HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — February 22 marks two years since a man claims a former Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy threatened to kill him on the highway.
Now, attorneys representing George Dickerson have filed a civil rights lawsuit over the incident.
“It’s hard to think a man trained with a gun threatened to kill me," Dickerson said. "I just hope something like this never happens to anyone else.”
Video of the incident was cited in the civil rights lawsuit filed in federal court.
The suit claims former Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Sanchez pulled out a gun during a traffic stop on February 22, 2021, and threatened to kill Dickerson. What the video doesn't show, Dickerson said, is that there was a funeral procession on Loop 610 at the time.
“The officer in front, dead stops, and this is the second to middle lane on 610," Dickerson said.
He said when the deputy in front of him hit his brakes, he did too. That’s what Dickerson believes angered Sanchez who was behind him.
“He said I will f***ing kill you multiple times, I will f***ing kill you and he had his gun drawn," said Dickerson.
In the lawsuit filed by attorney Amir Tahmassebi, Dickerson is suing the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, and former Deputy Sanchez.
Dickerson told KHOU 11 he’s been in therapy and is still haunted by the interaction.
“You are supposed to protect us and let me know if I make a mistake, but you are threatening to kill me over a traffic incident, I hope he never holds a gun again," he said.
KHOU 11 reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. A spokesperson said they can’t comment on pending litigation. However, they did confirm Sanchez was fired less than two months after this incident following an internal affairs investigation.