Family, Employer Want Answers About Suspect Shot By Police
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GRAPEVINE (CBSDFW.COM) - New information about the 31-year-old man shot and killed by a Grapevine police officer Friday is being released.
Ruben Villalpondo's family and former employer want answers from police about his death.
Police say there is a video of the shooting but they have not gone into details.
They say there was no body camera on the officer but detectives will not comment on whether there is police dash cam video.
Ruben Villalpondo left work in Lewisville at about 5:15 p.m. Friday and an hour and 15 minutes later he was dead.
Police say Villalpondo fled a scene where officers were responding to a burglary in progress in grapevine.
According to detectives he stopped the Toyota Camry on state highway 121 in Euless.
Police say there was an altercation between the grapevine police officer and Villalpondo and that's when he was shot.
"The last thing we said was have a good weekend and he was very upbeat like he was going home," says Villalpondo's employer Eric Friend
He worked for Eric Friend and Friend equipment for 12 years.
Friend just like Villapondo's family is asking questions about what led to his death.
"What happened and what did the officers see to incur that he felt he had to use deadly force?"
"Because they took a family member, very lovable, humble, someone that helped a lot, played a lot, fooled around with the kids, and a father figure to four children," says Cousin Reyna Avalos.
Villalpondo was married and has four children, including a stepchild. Facts that concern Villalpondo's former employer.
"The company will keep going. I'm worried about his wife and his kids, is what I have to look at right now," says Friend.
Detectives have not given a date on when they will release any more details on this case or releasing in footage.
They have not released the name of the Grapevine Police officer involved in the shooting.
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