Thread: Turner Pledges Day of Reckoning on Use of Excessive Force

http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.cfm ... 6369&rfi=6

Turner Pledges Day of Reckoning on Use of Excessive Force

July 28, 2005
Ramon Garcia and Jose Romero in the 400 block of South Clayton Avenue on July 15. (Staff Photo By: Tom Worner

Reaction to reports that two men, one of them a senior citizen, were beaten and pepper-sprayed by Tyler police during a case of mistaken identity ranged Thursday from shock and disbelief to anger.

Fallout from the arrest of Jose Romero, 68, and another man, Ramon Gomez, 33, continued Thursday, igniting emotions among city and community leaders.

Tyler City Manger Bob Turner pledged an internal administrative probe - separate and above that of the police department's investigation - into what he called a "cowboy mentality" among some officers.

"The day of reckoning is coming and I'm the one bringing it," Turner said. "An attitude of police brutality will not be tolerated; it's just uncalled for - there are too many ways to deal with problems."


Romero and Gomez were stopped by police on July 15 after they were mistaken as suspects in an unrelated drive-by shooting, prompting department officials to place one officer on administrative leave.

At least three supervising officers are also under scrutiny after taped footage revealed that they may have observed the alleged excessive force incident, but did not intervene or report it as required by department policy.

Turner said the incident cast a negative light on the entire department, not just the officers caught up in the probe.

He expressed both disappointment and anger over the officers' alleged actions and the vast amount of money spent annually for their education.

"I'm constantly signing off on them (police officers) to go to different training for particular situations, and this is not what I'm going to have in the department, a bunch of freelance cowboys who will come off acting like 'We're the police and we're going to do what we want,'" Turner said. "That's just not going to happen."

Romero said this week that an officer shoved his head against a dashboard and hit him with a flashlight as he sat, arms raised. He claims also to have been pepper-sprayed and kicked.

A photo taken of the man as he was being arrested on a charge of public intoxication shows he was dirty, his face swollen and red.

Police said later that Romero and Gomez, the stranger who was giving him a ride, had nothing to do with the drive-by shooting that had occurred minutes earlier.

Romero, an illegal immigrant, said he accepted a ride after his bicycle broke down as he was collecting cans for extra money.

Although police have been reluctant to publicly confirm Romero's account, Turner was quick to express his opinion.

"I have not seen the tape," Turner said, "but I can tell you this: All it could do is infuriate me more on a particular officer to go over and see the tape that supports what I read in the paper today. I could not be any more disturbed about the incident than I am right now.

"That is just not the way this city's police force will be seen - it's just not," the city manager said. "And regardless of how this comes out, I don't care who gets involved and who makes their investigations, or what's said or done, there's going to be a reckoning and it's going to be in front of me. This is not an attitude that will prevail in the Tyler Police Department at all."

Turner said the city has worked hard to build relations with minority citizens, citing last year's formation of leadership groups.

COMMUNITY LEADERS RESPOND

Hispanic leaders said troubled interaction between minorities and law enforcement goes far beyond this one incident. Two community leaders cited lingering citizen concerns over statistics released in a 2004 report from the Steward Research Group, which highlighted Tyler police as having a higher rate of minority stops and searches.

Blacks and Hispanics were stopped three times more often than whites, and black drivers were 1.9 times more likely to be subjected to a search than white motorists, the study reported.

On the department's behalf, Police Chief Gary Swindle hired an independent consultant to examine the findings, which could not be refuted.

Salvador Sanchez, vice president of the East Texas Hispanic Ministerial Alliance, said Thursday that his constituents were "very concerned" over the alleged excessive force incident, particularly upon learning Romero's age.

"My opinion is that we're back to block one," Sanchez said. "They tried to make things mend after the first report came out. They were giving tickets to mostly Spanish or minority people. And now they come up with this. That's a big negative for the police force. It's not right for them to try to hide or walk away."

