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New details regarding the 51-year-old Edinburg man who was shot and killed by Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputies last Tuesday reveal that he was holding a knife “with the sharp end pointed toward his chest” when authorities arrived at the scene, according to a custodial death report.
Ruben Ollarzabal Chairez was shot and killed by deputies after his daughter-in-law called police and reported that Chairez had stabbed her mother-in-law on June 11 following a standoff with authorities that lasted less than 30 minutes.
That call came in at 6:24 p.m., according to the initial press release from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.
The release did state that Chairez was holding a knife upon the deputies arrival, but did not mention that he had “a large kitchen knife” pointed at himself.
According to the report, deputies arrived at the 6600 block of West Drive in rural Edinburg at 6:35 p.m. and Chairez’s time of death was 7 p.m.
Chairez was shot and killed within the span of 25 minutes.
Before the fatal shooting, one deputy called out to Chairez who then charged at the deputy as Chairez waved the knife in a threatening manner, but the deputy “retreated” toward the street as he kept giving Chairez commands to drop the knife, the report stated.
The report goes on to say that other deputies arrived and attempted to speak to Chairez but “he kept walking back and forth toward the mobile home and other family members at the scene.”
Deputies then attempted to subdue Chairez using stun guns and “non-lethal impact rounds,” which didn’t work.
It was then that Chairez lunged at the deputies and was shot and killed, according to the report.
The release stated that Chairez lunged and threw the knife in the direction of the officers, but the death report doesn’t mention him throwing the knife.
Additionally, the report states that “deputies discharged their firearms” and struck Chairez “multiple times.”
The deputies provided life-saving aid to Chairez until EMS arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene upon their arrival.
Witnesses told investigators that Chairez was upset for some reason and placed a knife against his wife’s neck inside the residence, the news release said.
Chairez had been previously arrested for family violence in late February for threatening to kill his wife, according to the sheriff’s office.
Five deputies involved in the shooting were placed on administrative paid leave pending an internal investigation into police violations as per protocol.
The findings of the investigation will also be turned over to the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office for a grand jury review, the release said.
