The Texas MRF official, who has sparked a wave of criticism over his Uwalde mass shooting response, is the same man who questioned death row inmate Melissa Lucio to give what her lawyers said was a false confession, according to the director. , made a documentary about Lucio’s case.
Victor Escalon, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, came across a stream of questions from reporters on Thursday investigating why police waited nearly an hour to enter the school while terrified children waited inside and called 911.
MRF officials admitted at a news conference Friday that the decision was “wrong” and that police should have entered the building earlier to prevent more deaths during what became the second deadliest school shooting in modern US history. The delay and the various stories about what happened left many disappointed with the reaction of the police.
The Regional Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Victor Escalon, spoke at a news conference providing up-to-date information on the mass shooting at Rob Elementary School on Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Uwalde, Texas. Escalon said law enforcement officers waited an hour from the time the attacker entered the school to enter the school to shoot and kill the suspects. Twenty-one people, including 19 children, died Tuesday morning. Godofredo A. Vazquez / full-time photographer
Lucio, who was convicted of the death of her young child, narrowly escaped a lethal injection when she was allowed to stay, days before her planned execution last month. Lawyers and her family say her daughter’s death was a tragic accident and that Lucio’s case has been marred by corruption, gender bias and police misconduct, including her interrogation by Escalon.
Melissa Lucio and her children.
Courtesy of the Innocence project
They see Lucio’s interrogation on the night of her daughter’s death as a key element in convincing jurors of her guilt. Escalon and another officer questioned Lucio, who was pregnant at the time, late at night. She denied involvement more than 100 times before saying she was responsible.
Melissa Lucio, the mother of 14 South Texas children who was days after the date of her execution, lost her offer to stay with the pardon council.
Courtesy of Innocence Project
A 2020 documentary about Lucio’s innocence has garnered national attention by helping spark a movement to halt her execution. The film begins with a video of Lucio’s interrogation showing Escalon asking Lucio to hit a doll, as she allegedly hit her daughter. The film’s director Sabrina Van Tassel told the Houston Chronicle that the escalator behind Uvalde’s media presence was the same person who questioned Lucio.
A Texas MRF official who has criticized his Uwalde mass shooting response has been the same man who questioned death row inmate Melissa Lucio to give what her lawyers said was a false confession, according to the director. , made a documentary about Lucio’s case. The video above is footage from the night of Lucio’s interrogation, the same night her young child died, which is featured in the 2020 documentary, Texas v. Melissa. (Courtesy of Filmrise) Video: Texas v. Melissa. (Courtesy of Filmrise)
“Our position on Victor Escalon, at least his presentation in the Lucio case, he is definitely someone who gives himself a lot of freedom with his truth and authority,” said Tivon Chardl, one of Lucio’s lawyers.
DPS and Escalon did not respond immediately on Friday afternoon to requests for comment.
rebecca.hennes@chron.com
The massacre at the school in Uwalde
Add Comment