Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Public Sector Gulags

NISD officer shoots and kills teen after chase

<< < (12/12)

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Officer who shot student had history of not following orders" (by Brian Chasnoff; May 25, 2011; San Antonio  Express-News), #s 201-220:


feduptoo · 12:06 PM on May 25, 2011
If the cop had "tased" the kid, then you all would be mad about the taser saying that was a mean thing to do. Happens all the time when the cops use the taser.jim76 · 12:07 PM on May 25, 2011
True, apparently, both people involved in this unfortunate series of events had issues listening to authority figures. What we have is an unfortunate "Perfect Storm." People that don't stop when told to by an officer don't get shot, but those taht jump out of places that a cop has no idea what you are doing, more likely. I learned after my incidnet, never give them a reason, being right doesn't matter, if you are dead.feduptoo · 12:13 PM on May 25, 2011
jim76, as a Black male, my grandmother drilled it into my head over and over and over to always stop when a cop approaches you and do what you're told. If you have a complaint, get the badge number and deal with it later. The street or the side of the road is no place to back talk a cop. That advice has always served me well.jlrtx · 12:29 PM on May 25, 2011
"If the cop had "tased" the kid, then you all would be mad about the taser saying that was a mean thing to do."

I agree, there would also be criticism on the use of a taser. It is still, in most situations, a non-lethal option compared to drawing a firearm. And in this case, we probably would rather be reading a story about a 14 year old being tased instead of a 14 year old being killed.

Jim:
I do believe in personal accountability but in this case, the punishment does not fit the crime. The kid could have been hiding in the shed with no intentions to murder anyone; he dashes to get away. Yes, the officer didn't know what the kid might have been thinking but ask any tactical officer, you don't rush a room when a suspect is armed. Even with worst-case-scenario mentality and his training, the officer committed a mistake.

Lethal force is a last resort and officers are trained to only draw and shoot with the intentions to kill. Such an option should only be reserved for the most dangerous situations; not a kid hitting another and running.QueImporta · 12:30 PM on May 25, 2011
Cause and effect:

You run, your likely going to be pursued. If you charge at an officer (even if to run away) you might get shot. The kid still put himself in the situation. He could have stayed put when told to "Freeze." His actions lead him to his eventual death. It's a sad story but those are the facts.jim76 · 1:27 PM on May 25, 2011
Agreed, the kid may have not had the intentions of murding the police officer, but the officer does't know that, and I wouldn't give any officer an opportunity to have to make that decision. the officer didnt rush into the shed, the kid rushed out, which, could be disputed given the forensics. Then punishment does not fit the crime, in all honesty I don't really like cops, and dont care for the one in this case, but at the same time, it is regretable that a 14 year old is dead, and doesn't have to be, but is because of his own actions. I agree with what someone else said, if the family was out for justice, they wouldnt be making this into a payday.jim76 · 1:28 PM on May 25, 2011
Where were the parents when all of this was happening? when he was beating up a kid, or vandalizing a school? Taking drugs to school, they didn't have money to fight it, but we all have a right to an attorney, if one can't be affored, they will appoint one to you in criminal court.jim76 · 1:29 PM on May 25, 2011
If this was my kid or nephew, I would be upset, but not at the officer, more so at the kid and or the parent for putting himself in that situation.[/list]
javithekid · 11:46 AM on May 25, 2011
I dont want to judge, but if the officer is found to be guilty he should be replaced. Police should be screened better. Take Arizona's Sheriff Joe. It was just discovered that 3 of his own employee's, one sheriff and two detention officer's were arrested yesterday in a drug and human trafficking case. And imagine this!! One of the female detention officers is 8 months pregnant with the child of Francisco Arce Torres, a member of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel. That police agency like the one Alvarado works for,should have screened better.Now how much of that drug cartel has infiltrated that police agency?? Fire the guilty parties including their boss Sheriff Joe.That is a total breach of Arizona and maybe national security.[/list]
renesalgado · 11:57 AM on May 25, 2011
very scary-truetex · 1:07 PM on May 25, 2011
javithekid,

