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El Paso police officers face official oppression charges [1]

['Cindy Ramirez', 'More Cindy Ramirez', 'El Paso Matters']

Date: 2023-08-30

Two El Paso police officers are facing charges of official oppression – a crime that involves a public servant intentionally denying another their rights, subjects them to mistreatment or arrest, or subjects them to sexual harassment.

John Edgar Surface, 43, a lieutenant in the department, was booked into the El Paso County Jail on Wednesday on two counts of official oppression, jail records show. He was released the same day on a $30,000 combined bond. His LinkedIn profile states he served in the EPPD crime scene unit.

Adan Chavez, 40, a sergeant, was also booked on Wednesday for one count of official oppression. He was released the same day under a $7,500 bond. Jail records show the offense date as May 27.

No other details on either case were immediately available. A Class A misdemeanor such as official oppression carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and/or a $4,000 fine.

City officials have not responded to requests for comment from El Paso Matters.

The arrests come in the wake of a months-long, two-part El Paso Matters investigation into the department’s cases of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and gender discrimination – which various current and former EPPD employees said created a hostile workplace for women.

Earlier this year, the Police Department arrested five of its officers on separate charges, including domestic violence and sexual assault.

Officer Guadalupe Sosa was arrested on July 7 on charges of sexual assault in connection to an April 2018 incident when the 15-year veteran of the department was off-duty. Officer Joshua Anthony Gallardo was arrested two days later when EPPD responded to a family violence assault in progress. Gallardo, who was also off-duty, hit and choked the female victim, according to the investigation.

Three other officers were arrested in July for their alleged involvement in covering up a hit-and-run in March.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2023/08/30/el-paso-police-officers-arrested-official-oppression/

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