Sanchez said he has received reports from other Hispanics claiming instances of mistreatment.

"It makes me feel upset - it makes me want to get up and try to get the rights that our Spanish people deserve," he said. "I think most of them feel that the city doesn't really want them, the city doesn't want to be cultured to their presence here. Spanish people are here; they really are the highest-employed in work that most people don't really want. They are trained professionals, but then they get a slap on the face with this."

Members of the Hispanic Ministerial Alliance plan to meet Friday to discuss the community's reaction and how to address it, he said, noting that effective communication is crucial.

"We're going to approach the city managers themselves and try to figure out how to talk to the chief," Sanchez said. "We want to get a feel for how he really feels about this. It was a surprise, what I saw, especially the age of the person."

Former Smith County Commissioner Gus Ramirez, an outspoken leader in the Hispanic community, agreed.

"It was shock to me," Ramirez said. "Mistakes happen, I don't like it. I talked to the city manager and he said it was awful; I talked to the mayor. I haven't talked to any Hispanics that like it at all.

"Yes, that man (Romero) was an illegal alien, but he has the same human rights as you and me when he is in this country," Ramirez said. "It's something that needs to be corrected, it should be corrected and I know it will be corrected - this was a disaster and that has been admitted by top officials in the city. The Rose Capital is wilted - that's what some of the Hispanic community members are saying."

The incident came to light after another supervisor conducted an in-house review of the car's videotapes, police said.

CITY LEADERS SPEAK

When contacted Thursday, elected city officials expressed unanimous optimism that the chief will "do the right thing" when it comes to disciplining those involved.

Tyler elected leaders reached Thursday said that they had not seen the tapes, but would do so at the appropriate time, as necessary.

"Any time there are allegations of inappropriate behavior, then we take that very, very seriously," said Tyler Mayor Joey Seeber. "I'm pleased that the chief has taken the situation seriously and I trust that in the end, he'll deal with it appropriately."

Seeber said he planned to view the videotape when it is made available.

"I want to do that, but I don't want to interfere in the investigation," the mayor said. "I think it's important that the police chief and the Internal Affairs department handle the case at this time. I think it is important that people take note of the fact that this was an incident that was brought to the attention of the chief as a result of internal police communication, not an external complaint."

Seeber said he believes the vast majority of officers take their duties seriously, adding, "They also understand that if one of their fellow officers is out of line, then it can reflect badly upon all of them."

District 6 Councilman Charles Alworth said only, "I'm very saddened over the incident."

Nathaniel Moran, who has served as the District 5 council representative for two months, said he planned to give the authorities the space they need to sufficiently address all the questions, and expressed confidence that the investigation would be thorough.

"I've visited with the chief and I do know they (police) follow the Blueprint," Moran said. "The No. 1 thing on the Blueprint says they will be responsive to the citizens' needs and be citizen-friendly. I don't think it's a good policy, as a new councilman, right off the bat, to give the police the third degree."

District 4 Councilman Chris Simons said, "Obviously you want all citizens to be treated equally, fairly and justly. We need to make sure that is a common thread in how we address these types of situations. I think the tapes are there for a reason and that is to review circumstances. Tapes don't lie - they are very factual and probably a good piece of evidence that will come out with the punishment."

Council members Derrick Choice, Joyce Armstrong-Scurry and Steve Smith could not be reached for comment.

Tyler Police Department policy on use of force

Staff writers Kenneth Dean and Mark Collette contributed to this report.

Jacque Hilburn covers Tyler city government, planning and zoning and the Parks Board. She can be reached at 903.596.6282. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com

This article was emailed to me by a friend. She feels. and so do I, that "maybe even the police are losing their patience over illegal immigrants INVADERS!!!!"

http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.cfm ... 6369&rfi=6

FBI REVIEWING CASE
FOR POSSIBLE RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
**RIGHTS!
By: KENNETH DEAN and MARK COLLETTE, Staff Writers July 28, 2005

The FBI is reviewing whether Tyler police violated the civil rights of two illegal immigrants who claim they were beaten and pepper-sprayed in a case of mistaken identity.

