By Scott Akanewich, Liberty Hill Independent:
Twenty-one-old Jackson Lieber was fatally shot during trespassing incident.
All Matthew Lieber wants is answers.
Lieber’s son, Jackson Lieber, 21, of Georgetown, was fatally shot by Liberty Hill Police Department Officer Esteban Gomez-Sanchez on Jan. 18 after police were called to a trespassing incident at 750 Ranch Road 1869, north of State Highway 29.
Lieber – who resides in Arizona – has hired an attorney and filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, Austin Division, it was announced during a press conference on Wednesday.
The lawsuit alleges Lieber’s rights under the Fourth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were violated when Gomez-Sanchez used “unreasonably excessive force” by shooting Lieber two times, after which he died later that day at St. David’s Round Rock Hospital.
“I come here today to once again ask for answers about how my son Jackson Lieber was shot twice by a Liberty Hill police officer,” said Lieber in a prepared statement. “I have very little information that I can share with anyone regarding how it happened. The official releases from the Liberty Hill police and Williamson County Sheriff’s office have been deliberately vague and more concerned with protecting their organizations than helping me or my family come to terms with the loss of our son, grandson, brother, nephew, or cousin.”
The investigation into the shooting – which is being conducted by the Texas Rangers, a division of the Department of Public Safety – is currently ongoing, with no updates or further details released since the incident.
So far, very little has been revealed concerning the events preceding the shooting, other than the fact Jackson Lieber was involved in a one-car accident after hitting a nearby mailbox. Following the collision, authorities say Lieber made his way to the nearby residence.
According to an official complaint filed with the lawsuit, the residents of the property were able to subdue Lieber without the use of lethal force during an altercation between the parties before police arrived on the scene.
“Whatever circumstances led to the tragic death of Jackson remain a mystery to me and my family,” said Lieber. “What we do know is that Jackson was a gift. Those who knew him knew a kind and thoughtful person. He was incredibly smart. He graduated high school as the valedictorian of his class. He had a tremendous gift for music. He could play any instrument by ear. He taught himself how to play the drums, cello, bass guitar and oboe. He was inquisitive and liked to learn about everything from flying airplanes to working on cars. Jackson always tried to understand everyone he met.
“At his memorial service, friends he’d made from all over the country came. Friends that last saw him 11 years ago came because the impact he had on their lives,” Lieber said. “One young man confided that Jackson’s friendship had saved him from abusive situations that were happening to him. He told me that Jack’s kindness saved his life. Jack was 10 years old then – that is the kind of person he was. Jack was the light of our lives and we will always love him.”
Liberty Hill Police Department Chief Royce Graeter said he and his department are still waiting for word from investigators. On Wednesday, he was not yet aware that a lawsuit had been filed.
“We still don’t know anything about the investigation – we’re waiting on the Texas Rangers and they haven’t given us a timeline,” Graeter said. “As far as any lawsuit is concerned, I really don’t have any comment.”
Lieber and his family originally moved to the area when he was stationed at Fort Hood as a U.S. Army aviator from 2014-2018. Lieber said he finds it difficult to be kept in the dark by those involved in Jackson’s death.
“As a father who has lost a son, let me tell you how incredibly callous it sounds to hear, ‘I can’t talk about an open investigation.’ The Texas Rangers are conducting an investigation and we have cooperated with them fully. Liberty Hill Police Department and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office simply do not respond to any of our requests for information. The last time I checked, watching body camera footage does not alter the contents of the video. What I do know is that Jackson was not armed, only the officer involved was armed. I know that the officer had non-lethal alternatives. I do know that seven hours passed between Jackson’s shooting and notification of my family. Plenty of time to write a press release shading the truth. After a 20-year career as a combat aviator, I do know that accepting authority always entails accepting more responsibility. It also entails more accountability, not less. I do know that accepting responsibility means being responsible for the best answer, not merely a legal answer. I do know that sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
Lieber appealed directly to the authorities to shed light on the situation.
“I’m calling on the Liberty Hill Police Chief, the Williamson County Sheriff and the Williamson County District Attorney to remember what the word compassion means. Allow our attorney to see the body cam footage. We can accept any number of terms to safeguard the integrity of the Texas Rangers’ investigation – including a non-disclosure agreement until the Texas Rangers’ investigation is complete.”
Gomez-Sanchez is currently on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. A phone call to Texas Municipal Police Association Attorney Robert McCabe, who is representing him, was not returned by press time.