Man accused of killing Washington State Trooper while DUI files for motion to dismiss
A hearing is underway for the man accused of killing Washington State Trooper Christopher Gadd in 2024. The suspect is accused of driving under the influence at the time of the crash, and his attorney is filing for a motion to dismiss the charges.
On March 2, 2024, investigators say 32-year-old Raul Benitez-Santana was driving over 100 miles per hour on I-5 in Marysville when he hit Gadd's patrol SUV that was parked on the shoulder.
Gadd's vehicle was pushed into the road, where it was hit by another van.
He died at the scene.
According to deputies, Benitez Santana -- who was behind the wheel of the SUV -- allegedly had bloodshot eyes and admitted to smoking marijuana hours before the crash, as well as drinking two Coors Light beers.
In addition, Benitez Santana was also in the country illegally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
Because the Denali that Benitez Santana was driving was equipped with an event data recorder (EDR), detectives were able to obtain its data with a search warrant and determine how fast Benitez Santana's SUV was traveling when it hit Gadd's patrol vehicle.
'The EDR captured five seconds of pre-impact data. It recorded the Denali's speed at 112 mph 1.5 seconds prior to impact. It recorded that from five seconds pre-impact to 2.5 seconds pre-impact the defendant had the accelerator 99% depressed. It recorded he did not activate his brakes until one-half second prior to impact (which reduced his speed at impact to 107 MPH),' probable cause documents from 2024 said.
Now, over a year later, court proceedings are underway.
Benitez-Santana's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the charges-- vehicular assault and vehicular homicide involving alcohol or drugs.
Benitez-Santana's defense argued that a staffer in the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office asked ICE officials in Seattle to put a detainer on him ahead of a court hearing. They alleged the staffer engaged in 'outrageous government misconduct.'
'The state reasonably should have known that including information about the client's immigration status in a publicly filed court document would result in its dissemination to the public and could materially prejudice the adjudicative process,' the defense team stated.
If the motion to dismiss the case is denied, a jury trial is scheduled to start on Tuesday
KIRO 7 is in court to learn more about the filing.
MyNorthwest.com contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Legislature OKs bill requiring sheriffs to partner with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas legislature gave the final approval of Senate Bill 8, which will require almost every single county in the state to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce federal immigration laws. It's a move supporters say will keep Texans safe while aligning the state with the Trump administration on strict immigration enforcement. Opponents argue it could lead to overcrowding in jails, a chilling effect on reporting crimes, and racial profiling in minority communities. After going through various changes throughout the legislative process, lawmakers in both chambers finally came to an agreement on the final language of the bill a day before a deadline that would have killed the bill before getting to the governor's desk. SB 8 would require every sheriffs department in a county that operates a jail, or contracts with a private jail, to enter into an agreement with ICE known as 287(g). Currently in Texas there are 234 counties that this bill applies to, according to the bill's author State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown. 'Texas needs to be much more proactive in identifying, detaining, prosecuting and deporting criminal illegal aliens,' Schwertner said. The 287(g) program allows sheriff's deputies to assume some ICE duties, like questioning migrants, issuing warrants or arresting them for immigration violations, depending on their specific training. There are three models within the 287(g) program a law enforcement agency can enter into. They include: Jail Enforcement Model – allows officers to question people to determine immigration status, put their information into a Homeland Security database, take statements and begin the deportation process with an immigration detainer and notice to appear. Warrant Service Officer – a narrower scope than jail enforcement, with officers identifying people as non-citizens during the booking process, referring those people to ICE for evaluation and possible deportation, and serving ICE administrative warrants on people in their custody, according to the ACLU. Task Force Model – described by ICE as a 'force multiplier,' allowing local officers to enforce immigration laws during their routine duties in the community. The final version of the bill gives discretion to sheriffs to decide which of the three models it will enter into with ICE. Sheriffs could decide to enter into more than one type of model, but it is not required to have more than one. It also provides a grant program to help counties cover the cost of training staff or operating the program. The grant amount ranges between $80,000 and $140,000 depending on the size of the county. In laying out the bill on the Senate floor, Schwertner said it sends a clear message. 'Texas will not tolerate criminal illegal aliens threatening our communities,' Schwertner said. But Democratic members in the Senate raised concerns with the bill. It passed along party lines in the Senate. Opponents of the 287(g) program have argued the incorporation of local law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement will lead many people to not call in the case of emergency out of fear it could lead to them or their family being deported. 