Smoking Gun's got the Texas Cop's Shooting Report

[bigtree]

Texas Cops Release Cheney Shooting Report

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0216061cheney1.html

Veep's victim claimed, "foremost there was no alcohol" during hunt

FEBRUARY 16--Five days after Vice President Dick Cheney shot a hunting partner, a Texas sheriff today released his department's report on the incident, which investigators have formally classified as an accident. A copy of the Kenedy County Sheriff's Department report, released this afternoon by Sheriff Ramon Salinas, can be found below. The sheriff's report includes information provided to deputies by assorted witnesses as well as Cheney and Harry Whittington, the 78-year-old lawyer who was struck in the face, neck, and chest by the vice president's wayward birdshot. Cheney was interviewed Sunday morning, more than 14 hours after the Saturday afternoon incident. There is no indication in the sheriff's report that he was questioned about alcohol consumption by Chief Deputy Gilberto San Miguel, who interviewed the vice president and authored the report. Whittington, who was questioned Tuesday at a Corpus Christi hospital, declined to have his Q&A session taped and told investigators that "foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt" and that everyone in the hunting party was wearing proper "blaze orange" attire. In a Fox News interview yesterday, Cheney said that he downed one beer at lunch Saturday afternoon. On Tuesday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department issued the first report on the Cheney shooting incident. (3 pages)

[berni_mccoy]

1. Holy shit: "As I got comfortable at a tabe inside the main house..."

What kind of police report says that? "Got Comfortable"?!?!?!

[Wickerman]

2. You know, nice long Cuban cigars and a big snifter of brandy

they got him some slippers and lit a fire for him, too. :eyes: At times he writes in detail, other times he skips major points and writes as if he hasn't written before. Odd report.

[whatelseisnew]

6. I think it might be Report version 2.2.1 or something

look at the date

[whatelseisnew]

3. The dates seem weird 2/15?

I thought the report was done 2/12?

[Harald Ragnarsson]

4. Says Cheney's gun was an over/under

It doesn't specify if they were both 28 guage, not all over unders are.

I wonder if he discharged both barrels?

[SPKrazy]

47. Hmmm, didn't know that they wouldn't both be the same guage! (over & under

That's a good question though

boom

boom

take that Whittington, that'll teach ya to mess with my woman (hiccup)

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. No alcohol "During the hunt"

And how much "Before"?

[berni_mccoy]

7. HERE'S ANOTHER ONE:

The Officer DID NOT RECORD THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE MR. WHITTINGTON said his voice was "raspy"!!!!

WTF?!?!

THIS REPORT IS COMPLETE FABRICATED BULLSHIT!

[SillyGoose]

8. Does this report seem a wee bit short on info, or is it just me?

[bigtree]

14. fascinatingly so

so many more questions come to mind . . .

:popcorn:

[catnhatnh]

9. Un-F'in-believable.....

He visits a guy in the ICU-who get THIS-is sitting in a chair!!!(ain't NO chairs in an ICU)The guy is a gunshot victim who has pellets lodged in his liver,in his heart,and in his throat.....up to 200 pellets according to his MD...and his biggest concerns are to state that no one was drinking and that he didn't want to tarnish the image of Texas hunting???He refused a recording of his statement because his voice sounded "RASPY" (See:shot in throat) but would be happy to provide an affidavit-which is NOT provided--THIS GUY IS DEAD!!!

[whatelseisnew]

13. Maybe

[berni_mccoy]

10. MORE BULLSHIT:

...At that time, a nurse came in the room and asked Lt. Guzman and I to kind of hurry up so Mr. Whittington could rest...He (Mr. Whittington) was concerned this incident would bring a bad imagine (actual spelling) to hunting in Texas...

OK, THIS THING IS COMPLETELY FAKE! Police don't put nurses requests in their reports like that AND Whittington is CONCERNED FOR THE IMAGE OF HUNTING IN TEXAS?!?!