Jeff Millslagle, senior resident agent in charge of the Tyler FBI office, said his agency was asked early on by Tyler Police Chief Gary Swindle to review the July 15 incident in which Jose Romero and Ramon Gomez, both of Tyler, were arrested after they were believed to be involved with a shooting at Line Street and Beckham Avenue.


Police later said neither man was involved in the shooting.

"We will do a review of the incident to determine whether or not there is a violation of federal civil rights statutes, which can be followed by a preliminary investigation." Millslagle said. "The preliminary investigation would be forwarded to the Department of Justice to determine whether or not it's a prosecutable case. From that point it can become a full-scale investigation."

He said the FBI investigates hundreds of cases of alleged civil rights violations each year and only a "handful are prosecutable."

The police department's Internal Affairs division is examining the actions of at least one responding officer - who is on administrative leave - and of three patrol supervisors who may have witnessed the event but failed to report it, department officials have confirmed.

The department, which initiated the Internal Affairs investigation after reviewing a squad car video, refuses to release the names of the officer on leave and the other officers being investigated.

Swindle said Tuesday that the officer was not under any disciplinary action, but was on paid leave.

THE ARRESTS

On Thursday, police and the Smith County Sheriff's Office clarified an apparent discrepancy between the time of Romero's arrest and the time he was booked into jail.

Smith County Jail records showed he was booked in at about 1 a.m., about five hours after his arrest. But sheriff's officials said Romero arrived at the jail at 8:22 p.m., and may have been placed in a holding cell for several hours before being processed. More detailed jail records obtained on Thursday confirm this arrival time.

Officers responding to the shooting call on July 15 spotted Gomez's blue-green pickup and attempted to stop it, based on information that it was possibly the shooter's vehicle.

However, Gomez, 33, did not stop but returned to his home, pursued by officers.

Romero, 68, and Elisama Resendez, Gomez's common-law wife, told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that officers beat and kicked the two men and used pepper spray on Romero.

Romero claims a police officer pushed his head against the dashboard, hit him in the back of the head with a flashlight, grabbed his shirt, forced him to the ground and pepper-sprayed him.

The man said an officer kicked him, though not hard, and he suffered cuts and bruises.

Romero also told reporters he and Gomez had their hands raised when officers opened the pickup's doors.

Ms. Resendez said Gomez was kicked by officers while he was on the ground and called the day "one of the most terrifying in my life."

Police charged Gomez with one count of evading arrest with a vehicle, a felony, and Romero with one count of public intoxication, a misdemeanor.

USE OF FORCE

Tyler police will not discuss the specific impact that the investigation has had on the department so far, but Public Information Officer Don Martin and Officer Doyle Lynch spoke generally about use-of-force policies.

Martin said that when any kind of incident, involving force or anything else, receives heightened public scrutiny, officers become especially aware of it.

"When an awareness is out there, it doesn't take a sergeant or a lieutenant to come in and tell me. I know," Martin said.

Lynch said officers responding to a "shots fired" call must use precautions and common sense.

"Action beats reaction. When we get there we can't be unprepared for the situation. We don't know what we are going into," he said. "We have a wide variety of tactics we can use and we start with verbal commands."

Officers originally connected Gomez's pickup to the earlier shooting based on eyewitnesses who pointed out the vehicle, police have said.

Witnesses of the July 15 incident said officers approached the home on South Clayton Avenue with automatic assault-type rifles.

Martin said more officers carry the weapons since the February courthouse shootings, which left three dead and three law officers wounded in downtown Tyler.

"More officers have these weapons available to them," he said. "I don't think the public in Tyler, Texas, is in the frame of mind yet of ... seeing assault rifles. They're not used to it. I think once they understand it's just another tool for us, they'll become accustomed to it, and it won't seem so obtrusive then."

