A former Missouri city officer has been charged with manslaughter following a crash that killed a mother and son

Were Missouri City Police OfficerBlademir Viveros, 27, was charged with murder in connection with A crash a mother and her 16-year-old son died in June.

The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office confirmed murder charges following grand jury decision.

What happened?

Missouri City Police Department reported that its dispatcher received a 911 call at 8:42 p.m. from a victim regarding an active ATM robbery at 1600 Cartwright Road.

Police said a man armed with a gun approached the victim and demanded money. The robbery suspect fled in a silver Honda, then stole $200 from the victim. The robbery victim followed the suspect while talking to the dispatcher on the phone.

According to police, Viveros, who was in a Missouri Municipal Police SUV marked 2021, was responding to a robbery by driving eastbound, exceeding the speed limit, in the 400 block of Cartwright Road between 4 and 5 p.m.

At one point, a 2005 Toyota Corolla passenger car failed to yield to the Dollar Tree parking lot on Cartwright near FM 2234 when a Viveros SUV struck their vehicle, police said.

The investigation revealed that Viveros did not have his vehicle’s hazard warning lights on at the time of the crash.

Investigators found that a mother and her teenage son were in the Toyota Corolla and tragically died at the scene. The victims who died in the crash were Angela Stewart, 53, and her son Mason Stewart, both from Stafford. Police are unable to confirm who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Viveros was taken to Memorial Hermann Houston Medical Center for treatment and later released.

After more than two hours of investigation, Missouri City Police Chief Brandon Harris said they found a man in the back of the officer’s cruiser. He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital and remains under medical care at that facility.

An investigation into why he was in the officer’s backseat or whether he was in custody is ongoing.

When the chief was asked if the officer should have responded to another scene involving a person in the backseat, he stated that it was part of their policy that an officer should not have responded while he was occupying a passenger.

The exact Missouri City Police policy regarding pursuits could not be found online. KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding has submitted a formal policy application.

However, he dug out literature on this policy, which states: “…an officer has an obligation to balance the need for an immediate arrest against the potential threat to citizens resulting from a pursuit. The policy authorizes and encourages officers to terminate a pursuit if it is deemed too dangerous….”

Chief Harris also said an investigation is ongoing into whether the officer’s lights or sirens were activated at the time of the crash.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash. The Missouri City Police Department will also conduct an internal investigation into the Policies and Procedures.

Viveros was later discharged from service, according to the department. The Missouri City Police Department made the announcement following an investigation with the Texas Department of Public Safety into a fatal crash that occurred on June 20.

“At this stage of the professional standards investigation, the lead officer involved in the incident has been dismissed from service. The Missouri City Police Department would like to assure the public that we are committed to maintaining the trust of the communities we serve,” the release reads.

Attorney Jack Nugent, who represents the Stewart family in their civil suit against the city of Missouri City, releases the following statement:

“We continue to mourn and be beyond words devastated by the tragic and senseless loss of our beloved wife, mother, brother and son. Angela and Mason were taken from us far too soon by the conscience-shocking actions of a police officer.

“Today’s indictment is only the first step towards accountability and should only be the beginning of holding the officer accountable for his misconduct. It does not cure the pain we feel every day. We express our sincerest thanks to those who continue to support us during this difficult time. We hope that our fight will serve as a constant reminder that life is precious and that justice is necessary.

“We will continue to honor the memory of Angela and Mason and support any action taken that will in any way help protect others from this type of devastating loss.”

Lawsuit filed by the victim’s family: