Thread: TX: Corpus Christi Officer hig and Killed, Suspect: MS13 ???

http://www.caller.com/news/2009/mar/11/ ... ght-chase/

(Michael Berry from KTRH in Houston says reports are now out that the driver is a member of MS13)


Officer killed identified as Lt. Stuart Alexander
Alexander hit and killed while setting out spikes during overnight chase

By Mike Baird, Susan McFarland
Originally published 07:46 a.m., March 11, 2009
Updated 03:58 p.m., March 11, 2009

CORPUS CHRISTI — A veteran police officer was hit and killed during a pursuit early Wednesday, while he was putting out spikes along North Padre Island Drive.

The driver of the SUV police were pursuing hit Lieutenant Stuart Jay Alexander, 47, in a grassy median westbound between Bates and Agnes streets about midnight, police said.

Alexander was taken to the Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial by ambulance, where he later died. Alexander was a 20-year veteran of the Corpus Christi Police Department. He leaves behind a wife, son and three grandchildren.

The pursuit began at 11:53 p.m., when officers were dispatched to a home in the 4200 block of West Theresa Street to investigate a disturbance, police said.

Upon arrival, officers attempted to detain a 21-year-old man. After a brief struggle, the man got into a green SUV and sped off. Officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the man sped away and a pursuit began.

The chase went through the Molina neighborhood and lasted several minutes, and then continued onto State Highway 358 westbound.

The man exited onto Leopard Street, continued eastbound on Leopard Street and then southbound on the State Highway 286 access road.

Officers were able to box the man’s vehicle in with their patrol cars and stop him between Comanche and Lipan streets, but when officers attempted to remove the man from the vehicle he began ramming their patrol cars and attempted to run them over.

Fearing for their safety, two officers then fired their weapons into the vehicle, shooting the man and ending the pursuit, police said.

Daniel Lopez was taken into custody and transported to Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial, where he is under guard in the intensive care unit with non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Criminal Investigation Division is continuing to investigate and formal charges are pending.

Lopez, 21, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2008 to indecency with a child by exposure in Galveston County. He was placed on six years deferred probation and is a registered sex offender. The Department of Public Safety’s public sex offender registry lists a Corpus Christi address for Lopez.

Nueces County online court records show he has been out on bond since last year on a misdemeanor assault charge and is awaiting a March 30 trial.

He was arrested in January 2007 on the assault charge and released on bond. But on Aug. 18, 2008, he was rearrested for failing to comply with pre-trial conditions. He was released the next day on bond, according to court records and officials.

He also served jail time on an earlier misdemeanor assault charge in 2005.

The last Corpus Christi police officer to die in the line of duty was Matthew Thebeau, who was killed last year in a traffic accident when responding to an assault call on Jan. 20.

21 year old Daniel Lee Lopez is the man accused of killing Officer Alexander, and we've learned that even at his young age he already has quite a criminal history.

Michael Gibson is here now with more on this man who now looks like he'll be facing a capital murder charge.

Right now, Lopez is in the hospital in critical condition with non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Police shot him after this morning's chase which ended up with it. Alexander allegedly being run over by Lopez.

Lopez is a high risk sex offender. He pled guilty last august to indecency with a 16 year old girl. He was placed on probation for that crime while he still had an assault case pending against him which he was supposed to show up to court on later this month.

Lopez' legal troubles actually began back in 2004 when he was placed on probation for assaulting someone and causing bodily injury. In 2005, he had another assault case and that's when his probation was revoked. He moved into the Lopez family home a few months ago here in the 4400 block of Angela Drive.

Neighbors say they were surprised to hear about his involvement in this mornings chase, they never had any problem with him.

Neighbor Author Reyes says, "They don't really hurt anyone just usually a very quiet people they usually just tend to themselves."

Another neighbor says that Lopez' sister asked him to call her brothers cellphone and get in touch with him as police were giving chase. The neighbor says he did speak with Lopez who told him he had just hit a police officer with his suv and was surrounded by police.

That neighbor also said the Lopez's mom had told him that her son was bi-polar.

http://www.kiiitv.com/news/local/41116002.html

That neighbor also said the Lopez's mom had told him that her son was bi-polar.

Is that a new excuse? All the illegal criminals are mentally ill and not responsible for their actions?