Posted on 09/08/2006 10:27:53 AM PDT by radar101
Members of Congress petitioning the president to pardon two U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted of assaulting an illegal alien who was trying to smuggle drugs into the U.S. are now calling for an investigation of the U.S. attorney who prosecuted the agents.
"These were good agents doing their job," said Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.). "There is something that stinks to high heaven."
On Feb. 17, 2005, U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean were on duty when they encountered Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila in a van carrying 743 pounds of marijuana. When the agents tried to stop Aldrete-Davila, he fled. Unable to shake the pursuing agents, he abandoned his van and continued running toward Mexico.
The agents' version of what happened next contradicts Aldrete-Davila's testimony. The one thing all agree on is that, while fleeing on foot, the illegal alien and drug smuggler was shot. Aldrete-Davila was treated at a hospital in El Paso and then returned to Mexico.
After learning of the shooting, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton sought out Aldrete-Davila in Mexico and offered him immunity from prosecution if he would return to the United States to testify against Ramos and Compean.
The initial immunity offer covered Aldrete-Davila's illegal entry into the U.S., the drug smuggling and his unlawful flight from the agents to avoid arrest. Sutton expanded the immunity to include a subsequent drug offense, when Aldrete-Davila tried to smuggle another 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States.
"The Justice Department says they don't have the resources to secure our borders, but somehow they found the resources to send agents to Mexico to find Aldrete-Davila and prosecute these agents," Tancredo said.
Rep. Red Poe (R-Texas) said the Justice Department is "on the wrong side" of this case.
"It appears as though they are working for the government of Mexico instead of the government of the United States," Poe said. "Instead of prosecuting [the agents], they should be giving them a medal."
Sentencing hearings for the agents have been postponed twice and are now scheduled for Oct. 18. They each face from five to 20 years in prison.
"It will absolutely be a sin, it will be a crime if these agents go to jail," said Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.).
Jones has discussed the case with Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and the White House. He told Cybercast News Service that "Something is not right. Washington, D.C. needs to look into that office's activities."
"We need to start asking questions and go down to Texas and find out if there is a problem," he added, noting that there is a history of Sutton pursuing cases against law enforcement officials. "If the American people rally behind these two agents, then we can certainly look into the actions of the federal office down in Texas."
Sutton's office did not return phone calls requesting comment for this article.
In general, yes. There are specific exceptions that apply in certain cases, but cops do not have the right to start blasting away merely because someone's running from them.
Seems the odds are stacked in the criminal's favor if all our BP and police have to tackle every criminal just to apprehend them. There's nothing to stop every one from trying to flee then, either.
I'm about to shock you. Better sit down.
You have exactly as much right--no more, no less--to employ deadly force as a cop on duty does. Being a cop doesn't grant you extraordinary power of life and death merely because they're given a badge. Unless the officer has a specific and reasonable belief that the suspect poses an imminent danger to someone's life and limb, deadly force is not allowed.
The problem here is that (a) these guys got stupid, and (b) they lied about it, and destroyed evidence. The former is not necessarily criminal. The latter is, and demonstrates consciousness of guilt.
Said one newbie to the other.
Ok, that must mean you're in the OBL crowd or you would've answered. It is relevants because it explains why you're willing to have our BP agents just watching the illegals saunter back and forth over the border. Armed with nothing other than nerfbats.
You willing to shoot someone solely because they a dime bag of pot?
2nd try (don't sneeze while previewing a post)
You willing to shoot someone solely because they have a dime bag of pot?
Complete falsehood. I stated no such thing.
Working for the government is dangerous unless you are senior enough to have the connections to cover your ass! It's always the peons who get screwed.
Workers of the World Unite!!! Sheesh.
Bump!
"...the scummmm drug runner needs to be shot (along with every other drug smuggler) in the a$$ by every citizen that lost a loved one because of the drugs, gangs,cartels and illegal alien lawlessness in our country."
Unbelievable support on here for illegal drug runners. Just amazing!
Where did anyone support the drug runner?
You.. in just about every vile post you have on here.
Almost thought maybe part of that 700 plus pound pot shipment was supposed to go to you... sour grapes.
"Where did anyone support the drug runner?"
During the trial you can't argue that there was anything less than absolute and total support from Johnny Sutton and his crew. I wouldn't be surprised if Johnny personally threw in a complementary BJ for the lucky drug runner!
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