Thread: Houston Police Officer Killed by Illegal Immigrant (Update3)

Well the Houston Chroncle also mentions that ICE has a hold on him. I am still pretty angry that none of our media in this sanctuary city have not mentioned that ICE has a hold on this idiot.


July 1, 2008, 3:29PM
Mental tests ordered for suspect in HPD officer's death

By BRIAN ROGERS
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Hung Dasian Truong is not laughing now

Arraigned this morning on a manslaughter charge in the car wreck that claimed the life of a Houston police officer, Hung Dasian Truong will be held for a 21-day mental evaluation, a judge ruled.

State District Judge Caprice Cosper noted that the 24-year-old man is being held without bail and she agreed with Truong's attorney that he should be seen by mental health professionals.

In court, prosecutors recounted the collision that killed Houston police Officer Gary Gryder and put Officer Joe Pyland in a hospital with multiple leg fractures.

Assistant District Attorney Denise Bradley said Truong's 1998 Toyota sedan sped westbound on the Katy Freeway, hit both officers and slammed into a barricade at the intersection of Texas 6.

"Officer Gryder was thrown about 77 feet," Bradley said after the brief hearing.

Truong was taken into custody while laughing uncontrollably and refusing to answer questions, Bradley said.

She said initial alcohol and drug tests got negative results. However, she is awaiting the results of a second, more detailed round of blood tests to determine whether Truong was impaired at the time.

Bradley said early reports indicate that Truong came to the United States from Vietnam when he was 11. A hold has been placed on him by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Although a hold can indicate that someone is in this country illegally, Truong's immigration status is valid, ICE officials said.

ICE spokesman Greg Palmore confirmed that Truong was in the country legally, but could not say what Truong's situation was, whether he had a visa or was a legal permanent resident, for example.

Because he was charged with a serious crime, ICE agents would want to evaluate him before he is released from jail, Palmore said.

Bradley said she expects to interview members of Truong's family.

She also said Truong worked for an electrical services company through a temporary employment agency.

Skip Cornelius, Truong's court-appointed attorney, said Truong is "very, very sorry."

Cornelius also said he hopes the mental evaluation will shed light on what police said was "bizarre" behavior at the scene.

The judge also signed an order allowing investigators to download data from the car's computer, information that may show how fast Truong was going and whether he hit the brakes before the car hit the police officers.

brian.rogers@chron.com

(Houston) -- The man accused of running over an killing an HPD officer Sunday morning is in the country illegally.

ANOTHER ILLEGAL ALIEN KILLS AN INNOCENT AMERICAN. Again, this would never have happened if the drunk didnt come here illegally in the 1st place!

Houston Police Officer Killed By Illegal Immigrant With Criminal Past.
« H E » Current Events :: Immigration :: Texas :: Cathreina :: email
posted Friday, 22 September 2006
The Houston police officer who was gunned down by a suspect Thursday after a routine traffic stop apparently missed the man's weapon in a pat-down search, Capt. Dale Brown told reporters today.

Juan Leonardo Quintero, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant, has been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson.

Brown said Quintero apparently was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of his arrest.

Brown said that Quintero had a criminal history from 1995 to 1999, convicted for DWI, failure to stop and give information and indecency with a child. His driver's license was suspended and he was deported to Mexico by immigration officials in 1999, Brown said.

Quintero has been working for a landscaping company in the Deer Park area and was driving a company Ford double-cab pickup when Johnson stopped him for speeding, Brown said.

Quintero, who apparently in the pickup with a co-worker and the two daughters of his common-law wife, was traveling 50 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone, he said. He had picked up the two girls from school and was taking them home, he said.

Johnson decided to arrest Quintero because he did not have any identification, Brown said. Although Johnson patted him down before handcuffing him, he apparently missed the 9-mm handgun he concealed under his waistband, he said.

Although Quintero was handcuffed behind his back, Brown said he apparently manipulated his handcuffed hands under his legs to the front of his body so he could fire his weapon.

The suspect also fired at a wrecker driver who had been called to the scene by Johnson at the time of the arrest. The wrecker driver had spotted Johnson in apparent distress in the front seat of the car and was approaching the police car when the shot was fired. He retreated until officers arrived.