Are you insinuating that Sheriff Joe forced Torres and his officer to have relations that caused her to become pregnant? Why would Sheriff Joe be responsible for her actions? Isn't any dirt bag responsible for their own actions anymore? When are we going to start holding everyone accountable for their own actions?renesalgado · 2:07 PM on May 25, 2011
truetex,It seems to me your more concerned about defending Sheriff Joe even thought it is obvious he did not screen those 3 officer's and 7 more are under investigation.Are you not concerned about Arizona and Maybe National security?? Javi has a point! Heads should roll in Arizona and the one in charge always takes the responsibility and the heat,he should step down.I just hope that does not happen here or anywhere else in the USA.truetex · 2:46 PM on May 25, 2011
renasalgado,

Not defending Joe, we don't know when she and the others were hired. So we don't know how long she had the relationship with Mr. Torres.

Is the sheriff responsible for all or the actions of every employee he has?

NO

My point is, when do we just say YOU F@#$ed up, and YOU, and only YOU are responsible.

One day someone is going to do something stupid, and it's going to be your fault.truetex · 2:53 PM on May 25, 2011
BTW I am very concerned about Nat Security. That is why I support securing the border, removing illegals, no amnesty, no dream(nightmare) act.renesalgado · 5:06 PM on May 25, 2011
Truetex-Iam sorry I do not agree. The buck stops with the head of any department and that goes for that Arizona sheriff.Whom I believe has made a career for himself bandwagoning on illegal or undocumented people,instead of doing his civic and local duties,and look what it got him? He wasnt watching his own back yard and the cartel has now probably infiltrated his own office.How much wio knows? Do you think that the female officer who is pregant with that Sinaloa cartel member will not try to have her boyfriend get even?? I think that Sheriff Joe opened himself a can of worms.That sheriff is responsible for his employee's.javithekid · 5:27 PM on May 25, 2011
truetex, Iam not insinuating anything. Iam merely posting what I consider to be a fact.And public knowledge.The negative actions of any enforcement agency,should hold accountable its person in charge,in this case Sheriff Joe. It is rather silly to suggest, that Sheriff Joe is responsible for a officer getting pregnant,But 3 officer's (including the pregnant female officer) were arrested for drug and human trafficking. And 7 MORE officer's are being investigated.All under the nose of Sheriff Joe. It goes to show that there was, and probably still is bad leadership and poor screening in that Dept. Your pass the buck theory does not apply here.truetex · 8:14 AM on May 26, 2011
Your are fooling yourself.

Almost every law enforcement agency in the world has had it's share of bad cops arrested for a variety of violations and mistakes. The head of the agency is almost NEVER held accountable for the actions of an incompatent officer.

As i said before, one day some one close to you is going to make a drastic mistake, or just screw up, and you are going to find yourself responsible.

Are you prepared to accept that? I think not when it involves you

No one is responsible for anyones actions, unless you forced/compeled/assisted in their actions.javithekid · 11:39 AM on May 26, 2011
Truetex-Sheriff Joe's agency is not just ANY another agency. It is filled with corruption,99 million dollars is mishandled taxpayer money,millions in out of court settlements, federal civil rights violations lawsuits,ongoing and The sheriff just lost one.Civil rights investigations,Federal grand jury investigation for abuse of power by this sheriff.Both investigations are still on going.Last week a pettion was filed asking that his agency be taken in receivership by the Feds.This is a agency that should be cleaned up.We will see if Joe is not held liable.I feel he will be found liable,one way or another.Now, he just might have to worry about these Sinaloa characters.It is best for Arizona and himself if he just steps down.[/list]
dancertexas · 11:48 AM on May 25, 2011
Her son sounds a lot like my son (we're also Lopez's), model kid at home, but at school he goes from Jekyl to Hyde. As for the officer, it's all about kissing the right behind, sad but true.QueImporta · 12:05 PM on May 25, 2011
make sure your son reads this article. leasson for him to learn if he keeps acting up in school...[/list]


© 2011 Hearst Communications Inc.

