Thread: Prosecution: 'Cold-blooded' illegal immigrant killed HPD cop

April 28, 2008, 12:21PM
Prosecution: 'Cold-blooded' illegal immigrant killed HPD officer


By BRIAN ROGERS
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle


As the death-penalty trial of Juan Leonardo Quintero opened this morning, prosecutors told jurors the illegal immigrant is a "cold-blooded killer" for executing a Houston police officer in 2006.

The defense for Quintero, 34, agreed that he shot Officer Rodney Johnson, but said brain damage caused the Mexican citizen to perceive a threat that wasn't there.

Quintero pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in state District Judge Joan Campbell's court.

Family and friends of Johnson's sobbed as prosecutor John Jordan described the last moments of his life, saying the black officer heard Quintero shouting racial epithets as he died from gunshot wounds to the back of the head.

Johnson's widow and Quintero's wife were in the courtroom for opening statements.

Police Chief Harold Hurrt was the first witness jurors heard.

In brief testimony, he said Johnson was a decorated officer as jurors saw a color photo of a smiling Johnson flashed on a big-screen television.

The jury of 12, plus one alternate, contains three black men, two white men, two Hispanic women and eight white women. The prosecution and defense agreed to not disclose information about the alternate and said that person is not aware of being the alternate.

Attorneys for Quintero said he has offered to plead guilty and be sentenced to life without parole for the shooting.

Defense attorney Danalynn Recer has said Quintero confessed to killing Johnson and cooperated with authorities.

Prosecutors said they are aware of Quintero's position, but still are pursuing a death sentence.

According to court records, Quintero was convicted of driving while intoxicated and received deferred adjudication for indecency with a child before he was deported in 1999.

Johnson stopped Quintero for speeding and arrested him for not having a driver's license.

As Johnson worked on a report in the front seat of his patrol car, Quintero, who was handcuffed and locked in the back seat, pulled a pistol from his waistband that was overlooked in a search. He shot Johnson four times in the head, police said.

Jordan told jurors they would see helicopter footage of police pulling Quintero from the back seat of the police car. Police said he still had the gun used to kill the officer.

brian.rogers@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5736017.html

Too many are becomming "cold blooded" killers because they seem to have no value of life. You can see that across the board everywhere......it's scarey.

At best he won't be out on the street ever again. But we will have to pay for his keep.

How can the court justify not having any ILLEGALS on the jury?

He was placed in the back of the police car? What threat did he perceive from that? Deportation? How would that justify an insanity plea? I'd say someone's brain damaged and it ain't this killer!

He was just doing a job Americans don't want to do.

Originally Posted by bigtex

He was just doing a job Americans don't want to do.

Some citizens would do the same job, but the fact that Houston is a sanctuary city allows for this circumstance to exist. Our elected officials "wink" off ILLEGALS as not being criminals and the ILLEGALS feel they are welcomed. Of course they are by our Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors. ILLEGALS believe they can do NO wrong and that is supported by the assistance they receive from the ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS(Big in this murder case), Chamber of Commence, Big Labor, Big Religion, Elitist Contributors and their Elitist Politicians.