His wife, Theresa Quintero, said he has expressed concern about immigration officials and whether he should return to Mexico.

Theresa Quintero said in an interview today at their home near Hobby Airport that the couple has been married since 1997.

HPD's Brown said records reflect no arrests for the suspect since 1999, but he said officers were still researching records.

Chief Harold Hurtt defended his policy against enforcing immigration laws, saying the situation points to the need for stronger enforcement at the border since Quintero had been deported.

``If the government would fulfill their responsibility of protecting the border, we probably would not be standing here today,'' Hurtt said.

A Harris County prosecutor said in court this morning that, while seated in the back seat, the suspect pulled a 9 mm handgun from his waistband and shot Johnson in the face. The officer was able to push an emergency response button, alerting dispatch of a problem.

When other police arrived at the scene, Quintero remained in the back seat with the gun in his hand, the prosecutor said. Police found bullet casings inside the car.

Quintero kept his head down while waiting to be called before the judge. During a brief hearing, he answered "Yes'' when asked whether he understood the charge against him.

Quintero has been charged with capital murder in the 248th District Court, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

Cannon said the suspect gave "a full confession" to the shooting.

A source familiar with the scene said Johnson was shot four times through the plastic shield separating the front and rear seats. Johnson managed to push his emergency button before collapsing. The 12-year veteran of the department was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect reportedly struggled as officers tried to move him to a different vehicle.

"They finally got him in the other car, but he was scratching and fighting and acting crazy, like he could win in a fight like that," said Clara Rodriguez, who lives nearby.

Johnson, 40, was the first HPD officer killed in more than two years.

"He was very personable," Hurtt said. "We will miss one of our true soldiers in Rodney Johnson."

At least a dozen law enforcement vehicles cordoned off a large area at Randolph and Braniff where the light bar atop Johnson's patrol car continued to flash long after the shooting. Temporary spotlights illuminated the scene into the evening as evidence technicians scoured the area. The owner of a nearby machine shop was called to the scene because bullets apparently pierced the wall of his building and investigators needed to get inside.

Before the suspect was taken to HPD headquarters, he was stripped of his clothes, which were placed in evidence bags, and dressed in a white jumpsuit. He was then taken downtown in the second of three patrol cars that left the scene shortly after 7 p.m.

'It just breaks my heart'

As news of Johnson's death spread, police officers gathered in small groups but said little. One HPD sergeant walked to a patrol car, took out his cell phone and made a quick phone call, taking a long drink of cold water from a bottle.

"Something real bad has happened by the airport," he said.

Rodriguez said that she and her neighbors in the small subdivision between Telephone Road and Almeda Genoa knew Johnson well and that he was well-liked.

"He would always wave and smile when he saw me," Rodriguez said. "He was a real nice guy. All he was trying to do was enforce the rules."

Rodriguez said Johnson stopped her once for speeding when the speed limit was lowered on Telephone Road. She said he politely asked her to slow down and did not ticket her.

"He was just so very nice," she said. "He was not ever mean. It just breaks my heart. I feel so very bad for his wife. He got up and went to work this morning, and this is what happened. This is what happened to one of the people who protects us, who truly took care of us."

Johnson graduated from high school in Oakland, Calif., then enlisted in the Army, serving as an MP until he was honorably discharged in 1990. He served as a corrections officer for the Texas Department of Corrections (now the Texas Department of Criminal Justice) and as a Houston police jailer before attending the police academy and graduating in 1994.

Johnson was assigned to the southeast division that year and to the southeast gang task force in 1996. While on the task force he received two Lifesaving Awards from the department and one Medal of Valor from the state. He was married to Houston police officer Joslyn Johnson. They have three daughters and two sons between the ages of 14 and 19..

The The 100 Club is issuing a $10,000 check to Johnson's family for any immediate costs associated with his death and will provide the family with further assistance later.

The group's Survivor's Fund provides benefits to the dependents of peace officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

Hurtt issued a statement today on behalf of the widow of Johnson. Hurtt said that HPD Officer Joslyn Johnson wanted to thank her fellow officers, the Houston Fire Department, staff at Ben Taub Hospital, and the citizens of Houston.