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Officer who shot student had history of not following orders" (by Brian Chasnoff; May 25, 2011; San Antonio  Express-News), #s 221-240:


dancertexas · 12:10 PM on May 25, 2011
What should I tell him? Don't hide in sheds because officers who can't obey a simple order like "STAY HERE" will shoot you?feduptoo · 12:33 PM on May 25, 2011
dancertexas...that's exactly what u should tell him. And also tell him not to be a gangsta and this won't happen to you.dancertexas · 12:37 PM on May 25, 2011
lol fedup okay i will tell him thx!feduptoo · 12:47 PM on May 25, 2011
You're welcome. My grandmother gave me almost the same advice growing up as a Black male on the city's eastside. And I listened. She always told me to follow orders and respect law enforcement. She said never, ever do anything that will give the cop a reason to shoot you.jim76 · 1:35 PM on May 25, 2011
All an officer needs is an excuse, it can be one as stupid as, "I thought he was going for something" as I stated earlier, one told me that had I gave him a reason, he'd have shot me, even though I had done nothing wrong other than maybe being hispanic. Don't give them a reason!!! you may wanna get your son some help, sounds like he has some passive-agressive issues he needs help with. Not trying to be mean, but there has to be a reason there are two sides of him.Name withheld · 1:57 PM on May 25, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list]
Name withheld · 1:58 PM on May 25, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list]
Kim · 3:29 PM on May 25, 2011
Dancertexas: I detected a bit of sarcasm in your response to feduptoo about talking to your son. This may sound crass but you can talk to him now or bury him later. The choice is yours. Fedup's grandmother had some very sound advice for him when he was growing up. Your son would be wise to heed it too.Texian · 7:59 PM on May 25, 2011
Dancer - If you know for a fact that "at school he goes from Jekyl to Hyde", why haven't you taught him/her proper respect for others? Seems to me this would fall under your responsibility.[/list]
renesalgado · 11:54 AM on May 25, 2011
Javi,Wow! is right.I havent been up on the Arizona news. That is scary.Antonio-22304653 · 12:11 PM on May 25, 2011
Wow! At the age of 14 this kid is no longer a child. Also, what an impressive wrap sheet, drug possession, theft, assault, all by the age of 14. I know this is horrid for his mother to go through, but you reap what you sew. I'm sure his family is distraught and they cannot see that they have nobody to blame but themselves. Again the answer in our society is find a scum bag attorney who's willing to investigate...i mean file suit! The young man assaulted another kid, ran, hid in a shed, lunged when the office opened the shed and the officer reacted. Please don't confuse the facts of this incident with the officer's past history. The comments are "If he would've been fired, this wouldn't have happend." REALLY? How about if that kid didn't punch another kid in the face, then run and hide from an officer, this would not have happened. Yeah, I'm buying the latter.Fed-up_US_Citizen · 12:29 PM on May 25, 2011
I agree, this "child" was on a really bad path, and on this same path, his death would have happened sooner or later, or be spending his life in prison.[/list]
Fed-up_US_Citizen · 12:35 PM on May 25, 2011
The relative made a comment about wanting justice, where was the family when he was committing his crimes, where's the justice for those victims. I'm sorry his death happened the way it did, but the family should have stepped up sooner, there's a lot of "what ifs" and "this shouldn't have happened" but it did and there are a lot of people kicking themselves now, from family members to friends to teachers who knew this boy and knew what choices he was making and could have stepped in. And I'm sure the officer is in his own hell right now.512-220-2427 · 1:32 PM on May 25, 2011
As a former law enforcement officer, parent and current public school educator, this whole incident is horrible. This officer should have been arrested at the very least for criminal negligent homicide. I am truely sadden by the school district's failure to supervise their officers. The district attorney needs to be replaced for failing to protect our children from further harm or resign immediatelyaural_pleasure · 2:18 PM on May 25, 2011
typical rent a cop behavior. newsflash: the position for eric estrada has already been filled BY ERIC ESTRADA!TonyB · 3:43 PM on May 25, 2011
Bad Kid, Bad Cop, Bad circumstances, this story is just toxic. My heart goes out for the kids family a young life was snuffed out unnecessarily. Lesson to be learned parent(s) raise your kids knowing what is right or wrong in life. Good and bad choices in life will have consequences. I pray for the family.mrs.s · 4:12 PM on May 25, 2011
Obviously this boy was not a prized student or citizen. That is something that mommy or his family will never admit too. Admitting that her son was a punk is admitting that her parenting skills were probably lacking at best. Let's hope that her breeding days are over, and her other kids have learned a lesson about respecting and obeying the law!!elvez · 5:38 PM on May 25, 2011
I'm sure your little angels never once got into a fight or broke a window or wrecked a car. All death sentence offenses according to you. I hope your breeding days are over. Obviously your thinking days are.ssgtflip · 9:58 PM on May 26, 2011
Wrecked a Car??? He was 14, what the...Name withheld · 5:25 PM on May 27, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list][/list]


