SHERIFF REVEALS DETAILS OF FATAL RAID

Slain Deputy Keith Ruiz was shot during a by-the-book drug raid while
looking for evidence that a Del Valle man was dealing drugs out of his
mobile home, Travis County Sheriff Margo Frasier said Tuesday.

Five days after a routine operation turned into a deadly shootout, Frasier
defended her department's actions, saying deputies had no choice but to
attempt to break down Edwin Delamora's door in search of evidence.

"The reason we went to this man's house instead of arresting him away from
his house is because we had very, very strong reasons to believe that the
drugs were being stored at the house and packaged at the house," Frasier said.

According to court records filed Tuesday, deputies found what they were
looking for after Ruiz's death Thursday night, seizing 39.6 grams of
methamphetamine, about two ounces of marijuana and more than $2,000 in
cash, plus an electronic scale and miniature resealable plastic bags --
paraphernalia Frasier said indicates Delamora was packaging drugs for sale.

"It was a significant amount (of drugs) . . . definitely more than personal
use," Frasier said.

Investigators also seized a 9 mm handgun they believe was used to shoot
Ruiz, 36, a decorated 12-year veteran who had volunteered for the
assignment. According to court records, Delamora fired twice from inside
the mobile home during the raid.

Delamora, 21, is being held without bail on a capital murder charge.

The Capital Area Drug Task Force had been investigating Delamora -- a
professional painter and father of two -- for several weeks before
obtaining a warrant to search his house on Feb. 15, Frasier said.

Two days before the raid, court records said, deputies found small plastic
bags with trace amounts of methamphetamine in Delamora's trash. The task
force also had confirmed with at least two sources that Delamora was
selling the drug from his home, court records said.

But to make an arrest, the task force needed more evidence, Frasier said.

"In an ideal situation, you would be able to not ever have to enter
somebody's home, not ever have to go to a situation where any other person
is present, particularly children," she said. "We were aware that children
were there, but unfortunately, he chose to store the drugs in the home
where his children were."

The task force raid started about 9:30 Thursday night. After identifying
themselves and receiving no answer, court records said, Ruiz and two other
deputies attempted to break down Delamora's door with a ramming tool.

Ruiz was trying to pry open the door when Delamora broke a small
diamond-shaped window in the door and fired through it, striking Ruiz in
the shoulder and perforating his aorta, court records said.

Delamora then fired another shot, and Deputy Craig Smith returned fire as
the other members of the task force drew back, court records said. Delamora
surrendered soon after and was treated for a bullet wound to his right hand.

Ruiz, a father of three, died soon after at Brackenridge Hospital.

Delamora's wife, Kristie Delamora, has said that neither she nor her
husband heard deputies identify themselves and that they thought they were
being robbed. Delamora's lawyer, Leonard Martinez, said his client was only
defending his home.

"My client feels terrible that someone died, he feels for the family, but
he's absolutely firm he did not know there were police officers outside,"
Martinez said. "He was scared to death for the sake of his family. It was
not his intention to shoot anyone, much less a police officer."

Frasier said that when she walked through Delamora's home the morning after
the raid, she could easily hear voices outside the trailer. She said she
believes Delamora knew law enforcement officers were outside when he fired.

"Officers want to be heard," Frasier said. "I'm not surprised that that's
what (Kristie Delamora) said. That is the kind of thing that will be
discussed, and that's maybe something a jury will decide."