'That's an issue that I have, that we're going to potentially drive immigrants into the shadows, and you know, make them victims, or have them a bull's eye of potential crimes,' State Sen. José Menéndez, D – San Antonio, said to Schwertner on the Senate floor. Schwertner argued it would not prevent lawfully present citizens from calling the police in an emergency. 'The people of the United States and of Texas spoke very clearly last November regarding their concerns of illegal immigration and the concerns of criminal illegal aliens doing great harm to communities,' Schwertner said. But Menéndez pointed there are some families with mixed status, where the parents may not lawfully be in the country but their children are. 'If people understand that that family, there's an undocumented person, they have a target now, because people know, well, they won't call the police because there's an undocumented person in that household,' Menéndez explained. Another concern is the capacity in Texas jails. The 287(g) program would require counties place an immigration detainer on an inmate that is deemed to be in the country illegally. Opponents argue this would be costly for counties to hold on to somebody in the jail and wait for federal immigration officials to pick them up. There's also an issue of space. According to data from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, between January and February this year there were 7,481 inmates in Texas jails with an immigration detainer placed on them. Those inmates spent a total of 156,494 days in jail, which averages out to about 21 days per inmate in jail. The total cost to the state is estimated to be more than $14 million, according to the data. 'What are we going to do when these jails must have a 287(g) agreement with the federal government to hold people who are not rapists, murderers or people who have been involved in aggravated assault, they are just people who are not here legally,' State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D – Austin, said to Schwertner on the Senate floor. 'They are criminals, in the sense they are illegal aliens. The program does allow for expedite transfer to ICE to properly adjudicate those individuals,' Schwertner responded. Many opponents to the bill have pointed out concerns with the task force model within the 287(g) program. That model, as Schwertner explained, allows non-federal law enforcement, such as sheriff's deputies, to enforce immigration laws within the community as opposed to inside a jail. Some believe it will lead to racial profiling in minority communities. 'Are you not afraid of the potentiality for racial profiling by police if they see what presumably looks like Mexican or Hispanic people in a truck that they will not be pulled over simply because of the color of their skin,' State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, asked Schwertner. Schwertner agreed racial biases do exist in the world, but argued the sheriffs department and ICE would have oversight on who they place in a task force model. 'Through the 287(g) program task force model, there is training to address the concerns of racial profiling, there are procedures,' Schwertner said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
6 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Photos: Community protests ICE detainment in Milford
Graduates embrace as they protest outside the Town Hall a day after Marcelo Gomes Da Silva was detained by ICE. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Community members pray as they protested outside of Town Hall. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Students protested outside of of the Town Hall a day after 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva was detained by ICE. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff A graduate holds his cap which reads, 'No Human Is Illegal' during a protest outside Town Hall. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff An 11-year-old cousin of Marcelo Gomes Da Silva protests outside of Town Hall. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Children view the protest outside of the Town Hall. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Classmates of Marcelo Gomes Da Silva embrace as they protest outside of the Town Hall. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff People hold American flags as they protested outside of the Town Hall in Milford. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Graduates embrace as they protest outside of the Town Hall a day after 18 year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva was detained by ICE. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Local law enforcement, ICE conduct targeted enforcement operation in Charleston area
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Several law enforcement agencies are conducting a targeted enforcement operation around the Lowcountry, according to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. The State Law Enforcement Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and several other agencies, including local ones, have partnered to conduct the operation throughout the Charleston area. The sheriff's office said they would provide additional information as investigations progress. News 2 has contacted ICE, SLED, and numerous local agencies said to be participating for further details of the operation. A news conference will be held Monday at 10 a.m. to discuss the details of a successful sting operation that took place overnight from Saturday to Sunday in Ladson. The Charleston County Sheriff's Office will host the multi-agency conference at their headquarters. According to Charleston County jail records, at least four individuals have been arrested from May 31 to June 1 on ICE holds; however, it has not been confirmed whether the arrests are connected to the operations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
