CONVERSE, Texas – Nearly seven months after a state trooper shot and killed a man in Converse, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office is revealing how and why he died.
The ME ruled Luis Navarro’s death as a homicide, adding that the cause was a gunshot wound to the chest.
DPS said Trooper Apolonio Gomez tried to pull Navarro over for a traffic stop in New Braunfels, but Navarro drove away and led him on a high-speed chase before it ended in a crash in Converse on April 29, 2024.
Gomez has been with the agency for more than seven years, according to law enforcement records.
Before Gomez fired his weapon, DPS said Gomez tried to shock Navarro with a taser, but it didn’t work.
Two videos obtained by KSAT showed the moments leading up to the shooting, which a law enforcement expert says raises questions.
Gomez has not been charged in connection to the shooting. He is facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Navarro’s family.
In a written response to the federal lawsuit, Gomez defended his actions.
On Oct. 26, Navarro’s attorneys filed a motion to stay that lawsuit because the evidence used for the lawsuit is unavailable while the Texas Rangers conduct a criminal investigation into the shooting.
In a statement to KSAT on Friday, Mata said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and there is no timeline for when it’ll be done.
KSAT learned Navarro had a criminal history, including an active warrant for his arrest when he was shot.
“Luis was flawed and made mistakes, but he was part of our family and will be missed by many,” Navarro’s family said in a statement released after the shooting.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