"On behalf of our family, I just want to say thank you so much for the overwhelming outpouring of love and compassion you have shown us. Rodney was a great officer, but also he was a great husband and a great father," the statement read by Hurtt said.

A familiar scene

Thursday's incident was similar to the shooting of Houston police officer G.P. Gaddis in 1994. Gaddis was murdered by one of two aggravated robbery suspects he was taking to jail for aggravated robbery. Both had been searched and handcuffed behind their backs before being placed in the back seat of the patrol car.

Edgar Arias Tamayo managed to maneuver his hands, still cuffed, to his front and retrieved a pistol hidden in his clothes. He then shot Gaddis in the back of the head as he was driving. The patrol car crashed into a house, and the suspect escaped from the wrecked car, but was arrested nearby.

Tamayo was convicted of capital murder and is on death row. The shooting prompted criticism of the department by police union officials who claimed Gaddis' death could have been prevented if patrol units carried two officers.

According to a police department patrol veteran, within the past two years all HPD officers were required to attend an in-service training refresher class on proper search technique. However, he said, the unique circumstances of each incident dictate how thoroughly a suspect is searched. Search procedures also are outlined in the department's general orders manual, the officer said.

"The degree of search can range from a strip search to a cursory pat-down," said the officer, who requested anonymity out fear of departmental reprisals. "If the person is just a witness or if (the stop) is just a traffic violation, you might just put them in the back of your (patrol) car to do the paperwork. If the suspect is high risk or wanted on a felony, then you need to do more than a pat-down. But even then, you can still miss a weapon. It's part of the job. And this isn't the first time an officer has been killed with a suspect in the back seat."

Nor was it out of the ordinary for a one-man patrol unit such as Johnson to arrest one or more suspects without calling for backup, the officer said.

In the estimation of the officer, the department's well-publicized staffing shortage leaves approximately 80 percent of all HPD patrol units with a single officer. There is no protocol mandating that single-patrol officers call for backup while making arrests, he added.

"If we called for backup every time we made an arrest, nothing would get done," the officer said. "Lots of officers arrest multiple suspects by themselves. But would it be safer with two officers? Absolutely."

News of Johnson's death hit the department hard, especially Hans Marticiuc, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, who said he was a close friend.

"He was very, very safety conscious," Marticiuc said. "He knows how to search. He worked in the jail for a number of years and all they do is search prisoners down there. "

Johnson served on the union's board of directors.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory. ... nt/4206756


tags: police murder houston texas capital murder illegal immigrant violence immigrant violence

Houston Police Officer Killed By Illegal Immigrant With Criminal Past.
« H E » Current Events :: Immigration :: Texas :: Cathreina :: email
posted Friday, 22 September 2006
The Houston police officer who was gunned down by a suspect Thursday after a routine traffic stop apparently missed the man's weapon in a pat-down search, Capt. Dale Brown told reporters today.

Juan Leonardo Quintero, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant, has been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson.

Brown said Quintero apparently was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of his arrest.

Brown said that Quintero had a criminal history from 1995 to 1999, convicted for DWI, failure to stop and give information and indecency with a child. His driver's license was suspended and he was deported to Mexico by immigration officials in 1999, Brown said.

Quintero has been working for a landscaping company in the Deer Park area and was driving a company Ford double-cab pickup when Johnson stopped him for speeding, Brown said.

Quintero, who apparently in the pickup with a co-worker and the two daughters of his common-law wife, was traveling 50 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone, he said. He had picked up the two girls from school and was taking them home, he said.

Johnson decided to arrest Quintero because he did not have any identification, Brown said. Although Johnson patted him down before handcuffing him, he apparently missed the 9-mm handgun he concealed under his waistband, he said.

Although Quintero was handcuffed behind his back, Brown said he apparently manipulated his handcuffed hands under his legs to the front of his body so he could fire his weapon.

The suspect also fired at a wrecker driver who had been called to the scene by Johnson at the time of the arrest. The wrecker driver had spotted Johnson in apparent distress in the front seat of the car and was approaching the police car when the shot was fired. He retreated until officers arrived.

