Thread: TEMECULA: Controversial former Border Patrol agent speaking

TEMECULA: Controversial former Border Patrol agent speaking in Temecula
Compean invited by local GOP group; will ride in July 4 parade
By AARON CLAVERIE - aclaverie@californian.com | Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:29 PM PDT ∞

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Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jose Compean is pictured when he surrendered himself to federal authorities in 2007 in El Paso, Texas. (Associated Press file photo) TEMECULA ---- Jose Compean, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent who had his prison sentence commuted by former President George W. Bush earlier this year, will be speaking in Temecula on July 3 and riding in the city's Fourth of July parade.

Compean was invited to Temecula by the Murrieta-Temecula Republican Assembly, a local organization that joined with national conservative groups to ask Bush to grant Compean and his partner, Ignacio Ramos, some form of clemency.

Compean and Ramos were convicted in 2005 of shooting and injuring a Mexican national during an incident near El Paso and failing to report the shooting to superiors.

During a phone interview, Compean said he accepted the assembly's invitation for a simple reason.

"To thank everyone," he said. "I don't think I'd be home if it wasn't for the people. For the longest time you hear about people feeling they don't make a difference, but there's no way I'd be out if not for the support we had from people all over the country."

The arrest, trial and eventual commutation of their sentences turned Compean and Ramos into controversial figures. They are cheered and supported by people who feel they were unfairly arrested for doing their job and criticized by others as justly convicted felons who shot an unarmed man in the back and then tried to cover up the incident.

Compean, who is on supervised release for the next three years, said he and Ramos received thousands of positive letters while they were in jail and the majority of the letters came from California and Texas.

He said the reception hasn't been as warm in the city of El Paso but, he added, "Every time I run into people who recognize me, there's nothing but support as well."

By commuting the sentences for Compean and Ramos, Bush left open the legal possibility of the pair using the court system to clear their names. And Compean, a former senior patrol agent with five years of experience, said there are a couple of legal avenues that his attorneys are looking into.

"If we had been pardoned, we wouldn't be able to keep doing that," he said. Also, the pair can file for a pardon later if they are unable to get their convictions overturned, he added.

During their trial, U.S. attorneys argued that Compean fired at and Ramos eventually shot a man in the buttocks who was running toward the Mexican border. Prosecutors said they picked up spent shells to cover up the shooting.

Compean was accused of firing 14 shots from a pistol as the man ran toward the Rio Grande, the river that separates Texas from Mexico on that stretch of the border.

In the narrative offered by Compean and Ramos, they said they believed that they were being threatened by an armed smuggler.

When coverage of the case by conservative media outlets started to paint Compean and Ramos as victims and heroes, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton tried to dampen the outrage by releasing a two-page statement in 2006 that defended the prosecution.

From the statement: "The problem for Mr. Compean and Mr. Ramos is that the jury did not believe their stories because they were not true." Sutton also said that if Compean and Ramos really believed that the shooting had been justified, they would have reported it to their superiors.

Compean, talking about Sutton's statement and a comment he made that Compean and Ramos weren't "heroes," said he's trying to put all of that bitterness behind him.

"It doesn't really bother me anymore. I could care less about Johnny Sutton. Agent Ramos and I were there and we're not worried about anything that comes out of his mouth. He doesn't tell you the whole truth. There are still people who don't know about what happened and it's frustrating because the whole truth isn't out there," he said.

When asked if he considered himself a hero, Compean said, "I don't. I really don't. I was just out there working, doing what I did every day. Something happened, we got involved in it. But it doesn't bother me anymore. I know what happened that day."

During his speech to the assembly, Compean said he will offer a statement and take questions from the crowd.

Bob Kowell, the GOP assembly's president, said it is an honor to have Compean and Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-El Cajon, speaking during the group's monthly meeting.

Kowell said he and Anderson were vocal in their support of Compean and Ramos and they both sent letters to Bush asking for him to clear their names.

While Compean wouldn't say it, Kowell said the former agent is a "hero," a defender of the U.S.-Mexican border who was doing his job trying to make the border safe.

"They stand up for us," he said.

Call staff writer Aaron Claverie at 951-676-4315, ext. 2624.

MURRIETA-TEMECULA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY DINNER PROGRAM

-- When: July 3, 6 p.m. check-in

-- Where: Temeku Hills Clubhouse, 41687 Temeku Drive

-- What: Speeches by former U.S. Border Patrol agent Jose Compean and Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-El Cajon

-- Info: RSVP at 951-302-9105

-- Cost: $15 members, $20 non-members

www.nctimes.com

i hope someone gets this on video
and posts it for all the supporters to be able to watch
and see what he says