Martin said rifles are kept in patrol cars' trunks for safety and are more accurate at a distance than regular sidearms, a key to improving the safety of officers and the public.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY INVOLVED

Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham said he reviewed the squad car video and spoke to Chief Swindle.

"I am going to withhold comment until the investigation is complete. Justice requires that, because I am going to base my decision on what to do with the case on everything, and not one piece of evidence," he said.

In a written statement, Bingham said: "It does not matter what you do for a living, what your socioeconomic level is, what your last name is or where you live, the law is to be applied to all people equally based on the crime they committed."

He said that comment was not about this specific case, but about law in general.

Bingham would not say what charges, if any, an officer would face on the state level regarding the alleged use of excessive force.

"The violation of civil rights is something that is addressed on a federal level, and we have nothing to do with that," he said.

PART 2 - ARRRRRGHHH!!

It appears to be another case of mistaken identity. Maybe the police had the right address, but wrong guys?

Are these two guys legal or illegal I wonder?

Article didn't say.

"common law wife" could that be a clue?

Is that what you do when you don't have papers and can't get a Legal Marriage License?

JUDY- THEY ARE BOTH ILLEGAL.

SEE http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.cfm ... 6369&rfi=6


MISTAKEN IDENTITY
KENNETH DEAN, JACQUE HILBURN And MARK COLLETTE, Staff Writers July 27, 2005


Jose Romero sits in the back of a Tyler police car on July 15. Romero and another man, Ramon Gomez, were stopped because the pickup they were in matched the description of a vehicle wanted in connection with a shooting. (Staff Photo By: Tom Worner)


© 2005 Tyler Morning Telegraph

Two men, who may have been victims of mistaken identity, say they were beaten and pepper-sprayed by a group of Tyler police officers responding to a "shots fired" call.

Their accounts come as the Tyler Police Department investigates whether at least one of its officers, maybe more, used excessive force in the July 15 incident.

Jose Romero, 68, said an officer shoved his head against a dashboard, hit him with a flashlight and pepper-sprayed him. A photo of Romero as he was being arrested shows he was dirty, his face swollen and red.

An officer on the scene that night said Romero and the man who was giving him a ride, Ramon Gomez, had nothing to do with the drive-by shooting that had occurred minutes earlier.

The police department is examining the actions of at least one responding officer - who is on administrative leave - and of three patrol supervisors who may have witnessed the event but failed to report it, department officials have confirmed.

The department initiated the internal affairs investigation after reviewing a squad car video.

Citing the ongoing internal investigation, police have been reluctant to reveal details. But witnesses, including some who said they were originally afraid to talk, have begun to shed light on what happened.


SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Romero (who said he is 68 years old, although his arrest record from that night indicates he is 79) said that on July 15, Gomez, then a stranger to him, saw him gathering cans in the street and offered him food and a ride in his pickup.

Neither man has a criminal history in Smith County, according to jail records.

Both were pulled over about 8 p.m. following a report of shots fired in a Tyler neighborhood near Line Street and Beckham Avenue.

Officers responding to that shooting call spotted Gomez's blue-green pickup and attempted to stop it, based on information that it was possibly the shooter's vehicle.

However, Gomez did not stop and instead returned to his home, pursued by a swarm of officers, some armed with assault rifles.

Romero, who speaks only Spanish, was a passenger in the pickup.

He claims a police officer pushed his head against the dashboard, hit him in the back of the head with a flashlight, grabbed his shirt, forced him to the ground and pepper-sprayed him.

Romero said he was also kicked, though not hard, and suffered cuts and bruises.

He was charged with public intoxication, a misdemeanor, and acknowledges drinking beer that night.

When interviewed by reporters about a week later, Romero said he could not remember portions of the incident and is still suffering headaches and has minor pain in his right leg.

Although witnesses said he was arrested about 8 p.m., records indicate that Romero was not booked into Smith County Jail until about 1 a.m. In a jail photograph taken after he was booked in, Romero appeared in better condition.

