Jose Carlos Escarcega-Ysaias willingly dropped the City of Lubbock last week from his civil rights lawsuit filed in 2015. Escarcega will still appeal the decision of a federal judge to dismiss Lubbock Police officers Michael Jordan and Tye Edwards from the lawsuit.
The city will not pay money to Escarcega. He simply chose to dismiss the city.
Escarcega was arrested on July 30, 2015 near 19th Street and Iola Avenue. Corporal Ryan Durrett stopped to help Escarcega who appeared to be a stranded motorist. Durrett figured out that Escarcega was in a stolen pickup truck.
Escarcega tried to run away. During the chase, he got into Durrett’s patrol unit and tried to drive away with Durrett hanging onto the side of the patrol unit.
Escarcega crashed and Durrett was seriously hurt. Other officers soon arrived.
The City of Lubbock admitted that Jordan and Edwards used excessive force: “This Defendant admits that Officers Edwards and Jordan used force that was excessive according to City policy.”
After an internal affairs investigation, LPD announced that Jordan was suspended for 30 days with no pay, and Edwards was suspended for 16 days with no pay.
In the suspension orders, both were accused of hitting Escarcega after he was already handcuffed.
The city defended itself in court records by saying city officials did not approve or condone the use of excessive force.
In January of this year, Escarcega was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault.
A call to Escarcega’s attorney last week was not returned.
Related Story: Police Investigating Arrest for Allegations of Excessive Force
