Houston-Area Police Officer Indicted on Manslaughter Charge in Fatal Walmart Shooting

[SeanTX]

I was shocked when I heard this on the local news; it's very rare for a Texas grand jury to indict a "peace officer." I'm sure the JustUs system (and stupid trial jurors) will protect him from any further punishment, but still , it's something (and they suspended him WITHOUT pay, another shocker).

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Conroe-officer-indicated-for-fatal-Walmart-shooting-225511182.html



Conroe officer indicted in fatal Walmart shooting
by KHOU.com staff

khou.com

September 27, 2013 at 10:21 AM

CONROE, Texas -- Conroe Police Officer Jason Blackwelder has been indicted on one count of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a teen outside a Walmart in late July, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

According to the district attorney’s office, a grand jury also returned indictments of 'tampering with a government document' and making a 'false report to a police officer.'

It was the evening of July 31 when authorities said Sgt. Blackwelder followed Russell Rios, 19, from a Walmart where the teen was accused of stealing a pair of iPhone cases. Blackwelder said once in a nearby wooded area, the teen choked him. Blackwelder opened fire and killed Rios.

In Friday's indictment, a jury determined the officer “did then and there recklessly cause the death of an individual" by "failing to properly secure and maintain control" of his firearm.

The officer was also accused of tampering with records when he made a "false entry" in government records regarding the account of what happened that night.

In addition, Blackwelder was accused of making a false report by stating to responding officers that Rios was behind him when he opened fire, a statement that “was material to the investigation because the investigation involved whether the defendant was justified in the use of deadly force.”

SNIP

The Conroe Police Department said Blackwelder has been relieved of all duties during the investigation and his pay suspended. CPD said he has been with the department since September 2008.

[aGameOfThrones]

Murder, paid vacation, justified, rarely indicted, fired, charges dismissed, rehired... The end.

[tod evans]

Good!

1 down, 7,578,953 more to go.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I might say I'm surprised, although I don't know how all of this works. I was on a grand jury once for the killing of a relative. The prosecutor basically structured the questions so as not to get an indictment. I talked with him later and he was very nonchalant about the whole thing.

I also talked with the coroner. He said there is no way an indictment should not have been returned. My conclusion was that the prosecutor was really only interested in easy trials that could up his percentage for reelection. He was more interested in drug cases because everybody knows drugs are bad.

It would be interesting to note the details in this Houston case.

[DamianTV]

Im quite suprised too. We had a man murdered by a cop here a few years ago in a Cosco for carrying a weapon. They do everything they possibly can to railroad the victim when not always but too many times the Cops are treated as heroes for the murder of innocents and get away with it.

[Origanalist]

They say you can indict a ham sandwich, lets see how it ends up.

[SeanTX]

I was surprised to hear he was found guilty today. Should be interesting to see how long his probation will be -- or will there be some prison time for a change ? Cops need to realize they usually only get the qualified (unlimited) immunity thing when they kill while ON-duty ...

http://www.click2houston.com/news/former-conroe-police-officer-found-guilty-of-manslaughter/26423162



Conroe police officer found guilty of manslaughter

Published On: Jun 10 2014 03:21:43 PM CDT Updated On: Jun 10 2014 05:35:07 PM CDT



Conroe officer guilty of manslauther

CONROE, Texas -

A Conroe police sergeant accused of shooting a teenage shoplifting suspect has been found guilty of manslaughter.

Jason Blackwelder faced numerous charges in connection with the July 2013 death of 19-year-old Russell Rios. Rios was allegedly stealing cellphone cases from the store.

Police say Blackwelder chased Rios, who was suspected of stealing at a Walmart store, and the two scuffled in a wooded area.
Quick Clicks

Blackwelder, who was off-duty, originally told officers he shot the teen while Rios was choking him.

Montogmery County investigators later said he lied about what happened. Later tests showed Rios died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head and had other injuries.

The punishment phase is set to begin Wednesday. Blackwelder could face up to 20 years in prison.

Since the shooting, the six-year veteran has been on administrative leave.

[GunnyFreedom]

The flip side of the political policy-driven spike in cop shootings, also means that the general climate will lead to more actual convictions for the crimes they commit. The veneer is wearing thin nowadays, and the public isn't buying it like they used to.

[libertyjam]

Euthanized Dogs May Leave Deputy Liable (http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/06/09/68574.htm)
By JEFF D. GORMAN

A Georgia man can sue a sheriff's deputy for allegedly tricking him into signing away his dogs to be euthanized, a state appeals court ruled.
Though the latest reversal by the Court of Appeals is short on details, the Georgia Supreme Court gave a full recitation last year of the claims Mitchell Greenway filed against Northside Hospital, Forsyth County, its animal shelter provider, the county sheriff and Deputy Terry Roper.
Greenway, who was totally disabled, said he had left his two golden Labrador retrievers, Misty and Dakota, in his backyard with food and water in January 2007 when an ambulance brought him to Northside.
Confused and "out of it" in the Atlanta emergency room, Greenway said he thought he might die and told a patient advocate about the dogs he had left at home.
Greenway had an understanding with his neighbor about taking care of the dogs as needed, but Deputy Roper allegedly came to the patient's room with a release form.
Greenway testified that he is nearly blind without his glasses, but that the deputy and the animal-control workers all refused to read the form to him.
Roper was allegedly adamant that Greenway "sign the damn form.'
Greenway said he believed the form meant that the dogs would go to the Humane Society and realized after later finding his glasses that the form authorized the county to destroy his animals. Before he recovered from his illness, the animals were euthanized.
Greenway claimed that Roper had falsely stated that he worked for the Humane Society, and that the deputy failed to correct statements by animal-control personnel that he could reclaim the animals in seven to 10 days.
The trial court granted summary judgment to all defendants, but an appellate court later revived claims against Roper, the hospital, and the animal shelter operator.
In reversing that decision last year, the Georgia Supreme Court said directed the lower court to determine whether Roper acted with malice or intent to injure.
The Court of Appeals determined on May 27 that this may have been the case.
"The harm suffered by Greenway in this case was his surrender of all legal rights to his dogs, including the ability to prevent their euthanization," Judge Michael Boggs wrote for a three-judge panel. "A jury could infer from the evidence presented that Deputy Roper intended his harm when he coerced or defrauded Greenway into signing the release of his legal rights."