© 2011 Hearst Communications Inc.

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Officer who shot student had history of not following orders" (by Brian Chasnoff; May 25, 2011; San Antonio  Express-News), #s 241-255:


RAM · 5:10 PM on May 25, 2011
Sad...DamnSkippy · 6:45 PM on May 25, 2011
This whole tragedy reminds me of the old saying 'Two wrongs don't make a right', except in this case insert problem behavior and pleasant outcome. Seems to me this was very avoidable.mgarfy · 7:48 PM on May 25, 2011
sad story both the police officer and teen (who was no angel) end up with a death and career ending incident now some attorney will try to make a big pay day for the no careing family who see dollar signs welcome to the american dream foolsName withheld · 9:03 PM on May 25, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list]
jmac · 6:25 AM on May 26, 2011
Theeee perfect example of why a citizen should be aware of his/her rights in any given situation when pulled over by an officer. Cops are people too and are subject to such things as corruption, greed, murder, theft, drugs, alcohol etc....If the officer is a good cop he/she will understand that you are a good citizen by knowing and undersanding your rights and that as an officer of the law he/she is employed by the citizen to protect and serve the citizen.Name withheld · 8:10 AM on May 26, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list]
Name withheld · 2:14 PM on May 26, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list]
feduptoo · 3:00 PM on May 26, 2011
The fact Mr. Lopez was whipping on a kid at the busstop when all this went down gives us a good insight into his characterName withheld · 3:28 PM on May 26, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list][/list]
Beans · 5:11 PM on May 26, 2011
I think the underlying factor here is that both the boy and the officer realized that there were no significant consequenses to their actions thus their behavior patterns continued, the boy continued his destructive path, and the Police Officer continued to do as he saw fit regardless of directives by a superior officer. UNfortunatley the boy suffered the ultimate consequense to his actions, the Police Officer should face criminal prosecution and if found to be innocent be given a choice of another career field other than law enforcement. A Forest Ranger out alone in a couple thousand acres of trees sounds like a fitting place for him.longhorn76 · 7:24 PM on May 26, 2011
He should have been fired after his third suspension. Just how many suspensions does NISD need to fire somebody?Name withheld · 9:28 AM on May 27, 2011
This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by our staff.[/list][/list]
ssgtflip · 10:39 PM on May 26, 2011
The parents of this poor child have to bear a large portion of the blame. When we as parents fail to provide the discipline necessary for our children, we leave it up to strangers like principles and teachers to do that for us. Unfortunately, the Lopez family left it up to an equally irresponsible officer, and the result was tragic. The only thing we can hope is that a lesson can be learned fro this.... Probably not though.jim76 · 10:15 AM on May 27, 2011
Yea, I am sure they are going to bear a large portion of the blame, on their way to the bank...[/list]
mario-18265647 · 12:16 PM on May 27, 2011
the bully "puknk" got he deserved. It was all his doing and nobody else is to blame. sad he was shoot and that he died but the officer did what he had to do "I was not their nor were you" and he is paid to protect our students and that is exactly what he did.

© 2011 Hearst Communications Inc.

Ursus:
From Lew Rockwell's site:

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

The LRC Blog

Eighth Grader Executed for Scaring a Cop
Posted by William Grigg on May 26, 2011 12:09 AM



Between March 2006 and November 2010, Officer Daniel Alvarado of San Antonio's Northside Independent School District Police was suspended four times. Four times he was informed by supervisors that he faced "immediate termination." For some reason, when it came time to fire Alvarado, his superiors just couldn't bring themselves to pull the trigger. Alvarado displayed no similar scruples on November 12, 2010, when he murdered 14-year-old Derek Lopez, who had just taken part in a brief scuffle with another student.