His wife, Theresa Quintero, said he has expressed concern about immigration officials and whether he should return to Mexico.

Theresa Quintero said in an interview today at their home near Hobby Airport that the couple has been married since 1997.

HPD's Brown said records reflect no arrests for the suspect since 1999, but he said officers were still researching records.

Chief Harold Hurtt defended his policy against enforcing immigration laws, saying the situation points to the need for stronger enforcement at the border since Quintero had been deported.

``If the government would fulfill their responsibility of protecting the border, we probably would not be standing here today,'' Hurtt said.

A Harris County prosecutor said in court this morning that, while seated in the back seat, the suspect pulled a 9 mm handgun from his waistband and shot Johnson in the face. The officer was able to push an emergency response button, alerting dispatch of a problem.

When other police arrived at the scene, Quintero remained in the back seat with the gun in his hand, the prosecutor said. Police found bullet casings inside the car.

Quintero kept his head down while waiting to be called before the judge. During a brief hearing, he answered "Yes'' when asked whether he understood the charge against him.

Quintero has been charged with capital murder in the 248th District Court, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

Cannon said the suspect gave "a full confession" to the shooting.

A source familiar with the scene said Johnson was shot four times through the plastic shield separating the front and rear seats. Johnson managed to push his emergency button before collapsing. The 12-year veteran of the department was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect reportedly struggled as officers tried to move him to a different vehicle.

"They finally got him in the other car, but he was scratching and fighting and acting crazy, like he could win in a fight like that," said Clara Rodriguez, who lives nearby.

Johnson, 40, was the first HPD officer killed in more than two years.

"He was very personable," Hurtt said. "We will miss one of our true soldiers in Rodney Johnson."

At least a dozen law enforcement vehicles cordoned off a large area at Randolph and Braniff where the light bar atop Johnson's patrol car continued to flash long after the shooting. Temporary spotlights illuminated the scene into the evening as evidence technicians scoured the area. The owner of a nearby machine shop was called to the scene because bullets apparently pierced the wall of his building and investigators needed to get inside.

Before the suspect was taken to HPD headquarters, he was stripped of his clothes, which were placed in evidence bags, and dressed in a white jumpsuit. He was then taken downtown in the second of three patrol cars that left the scene shortly after 7 p.m.

'It just breaks my heart'

As news of Johnson's death spread, police officers gathered in small groups but said little. One HPD sergeant walked to a patrol car, took out his cell phone and made a quick phone call, taking a long drink of cold water from a bottle.

"Something real bad has happened by the airport," he said.

Rodriguez said that she and her neighbors in the small subdivision between Telephone Road and Almeda Genoa knew Johnson well and that he was well-liked.

"He would always wave and smile when he saw me," Rodriguez said. "He was a real nice guy. All he was trying to do was enforce the rules."

Rodriguez said Johnson stopped her once for speeding when the speed limit was lowered on Telephone Road. She said he politely asked her to slow down and did not ticket her.

"He was just so very nice," she said. "He was not ever mean. It just breaks my heart. I feel so very bad for his wife. He got up and went to work this morning, and this is what happened. This is what happened to one of the people who protects us, who truly took care of us."

Johnson graduated from high school in Oakland, Calif., then enlisted in the Army, serving as an MP until he was honorably discharged in 1990. He served as a corrections officer for the Texas Department of Corrections (now the Texas Department of Criminal Justice) and as a Houston police jailer before attending the police academy and graduating in 1994.

Johnson was assigned to the southeast division that year and to the southeast gang task force in 1996. While on the task force he received two Lifesaving Awards from the department and one Medal of Valor from the state. He was married to Houston police officer Joslyn Johnson. They have three daughters and two sons between the ages of 14 and 19..

The The 100 Club is issuing a $10,000 check to Johnson's family for any immediate costs associated with his death and will provide the family with further assistance later.

