Aaron Reitz
Role at the time: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Explicitly stayed out
Statement summary
Aaron Reitz provided a preliminary federal reconstruction of the encounter but expressly declined to draw a final conclusion while the investigation continued.
“I want to reiterate: This assessment is based on preliminary information given to my office. We draw no decisive conclusions and believe federal law enforcement will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz statement on the shooting and death of Lorenzo SalgadoFull statement, especially paragraphs beginning “Based upon preliminary information” and “I want to reiterate”
Why we used this label
Relative to whether the fatal use of force was justified, Reitz expressly states that his office draws no decisive conclusion. His preliminary reconstruction supplies context but does not replace that explicit refusal to reach a final judgment.