Posted on 08/21/2002 11:42:02 AM PDT by chance33_98
Off-duty officer shoots at teens 'TP wrapping' house
A tree, toilet paper and teens -- a common prank or an act of vandalism? By Mark Garay ABC13 Eyewitness News (8/20/02) — A veteran police officer of more than 20 years is under investigation. It comes after allegations that he shot at Texas City high school students. The incident happened Saturday night at the officer's home in the 2500 block of Eighth Avenue North in Texas City. The students were reportedly taking part in an annual tradition of wrapping certain people's homes in toilet paper.
It's called wrapping. It's a long-standing tradition among upper classmen with the Texas City high school band, in which they basically wrap the homes of freshmen in toilet paper.
Last Saturday, an off-duty Galveston police officer who lives in Texas City shot at a group of teens who were apparently doing just that. Now the Texas City Police Department is investigating.
When Nicolas Rac walked outside of his home around 2am Saturday, he noticed that someone had wrapped his house. But when his daughter, a junior band member, told him that she didn't think it was a prank, he grabbed his 12-gauge shotgun.
"So when they came back, he was proceeding with the information that he had that they were back to do more damage," explained Rac's attorney Greg Cagle.
Five teenagers in two cars returned to snap pictures, apparently, of the toilet-papered trees, and the shaving-creamed sidewalk. When Rac appeared with his shotgun, the kids returned to their vehicles.
"The kid then turns the headlights on, turns the high beams on, puts it in drive and drives directly at him. That's when he fired the gun," said Cagle.
No was hurt, but the fleeing truck was shot twice. The incident has now been referred to a Galveston grand jury, and Rac could face a third-degree felony charge of deadly conduct.
"What did the off-duty officer do?" asked Galveston County District Attorny Mike Guarino. "What was going through his mind? Why did he bring a weapon out there? And was he justified in displaying the weapon? Was he justified in firing the weapon?"
Was it a misunderstood prank, or a malicious act of vandalism? Texas City police are preparing evidence for the grand jury.
"We're preparing diagrams of the scene, getting our pictures ready," Texas City PD Sgt. Brian Goetschius told Eyewitness News.
Meantime, Texas City school officials know about wrapping, but they say they don't condone it. Wrapping incidents, they say, are parent-supervised, and the families of targeted houses know that it's coming.
"These were kids who went back to a home at two in the morning, without any criminal involvement, without anyone knowing," Texas City School District spokesman Stephen Hadley said.
As it stands, the local school district is going to be working with the mayor's office to try and figure out ways in the future to possibly dissuade students from doing wrapping.
One critical question in this case -- did the officer really indeed feel that his life was in danger? And did that car really come at him? Or was this just a prank and was that truck trying to flee? That's one question the grand jury's going to have to decide, and they should get this case in the next several weeks.
I think the key point for the case is the fact that the car was hit by gunfire. Was the car hit in the front (supporting the claim that the car was somehow running down the officer) or was it hit in the back (in which case the officer probably stepped outside the bounds of Texas law)?
Perhaps someone could post a link for those of us HTML-challenged?
There are additional details regarding the circumstances reported and discussed there, and there's a ping list for those with a continuing interest in this story who would care to be added to it.
-archy-/-
The vehicle was struck in two places by shotgun fire: in the front grill/radiator and in one tire.
That suggests a single headon shot followed by one at the tire from the side as the vehicle passed by the shooter. Buckshot spreads at approximately one inch per yard of distance to target, depending on choke, shot load and other factors, making it probable the shot at the tire was from within 15 yards or so if buckshot was used, less with birdshot. A solid slug *might* also have been used, which would certainly have deflated a tire if struck, but offering a serious marksmanship challenge.
We may hear more as the grand jury meets and issues their report.
-archy-/-
These selfsame liberals tend to cotton to the notion that guns in the hands of "authorities" (i.e.: the shooter in this case) are somehow magically blessed by the devine powers of the almighty state, and are thusly OK.
It's always fun to point out this dichotomy to them and watch their hollow heads implode.
Bet those TEENS wished they kept a few rolls for themselves after hearing that Shotgun Blast Twice, and hearing the rounds thunk into their truck!!!
Trees are biodegradable, environmentalists are always complaining about trees.
Its the use of the vehicle driving towards the off-duty officer. You do not drive towards a person, even if you are trying to scare him, and not expect to be shot at.
It's always fun to point out this dichotomy to them and watch their hollow heads implode.
There goes one now!
I've been there. Be very carefull. They are even crazyer then most.
I hope you don't live in dads baliwick. Though he sounds like a good guy to me. (I give out TP to the older kids on halloween)
I gotta hand it to ya, archy, you have the most incredible collection of sources for all those pics you post. That, or a heckuva lot of time to go looking for those choice tidbits. Or both!
I've been a news photographer and photo editor, so have a middlin good index to many, and know where others can be found. But I get an awful lot in e-mails and from other sources, which I promptly bookmark or download.
That one was a fairly recent acquisition, which I was going to pass along to a varmint hunting pal, captioned, this is your brain on hollowpoints....
-archy-/-
If anyone want to compare responses check out this thread.
If anyone want to compare responses check out this thread.
Supposed to have been FYI
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