Irving PD officer fired after in-custody death ruled a homicide
IRVING, Texas - An Irving Police Department officer has been fired in the midst of a homicide investigation involving a person who died in police custody.
Irving officer fired
What we know:
Former officer Joshua Elliott was fired on May 8, the department announced Thursday, for violations of departmental policy and standards of conduct of the Irving Police Department. They say a criminal investigation involving Elliott has been submitted to the Dallas County DA.
The backstory:
The news follows a homicide investigation into the death of a person who died while in custody. The deceased, identified through case records as Homer Joel Cortez, Jr., died on Feb. 23, 2026, after a struggle with Irving officers during a traffic stop.
Man dies after physical struggle with Irving police during traffic stop
A man died at a hospital Monday night following a physical struggle with Irving police during a traffic stop, authorities said.
Previous announcements from the department said Cortez resisted arrest for alleged possession of narcotics after the traffic stop. During that struggle, he was injured by officers, the department said, and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
What we don't know:
Elliott was not explicitly connected to the death investigation by the department's release.
The injuries that led to Cortez's death have not been commented on by the department.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Irving Police Department.