Accused Cop Killer Familiar to Police

Updated: Friday, 21 Aug 2009, 10:50 PM CDT

Published : Friday, 21 Aug 2009, 10:47 PM CDT

SALLY MACDONALD

HOUSTON - Suspect Sergio Robles was released from the Harris County Jail less than 24 hours before he allegedly shot and killed Pasadena Police Officer Jesse Hamilton. He was in jail serving a DWI sentence.

It was three years ago to this day when he made headlines in another case.

Robles alleged two officers in the Galveston County town of Santa Fe used excessive force on him. The entire episode played out on dash cam video FOX 26 obtained.

The video shows Robles walking down a street in Santa Fe in the middle of the night. Back then, Robles told Fox 26 he was a diagnosed schizophrenic who had been off his medication for months. Two Santa Fe police officers accused him of resisting arrest.

The dash cam video shows the officers punching and kicking Robles as he fell to the ground.

"Maybe I should have been hospitalized, but not beaten and put in jail for something I didn't do," said Robles in an interview from 2006.

Early this year, charges against him were dropped, and he won a $125,000 settlement from the city of Santa Fe.

"It just hurts me my son had to go through that. He was always psychologically messed up," said Olga Garcia, the suspect's mom, during an interview in 2006.

It's not known if Robles was taking medication when his mother called to a report a disturbance Friday morning.

Pasadena Police say Officer Jesse Hamilton likely didn't have time to even speak with Robles before the suspect came outside and shot him.

Houston psychotherapist Ron Swatzyna says Robles's alleged actions don't fit the pattern of a schizophrenic.

"Normally schizophrenics are so paranoid and not thinking clearly. Anyone who is paranoid is not going to be confrontational until backed into a corner."

Marvin Harris was also mentally ill when he shot and killed Pasadena Police Officer Jeff Ginn almost 20 years ago.

"The mentally ill seem to be way back here on the back burner. I want a mental health task force within police departments. Why can't they have task forces come out, trained people and talk with them?" said Jennifer Martin, Harris' sister.

It's not known if Officer Hamilton knew Robles had a mental illness.

"The training is always needed and desired, but you can't predict everything. This guy didn't have a chance to predict what was going to happen," added Dr. Swatzyna.

Investigators will work to determine whether this was a case of mental illness or a dispute that got out of hand.

Robles's attorneys from the police brutality case declined to comment for this story.

In 2006, Robles told FOX 26 his stepfather was a police officer, and he had been taught to obey their instructions.