Fort Worth Star Telegram Logo

DA blocks release of police shooting video | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters

    • Local
    • Fort Worth
    • Arlington
    • Northeast Tarrant
    • Texas
    • Crime & Courts
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Bud Kennedy
    • Databases
    • Nation and World
    • Cowboys
    • Rangers
    • TCU
    • Mac Engel
    • Colleges
    • Mavericks
    • Motorsports
    • Stars
    • High School Sports
    • Scores & Schedules
    • All Sports
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Boys Basketball
    • Girls Basketball
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Submit a letter
    • Cheers and Jeers
    • Submit a Cheer or Jeer
    • Bud Kennedy
    • Michael Ryan
    • Cynthia M. Allen
    • Other Voices
    • Business
    • Growth
    • Restaurants
    • Arts & Culture
    • Movies
    • Things To Do
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Party Pics
    • Horoscopes
    • Comics
    • Contests
    • Puzzles and Games
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts
    • Health & Fitness
    • Indulge
    • The Keller Magazine
    • Neil Sperry
    • Social Eyes
    • Dear Abby
    • Weddings
    • Arlington Citizen-Journal
    • Keller Citizen
    • Star-Telegram Northeast
    • Mansfield News-Mirror
    • Weatherford Star-Telegram
    • La Estrella
    • Locales
    • Noticias
    • Deportes
    • Entretenimiento
    • Contáctenos
    • Media Kit
    • Today's Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Submit an Obituary

    • All Weddings
    • Announcements
    • Bridal Show
    • Contact Us
    • Inspiration
    • News & Advice
    • Vendors
    • Hispanic Heritage
    • Cancer Awareness
    • Healthy Lifestyle
    • Dining, Entertaining
    • Breast Cancer Awareness
    • Think Green
    • Money Matters
    • All About Pets
    • Careers and Business
    • Health and Wellness
    • How To...
    • Women Today
    • Family and Parenting
    • Easy Living Tips
    • Lawn and Garden
    • Giving Back
    • Men Today
    • On the Road 1
    • On the Road 2
  • Public Notices
  • Local Deals
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Mobile & Apps

Editorials

DA blocks release of police shooting video

Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson’s office has thrown an even darker veil of secrecy over the investigation into Grapevine police officer Robert Clark’s killing of unarmed Ruben García Villalpando.

Wilson’s office has instructed Grapevine not to release video of the Feb. 20 incident captured by the dash cam in Clark’s patrol car.

That’s a shame for various reasons, but mainly because members of the public deserve to know more about this case — and soon.

Grapevine police had said they would release the video by the end of the week.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Now that probably won’t happen for months, until after the case has been presented to a grand jury or, if there is an indictment, until the evidence is presented in court.

“They do not want us to release that video due to the fact that it’s evidence in a criminal investigation,” Grapevine police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling told Star-Telegram reporter Monica S. Nagy.

That’s typically how criminal cases go. But there are complications in this one.

Eberling said the chief prosecuting attorney said in a statement: “Due process requires that evidence not be released to the public while an investigation is ongoing; therefore, the Criminal District Attorney’s Office requests that in this case, as in all cases, no evidence be released to the public while the investigation is pending.”

But those due process requirements with regard to the dash cam video have already been compromised.

Police have shown the video to García’s family.

García’s brother-in-law, Fernando Romero, and police themselves have described what it shows.

Not to get into a legal argument with Wilson and the experienced attorneys in her office, but when confidentiality is that far blown, it’s typically considered to no longer exist.

The only thing missing is the public’s ability to see it and judge for themselves.

Clark shot García after stopping his car on the side of Texas 121 in Euless, so Euless police are handling the criminal investigation.

Euless Lt. Eric Starnes told Nagy that to release the video would “have poisoned the entire jury pool” should Clark go to trial.

It’s important to note that no such reference was in the statement from the DA’s office.

As far as tainting a jury pool is concerned, release of the video could hardly do more damage than has already been done. The video should be released.

  Comments  

Videos

President Trump’s attacks on the media are unprecedented

Lupe Valdez on her record as Dallas sheriff and campaign for Texas governor

View More Video

Trending Stories

Contractor warned JPS to stop repairing elevators themselves week before nurse’s injury

February 21, 2019 01:40 PM

TCU’s Schlossnagle rips new NCAA rule: ‘It’s a dumb rule. It’s dumb. It’s horrible.’

February 22, 2019 10:00 AM

The Cowboys may have the most salary cap space ever. Here’s what they could do with it

February 22, 2019 01:03 PM

Armed, masked robbers continue targeting women in North Texas parking lots, police say

February 21, 2019 04:35 PM

Accused killer needs costly surgery. Texas jail released him on bond to skip the bill

February 21, 2019 01:44 PM

Read Next

State of Fort Worth is good; here’s one way to make it better

Editorials

State of Fort Worth is good; here’s one way to make it better

By The Star-Telegram Editorial Board

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 10:09 AM

The Fort Worth story is increasingly a good one, with a congenial Mayor Betsy Price and city council, and a vibrant business community honored by the Chamber of Commerce at the State of the City luncheon.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE EDITORIALS

How your free speech may be at risk, and what to do about it

Editorials

How your free speech may be at risk, and what to do about it

February 21, 2019 09:57 AM
CBD oil spill: Texas lawmaker out to clean up this maddening drug law mess

Editorials

CBD oil spill: Texas lawmaker out to clean up this maddening drug law mess

February 18, 2019 06:00 AM
JPS elevator horror: We know more now, but has the danger passed?

Editorials

JPS elevator horror: We know more now, but has the danger passed?

February 15, 2019 05:33 PM
A suburb of Dallas? Fort Worth is bigger, better than a lot of people think

Editorials

A suburb of Dallas? Fort Worth is bigger, better than a lot of people think

February 08, 2019 11:28 AM
Another racist Southlake video? What we’re doing wrong, and can do right

Editorials

Another racist Southlake video? What we’re doing wrong, and can do right

February 07, 2019 12:03 PM
‘Holy Grail’? You could be in a lot worse state than this

Editorials

‘Holy Grail’? You could be in a lot worse state than this

February 05, 2019 02:46 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story