Texas executes inmate for Dallas police officer's 2001 death

[webfact]

Texas executes inmate for Dallas police officer's 2001 death
MICHAEL GRACZYK, Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man already being sought for a neighbor's slaying when he killed a Dallas police officer outside a club was executed Wednesday.

Licho Escamilla was put to death for the November 2001 death of Christopher Kevin James who was trying to break up a brawl involving Escamilla. The 33-year-old prisoner was pronounced dead at 6:31 p.m. CDT (2331 GMT) — 18 minutes after the lethal injection began.

Escamilla became the 24th convicted killer executed this year in the United States. Texas has accounted for 12 of the executions.

Before dying, Escamilla looked at the slain officer's daughter, who was seated a few feet away watching through a window, and told her: "God bless your heart."

He turned to his relatives watching through another window and said he loved them and everyone who supported him.

"Pope Francis, God's children has asked the state of Texas to switch my death sentence to life in prison," he said. "But the state of Texas has refused to listen to God's children.

"They will have to take that up with God," he added.

He took two breaths as the sedative pentobarbital took effect, then became still. His sister cried and screamed for God not to take him.

The rumbling of motorcycles could be heard outside the prison where bikers supporting the punishment had gathered.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case last week and no additional appeals were filed as his execution neared. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday decided against a reprieve and clemency.

James and three other uniformed officers were working off-duty when the brawl started. Escamilla pulled out a gun and opened fire on the officers as they tried to end the fight.

The bullets from his 9 mm semi-automatic handgun struck James twice, knocking him to the ground. Escamilla then calmly walked up to the officer and fired three more shots into the back of his head before running and exchanging shots with other officers, witnesses said. A second officer wounded in the shootout survived.

A wounded Escamilla was arrested as he tried to carjack a truck.

About a half-dozen Dallas police officers stood at attention and saluted as relatives of the slain officer entered the prison in Huntsville ahead of the execution.

"It's taken longer than we would have liked," Frederick Frazier, first vice president of the Dallas Police Association, said.

He said he and others showed up to support James and make sure he's remembered for the work he did. While officers know they're risking their lives every day, James' death has been difficult for them because of how it happened, Frazier added.

James, 34, had earned dozens of commendations during his nearly seven years on the Dallas police force after graduating at the top of his cadet class. He was working the off-duty security job to earn extra money so he and his new wife could buy a house.

Escamilla was 19 at the time of the officer's killing and a warrant had been issued for him in the shooting death of a West Dallas neighbor nearly three weeks earlier.

Escamilla's trial attorneys told jurors he was responsible for James' slaying but argued it didn't merit a death sentence because James wasn't officially on duty, meaning the crime didn't qualify as a capital murder.

He was sentenced to death in October 2002. At his trial in Dallas, Escamilla grabbed a water pitcher off the defense table and threw it at the jury as the judge was reading his sentence.

Escamilla also started kicking and hitting people and hid under the table until he was subdued by deputies who triggered an electronic stun belt he was wearing.

Testimony showed Escamilla bragged to emergency medical technicians who were treating his wounds that he had killed an officer and injured another and that he'd be out of jail in 48 hours. He also admitted to the slaying during a television interview from jail.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-15

[Somtamnication]

Eye for an eye...... RIP Officer James.

[Usernames]

And such a nice guy!

[NeverSure]

Read his actions and comments. Texas was just taking out the trash.

RIP Officer Christopher Kevin James and condolences to your widow and other family members and friends.

[NickJ]

Cases like this need to be streamlined. Way to long of a wait for justice.

[Boon Mee]

Old Testament justice has undergone the test of time...

[Doc46]

Why did they wait so long?They could have saved a lot of money if they executed him 14 years ago after the conviction.

[NeverSure]

Why did they wait so long?They could have saved a lot of money if they executed him 14 years ago after the conviction.

It takes that long and even longer sometimes to exhaust all appeals. In the meantime Texas is paying all of his legal bills due to his constitutional right to an attorney and sometimes those bills run into the $millions.

[Dustdevil]

Why did they wait so long?They could have saved a lot of money if they executed him 14 years ago after the conviction.

This is the point I made in another earlier thread. Convicted serial killers' appeals processes should be truncated to about two years. Not sure about other offenders, however.

[Langsuan Man]

Now if we could only get the Texas to execute a company then I would buy the SCOTUS argument that corporations have all the rights that an individual does

[hawker9000]

" "They will have to take that up with God," he added"

'Sounds like the only thing they will be having to answer for is having saved other innocent victims from the likes of YOU! But what do you suppose YOU will have to take up with God there Licho? Hmmm? More even than we're reading about here, I'll bet. And reading the last parts of that OP as well as the details of the officer's slaying - my, what a peach of a guy you were ...

It must be tough being a DP opponent ... when an animal likes this comes along to have to defend.