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Fired Cop Patrick Tuter Indicted For Killing Michael Allen, Firing 41 Shots At Unarmed Suspect
Opposing Views ^ | 11/13/2013 | Jonathan Vankin,

Posted on 11/13/2013 9:01:44 AM PST by Responsibility2nd

For only the second time in 17 years, a Dallas County, Tex., grand jury has indicted a police officer for wrongly killing a suspect in the line of duty. Patrick Tuter is being held on an unusually high $100,000 bail after his indictment for manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Michael Vincent Allen on August 31 of last year.

Prosecutors said they did not consider the fired Garland police officer a threat to flee, and were prepared to let bail go as low as $10,000. But Judge Lena Levario said that in her view, Tuter (pictured) posed a threat to public safety and needed to be locked up. Typical bail in manslaughter cases is about $25,000, the Dallas Morning News reported.

If he makes bail, Tuter is not allowed to hold any job that requires him to use a weapon.

From the facts of the case, Tuter appears not only trigger-happy, but also an inaccurate shot. He is accused of killing Allen, who was unarmed, after a half-hour chase during which speeds hit 100 miles per hour along a North Dallas freeway, ending up with Allen cornered in cul-de-sac in Mesquite.

According to one eyewitness to the shooting, Allen’s white GMC pickup was trapped between two cop cars. That’s when Tuter, according to a witness, shouted for Allen to get out of the truck but then without waiting more than a few seconds, opened fire.

He unloaded 41 rounds, pausing at least once to reload despite taking no return fire from Allen who was not in possession of a firearm. Three of those shots hit Allen, killing him. But 38 of Tuter’s shots missed their target.

The other officer at the scene fired no shots and actually took cover behind his squad car as Tuter continued to pump bullets at the immobilized pickup truck.

The chase began when Tuter noticed the pickup, which had been involved in a chase in nearby Sachse a few mights before.

Tuter crashed his vehicle into the pickup before firing. Allen, the father of one, died without getting out of the driver’s seat. Originally, police claimed that Allen rammed Tuter’s vehicle. But dashboard cam video showed that the reverse was actually the case.

“More and more, we’re learning that the account given by the police officer is not what actually occurred,” said Don Tittle, a lawyer who represents Allen’s family in a civil suit against Tuter for wrongful death. “That should be pretty alarming. It should certainly cause you to wonder in cases where there’s no video at all.”

Tuter faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charge.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; lawenforcement
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To: Responsibility2nd

41 rounds, reloaded once? What the heck was he shooting?


41 posted on 11/13/2013 11:37:37 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: Responsibility2nd
“More and more, we’re learning that the account given by the police officer is not what actually occurred,”

That is starting to happen more and more

42 posted on 11/13/2013 11:41:04 AM PST by GeronL
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To: Gaffer

Shouldn’t “wrongful killing” be murder?


43 posted on 11/13/2013 11:41:58 AM PST by GeronL
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To: from occupied ga
AND "You want him to go home to his family at night don't you?"

How come that comes up whenever a cop kills an UNARMED person?

44 posted on 11/13/2013 11:42:52 AM PST by GeronL
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To: AlmaKing

The so-called WoD is simply a pretext for the militarization, it was going to happen anyway with our power-mad politicians


45 posted on 11/13/2013 11:44:17 AM PST by GeronL
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To: Alaska Wolf

“llegal Alien Pedophile on the Run from Mexican Police Molests 6-Year Old in Florida”

I fail to see what that article has to do with this. But then again I fail to follow your points in most, OK all, of your posts. Basically, from what I understand, you feel it is OK for anyone to be killed anytime by the police for pretty much any reason. And that’s OK. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.


46 posted on 11/13/2013 11:48:51 AM PST by saleman
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To: AlmaKing; Blood of Tyrants

Most of us think of the militarization of police as being SWAT, SWAT was not started over drug busts, but to deal with growing militant politics and racial politics of the 1960s when political groups started using sniper teams and booby traps and fighting to the death rather than being arrested.


47 posted on 11/13/2013 11:49:37 AM PST by ansel12 ( Democrats-"a party that since antebellum times has been bent on the dishonoring of humanity.)
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To: ansel12

And today their primary purpose is to raid houses of suspected drug dealers.


48 posted on 11/13/2013 11:50:33 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (From time to time the.tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.)
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To: saleman
I fail to see

Obviously. You don't care about criminal behavior, just cops.

49 posted on 11/13/2013 11:52:22 AM PST by Alaska Wolf (I)
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To: GeronL
How come that comes up whenever a cop kills an UNARMED person?

I'm not sure. I guess the jackboot lickers expect us to get all misty eyed over the JBT's sow and litter.

50 posted on 11/13/2013 11:53:05 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: Alaska Wolf

Yea I care about criminal behavior. I just don’t think cops should be judge, jury and executioner. I understand that you do. Why, I don’t know. And I don’t care. But, I would care if you got pulled over on some dark back road one night and killed by a cop because “he felt threatened” I really would.

I don’t think it would be a big loss, but I would be awful sorry.


51 posted on 11/13/2013 11:58:08 AM PST by saleman
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To: Gaffer

Agreed.


52 posted on 11/13/2013 12:00:45 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: saleman
I understand

I have yet to see any evidence that you do. Your ASSUMPTIONS are proof.

53 posted on 11/13/2013 12:02:31 PM PST by Alaska Wolf (I)
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To: Alaska Wolf

If reading your posts are “assumptions” then I guess you are right.


54 posted on 11/13/2013 12:07:09 PM PST by saleman
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To: saleman
If reading your posts are “assumptions”

If you're that stupid, we're done.

55 posted on 11/13/2013 12:12:15 PM PST by Alaska Wolf (I)
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To: Alaska Wolf

“If you’re that stupid, we’re done.”

Well great minds do think alike.

I was gonna say the same thing to you!


56 posted on 11/13/2013 12:14:15 PM PST by saleman
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To: Responsibility2nd

I’m astounded at this. Bravo for the judge, and prosecutor!


57 posted on 11/13/2013 12:36:23 PM PST by zeugma (Is it evil of me to teach my bird to say "here kitty, kitty"?)
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To: DoodleDawg

since the other cop ducked behind his car, maybe he was also aiming that way...;O)


58 posted on 11/13/2013 1:03:05 PM PST by goat granny
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To: Alaska Wolf; 50mm; darkwing104; TheOldLady

Looks like you’re the one who’s done, Alaska Wolf


59 posted on 11/14/2013 10:41:03 AM PST by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: Alaska Wolf
you`d just vanish, ankle-biter

Really? ;)

60 posted on 11/14/2013 1:14:37 PM PST by Anton.Rutter
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