Owing to his own troubled past, Lopez was a student at the Bexar County Juvenile Justice Academy. At around 4:30 PM on the fatal day, Lopez sucker-punched a 13-year-old classmate at a bus stop.

"He just hit me once," the student later recalled in a sworn deposition. "It wasn't a fight. It was nothing."

Unfortunately, Alvarado happened to be prowling the intersection in his patrol car, and witnessed the trivial dust-up.

"Freeze!" Alvarado shouted at Lopez, who bolted from the scene. Alvarado, in his mid-40s, briefly gave token pursuit before relating the first of several self-serving falsehoods.

"I just had one run from me," wheezed the winded tax-feeder. "I saw an assault in progress. He punched the guy several times." (Emphasis added.)

A supervisor instructed Alvarado "not [to] do any big search over there" in pursuit of the assailant. "Let's stay with the victim and see if we can identify [the suspect] that way."

Rather than doing as he was ordered, Alvarado bundled the "victim" -- who was probably more terrified of the armed functionary than of his obnoxious classmate -- into the patrol car and went in pursuit of Lopez.

Lopez vaulted a nearby fence and hid in a backyard shed containing Christmas decorations. The homeowner saw the intrusion, and a neighbor flagged down Alvarado's patrol car. The officer drew his gun "when he came up the driveway," recalled the homeowner. Within a minute or so, a single gunshot resonated through the neighborhood. When asked by the horrified homeowner what had happened, Alvarado -- who reportedly looked "dazed or distant" -- replied that Lopez "came at me."

"The suspect bull rushed his way out of the shed and lunged right at me," the timorous creature later claimed in an official report. "The suspect was literally inches away from me, and I feared for my own safety."(Emphasis added.)

Alvarado was lying, of course. An autopsy revealed "no evidence of close range firing [on] the wound," and no gunpowder stains were found on the victim's bloody t-shirt.

By this time, the boy who had taken the punch at the bus stop had called his mother via cell phone. She arrived shortly after Alvarado had gunned down Lopez.

"At one point, the mother told a witness, 'He shot him? Why did he shoot him? He didn't have to shoot him," reports the San Antonio News-Express.

Alvarado, who four times was on the cusp of being fired for insubordination, disobeyed a direct order on November 12. He falsified key details of the shooting in his official report. A 14-year-old boy was gunned down execution-style for the venial offense of engaging in an adolescent scuffle, and for compelling an overweight middle-aged badge-polisher to run a few hundred yards. According to the San Antonio Police Department, this is all perfectly acceptable: The department ruled that the murder of Derek Lopez was a "justified" shooting.



Although he's been removed from patrol duty, Alvarado remains on the force, albeit in a tax-subsidized sinecure. Although he had repeatedly been threatened with termination for sloppiness or defiance in carrying out administrative duties, Alvarado faces neither criminal prosecution nor professional censure for murdering a 14-year-old boy. Apparently, insubordination in carrying out office functions is a much graver matter than insubordination that results in the needless death of an adolescent Mundane.

Despite the fact that this incident involved two teenage boys who attended a special school for troubled juveniles, parents should understand that students in practically any government-run "educational" institution can fall prey to sudden -- and potentially lethal -- police violence.

"Every day in communities across the United States, children and adolescents spend the majority of their waking hours in schools that increasingly have come to resemble places of detention more than places of learning," observes investigative reporter Annette Fuentes in her infuriating and valuable new book Lockdown High: When the Schoolhouse Becomes a Jailhouse. Federally subsidized "zero tolerance" policies growing out of the "War on Drugs" have created what Fuentes and other critics of the system call the "school-to-prison pipeline": "If yesterday's prank got a slap on the wrist, today those wrists could be slapped with handcuffs."

As the case of Derek Lopez illustrates, a childish prank could be treated as a capital offense, with summary execution carried out by a corrupt cop who doesn't have to endure so much as a slap on the wrist.


# # #

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page