The group's Survivor's Fund provides benefits to the dependents of peace officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

Hurtt issued a statement today on behalf of the widow of Johnson. Hurtt said that HPD Officer Joslyn Johnson wanted to thank her fellow officers, the Houston Fire Department, staff at Ben Taub Hospital, and the citizens of Houston.

"On behalf of our family, I just want to say thank you so much for the overwhelming outpouring of love and compassion you have shown us. Rodney was a great officer, but also he was a great husband and a great father," the statement read by Hurtt said.

A familiar scene

Thursday's incident was similar to the shooting of Houston police officer G.P. Gaddis in 1994. Gaddis was murdered by one of two aggravated robbery suspects he was taking to jail for aggravated robbery. Both had been searched and handcuffed behind their backs before being placed in the back seat of the patrol car.

Edgar Arias Tamayo managed to maneuver his hands, still cuffed, to his front and retrieved a pistol hidden in his clothes. He then shot Gaddis in the back of the head as he was driving. The patrol car crashed into a house, and the suspect escaped from the wrecked car, but was arrested nearby.

Tamayo was convicted of capital murder and is on death row. The shooting prompted criticism of the department by police union officials who claimed Gaddis' death could have been prevented if patrol units carried two officers.

According to a police department patrol veteran, within the past two years all HPD officers were required to attend an in-service training refresher class on proper search technique. However, he said, the unique circumstances of each incident dictate how thoroughly a suspect is searched. Search procedures also are outlined in the department's general orders manual, the officer said.

"The degree of search can range from a strip search to a cursory pat-down," said the officer, who requested anonymity out fear of departmental reprisals. "If the person is just a witness or if (the stop) is just a traffic violation, you might just put them in the back of your (patrol) car to do the paperwork. If the suspect is high risk or wanted on a felony, then you need to do more than a pat-down. But even then, you can still miss a weapon. It's part of the job. And this isn't the first time an officer has been killed with a suspect in the back seat."

Nor was it out of the ordinary for a one-man patrol unit such as Johnson to arrest one or more suspects without calling for backup, the officer said.

In the estimation of the officer, the department's well-publicized staffing shortage leaves approximately 80 percent of all HPD patrol units with a single officer. There is no protocol mandating that single-patrol officers call for backup while making arrests, he added.

"If we called for backup every time we made an arrest, nothing would get done," the officer said. "Lots of officers arrest multiple suspects by themselves. But would it be safer with two officers? Absolutely."

News of Johnson's death hit the department hard, especially Hans Marticiuc, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, who said he was a close friend.

"He was very, very safety conscious," Marticiuc said. "He knows how to search. He worked in the jail for a number of years and all they do is search prisoners down there. "

Johnson served on the union's board of directors.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory. ... nt/4206756


tags: police murder houston texas capital murder illegal immigrant violence immigrant violence

Suspect In Officer's Death 'Heard Voices'
By Courtney Zavala

POSTED: 5:53 pm CDT July 2, 2008
UPDATED: 6:12 pm CDT July 2, 2008


HOUSTON -- A man charged with killing a Houston police officer reportedly heard voices telling him to run over three officers, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

Hung Truong, 24, is charged with manslaughter. He is accused of hitting Houston police Officers Gary Gryder and Joe Pyland while they were directing traffic on the Katy Freeway feeder road at state Highway 6 early Sunday.

Gryder died from his injuries. Pyland was released from the hospital after receiving treatment of his injuries and is recovering at home.

Truong emerged from his vehicle unharmed after the accident. Moments later, KPRC Local 2 cameras captured Truong in what appeared to be a happy mood. Standing alone, he burst into laughter feet away from officers who shake their heads in disgust.

Members of the DWI Task Force administered the field sobriety test. Court documents said he "performed poorly." At one point, Truong fell to the ground.

Preliminary testing indicates no illegal drugs or alcohol were found in his system.

No skid marks were found at the scene. Investigators said that indicates Truong never attempted to stop.

Truong's bizarre behavior left many asking why this happened.

Sources told Local 2 that while in jail, Truong said he heard voices in his head telling him to run over the officers.

"The significance of voices inside a defendant's head telling him to do incomprehensible evil things is significant because it might very well be that he or she has a mental disease or defect, which keeps them from understanding their conduct is wrong," said Local 2 legal analyst, Brian Wice.