Romero said officers rinsed him off with a hose before transporting him, a common practice when pepper spray is used.

So far, no one has provided information about what happened during those five hours, including Internal Affairs Sgt. Terry Morrow, who is in charge of the investigation.

When asked about what happened to Romero during this time, Morrow said: "I don't have any idea. I really can't comment on the internal affairs investigation, which is what I'm concerned with right now."

The driver, Gomez, 33, did not appear to be seriously injured, though his common-law wife said he has a bulge in the area of his ribs and has urged him to see a doctor. Police charged him with one count of evading arrest with a vehicle, a felony.

Police Lt. Diannia Jackson told a reporter at the shooting scene at Beckham and Line streets that the pickup - which was originally thought by officers to be linked to the shooting - was not involved.

In response to the original shooting call, police later arrested Robert James Tyler, 29, on a charge of aggravated assault, family violence and for firing a gun at a relative, who was not injured.

A Tyler Morning Telegraph photographer responded to reports of the pursuit and shot photographs of the arrest of Gomez and Romero. However, it was later determined the two were not involved in the other incident.

SUPERVISORS SCRUTINIZED

Tyler's police chief and the internal affairs officer have yet to say how many officers were involved or whether disciplinary actions are planned.

Morrow said the manner in which the men were treated during their encounter with officers remains central to what is now a full-scale internal probe, which began after a supervisor reviewed police car videotape and observed a recording of the officer's interaction with the 5-4, 120-pound Romero.

The responding officer was placed on administrative leave, police said.

When questioned about reports that three supervisors may have witnessed the encounter but failed to report it as required under the department's use-of-force policies, Morrow said that aspect of the investigation was ongoing.

All three supervisors remain on active duty, Morrow said.

Officials did not immediately respond to an open records request for information, which seeks the name of the officer placed on leave, the names of all supervising officers on the scene, length of service each has with the department and a copy of the police report.

Tyler Police Chief Gary Swindle late Tuesday refused to release that information, citing the need for confidentiality in the internal affairs probe.

"The district attorney is going to review it (video) as necessary and anybody who needs to see it will see it, as we do in all these types of investigations," the chief said, responding to questions about the status of the department's probe.

Asked how he planned to look into the alleged inaction of supervising officers, Swindle said, "Always, in any of these situations, there are supervisors on scene. Supervisors are involved in every single case we go to. I'm not going to get into any details on any aspects of that ... obviously if there had been serious involvement, they would have been placed on leave also."

Swindle said the officer accused of excessive force has not received any disciplinary action.

"When we put people on administrative leave, that is not discipline," Swindle said. "They are still getting paid, there is nothing affecting their salary. That has not happened because we are in the initial stages of the investigation."

RELATIVES REACT

Family members are questioning the arrests, which apparently stemmed from an initial case of mistaken identity.

Romero's son, Juan Huerta, described his father as a frail, quiet man who earned money picking up aluminum cans and occasionally doing yard work. He said he was shocked at the injuries his father received during the arrest.

Romero said he didn't remember much after being forced to the ground and pepper-sprayed.

"Why do the police have the right to pound a person?" he asked in Spanish. "I didn't run from them."

Huerta said, if officers issued instructions in English, his father would not have understood.

"He told me he was beaten and kicked by the police while on the ground and then arrested," Huerta said. "When I saw him several days later, he had bruises on his left arm, neck, back and shoulders, and right leg."

Neighbors gathered at Huerta's residence late Monday and expressed anger over the police handling of Romero.

Huerta said he has not ruled out the possibility of hiring an attorney, though he said he doesn't know how he will afford it.

"I tried to buy a disposable camera and take some pictures, but he (Romero) was scared of the whole thing and didn't want me to," Huerta said. "I still think the police should have to answer for this."

Morrow acknowledged the initial call created confusion among some patrol units.

