Families of Dallas Methodist church workers killed in 2022 shooting sue shooter, hospital and parole board

The families of two hospital workers killed at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in a 2022 shooting have filed two separate lawsuits seeking to hold the shooter, the hospital system and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles responsible.

Last year, a Dallas County jury convicted Nestor Hernandez of capital murder for shooting and killing social worker Jacqueline Pokuaa, 45, and nurse Katie “Annette” Flowers, 63, on Oct. 22, 2022. Hernandez is serving a life sentence for the killings without the possibility of parole.

At the time, Hernandez was wearing an ankle monitor while on parole for robbery, but he had permission to be at the hospital for the birth of his and his girlfriend's son. Sarah Flowers, the daughter of Katie Flowers, sued Hernandez and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in June, alleging the board failed to take appropriate action after Hernandez's six ankle monitor violations, two of which were resolved due to errors, knowingly. history.

“Council employees failed to properly record interactions with Hernandez, document violations, issue sanctions, and take appropriate action, despite case management systems containing tangible information about Hernandez’s noncompliance,” the lawsuit states. “This negligent or improper use of physical case management assets immediately caused the death of Katie Annette Flowers.”

Sarah Flowers' attorneys declined to comment on the case. Representatives for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles did not immediately return a request for comment.

Hernández's defense attorney, Paul Johnson, said he was not representing Hernández in the civil suits. Court documents do not show Hernandez has a civil attorney.

Hernandez and his girlfriend Selena Villatoro both testified at his trial in November. Footage from hospital cameras showed Hernandez entering the hospital's labor and delivery room with a can of beer the day after Villatoro gave birth. After an argument between the two escalated, Villatoro said Hernandez hit her in the head with a gun and threatened to kill her, himself and anyone else who entered the room .

Hernandez shot Pokuaa in the head as she arrived to conduct a routine check on Villatoro. He then shot Flowers, who was in the hallway, moments later. He testified that he shot both women unintentionally while he was panicking and coming off a drug binge that day.

A KERA News review of county records showed Hernandez had been convicted of multiple felonies before the shooting, including robbery, burglary and possession of a controlled substance. Court records showed he avoided more serious charges and sentences related to his criminal history because of plea deals he made.

In May, Pokuaa's mother, Cecilia Agyeiwaah, filed a lawsuit against Hernandez and Methodist on behalf of the estate of her daughter and Pokuaa's son, who is a minor and whose name was not mentioned in the complaint. She alleges that Methodist should have implemented better security measures in anticipation of Hernandez's arrival at the hospital because of his criminal history and a history of high crime in the area surrounding the hospital.

Hernandez was able to enter the maternity ward without registering as a visitor or having his paternity bracelet scanned by a hospital employee, according to the complaint. It alleges that Methodist employees, including first responders, repeatedly expressed concerns about safety.

“This is a big deal in that if there are policies in place such as the labor and delivery floor is a protected floor, those policies need to be followed, otherwise it almost does more harm than good. fine,” said Paul Green, one of Agyeiwaah’s lawyers. .

The allegations in the lawsuit were gleaned from testimony and evidence presented at trial, Green said, and his camp is seeking to uncover more through the discovery process. Agyeiwaah's lawyers weren't sure they could sue the Texas parole board without running into governmental immunity issues.

A spokesperson for Methodist Health System did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit and security measures implemented after the shooting.

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