History/Involved: Yes, Villarreal had prior federal charges for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; conspiracy to commit kidnapping; kidnapping; using, carrying and brandishing a firearm. / Yes, Villarreal was creating a disturbance and possibly operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.        

Mental Illness: Yes, Villarreal faked having a gun and committed suicide by cop.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Villarreal had a prior drug related arrest and was possibly intoxicated at the time of this incident. / None stated.

Race/Sex/Age: Latino/Male/36

Officer(s) involved: Edinburg police officers                                                                      

What prompted the initial contact with police? Around noon on September 27, 2022, Edinburg police officers responded to a 911 call of possibly intoxicated driver “doing donuts” in a field near a middle school.

Actions taken by subject towards police: Villarreal fled from the officers and was observed going into a house and coming out with an object that was believed to be a gun. A 911 caller advised that Villarreal said, “if police are called, he’s ready for them,” and Villarreal’s family told police “he had a gun.” Instead of complying with the officers’ commands to come out of his truck with his hands up, Villarreal drove his vehicle and made more donuts. When police then surrounded his vehicle and again ordered him to come out with his hands up, Villarreal exited his vehicle holding an object in his hand and aggressively approached the officers.

Reactions by the police: Fearing the object Villarreal held was the gun he and others described him as possessing, the officers shot him several times, killing him.

Outcome of investigation into the fatal police incident: Incident is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

What could the subject have done that day to still be alive today? Villarreal could still be alive today if he: didn’t drive recklessly causing people to call 911; complied with the officers’ commands and exited his vehicle with his hands up; did not lie to police and say he was armed; did not fake having a gun as he aggressively approached the officers.

Miscellaneous: Edinburg Police Chief Jaime Ayala called the shooting "a classic case of suicide by cop.”

Justified Use of Deadly Force? YES, the officers had reasonable cause to believe the uncooperative and unpredictable Villarreal was armed and intended to kill them when he jumped out of his vehicle holding something in his hand and moved toward them.