$10.37 Million Federal Verdict for Family of Gilbert Flores, Shot by Deputies While Hands Were Raised

On August 28, 2015, Bexar County sheriff's deputies Greg Vazquez and Robert Sanchez responded to a northwest San Antonio home on a domestic disturbance call. Gilbert Flores, a 41-year-old husband and father, was outside the residence holding a knife. Within minutes of their arrival, both deputies fired, striking and killing him.

A neighbor recorded the confrontation on a cell phone. That footage became the center of the case. A digital forensics analyst, retained by the plaintiffs, concluded that for roughly four seconds before the shots were fired, Flores's hands, the knife he was holding, and his feet were all motionless. The video showed his hands raised. Both deputies said they believed Flores still posed an active threat, but the jury ultimately rejected that account.

A grand jury declined to indict either deputy months after the shooting, and both were returned to duty from administrative leave. The Flores family's only remaining path to accountability was a federal civil-rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, alleging the deputies used excessive and unnecessary deadly force in violation of Flores's Fourth Amendment rights.

Thomas J. Henry represented the Flores family in the federal proceeding. After three days of testimony in March 2022, the jury found both Vazquez and Sanchez liable. Compensatory damages of $1,435,000 were assessed against each deputy. The jury also imposed punitive damages: $5 million against Vazquez and $2.5 million against Sanchez, bringing the total verdict to $10,370,000.

In a statement following the verdict, Henry said the outcome demonstrated 'that we will not tolerate the use of excessive force that kills our citizens,' and noted that without the neighbor's video, the family may never have obtained any form of justice. Bexar County transferred handling of the case defense to its insurance carrier after the verdict was returned. No post-verdict reduction has been reported in court records or coverage reviewed to date.