"The incident began as a shots fired call, so we had officers coming from every direction," he said. "The officer in question was flagged down at the intersection of South Beckham Avenue and Line Street by people saying a (person in a) certain vehicle had fired at the house."

Morrow refused to say whether officers found a weapon inside the men's vehicle.

"There are things I just can't say at this time," Morrow said. "I am not being evasive, but this is an investigation. I'm still reviewing the case and cannot answer most of the questions you are asking."

However, Romero said there were no weapons. Elisama Resendez, Gomez's common-law wife of seven years, said her husband does not own a firearm.

A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT

Ms. Resendez called the episode "one of the most terrifying experiences of my life."

The woman said the officers descending on her front yard with assault rifles frightened her, her husband and children.

She said she now worries that her husband will be deported, since he is an illegal immigrant, as is Romero.

Ms. Resendez said she believes her husband simply ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time after trying to help Romero, a stranger. She said her husband shared a six-pack of beer with Romero, fed him a meal, and then, because it was raining, attempted to drive him to the home where he lives with a cousin.

She said that when police activated their lights and began pursuing her husband, he didn't initially realize they were after him, and when he did, he became scared because of his illegal status.

That's why he headed for the modest South Clayton Avenue home where they live with their four children, between the ages of 1 to 5, she said.

Ms. Resendez said the pickup was pulled into her driveway when police forcibly removed her husband and Romero.

She contends that as many as five officers were involved, while the department acknowledges the involvement of only one.

She said two officers yanked a "limp and unresponsive" Romero from the passenger side of the pickup after he was pepper-sprayed and at least three officers had her husband on the ground.

"My husband said the police had feet on his neck and back and were kicking him. I was trying to find out what was going on and the police pointed their guns at me and my children, telling us to go back in the house," Ms. Resendez said. "It scared me - that had to be the most terrifying day of my life."

She said she told her husband he needed to seek medical treatment, but he said they couldn't afford to go to the hospital.Gomez worked occasionally for a mobile home builder, she said. She works at the Trinity Mother Frances Family Care Center on East Houston Street. She met Gomez about seven years ago when he moved from near Monterrey, Mexico, to be closer to family.

"I was working three jobs, pregnant," she said. "We've been struggling so much, and now this is just not something we wanted or needed."

Usually, she said, she doesn't lend her husband the pickup because he has no license. She said two bullet holes and a broken mirror, present in the pickup when she bought it, may have worsened the case of mistaken identity.

Ms. Resendez said she and her husband have considered hiring an attorney, in hopes that he can stay in the United States.

"We don't even know whom to start with," she said. "Obviously we're not wealthy."

Ms. Resendez said internal affairs investigators have called her several times since the incident about the possible use of excessive force.

She said that after her husband was taken into custody officers gave her children teddy bears.

"It's like they thought the toys would make up for what they did," she said. "It didn't, because how can you explain to your children what they saw?"

Kenneth Dean covers police, fire, public safety organizations, Cherokee and Rusk counties. He can be reached at 903.596.6353. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com

Jacque Hilburn covers Tyler city government

She said she now worries that her husband will be deported, since he is an illegal immigrant, as is Romero.

Yes, he needs to be deported along with Romero.

That's why he headed for the modest South Clayton Avenue home where they live with their four children, between the ages of 1 to 5, she said.

wow...

She met Gomez about seven years ago when he moved from near Monterrey, Mexico, to be closer to family.

Closer to family....are there more?

Usually, she said, she doesn't lend her husband the pickup because he has no license. She said two bullet holes and a broken mirror, present in the pickup when she bought it, may have worsened the case of mistaken identity.

Oh, so now she wants to be "law-abiding".

She's violated US Immigration Law thousands of times over the past 7 years, but NOW...she won't let him drive her pick-up.

Ms. Resendez said she and her husband have considered hiring an
attorney, in hopes that he can stay in the United States.

