Yeah, they're just illegal aliens. Big deal.
Posted on 03/21/2003 9:14:39 AM PST by Technoman
HEBBRONVILLE, Texas – A pair of Ranch Rescue volunteers arrested here Wednesday are facing two felony charges each, Texas Department of Public Safety officials say.
As WorldNetDaily reported yesterday, Casey Nethercutt of California and Hank Conner of Louisiana were arrested by Texas Ranger Sgt. Doyle Holdridge and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and two counts of unlawful restraint for allegedly pistol-whipping and detaining a Salvadoran man and his wife early Wednesday morning.
Nethercutt and Conner were part of a four-man detachment from Ranch Rescue – a property-rights activist group – which was led by Texas chapter head and national spokesman Jack Foote. The four-man contingent, at the request of rancher Joe Sutton, was here to prevent criminal trespassers from crossing Sutton's property.
Law enforcement and other sources say the men are being held in a detention facility in nearby Falfurrias. Officials said yesterday that bond for each man had been set at $200,000. The men were expected to be arraigned in Hebbronville this morning.
Holdridge told WorldNetDaily that the Salvadoran couple – a man and woman described as being in their mid-20s, but whose names have not yet been released – bore some visible physical signs of injury. After Nethercutt and Conner were apprehended, the Salvadoran couple picked the men out of a photo array, said the arresting officer.
Foote said the charges are bogus. He said he and his team "never touched" the couple, "except to pat them down and search them for weapons" after discovering them lying down in brush early Wednesday morning around 1 a.m. He says he has pictures to prove it, although they weren't available at publication time.
After Nethercutt and Conner searched the two Salvadorans, said Foote, they "were taken by van" to the front of Sutton's property, which is guarded by a heavy, steel, sliding gate that remains locked along Hwy. 16.
In the interim, said Foote, the U.S. Border Patrol – which mans an inspection station about seven miles north of Sutton's ranch – was notified to come pick up the Salvadorans. But after waiting around 45 minutes, Sutton grew impatient and ordered his detachment to simply open the front gate and release the Salvadoran couple, said Foote.
The Border Patrol arrived about 10 minutes later, said Foote. Sources told WND the Salvadoran couple eventually turned themselves in to Border Patrol officers, but agency officials would not confirm that.
Border Patrol spokesmen in Hebbronville and Laredo had no comment, except to say the case was being handled by Texas authorities.
It was unclear how the Salvadorans' testimony was obtained; neither Holdridge nor Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Department officials would say. Holdridge did say Wednesday, however, that the Salvadoran couple did not swear out a complaint.
"I filed charges on behalf of the state of Texas," he told WND.
In addition to legal problems, Nethercutt, who is in his mid-30s, and Conner, who was described as being nearly 60, have experienced health problems since being incarcerated. Officials say Nethercutt is suffering complications from pancreatitis, while Conner is suffering from chronic high blood pressure.
Authorities allowed volunteers to bring Conner medicine early yesterday, but refused to allow them to visit Nethercutt. Officials were also unclear as to whether Nethercutt had been taken for treatment to an area hospital or whether he was being treated on-site at a detention center health facility.
Foote says he is confident the men will be exonerated, but believes they will have to endure a lengthy court battle to prove their innocence. He also said he is having difficulty raising bail money and that he asked Sutton to help, but that he refused.
Although the current "mission" on Sutton's ranch is over, Foote pledges that the incident won't permanently damage Ranch Rescue.
"We just have to pick our battles," he said. "Right now, I just want to get these guys out of jail."
Speaking of breaking the law, what do you do when the government refuses to follow the law and uphold Constitutional duties?
Okay, they're illegal aliens. Big deal. That doesnt give anyone the right to pistol-whip them. That's battery.
A group of aliens were detained and then sent on their way without shoes. Sutton gathered up the shoes and took them to the local border patrol office.
Yeah, they're just illegal aliens. Big deal.
A better resolution could not be had. Always bring a video camera with you to public protests or other events like that--unless you intend to be the ones breaking the law!
No one -- no one -- has the right to pistol whip some guy who comes here just for a better life.
Anyone who says otherwise is an unamerican, hate-filled, xenophobic jackass who doesnt deserve to call himself an American.
So you've already convicted these guys based on allegations by a couple of slimeball criminals? Sheesh. Take a friggin' hike back to DU, will you. Sheesh.... bank robbers are 'looking for a better life', too, wouldn't you say?
Tancredo Fan signed up 2002-03-10.
jude24 signed up 2000-09-25.
Yeah, I'm a DU disruptor who's been posting for almost 3 years -- longer than you. Thats the ticket....
I;m a disruptor because I don't think anyone has the right to beat anyone to a bloody pulp.
Riiiight....
IRAQIS HUNTED IN MEXICOCIA sources have revealed that several Iraqis are being hunted in Mexico.
The six suspects are thought to have chemical and biological weapons with them.
According to reports, the men have tried to persuade smugglers, who profit from helping people cross the Mexican border into the US, to get them into America.
Officials say they were given a tip off and are treating the reports seriously.
Hmm. Sounds like theft to me.
Not according to the article:
Holdridge told WorldNetDaily that the Salvadoran couple – a man and woman described as being in their mid-20s, but whose names have not yet been released – bore some visible physical signs of injury. After Nethercutt and Conner were apprehended, the Salvadoran couple picked the men out of a photo array, said the arresting officer.
Sounds like probable cause to me. Sounds like evidence to me.
I don't care if they were illegal aliens. Sneaking across a border might be bad, but beating any human being up is far worse.
If you want to argue that the defandants didn't beat them up, that's cool. But if you argue justification, well, then I have a BIG problem with that.
I, myself, did not hit the "abuse" button.
(Though I can clearly see where the abuse was.)
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