[Stephanie]

11. Okay first of all, why is Border Patrol guarding the ranch?

And they inspect the sheriff's car? For what, bombs? did they think he was Al Queda?

[Julius Civitatus]

12. Whitewash!

Pure Texas justice right there.

The report is dated "2/15/2006"... that is YESTERDAY.
Four days after the incident.

This smells.

[Stephanie]

15. There are a lot more people present than had previously been cited

All the time they've been saying there were five people there - cheney, Whittington, the two Armstrong sisters, and Willeford. Now the whole group is there:

Bo Hubert
Pam Willeford
Jerry Medellin
Katharine Armstrong
Sarita Armstrong Hixon
Harry Whittington
Oscar Medellin

The sun was settting, he says, which would make it later than 5:30, wouldn't it?

He and Willeford leave Whittington and walk 100 yards to Oscar Medllin and Bo Hubert, the hunt guide? That's news.

[bigtree]

29. Is Constable Medellin related to Jerry and Oscar?

Constable Medellin, former sheriff of Kenedy County.

He was just called out of the blue. Turns out he's spoken to 'witnesses' and concluded that 'it was an accident'. His word is taken as a reference in the report.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0216061cheney4.html

[bigtree]

31. per CNN-

yes, they are related!

[SPKrazy]

39. Cozy Isn't It? The Fox (Border Patrol) Guarding The Henhouse (Armstrongs

Ranch where the shooting took place and the other Medellin was.

WTF?

[bigtree]

44. nice little town

mayberry

[SPKrazy]

46. Was the deputy Barney Fife?

working with Captain Kirk and Sheriff Andy Taylor?

[Carni]

53. The Constable also works for the Armstrong ranch

If you google it you should find an article in the Dallas news which confirms he works at the ranch along with those other two Medellins.

I had the link to the Dallas News but lost it and I am too lazy to look for it!

[bluedog]

16. Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas III,

Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas III, whose department investigated the shooting, has said he talked by phone to employees of Armstrong Ranch, including the boyfriend of his daughter, who assured him the shooting was accidental.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/nation/13872544.htm


*********how freaking cozy can one get.his daughters "botfriend" worked there....and he took all their words about what happened..did this guy sit down and have a beer with the ol gang or what?

[Stephanie]

17. Oh holy shit - he agreed to let Whittington submit a written affidavit -

Just as soon as he RETURNED TO HIS OFFICE! In lieu of tape-recording the interview, he's going to let him write it up himself, whenever he gets back to work!

[Stephanie]

18. Oh and now he is returning to the field from the CAR, not the covey

He gets the downed bird then goes to the CAR to trade off with Armstrong, but she says no, you go ahead, so he walks back towards Cheney from the CAR.

[Stephanie]

19. Sheriff says he got the call at 5:30 pm on Saturday

Who called the Sheriff? Captain Charles Kirk? Who's that? So the Sheriff was called immediately? That's odd. Nobody has mentioned calling the Sheriff.

[whatelseisnew]

21. Where do we buy phone logs again, aren't they all for sale now?

[Stephanie]

22. that's right - you can buy cell phone logs

Who did it, bradblod or americablog?

[whatelseisnew]

24. I was kidding, I don't believe we can buy their records

I would guess some real characters have access to those logs

[Carni]

54. There are medellins listed with phone numbers on google

I believe both ranch workers numbers and addresses are readily available

I'm just saying...if one looks one can find the info!

You would think the reporters would contact these men wouldn't you?

[bigtree]

27. americablog

good luck finding a functioning link to a functioning company.

[KurtNYC]

43. 5:30 and yet the Secret Service puts the shooting at 5:50pm

and called the Sherriff at 7 pm per this NY Times timeline:

The Secret Service, which put the time of the shooting at 5:50 p.m., said it had notified Sheriff Ramon Salinas III of Kenedy County by 7 p.m.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/politics/16tock.html?pagewanted=print

edit: typos

[hunter]

20. It's like an interview with Terri Schiavo

"...rasp.... gag.... spurtle... cough... cough... gurgle..."

