UPDATE: Officer Gaitan’s trial is set for 7/29/24
For six years, Officer Alex Gaitan has served honorably as a police officer, but now he’s under criminal indictment for doing his job to protect the public.
In March 2021, Officer Gaitan was dispatched for an unknown urgent call for service. Soon, Alex arrived at a building he’d been at several times before. Alex had interacted with a man who lived there with multiple cautions about resisting arrest. He was a young, athletic male who was very strong and also a drug user. Using drugs enhanced his strength and decreased his ability to feel pain — a dangerous combination.
In fact, the first time Officer Alex Gaitan had been to this address, he had to fight this suspect. Even with two other officers, it was near impossible to subdue the suspect. The only thing that worked on this suspect was a non-lethal Taser. And even then, an officer was injured in the struggle. This time, three other officers had been dispatched to the same address as Alex, and he saw one of them run into the building. Alex followed the running officer, and when he entered the building, he saw all three officers on the ground, struggling to bring the suspect under control. This was the same suspect that Alex had encountered in the past and who was very violent.
Even with the suspect on the ground, he continued to resist the officers and their attempts to get him in handcuffs. Knowing that the longer the struggle went on, the more dangerous it would be for everyone, Alex decided to use his non-lethal stungun to get the suspect’s compliance. The Taser deployment worked, and the suspect stopped resisting the police officers. The danger was over, and Officer Gaitan would get home safely that night.
The possibility of your loved one not surviving their shift is a reality that every police family lives with, especially today when criminals are willing to fight officers. That should have been the end of it, but it wasn’t…
Almost two years later, the local anti-cop, socialist District Attorney José Garza dropped a bombshell and indicted Officer Alex Gaitan for aggravated assault… even though it was the suspect who resisted arrest and decided it was a good idea to fight four police officers.
If convicted, Alex could be sent to prison for up to 99 years, taking him away from his family.
The good news is Alex has the moral support of his department, his Chief of Police, and hundreds of his Brothers and Sisters in Blue across the country. While other departments would have surrendered to the intimidation from a socialist District Attorney, Alex’s superiors have continued fighting for him. And the National Center for Police Defense is standing by him and his family, too.
As you well know, cops don’t get paid a ton for the sacrifices they make and the dangers they put themselves in to keep us all safe. As a result of this politically-driven attack on my son, Officer Gaitan and his family are facing a mountain of legal bills and the potential of up to 99 years in prison.
Officer Alex Gaitan is being railroaded for safely subduing a dangerous suspect. And we need your help to fight it. Will you help Alex today by sending a one-time, tax- deductible gift to National Center for Police Defense to help them fund Alex’s defense? Officer Gaitan’s legal defense will cost over $150,000 and he doesn’t have the money to pay for it. Alex & his family needs your help!
Alex’s exoneration at trial is critical to restoring the integrity of policing in America. Any amount will help! Thank you for your support!
