LIBERTY HILL, Texas — The family of Jackson Lieber, who was shot and killed by Liberty Hill police in January, has announced they are suing the officer involved.
Robert Ranco is representing the Lieber family. During a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Ranco shared the family will be filing a federal lawsuit in the Western District of Texas against Liberty Hill police officer Esteban Gomez-Sanchez. Gomez-Sanchez is identified as the officer who shot Jackson Lieber.
The complaint, provided to KVUE by Ranco, states:
"Officer Gomez-Sanchez, while acting under the color of law, under no imminent threat to himself, shot and killed Jackson Lieber, in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution."
It goes on to say that Jackson Lieber was "subjected to excessive force in violation of his rights guaranteed to him by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution."
Jackson's father, Matt Lieber, said a lawsuit is the only way he feels he can get answers regarding what happened the night he lost his son.
Jackson Lieber died after being shot on RM 1869 in Liberty Hill on Jan. 18. Investigators say he crashed his car on that road and then trespassed on someone's property.
When police arrived, they say the situation escalated and an officer shot Jackson Lieber. According to Texas DPS spokesman Sgt. Deon Cockrell, Jackson Lieber was not armed when he was shot.
His family said law enforcement hasn't released any evidence, including photos or video, of what happened.
Matt Lieber said what information he has received about the night of Jan. 18 is the same information that is on the news and on public press releases from law enforcement.
"They don’t make any claims that Jackson had a weapon or acted in a fashion that threatened them," he said. "They just use vague terms that basically obscure the truth instead of illuminate it."
Ranco said attempts to gather information on his end have been quiet.
"Requesting documentation, including camera through open records request," Ranco listed. "[We] have kind of gone the formal route as we need to do. To date, we haven’t gotten any response."
Matt Lieber said he has personally called investigators.
"I’ve reached out by telephone to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. I’ve got … reached voicemails, left voicemails, and they’ve simply not been returned," he said.
Matt Lieber said he did not learn of the shooting or his son's passing until seven hours after the incident occurred. He also did not know which hospital his son was taken to – and ultimately died in – until his family received Jackson Lieber's death certificate.
Matt Lieber said the last time he spoke with his son before his death was the weekend prior to the shooting.
"Like any college kid calling home, he was saying, 'Dad, can you send me more money?'" Matt Lieber said with a laugh.
He said he texted his son the evening he died.
"We’d established that, you know, if I texted him ‘P-O-L,’ that stood for ‘proof of life,’ meaning just check in and let me know what you’re doing," Matt Lieber said. "That was the last text I sent to him. And he wasn’t alive when I sent it."
Matt Lieber said he and his family want accountability and transparency.
Esteban Gomez-Sanchez is on administrative leave.
The Williamson County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers are leading the investigation.