So, in other words, "Mr. Whittington requested not to be recorded due to his voice being raspy."

[Missy M]

23. So now you can call the police and tell them there was.....

an accidental shooting, but don't worry you can come by tomorrow to verify. In that time you can clean up the scene and have everyone involved try to get their stories straight. Then the police come to you and you can search THEIR car and escort them around and tell the police what the rules are. How very cozy. Wish it could happen to us peons that way.

[Stephanie]

25. So they all tell the Sheriff it was an accident and he says, oh, okay

So all he knows is that it wasn't attempted murder. He doesn't try to find out whether there was an negligence that contributed to the accident. Just lets it go.

[whatelseisnew]

26. Recommended for Greatest Page

[bigtree]

28. Pam Willeford

walking with Cheney.

Lynn Cheney hasn't been heard from despite the anguish her husband has expressed.

edit: Willeford gave an affidavit

[bigtree]

30. Two additional pages have been added

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0216061cheney4.html

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0216061cheney5.html

[bigtree]

32. CNN reporter says they tried to put questions the report raised to

the sheriff's office and were told that there would not be anymore statements and they should 'refer to the report'.

[dogday]

33. Mr. Whittington did not want to record the conversation

because his voice was raspy. That's crap, who cares, he did not want a taped record or what he said...

[bigtree]

34. Whittington was worried about the bad image to Texas Hunting?

what kind of crap is that to include in a report about a shooting?

[Donailin]

36. this guy sia lawyer. that's bullshit.

What actual proof do we have that this guy is still alive?

No recording. Only one officer that went to meet him and he was sitting in a chair on Monday? All the other people who witnessed the event left and submitted affadavits days later?

This smells. But what proof do we have that this guy is actually alive?

[bigtree]

35. Who are the Medellins

We know from pg. 4 of the report that Constable Medellin is the former sheriff of Kenedy County.

Who are Cheney's hunting companions, Jerry and Oscar Medellin who are related to Constable Medellin?

Why did Kirk call the Constable? Why is so much weight given in the report to the assurance from the Constable that "this in fact was an accident", especially in the face of the obvious conflict of interest with his relatives being part of the hunting party?

[SPKrazy]

41. No Further Questions Will Be Answered, Move Along Now

refer to the report

with all of it's "supplemental" statements,

Forget it folks

This is Texas

[Dunvegan]

50. Nice "Chinatown" reference (Great movie about corruption, too)

Seems that a good chunk of Kenedy County is the hunting ranch.

I believe I've read that they are the easily the largest landowner.

[SPKrazy]

52. Essentially they own the county then

Local politics is easily influenced by money.

You can bet that Kenedy County is getting some money somehow, either through private donations from seemingly unrelated individuals, or an infusion of tax dollars for some special project that will be guaranteed to them to not ask questions.

[Stephanie]

45. I know, isn't that weird? Are they all related?

In a county with such a small population it seems likely.

[SPKrazy]

48. Keeping The Gene Pool Closed Ma'am!

We don't take kindly to outsiders (unless they can bring us sum money or sumthin'!

[bigtree]

49. a reporter on CNN today said yes

they are related

[phusion]

37. This report STINKS

like total BS!

he is worried about the reputation of hunting in Texas??! Why would a Sheriff write that?

BS!
BS!

[bigtree]

51. ditto

BS

[SPKrazy]

38. Too Many Medellin's, confused me

Was the border patrol, already at the scene named Medellin?

Then there was a Medellin on the hunt.

There was Sarita County

There is Sarita Hixon, sister of Katherine Armstrong

I guess we just all should "move along now" nothing to see

[phusion]

42. And a Captain Kirk?!

:rofl:

[RobertSeattle]

40. That guy is Massachusetts...

I bet that Jackass who killed his wife and baby in MA a few weeks ago is smacking his head right now - "If I had only taken them hunting and had an 'accident' I could have gotten off scott free".