Police shooting needs credible investigation

During the past year, there’s been a rash of police shootings across the country where unarmed men have been killed, leading to increased tension between law enforcement and minority communities in particular.

Two recent such incidents, including one in Euless a week ago, have caused an international flare-up, with protests coming from Mexico because two of its citizens have been shot to death.

A 31-year-old Mexican national, Ruben Garcia Villalpando of North Richland Hills, was shot by a Grapevine police officer on Friday on Texas 121 in Euless.

Grapevine police, after viewing a dash-cam recording of the encounter, said in a statement issued Monday that officer Robert Clark had responded to a possible burglary at a business, radioed in that it was a false alarm and then noticed a pickup stopped in the driveway of the parking lot.

The officer activated his emergency lights and the pickup driven by Garcia left the business complex and went on to the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic to avoid the police, the statement said. When Garcia’s vehicle came to a stop, he “gets out of his car with his hands up and stands outside his car while Officer Clark commands him to stop.”

Although the officer gave continuous commands — using some foul language, according to Euless police on Thursday — Garcia continued to walk toward Clark “raising his hands and/or placing them on his head,” according to the statement.

Two shots were fired, hitting Garcia in the chest. He had no weapon.

An earlier report from Euless police had said “an altercation” occurred.

Despite the video evidence, the facts are not all known. The investigation is continuing, with Euless police examining criminal the shooting and Grapevine police doing an administrative investigation.

This tragic incident warrants a thorough and credible investigation, with a full accounting to the public of what happened. While there shouldn’t be a rush to judgment, this case demands that police — the individual officer and the departments involved — are held accountable.

The credibility of the process would be increased if a special prosecutor were named to present the evidence to a grand jury.

This story was originally published February 26, 2015 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Police shooting needs credible investigation."