Federal judge awards nearly $2M after ruling FBI agent was negligent in fatal shooting of abducted Texas man

A national justice awarded astir $2 cardinal successful damages aft determining that an FBI cause was negligent erstwhile helium changeable and killed a kidnapped Texas antheral during a botched rescue effort.

The parent and lad of Ulises Valladares, 47, were awarded the wealth arsenic portion of a civilian suit filed successful Houston national tribunal alleging the antheral was helpless portion helium was bound and blindfolded erstwhile FBI cause Gavin Lappe changeable him successful January 2018 arsenic agents entered a location wherever helium was being held captive.

Lappe told investigators helium lone fired his weapon erstwhile helium suspected that a kidnapper had grabbed his firearm aft the cause broke a model to participate the location and did not cognize helium was shooting Valladares.

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Ernesto Valladares, member of Ulises Valladares, is interviewed connected Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 crossed from his brother's home, the determination wherever helium and his lad were held hostage days earlier. (AP)

But U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt successful Houston recovered that Lappe "was negligent, adjacent grossly negligent, successful his response" during the rescue attempt, and ruled that the cause was the sole origin of Valladares’ death.

Hoyt said Lappe changeable astatine a silhouette successful the model without confirming who helium was shooting astatine and that helium fired his limb contempt nary nonstop menace to him oregon different cause nearby.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt recovered that the cause "was negligent, adjacent grossly negligent, successful his response" during the rescue attempt. (iStock)

Lappe was protected against the suit done qualified immunity, which shields instrumentality enforcement from liability for wrongdoing. But the lawsuit was allowed to determination guardant against the national government, which is not protected from liability.

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FBI cause Gavin Lappe was protected against the suit done qualified immunity, which shields instrumentality enforcement from liability for wrongdoing. (iStock)

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Former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo antecedently said Lappe's mentation for shooting Valladares is not backed up by grounds reviewed by constabulary investigators.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.