Posted on 05/16/2008 7:26:49 AM PDT by SJackson
Shooting someone who was not threatening them.
And yes, I know they claim that their lives were in danger.
Of course, if their lives were in danger and the shooting was eminently justified one must ask: why tamper with evidence at the scene? Why fail to fire a full report?
That's the question the court had to consider.
A fleeing drug smuggler is certainly a danger to them when they claim they saw him turn around with something in his hand. Even if it was later found to be a rock, rocks can kill.
Add to that the prosecutor suppressing evidence at the trial and this whole thing looked much worse than it was.
If the jury had known that the perp was a drug smuggler and that the agents were at least part right they would not have gotten such long sentences.
Probably no jail time just some punishment for the reporting problems.
Sounds like a great time for a Soldiers of Fortune reunion.. or two or three or four at different spots along the border. ;-)
In other words, the defense should have been able to make an emotional appeal to the jury - hoping that the fact that the complaining witness was a dirtbag would convince the jury to ignore all the rest.
I reiterate: if it was a clean shoot - as they claim now it was - then they would have been zealous in making sure the scene of the incident was kept pristine and they would have been eager to set down every last detail of what they saw and did in writing so that they wouldn't forget any facts that would help exonerate them.
Instead, they tampered with the scene and they avoided their obligation to file a report.
“The way I heard it, they told their supervisors what happened on the scene, in person, immediately after the incident.”
Well, someone lied to you. When asked what happened at the scene by a Supervisor they said “nothing”. When asked again back at the station they again said “nothing”. This was of course after Compean picked up and disposed of some of his shell casings and after he asked another agent to get the ones he missed...but to wait until everyone else had left the scene so he wouldn’t be seen.
Yes, these are the actions of innocent law enforcement officers who have nothing to hide.
“From what I’ve read all they needed was to tell their immediate superiors in the field what happened since they did not believe they hit the perp with any shots.
And they did tell their immediate superiors.
So your left wing propaganda is a lie.”
I see you’ve been reading World Nut Daily and/or underground “border security” memos. They told no one, someone has been lying TO YOU.
“But I wouldn’t send them to prison for over a decade if they failed to do so.”
They weren’t sent to prison for not filling out paperwork, they got the 1 and 2 years for attempted cover up, destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice. The ten years was a mandatory sentence after the jury convicted them of assault with a deadly weapon when they found no justifiable reason for the officers to draw their weapons and trying to kill the perp.
The 10 year mandatory is where the conflict lies. Personally I do not think it should be used against LEO’s who make an honest mistake during the course of their duties...but should be used in the case of a dirty cop.
Of course, but the jury didn't buy it and frankly neither did I after I read the trial transcripts. They just made it up.
"Add to that the prosecutor suppressing evidence at the trial and this whole thing looked much worse than it was."
The prosecutor didn't suppress any evidence, it was brought up by the defense and the judge ruled it inadmissible because one it was only a statement by another drug smuggler and had nothing to do with whether the shoot that day was good.
"If the jury had known that the perp was a drug smuggler and that the agents were at least part right they would not have gotten such long sentences."
The perp admitted in court he knew he was smuggling drugs that day so the jury knew he was a drug smuggler. No matter how many times he smuggled drugs it had nothing to do with whether Ramos and Compean engaged in a cover up, tampered with evidence or whether they had justifiable cause that day to shoot him.
"Probably no jail time just some punishment for the reporting problems."
They were convicted of engaging in a cover up, tampering with evidence and trying to kill a fleeing suspect without justifiable cause. It had nothing to do with a reporting problem.
Do you consider the National Border Patrol Council’s writeup on Congressman Rohrabacher’s website to be an “underground ‘border security’ memo”?
Well, I don’t know. Got a link to that article so we can determine if they were telling the truth or whether it was another case of a labor union “spinning” for a couple of their members?
Okay, I read the whole thing and no where does it state that Ramos and Compean notified their supervisors at the scene about the shooting. I am tired of R&C supporters making false claims then sending people off on wild goose chases. You are too lazy to read the evidence yourself, hear false claims from dubious sources then regurgiate the misinformation over and over as if it were fact.
How about this side of the border. There are roads you need to stay off off. Organ Pipe NM is a wonderful place, but American's haven't been able to safely use it for years.
You got a link to the trial transcript?
I’m looking for the part where their supervisors(s) state, under oath “No, neither Agent Ramos nor Agent Compean gave any indication that anything out of the ordinary occurred on their shift”.
Penny needs to get out more.
Dude, if you run for president, you've got my vote.
These aren't 'peace officers', they're agents at our border entrusted with the duty of thwarting an invasion that will ultimately partition our southwest like a bat on a pinata.
Thanks for the vote (of confidence!)
Sadly, I’m un-electable in today’s America.
I have too much common sense. I’m too blunt, and loathe Socialist/Marxist scumbags & their toadies in the press & academia.
I couldn’t get elected dog-catcher.
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