To Joe_Conn the following article shows the brutal murder. He may not have owed an apology, but morally he should have apologized for his acts.
Another execution in Texas, another argument for capital punishment
Licho Escamilla is — or was — that charming fellow who will be remembered for a courtroom riot. It was a melee he started by throwing a water pitcher at the Dallas County jury that had just sentenced him to death.
Let’s also remember what put him in that courtroom. On Thanksgiving weekend in 2001, Escamilla took Dallas police Officer Kevin James from his wife and 8-year-old daughter. Escamilla, already with a warrant out for his arrest in the shooting death of a West Dallas neighbor, got into a fight outside a fairly infamous northwest Dallas nightspot, Club DMX.
Kevin James was a decorated seven-year officer who graduated tops in his cadet class. Like many cops, he worked off-duty security to supplement a city paycheck that fell far short of his societal value. In his case, he just wanted to save up enough to buy a house for his young family.
In the fight outside Club DMX, Escamilla pulled a gun and fired into the darkness. James was the more seriously wounded of two off-duty officers hit by gunfire. Two shots from Escamilla’s gun put James on his knees. Escamilla strolled up and put three more shots into the back of a wounded cop’s head.
After a chase, Escamilla was caught. He bragged about the killing to EMTs trying to patch him up. He told them he’d be out in 48 hours. He later admitted to killing James in a television interview.
The state of Texas ended his life Wednesday night. He was the 24th person executed this year in the U.S. and 12th in our state. My only sympathy goes to Kevin James’ friends and family.
My colleagues on the editorial board believe Texas should rid itself of the death penalty. They believe, in good conscience, that it’s a sentence of irrevocable finality too inconsistently applied, that once it’s carried out there’s no do-over on mistakes.
Licho Escamilla might agree, if he could. In my mind, it’s better that he can’t.
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallas...nishment.html/
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