Did you see Mexican immigrants settle for $100,000 after border incident?

Question

http://www.familybadge.org/screenprint.cfm?newsletterid=17722
Two illegal aliens have agreed to a $100,000 out-of-court settlement after threatening a multimillion-dollar civil rights lawsuit against a Texas deputy over an incident in which the lawman shot at an alien-smuggling vehicle he said tried to run him down.
Maricela Rodriguez-Garcia and Candido Garcia-Perez, Mexican nationals who were being smuggled into the U.S. in April 2005 when they were injured by fragments of the lawman's bullets, agreed to the amount after a mediation hearing in Austin, Texas. They initially asked for $1.5 million.
Mrs. Rodriguez-Garcia, struck by bullet fragments in the cheek and mouth, and Mr. Garcia-Perez, injured when fragments hit him in the arm, had targeted Edwards County, Texas, Deputy Sheriff Guillermo F. Hernandez, saying he used excessive force in causing the injuries and that in firing at the vehicle abused his authority and grossly overreacted under the circumstances.
Hernandez has been sentenced to prison in the incident.
Edwards County Sheriff Donald G. Letsinger, who also was targeted in the pending lawsuit, said his deputy was cleared in an initial investigation by the Texas Rangers, which found that Hernandez "followed the letter of the law" in defending himself. He said charges were brought only after the matter was turned over to the FBI and to U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, who last year also won convictions against two U.S. Border Patrol agents who shot a drug-smuggling suspect as he fled back into Mexico.
"This is very bothersome to me," Sheriff Letsinger told The Washington Times. "Whether it's a U.S. citizen or a Mexican national, I just don't think the taxpayers should have to pay someone who broke the law and, in this case, someone who committed a crime by illegally trying to enter the United States.
"It's not any different than paying off a bank robber who happens to get shot on his way out of the bank," he said. "In this case, the two conspired to break the law and when they got caught tried to run down my deputy."
Hernandez, 25, was sentenced March 19 by U.S. District Judge Robert T. Dawson in federal court in Del Rio, Texas, to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $5,347 in damages to Mrs. Rodriguez-Garcia. The judge also ordered three years of supervised probation and an additional $5,000 fine.
He was convicted on charges of violating "under the color of law" the civil rights of Mrs. Rodriguez-Garcia during the Rocksprings traffic stop.
Hernandez told investigators that the driver of the vehicle tried to run him down after he stopped him shortly before midnight for running a red light. As he approached on foot, he said, he spotted at least eight persons lying down inside the vehicle. He said he fired shots at its rear tires as it sped off after trying to run him down.
Mrs. Rodriguez-Garcia and Mr. Garcia-Perez told investigators they paid $2,000 each to be taken across the Rio Grande from Acuna, Mexico. They said they later met the vehicle's driver and a guide, who were to take them to Austin and Dallas.
The $100,000 settlement figure was recommended by the West Texas Rural Counties Association, an insurance pool that will pay the amount. Sheriff Letsinger said attorneys for the association concluded it would have cost at least that much to respond to a lawsuit in court.
The settlement agreement also included a promise from the two Mexican nationals that they would not pursue any further litigation against the deputy, the sheriff or Edwards County.
Sheriff Letsinger said Hernandez does not plan to appeal the conviction, saying "he just doesn't trust the system anymore and I'm sure you understand why."
They tried to kill the deputy by running him over, that is not in dispute. They wanted to kill him cause he was in thier way, what makes you think they would not try to kill you too if you happened to be in their way?
Last I heard it is the Sherff's job to protect the community that elected him. Allowing murderious criminals to run loose is not my idea of protecting the community.

Answer 1

Totally outrageous. Especially in this case. This was another perversion of justice by that slime Johnny Sutton. What did he expect Hernandez to do? lets examine the options:
1. He can wave goodbye after they just tried to run him over and say Have a nice day, y'all come back now hear? or
2. try to stop the van that has run through a stop sign and is clearly dangerous to have on the road and has tried to run him over (assault with a deadly weapon, asault on a police officer among other things)

Considering he is a police officer and sworn to uphold the law option 2 is the only viable choice.

Now that we have decided to stop the criminal(s) how do we do that? Well we could jump in our car and start a high speed chase but let's see what the consequences of that could be
(news articles)

"Another tragic addition to the list of unnessary deaths caused by violent illegal aliens was the newlywed couple, James and Emilia Lee of Huachuca City, Arizona, who had been married only six weeks. They were killed Oct. 16 when a truckload of at least 17 illegal aliens traveling at 90 mph crashed into several vehicles near the town of Sierra Vista, leaving a horrific scene of carnage. The aliens were trying to escape police after they had run a stop sign,(hmmm this sounds familiar) and the truck rammed into a line of nine vehicles waiting for a turn light near Fort Huachuca. "

"The danger on the highways from truckloads of illegal aliens in border areas has been increasing drastically. It is not unusual for a van full of illegal aliens to speed down the road in the wrong direction to avoid American law enforcement, causing death and injury to both American citizens and foreigners. One of the worst examples took place near San Diego June 25, 2002, where seven people were killed and at least 31 were injured when a van tried to avoid a border checkpoint by turning the lights off and speeding against oncoming traffic in the wrong lane. Larry S. Baca of Albuquerque was killed when his Ford was smashed head-on by the immigrant van and knocked airborne. On March 10, 2003, two men were killed and 20 people were injured when a stolen truck loaded with illegal aliens tried to outrun American authorities."

Well gee this doesn't sound to safe.

Officer Hernandez did exactly the right thing and made the BEST possible decision. He disabled the vehicle BEFORE it could create the carnage described above. He very likely SAVED lives that night including those two scumbags.and at a cost of what? Some minor injuries to the criminals!!!! they were breaking the law!!! THEY should be prosecuted instead of rewarded.
And as far as that scumsucking pig Sutton goes? Next time law enforcement pulls over a van full of illegals we will tie him to the bumper and then wave goodbye when they take off to avoid capture.

Answer 2

I don't really care much seeing as I'm English, but it seems to me that the only bit of history thats relevant here is when that piece of land stopped being Mexican territory. If Russia took it tomorrow you could say U.S. citizens there were illegal immigrants. It's not about being fair or unfair, but more about have or have not, and at the moment the U.S. has the land and the Mexicans have not. Also, I'm not too up on north american history, but as I recall, there has been plenty of aggression between the U.S. and Mexico in the past, even as recently as the second world war. Maybe the U.S. thinks it needs a bit of a "buffer zone".

Answer 3

It is things like this that make me embarrassed for my own country. I guess if they all would have been dead there would have been no lawsuit.

Answer 4

I saw it and those illegals should have gotten nothing but a jail sentence for attempted murder followed by a plane ride deep into Mexico....................