I think the odds of that are quite low. Note the "Ms." They should all move to Mexico together when he is deported. Mexico is a nice country. Didn't you hear all those Congressman two nights ago going on about how great NAFTA has been for Mexico and now they have this large successful MIDDLE CLASS. Mexico also is having a construction boom so her husband/friend whatever can get a good job there and they can all live happily ever after as a Unified Family. We know how important that is, now don't we?

AND just think the largest diocese in the World would have 7 new recruits!! Now, that's good for church business isn't it? A total win-win for everyone.

Deport Please!!

1. First thing that is wrong with this is that the investigation is not over and you have politicians running their mouths about justice and they admit they haven't even viewed the video tape yet.

2. Police are responding to a shots fired call and spot what they believe to be the suspect vehicle. When they try to stop it, the driver continues on. Do ya think that made the cops a little concerned? Maybe a little on edge? Plus if the cops are carrying automatic weapons in their vehicles, this is probably not a real good area.

3. Both men are illegals. The driver has no license. Both me have been drinking to the point where the passenger was charged with public intoxication. I didn't see if the driver was charged with DWI?

Judy, I agree - DEPORT

Originally Posted by Judy

Are these two guys legal or illegal I wonder?

Article didn't say.

It sure did!

Suggestion:.. hint, hint! Readers of these articles should drop an e-mail to the reporters giving them and the newspaper a thumbs up for properly referring to these cretins as ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! The e-mail address is at the end of both articles posted by Butterbean.

Thank that newspaper for not bowing to politically correct terminology! :P

MopHeadBlue--I found it!! They are BOTH illegal and I wonder about the "Ms."

Thanks!!

Hispanic whining and whimpering! Arrrgghh! Grrrrrrrrrr!

If they had not already been criminals by the criminal act of coming here ILLEGALLY, then they could be back AT HOME in Mex-e-hole and this never would have happened. Duh!

Turner said the city has worked hard to build relations with minority citizens, citing last year's formation of leadership groups.

Aarrgggghhh!!! The only MINORITY citizens they should be concerned with good relations with would be the LEGAL citizens - black, red, brown, yellow, purple. Buildling good relations with criminals, er, uh, ILLEGAL ALIENS? Politically correct thing to do, of course! (they're criminals, aren't they?) I know I'd never enter another country without proper procedure. I'd be scared witless. No, not them, they're arrogant, high-minded and love their benefactor, Jorge Boosh!

Hispanic leaders said troubled interaction between minorities and law enforcement goes far beyond this one incident.

Oh BOOOO HOOOOO!!! Put a sock in it and quit the whining!

Two community leaders cited lingering citizen concerns over statistics released in a 2004 report from the Steward Research Group, which highlighted Tyler police as having a higher rate of minority stops and searches.

Waaah, waaaah, waaaaah! Perhaps it could just be that there is a legitimate reason for more minority stops. Perhaps these stops aren't just casual stops but for legitimate reasons such as expired tags, traffic violations. Community leaders whine as if "minority groups" are being singled out. NOW WHO'S THE RACIST, HUH?

Salvador Sanchez, vice president of the East Texas Hispanic Ministerial Alliance, said Thursday that his constituents were "very concerned" over the alleged excessive force incident, particularly upon learning Romero's age.

"My opinion is that we're back to block one," Sanchez said. "They tried to make things mend after the first report came out. They were giving tickets to mostly Spanish or minority people. And now they come up with this. That's a big negative for the police force. It's not right for them to try to hide or walk away."

Wonder if Salvador is illegal? Bet he is! Oh Sal - a tip for ya! Quit the whining and get a grip! More tickets are probably issued to "Spanish" people because they a) often don't have LEGAL drivers' licenses; b) probably are driving without insurance; c) can't read ENGLISH road signs like "ONE WAY ONLY or DO NOT ENTER"; d) etc. etc. etc!

Sanchez said he has received reports from other Hispanics claiming instances of mistreatment.

