COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — The City of College Station and several officers of the College Station Police Department are facing a lawsuit filed in federal court Feb. 4.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, stems from the February 2023 death of Mark Hopkins. The 22-year-old was killed during an officer-involved shooting on Spring Loop Road during the execution of a search warrant.
A Brazos County Grand Jury later found no criminal conduct by the officer, Dakota Norris. But the lawsuit names nearly a dozen members of the College Station Police Department, including the police chief.
The City of College Station responded to the lawsuit Friday. In reads, in part:
The City still maintains that the affidavit and warrant were executed and presented correctly on Feb. 8, 2023, based on a lengthy narcotics investigation regarding Abraham Escobar, a known drug dealer later indicted on two counts of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and two counts of Manufacturing and Delivering, among other charges related to the investigation. Escobar was in a dating relationship with Lauren Decoux, who shared the home at 925 Spring Loop with Mark Hopkins. Escobar had unfettered access and was repeatedly observed at the residence during the investigation.
Mr. Hopkins was not a criminal suspect in the investigation. However, probable cause affidavits and warrants identify all occupants of a suspected location, and Mr. Hopkins was a resident at 925 Spring Loop, where Escobar frequently visited Ms. Decoux while dealing and transporting narcotics.
"The Texas Rangers, the Brazos County district attorney, and the Brazos County grand jury all found no wrongdoing on the part of the officers," the city also said in the statement. "The City has full confidence in those findings."