Thread: AZ: Suspected drug dealer killed by police was illegal imm

Published: 09.26.2008
Police shooting
Cops: Suspected drug dealer killed by police was illegal immigrant
SHERYL KORNMAN and DAVID L. TEIBEL
Tucson Citizen
A suspected drug dealer killed by an Oro Valley undercover police officer Wednesday at a North Side shopping center was a Mexican citizen in the U.S. illegally, Tucson police said.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, was seen moments before the shooting selling narcotics in the parking lot of the shopping center, at East Wetmore Road and North First Avenue, police said
The shooting occurred as officers were investigating a report of someone selling heroin off-campus to students at Canyon del Oro High School.
Undercover officers were following two suspects from Oro Valley into Tucson and witnessed the narcotics sale, Tucson police said.
They took action to apprehend the suspects without first calling in Tucson police, said Tucson police Lt. Rick Middleton.
He said Tucson police were alerted at 4:40 p.m. when several 911 callers reported shots fired at the shopping center.
Tucson police were dispatched to the scene.
Middleton said at a news conference Thursday afternoon that the shooting took place after what appeared to be a heroin sale was completed.
It was witnessed by an Oro Valley police officer in plainclothes, who moved in to question the suspect.
As he approached the suspect's vehicle in his unmarked police vehicle, the suspect rammed the police car, Middleton said.
Fearing for his safety, the officer, Pete Klegg, 40, fired at the suspect with a handgun, killing him, Middleton said.
The suspect, who was in the driver's seat, died at the scene. As he lost control of the vehicle, it swerved and struck a beauty supply store. No one in the shop was injured.
The sole passenger in the vehicle, also in the United States illegally, was taken to a hospital with a possible heart attack, Middleton said.
The man, who was not identified and is a witness in the incident, is in the custody of the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Middleton said the agency has a "30-day hold" on the man while the investigation continues.
Klegg has been a police officer in the Oro Valley department for 14 years, Middleton said.
There were "many" witnesses to the incident, Middleton said, and Tucson police and Oro Valley police are continuing to investigate.
Oro Valley police are working on the narcotics case and would not comment on it.
Tucson police are investigating to determine if the shooting by Klegg was justified.
Results of that investigation will go to the Pima County Attorney's Office(Barbara LaWall who'll give the case to Isabel Garcia), which will determine if criminal charges will be filed in the shooting.
The investigation that led to the shooting began Wednesday after school authorities turned information over to two Oro Valley police school resource officers assigned to the school.
"It started with information we got at CDO concerning a possible supplier," Michael Gemma, principal of the high school, said.
"It does involve some of our kids, at least one kid," Gemma said. He said he did not know what type of drug was involved.
Gemma said the Northwest Side high school is the "same as every other school. We certainly have kids who are using drugs."
Elizabeth Wright, spokeswoman for the Oro Valley Police Department, said the tip was passed on to the Oro Valley police Community Action Team, which pursued the suspects.
She confirmed that the drug allegedly offered for sale to students was heroin.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/97772.php

give the case to Isabel Garcia

Trouble....Cop will probably be guilty if it is the same Isabel Garcia that I am thinking of

Yes, it is the same Isabel Garcia. Someone on the blog following the article suggested that she will likely call for the officer's head...