Grand jury declines indictment of trooper who fired on truck of immigrants from helicopter

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Grand jury declines indictment of trooper who fired on truck of immigrants from helicopter
By The Associated Press September 11, 2013

EDINBURG, Texas - A grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict a Texas trooper who fired from a helicopter on a fleeing pickup truck along the U.S.-Mexico border, killing two Guatemalan immigrants.

Prosecutors in Hidalgo County presented the case to a grand jury to investigate and determine whether to indict Trooper Miguel Avila of the Texas Department of Public Safety in the October 2012 incident.

The DPS has said Avila was aboard the helicopter and believed drugs were in the truck's bed when he opened fire during the pursuit near La Joya. The trooper opened fire to disable the vehicle because it was barrelling toward a school zone, the DPS has said.

Instead, nine Guatemalans and a teenage driver were found by authorities on the ground. Six of the Guatemalan immigrants were under a sheet, two of them wounded fatally.


Read more: http://www.canada.com/life/Grand+jury+declines+indictment+trooper+fired+truck+immigrants+from/8895907/story.html

[gopiscrap]

1. Fucking cops always get away with everything

[Maedhros]

2. So in the Texas State Police Academy

they teach that small arms fire from a helicopter is an appropriate and effective means to stop a vehicle?

I'd invest in a few new, better instructors.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. As a result of these killings, Texas DPS has revised their policies.

While the two men's killer escaped criminal charges, the killing did force DPS to revise its policies on the use of force from the sky. Since February, troopers have been prohibited from shooting from the sky unless they are facing deadly force.

"A firearms discharge from an aircraft is authorized only when an officer reasonably believes that the suspect has used or is about to use deadly force by use of a deadly weapon against the air crew, ground officers or innocent third parties," the revised policy says. Reckless or aggressive driving doesn't count as use of a deadly weapon, the policy states.

[nebenaube]

10. Nothing in that statement would have prevented this.

"They were barreling towards a school zone."

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. "Reckless or aggressive driving doesn't count," the statement says.

[truebrit71]

3. Holy fuck....

...they might've had drugs in the truck bed and they were getting close to a school zone so the response is to FUCKING SHOOT THEM??

No wonder they call it Tex-ass....

[frylock]

4. fuck tha police

[kmkleff]

6. "Department of Public Safety" my ass

Looks like they took their inspiration from Sarah Palin. I seem to be seeing more and more stories about out-of-control law enforcement. Once it starts, its mighty difficult to rein in.

[mpcamb]

7. Oh, drugs, huh,

And " barrelling toward a school zone" , with drugs.

Well, that about settles everything,.. if you happen to believe it.

[cstanleytech]

9. Wanting to stop them from speeding through a school zone is legit

but why the heck didnt they just radio it in ahead to police units on the ground because isnt that what they are supposed to do in general? I mean the cop could have easily missed and shoot some innocent civilian on the road or it could have ricocheted and killed one of the school kids they were allegedly concerned over.
All in all a really bad call on the cops part.

[Blue_Tires]

12. shameful...