Myra and Russell King of Haslet, Texas
On 23 April, 2021, about 2:15 p.m., Russell and Myra King, a married couple, were driving to their home in Haslet, Texas. Haslet is a small community on the North edge of Tarrant County, part of the Fort Worth-Dallas metroplex. It had been cloudy with showers all day; but the sun peaked from behind the clouds in the afternoon of the 23rd.
According to reports on nbcdfw.com, which includes video, Russell noticed two pickup trucks moving past him much faster than the traffic flow. One of the trucks exited the highway, the other pulled in front of him and brake-checked him (requiring the vehicle behind them to forcefully apply the brakes to avoid a collision). The pickup truck is said to have followed them into a WalMart parking lot, with the driver giving them the finger, then pursuing them in traffic and making several dangerous maneuvers in the pursuit.
When the Kings arrived home, they backed into their garage and called 911. A few minutes later they were shocked to see the pickup in front of their house. Russell said he believed he saw the driver retrieve a gun from the vehicle.
What happened next is not in dispute. Here is the report on 28 April, from nbcdfw.com:
A state trooper who was shot in the shoulder near Haslet on Friday afternoon has been released from the hospital and the sole suspect is in custody, officials say.
The incident happened before 3 p.m. in the 500 block of Salida Road. Officials said they arrested one person at the scene.
The trooper was hospitalized at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth on Friday. His injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening, a MedStar spokesman said.
Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Lonny Haschel said Saturday that the trooper, a special agent assigned to the criminal investigation division, was released from the hospital.
Here is another report, originally from the Star Telegram, also on the 28th of April. From msn.com, reprinted from Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Apr. 28—A man may have shot a Texas Department of Public Safety special agent on Friday near Haslet without knowing the man he fired on was a law enforcement officer approaching his residence, the agency said.
A caller to 911 reported that a pickup truck followed the caller to a house in the 14400 block of Mainstay Way and that he saw a man walking with a gun, according to a Fort Worth police call log.
The man who shot Special Agent William Wallace in the shoulder has not been charged, and DPS declined to release his name. Wallace was seriously injured but was released on Saturday from a hospital and is recovering at home.
The actions of Special Agent WIlliam Wallace were captured on the King's live camera surveillance system, so there was no dispute. From 5nbcdfw.com:
The trooper, later identified as William Wallace, was a special agent assigned to criminal investigations and worked in plainclothes.
"There was no identification whatsoever,” King said. “There was no vest. There was no badge. Just a brown shirt and jeans."
The doorbell video shows Wallace shouted "police" when he knocked on the door. King said he never heard it.
Wallace was rushed to a hospital where he was treated and soon released.
In early reports, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wallace was conducting an investigation. As reported on 23 April, from nbcdfw.com:
The trooper was driving an unmarked pickup and was conducting an investigation in the Haslet area when he encountered the suspect who shot him. The agent did not return fire, Haschel said.
Haschel declined to give details on the nature of the investigation or release the names of the suspect and officer.
Later reports did not mention any ongoing investigation involving the Kings.
On 7 September, It was reported a grand jury had decided there was no crime to be prosecuted. This is called a "no bill". King said he felt intense relief when the grand jury declined to charge him with any criminal act.
Russell King was handcuffed, detained, and questioned in the back of police car shortly after the incident. He was never arrested or held in custody. Russel King has no criminal record.
The Department of Public Safety has not releases a report on the incident yet, saying it is still under investigation.
In this case, the door camera video does not clearly exonerate Russell King. Added to the testimony of the car chase, it becomes important.
Speculation: There is other digital evidence, perhaps vehicle logs, perhaps dashcam video, or other surveillance video evidence used in the investigation. As mention of an ongoing investigation by William Wallace has disappeared, the reason for Wallace following the Kings to there home becomes suspect.
This is the first case this correspondent has read of where a peace officer was shot by a citizen, and no charges were brought, at least since 1900.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
We are seeing an increase in good Samaritan involvement in stopping shooting. Some very important points need to be considered . First always identify the target before you pull the trigger. second you must understand and accept the responsibility for pulling that trigger. are you stopping an attacker or shooting the defender. Just because some one finds the need to shoot does not mean they do not have a good reason. Recently the cops shot a person that had stopped a mass shooting. Carrying a weapon is a major personal responsibility. always think before you act, it cloud be your last. the second Amendment exists to give you the right of self defense, the defense of property and the defense of others use it wisely. There are times when shooting to kill is required but most of the time a good wound will resolve the issue. too many cops shoot to kill when most of the time they could shoot to wound. It is not the cops duty to save the cost of a trial , the person could be innocent.
ReplyDeletethere was a story recently where the cops were looking for a person carrying a gun. the first person seen carrying a gun was ran down by the officer with his cruiser, it was a BB gun. The BB gun might not have been powerful enough to make a dent in the cruiser but the teenager's body really messed up the front of the cruiser hitting some one at 60mph does a lot of damage to the person and the car. I worked trauma cases for many years. Do you think maybe stopping and talking to the person would have been a first consideration?
ReplyDeleteSir, You may want to put this story on your blog:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kcrg.com/2021/09/21/cedar-rapids-teen-gets-probation-deferred-judgment-fatal-robbery/
The cousins went to rob the 17 year old and the 17 year old shot and killed one of the cousins after he was attached. How is this not treated as a felony murder charge against the surviving cousin? His cousin dies during the commission of a felony. The surviving teen was 16 at the time of the robbery and killing. Does felony murder not apply to a teen? I think there is something missing in the linked story.
Thanks for your consideration.