Michael Estrada Obituary
The public announcement of Michael Estrada’s demise on Monday, March 18, 2024, was made by Troy Suggs Funeral Home in Dallas, TX, according to recently released police body camera footage, a man who asserted that he possessed a firearm made threatening remarks before being fatally shot by an El Paso police sergeant at a car wash in the Upper Valley area earlier this month. The footage depicts the police patrol supervisor issuing multiple instructions to Michael Anthony Estrada, aged 30, urging him to “calm down” and release the object he is holding while seated in a vehicle, before discharging a minimum of six gunshots.
The El Paso Police Department officially released a video on the evening of March 23rd, showcasing the body camera footage of the shooting incident that occurred on March 5th. The incident took place during a late-night encounter with the police at a self-service car wash located on Doniphan Drive.
The footage is presumed to be the initial public release of a lethal El Paso police shot since the widespread implementation of body-worn cameras for all patrol officers last year. The agency indicated that the footage was provided as a demonstration of their dedication to transparency and community participation.
The presence of a firearm in Estrada’s possession, although not captured in the video, has not been revealed due to ongoing investigations into the shooting, as stated by police spokesman Officer Adrian Cisneros on Sunday. Police officers observed that the body-worn camera had a stationary viewpoint at chest level and does not capture the entirety of an officer’s field of vision.
Martha Estrada, the mother of Estrada, residing in Las Cruces, stated to Channel 9-KTSM that the police informed her about the discovery of a firearm in the automobile. However, she expressed dissatisfaction with the limited information provided by the police. “Michael was adored by numerous people; getting to know him meant developing a deep affection for him.” The GoFundMe account, which was set up to raise money for funeral costs, expressed that Michael “Mikey” Estrada, who was tragically killed in the police shooting, occupies a significant and irreplaceable position in the hearts of his loved ones.
They will deeply mourn his loss. The police sergeant implicated in the shooting incident holds the position of a patrol supervisor at the Westside Regional Command Center and possesses about 13 years of experience within the police force. The identity of the individual has not been revealed.
The duration of the body camera video is approximately six minutes and fifty-nine seconds. The shooting took place within the initial five minutes. The incident commenced at 1:08 a.m. when a patrolling police sergeant arrived at a self-serve car wash bay located at 5830 Doniphan Drive. The sergeant’s attention was drawn to a black Ford Mustang with New Mexico license plates, which had its hood raised. The video depicts the incident as it happens, presenting the sequence of events chronologically. Upon the sergeant’s knock on the driver’s side window, Estrada promptly takes a seat in the driver’s seat while leaving the door ajar. The automobile contains a soft drink cup, paper, and various other goods.
Estrada informs the officer that he is now without a permanent residence and is residing in his car, which is in a state of disrepair and unable to start. “I am simply exasperated,” Estrada expressed. The sergeant inquires of Estrada whether there are any firearms, handguns, or blades present within the vehicle. “Negative, sir,” Estrada replies. ‘Simply place it down, my friend.’ Footage from a body camera reveals a shooting incident involving the El Paso police. Upon being requested to provide identification, Estrada continues to search through the papers and belongings in the car’s center console in an attempt to locate an ID card, with his face averted from the officer. The situation rapidly escalates as the sergeant instructs him to exit the vehicle.
The event is currently being investigated by many departments, including Internal Affairs, the Shooting Review Team, the Crimes Against Persons Unit of the El Paso Police Department, and the Texas Rangers of the Texas Department of Public Safety, as is customary for any El Paso police shooting.
The El Paso police spokesperson was unable to promptly verify whether Michael Anthony Estrada was the identical individual apprehended and convicted in a Las Cruces online school shooting threat seven years ago.
In 2017, a 23-year-old man named Michael Anthony Estrada was apprehended for instigating a state of fear and alarm through a Facebook message in which he made a menacing declaration to harm students at his previous educational institution, Conlee Elementary in Las Cruces.
The individual received a federal jail sentence of two-and-a-half years, which is equivalent to 30 months. Following his apprehension, Martha Estrada, his mother, issued a public apology to the community, acknowledging that her son possessed a kind nature but grappled with profound sadness, substance misuse, and mental health challenges. She was apprehensive about his well-being.
