Harlingen police identify man shot by officer

HARLINGEN - Authorities identified a homeless man who was fatally shot by Harlingen police as a 41-year-old Mexican national Friday.

Diego Rivas Soto, a citizen of Mexico, was killed under an Expressway 77 overpass Monday, after police say he pulled a knife and charged a group of three officers.

One of the officers fired a single shotgun blast at Rivas, delivering a fatal blow to his upper torso, police have said. No officers were injured in the attack.

But police remained tight-lipped Friday about their decision to use deadly force on the homeless man. The officers involved in Rivas' shooting did have a non-lethal Taser weapon available but chose to department-issued shotgun,

Police have not yet released the names of the three officers involved in the incident or a description of the knife they say Rivas-Soto brandished.

Authorities also have not release a police report requested under the Texas Open Records Act on Wednesday.

"We have not released that as per the chief," police spokesman David Osborne said. "There was a knife, we have it in evidence and it is tagged. I was there and physically saw it, but we are not releasing that."

Investigators identified Rivas through his fingerprints, but could not yet identify his address in Mexico, police spokesman Sgt. John Parrish said.

Harlingen police continue to investigate the incident along with the Texas Rangers and the Cameron County District Attorney's Office.

Their findings will be submitted to a grand jury, Police Chief Danny Castillo said.

Gabriel Saldaña and Allen Essex are reporters for The Valley Morning Star.