Texas Police Brutality Lawyer
Texas has a long history of police brutality and misconduct dating back more than a century. Victims of police brutality in Texas should know they have federal and state legal protections and options for holding the responsible parties accountable. At Police Brutality Center, our legal partners have local experience handling police misconduct cases in Texas. If you or a loved one has been a victim of police brutality in Texas, contact our police brutality lawyers today.
Attorneys that work with Police Brutality Center may be able to assist you.
"*" indicates required fields
Content Last Updated: March 6, 2026
How a Texas Police Brutality Lawyer Can Help You
After experiencing police brutality in Texas, it’s critical to work with a skilled civil rights attorney who handles police misconduct cases and has deep knowledge of civil rights laws. A Texas police brutality lawyer can help you fight back against qualified immunity defenses, investigate law enforcement agencies, negotiate a settlement, or litigate your case in court.
Connect With Our Experienced Attorneys
Police Brutality Center is proud to partner with Alex Straus, Chair of the Civil Rights Department at Milberg PLLC, and Solomon Radner at Radner Law Group to help victims of civil rights abuses.
Filing a Civil Rights Claim for Police Brutality in Texas
Filing a civil rights claim against the police for brutality can be a complex and difficult process, especially since officers are often shielded from liability by qualified immunity. The process begins with investigating, gathering evidence, filing complaints with police oversight agencies, and working with a Texas police brutality and civil rights lawyer to file a lawsuit.
Through a civil rights lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, wrongful death, and more.
It’s important to note that victims of police brutality have a limited time to file a civil rights lawsuit in Texas. The statute of limitations for these cases is generally two years from the date of the incident, though the deadline can vary. In addition, under Texas law, if you pursue a claim against a municipality or governmental unit, you must file a formal written notice of claim within six months of the incident.
Settlements for Police Brutality Cases in Texas
Some major recent settlements for police misconduct and brutality cases in Texas include the following:
- $3.3 million: In 2023, the Austin City Council approved a $3.3 million settlement over the 2017 fatal police shooting of Landon Nobles.
- $1.2 million: In 2022, the City of El Paso agreed to pay a $1.2 million settlement to the family of Erik Emmanuel Salas-Sanchez, who was shot and killed by an El Paso Police officer at his home in 2015.
- $1.9 million: In 2016, Waller County paid $1.9 million to the family of Sandra Bland, who died in police custody after being pulled over for failing to use her turn signal.
- $2 million: In 2010, the City of Fort Worth paid $2 million to the family of Michael Jacobs, Jr., who died as a result of two taser shocks administered by police during an altercation in 2009
Police Misconduct and Civil Rights Laws in Texas
Police misconduct and brutality in Texas is any inappropriate conduct or illegal actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. Such misconduct can include the use of excessive force, unlawful police shootings, racial profiling, in-custody deaths, wrongful arrests or convictions, and wrongful killings.
Numerous federal and state laws in Texas prohibit police misconduct and protect the rights of the people. The First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution protect the people from unlawful searches and seizures, from due process violations, and from interference with the freedoms of speech and assembly.
Texas law mirrors the federal Constitution in prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures. Article 1, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution states that people are protected from all unreasonable searches or seizures of their persons, houses, papers, and possessions without a warrant or probable cause.
However, police officers have “qualified immunity” that often shields them from criminal charges and civil lawsuits. To hold an officer accountable, it must be proven that the officer violated a “clearly established right”—a very high bar.
History and Statistics on Police Brutality in Texas
Texas has a long history of tensions between law enforcement and marginalized communities, shaped by racial conflict and civil rights struggles. According to the Police Scorecard for Texas, police killed 1,184 people statewide between 2013 and 2023. Black Texans were 2.3 times more likely to be killed by police than white Texans during that period.
Several historical events have shaped the landscape of mistrust between law enforcement and people of color in Texas. The Houston Riot of 1917 involved a mutiny by 156 soldiers from the all-Black 24th Infantry Regiment of the Army in response to a climate of overt racist hostility from members of the all-white Houston Police Department.
In 1977, José Campos Torres, a Mexican-American Vietnam War veteran, was killed by police in Houston at age 23. Torres had been arrested for disorderly conduct after a bar fight. Police took him to “The Hole,” a place where they were known to beat minorities, and then attempted to take him to the city jail. His injuries were so severe that the jail demanded he be taken to the hospital, but he never arrived. Two days later, his body was found in Buffalo Bayou.
Notable Texas Police Brutality Cases
Jalen Randle – 2022
Jalen Randle was shot and killed in 2022 by Houston Police Department Officer Shane Privette as officers were trying to arrest him on felony warrants. After a short car chase, Randle got out of the car, and two seconds later, Privette shot him in the neck, killing him. Grand juries later declined to charge Privette twice.
Nicolas Chavez – 2020
Nicolas Chavez was shot by police in 2020 when they responded to a call of a suicidal person running in and out of traffic. Four Houston police officers reportedly fired at least 21shots at Chavez when confronting him, even though he was unarmed. The officers were fired, but not criminally charged.
Tony Timpa – 2016
In 2016, Dallas police killed 32-year-old Tony Timpa after he called 911 for mental health assistance. Seven years later, a federal jury found three officers liable for Timpa’s death and awarded $1 million to his 15-year-old son.