That could also affect how the case is tried in the judicial system.

"That kind of data means their client might not be competent to stand trial or might have been insane at the time of the offense," said Wice.

Meantime, Gryder's funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Champion Forest Baptist Church, 15555 Stuebner-Airline Road.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/16773967/detail.html

Previous Stories:

Thursday, September 20, 2007
Police killing puts focus on illegal immigrant crimePhoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks The Business Journal
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Monday's murder of a Phoenix police officer by an illegal immigrant from Mexico has heightened debate over undocumented residents and crime.

Phoenix Police officer Nick Erlie was shot and killed by Erik Jovani Martinez, an illegal who previously was deported and had an arrest warrant. Martinez was shot and killed by police after taking a hostage. He had been arrested eight times.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said the incident stems from the federal government's failure to secure the border. "Three thousand Phoenix police officers are risking their lives and doing their jobs. Officer Nick Erfle sacrificed his life, and did his job. Now to all of you in Washington, when are you going to do your job and secure this border?"

Immigration hawks -- including activist and Valley car dealer Rusty Childress and talk radio hosts -- criticize Gordon, Gov. Janet Napolitano, State Attorney General Terry Goddard and others claiming they are not tough enough on border issues. They say Phoenix and other police departments do not check the immigration status of those being arrested.

Various reports suggest that some of the 500,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona and 12 million illegals in the U.S. are part of organized gangs, smuggling rings and drug cartels.

A 2005 U.S. Government Accountability Office study looked at 55,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records and found that they had been arrested an average of eight times. Forty-five percent of the arrests were on immigration and drug charges; 12 percent were for violent crimes.

Illegals represent about 8 percent of Arizona's population and the Arizona Department of Corrections reports that Mexican nationals make up 12 percent of the state's 37,200-inmate prison population. The DOC numbers do not distinguish whether they are in the U.S. legally or illegally.

The conservative Federation for Immigration Reform contends that while illegal immigrants make up 3 percent of the total U.S. population they make up 4.5 percent of the prison population. A study by the more liberal Immigration Policy Center, however, found incarceration rates among young men are lowest for immigrants.

"This holds especially true for the Mexicans, Guatemalans who make up the bulk of the undocumented population," said the IPC report which analyzed census and crime data.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stor ... ily46.html

Suspect In Officer's Death 'Heard Voices'
By Courtney Zavala

POSTED: 5:53 pm CDT July 2, 2008
UPDATED: 6:12 pm CDT July 2, 2008


HOUSTON -- A man charged with killing a Houston police officer reportedly heard voices telling him to run over three officers, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

Hung Truong, 24, is charged with manslaughter. He is accused of hitting Houston police Officers Gary Gryder and Joe Pyland while they were directing traffic on the Katy Freeway feeder road at state Highway 6 early Sunday.

Gryder died from his injuries. Pyland was released from the hospital after receiving treatment of his injuries and is recovering at home.

Truong emerged from his vehicle unharmed after the accident. Moments later, KPRC Local 2 cameras captured Truong in what appeared to be a happy mood. Standing alone, he burst into laughter feet away from officers who shake their heads in disgust.
Members of the DWI Task Force administered the field sobriety test. Court documents said he "performed poorly." At one point, Truong fell to the ground.

Preliminary testing indicates no illegal drugs or alcohol were found in his system.

No skid marks were found at the scene. Investigators said that indicates Truong never attempted to stop.

Truong's bizarre behavior left many asking why this happened.

Sources told Local 2 that while in jail, Truong said he heard voices in his head telling him to run over the officers.

"The significance of voices inside a defendant's head telling him to do incomprehensible evil things is significant because it might very well be that he or she has a mental disease or defect, which keeps them from understanding their conduct is wrong," said Local 2 legal analyst, Brian Wice.

That could also affect how the case is tried in the judicial system.

"That kind of data means their client might not be competent to stand trial or might have been insane at the time of the offense," said Wice.

Meantime, Gryder's funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Champion Forest Baptist Church, 15555 Stuebner-Airline Road.

