A Harris County grand jury indicted Baytown Police Officer Juan Delacruz Monday for the death of 44-year-old Pamela Turner.
The charge is aggravated assault by a public servant, a first-degree felony that carries a punishment of five years to live in prison.
“Pam Turner’s killing was a tragedy; it is important to acknowledge that her family and the community are in pain,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
“Every aspect of the case was independently investigated by the Texas Rangers and our Civil Rights Division prosecutors. Ultimately, we presented all of the evidence to a grand jury that determined the Baytown Police officer should be charged with a crime for his actions when he shot Ms. Turner. We respect their decision and we will be moving forward with prosecution,” Ogg said.
The incident began when the officer approached Turner in the apartment complex in the 1600 block of Garth Road where they both resided.
Delacruz will be given the opportunity to turn himself in, so that a judge can set bail.
Baytown Police Department spokesperson said in a statement; " On May 13th, 2019 Baytown Police Officer Juan Delacruz attempted to affect an arrest of 45-year-old Pamela Turner at the Brixton Apartments in the 1600 block of Garth Road.
During the course of that attempted arrest, a series of events unfolded which led to Officer Delacruz discharging his duty weapon, resulting in Ms. Turner’s death. In an effort to ensure transparency and maintain public trust, Chief Dougherty asked the Texas Rangers to lead the investigation, at which time the investigation was turned over to them. Once the Texas Rangers completed their comprehensive investigation, they turned their findings over to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for their review.
Today, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office presented those findings to a Harris County Grand Jury, who ultimately returned an indictment against Officer Delacruz for the offense of Aggravated Assault by a Public Servant – a 1st Degree Felony.
We have faith and trust in our judicial system, and as we wait for this case to proceed through the legal process, we ask that our community continue to be patient and have trust and faith in those processes. We also ask that our community continue to have faith and trust in the Baytown Police Department and the dedicated, professional men and women who are
committed to serving all members of our community with integrity, compassion, and professionalism.
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