Man who killed Texas deputy in traffic stop sentenced to death

FILE - Deputy Peter Herrera died in the hospital March 24, 2019 following a shooting during a traffic stop in San Elizario.
(KFOX14/CBS4)

KFOX14
by KFOX Staff
Wed, August 9th 2023, 9:53 PM CDT

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX) — A man who killed a Texas deputy during a 2019 traffic stop will be put to death.

El Paso County sheriff deputy, Peter Herrera, was shot and injured when he approached a vehicle Facundo Chavez was riding in.

Chavez shot Herrera multiple times and beat Herrera while he was down.

Authorities revealed in court documents that Chavez had plans to "shoot the cop."

Chavez and his then-girlfriend fled the scene leaving Herrera lying on the ground in his blood.

Days later, Herrera died while hospitalized.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers throughout Texas attended the deputy's funeral.

Report: Felon armed himself with handgun moments before shooting Deputy Peter Herrera
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Nearly four years later, a jury of 12 returned a death penalty sentence for Chavez after two days of deliberating.

“I know that they all took their jobs very seriously. They spent hours and hours and hours deliberating,” El Paso District Attorney, Bill Hicks, said.

Chavez appeared composed while the judge addressed the court, but his emotions surfaced when the jury's decision was announced.

The killer became teary-eyed when Judge Diane Navarrete read the jury’s decision.

We felt that the verdict speaks appropriately for the crime for what happened,” El Paso District Attorney, Bill Hicks, said.

Chavez's defense attorney felt they had a case showing that Chavez's life was valuable.

“We’ve been robbed of a good law enforcement officer and we’ve lost a community member who should— who could contribute," attorney Louis Lopez said.

Governor Greg Abbott honored Herrera's family in 2021 with the Star of Texas award, which honors individuals who made profound commitments while performing their duties as peace officers.