A lot of this sounds like he's building an insanity case.

Dixie

Click2Houston.com
Related To Story

Video: Driver Accused In Officer's Death Tells His Side:
Elizabeth Scarborough Reports



Suspect In Officer's Death Speaks Out
By Elizabeth Scarborough

POSTED: 6:22 am CDT July 3, 2008
UPDATED: 8:26 am CDT July 3, 2008


HOUSTON -- The driver accused of fatally running over a police officer and injuring another told his side of the story to KPRC Local 2 on Wednesday.

When Hung Truong came out to speak with KPRC Local 2's Elizabeth Scarborough in the visitor's area of the Baker Street Jail, he was handcuffed and wearing the same orange jumpsuit he had on in court. He also had a familiar look on his face -- a smile.

He laughed throughout the interview.

Scarborough asked how he was doing since his incarceration.

"I'm OK," he said.

He spoke softly and in short sentences.

He said since the accident he'd been "worried and scared" and "thinking about it."

He has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of 47-year-old Officer Gary Gryder, a 25-year Houston Police Department veteran. He is also accused of seriously injuring Officer Joe Pyland, who is now recovering at home.

Police said Truong's vehicle slammed into barricades at a construction site on the Katy Freeway feeder road at Highway 6 early Sunday and kept going, hitting the two officers working an extra job there.

Truong said he had just finished working at Sercel Industries, where he said he had "worked with cables for last month and a half." He said it was a 12-hour shift from 5 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday.

He said several times that he was "tired."

He said he was driving home, when he "fell asleep," "ran a red light," and was "going about 60 mph." He said that was when he hit the barricade.

As he was placed in handcuffs, he appeared to laugh. Scarborough asked why.

"I don't know what to say," he said. "That's how I am."

He insisted he was not on any drugs or alcohol and preliminary tests showed nothing in his system.

A source told KPRC Local 2 that Truong has said he heard voices in his head before the crash. When he spoke with Scarborough, Truong said he has no mental defect.

The court has ordered a 21-day mental evaluation.

"I don't think I need it," Truong said.

KPRC Local 2 legal analyst Brian Wice said the evaluation could be very useful for Truong's lawyer because it will help determine an important thing.

"If their client is competent to stand trial or if he was sane at time of the offense," said Brian Wice.

Gryder's funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Champion Forest Baptist Church, 15555 Stuebner-Airline Road.


Previous Stories:
July 2, 2008: Suspect In Officer's Death 'Heard Voices'
July 2, 2008: Attorney: Driver Who Hit Officers Is 'Very Sorry'
July 1, 2008: Loved Ones Say Farewell To Fallen Officer
June 30, 2008: Injured Officer Remembers Fallen Officer
June 30, 2008: Suspected Drunken Driver Charged In Officer's Death
June 29, 2008: Crash Kills Officer, Injures Another


Copyright 2008 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/16778096/detail.html

Police Officer Laid to Rest

Emotional funeral four days after speeding car kills Officer Gary Gryder.
By KTRH's Bill O'Neal
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The parking lot was full-as was Champion Forest Baptist Church-where family, friends, and fellow officers gathered to remember the life of fallen Houston Police Officer Gary Gryder.

"Gary is in that place where there is no more death, no more pain, and no more crying," is what we heard at the start of the service. From there, the emotional remembrances came pouring through.

"He gave his life in the line of duty. He is a hero today. Gary was a great man, an officer, a friend, and a husband."

Another came from a letter read aloud, written by Gryder's widow, detailing what the Officer did to help a mother and child stuck in a broken down van.

"He called a wrecker to see if he could get a donated tow to their house-but the driver said it would cost $80 Without even a second thought, he handed the driver four 20-dollar bills, and watched them head safely home. That's who Gary was."

Away from his job, Gryder also left impact, as detailed by a former partner.

"On the weekends, Gary could often be seen behind the dugout of a baseball field, encouraging not only Austin (his son), but Austin's teammates through every inning of every baseball game."

Hung Truong, the man police say was behind the wheel of the speeding car that killed Gryder and seriously injured fellow officer Joe Pyland-remains behind bars.
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