If I were here illegally, I'd keep a low profile and quit the whining but they know Jorge wants them to be yours and my next door neighbor. He'll never have to contend with having multiple family units in single family dwellings!

Incredible how criminals can complain of "mistreatment." Guess since Mex-e-hole is reportedly so lawless, these CRIMINALS whine when they're asked TO ASSIMILATE and OBEY THE LAWS LIKE THE REST OF US! What is normal for everyone else is "mistreatment" for them. Do I hear the cry of a VICTIM?

"It makes me feel upset - it makes me want to get up and try to get the rights that our Spanish people deserve," he said. "I think most of them feel that the city doesn't really want them, the city doesn't want to be cultured to their presence here. Spanish people are here; they really are the highest-employed in work that most people don't really want. They are trained professionals, but then they get a slap on the face with this."

Hey Sal -

INVADERS don't deserve ANY RIGTHS except the RIGHT TO BE DEPORTED IMMEDIATELY!

I bet you're right. I bet that city doesn't want "them" there!

Members of the Hispanic Ministerial Alliance plan to meet Friday to discuss the community's reaction and how to address it, he said, noting that effective communication is crucial.

Will an interpreter be required at taxpayer expense or can they speak English?

Ms. Resendez said Gomez was kicked by officers while he was on the ground and called the day "one of the most terrifying in my life."

Is that really what she said? Or was an illegal invader friend helping her with translation during the interview and added to her comment for drama and effect. Hey, maybe I'm wrong. She might speak English. That would be a first!!

Police charged Gomez with one count of evading arrest with a vehicle, a felony, and Romero with Police charged Gomez with one count of evading arrest with a vehicle, a felony, and Romero with one count of public intoxication, a misdemeanor.

Gee, if he'd just have stopped maybe the situation would not have escalated. Then no nasty charges like evading arrest that Gomez can whine about.

Does Gomez look like a law-abiding citizen or an illegal with an attitude? I dunnoe. Certainly not "clean-cut" and I wouldn't want to tangle with him after he'd had too much cheap beer!

"We have a wide variety of tactics we can use and we start with verbal commands."

Duh! What if the perp doesn't understand English? Then he can whine his rights were violated. Waaaaah!

Witnesses of the July 15 incident said officers approached the home on South Clayton Avenue with automatic assault-type rifles.

Martin said more officers carry the weapons since the February courthouse shootings, which left three dead and three law officers wounded in downtown Tyler.

Hannity & Colmes showed the courthouse security tape that recorded the event from just inside the entry. The guy fired not only into the courthouse but all around that city's downtown square. Yes, he was from MEXICO but I read later he was "legal."

He killed an innocent citizen, his ex-wife, wounded his age 20'ish son and left his ten-year old son without a mother or father. GREAT FAMILY VALUES!!!

"I have not seen the tape," Turner said, "but I can tell you this: All it could do is infuriate me more on a particular officer to go over and see the tape that supports what I read in the paper today. I could not be any more disturbed about the incident than I am right now.

Great management style, doofus! You comment on the tape without viewing it and it seems you aren't going to view it BUT take action based on the newspaper's report. You're WHINING that the tape would make you "more infuriated." Dumb, dumb, dumb. Kinda like that guy up in Washington.

I'm sure the internal affairs people will handle the situation appropriately.

It's not a big news item in my book. Some officers were sent to arrest someone, there was some confusion over the identity, and operating on the assumption that the people were the right perpetrators when they didn't stop like they were supposed to, then the officers got more active in their approach towards the arrest now relatively certain I'm sure that there were armed murderers and things got rougher than they should have.

I strongly suggest that if Gomez and Romero don't like it here, then they'll be much happier in Mexico where I hope and pray they are headed soon. If they hadn't been here, they would not have been stopped and none of this would have happened.

That's why we have immigration laws. It protects Americans from illegals and protects foreign nationals from Americans.

See how that works? It's called mutually beneficial.

Now, GO HOME!!