Gilmer Hernandez

Guillermo F. Hernández, better known as Gilmer Hernandez, is a former Sheriff’s Deputy of Edwards County, Texas from Rocksprings, Texas who was convicted on a charge of violation of civil rights of an illegal alien.

Border incident and prosecution

On April 14, 2005, Deputy Hernandez stopped a vehicle for running a red light. After coming to a stop, the driver who had hidden several illegal aliens in his vehicle tried to flee, nearly hitting Hernandez in the process. Hernandez fired several shots at the vehicle, aiming for the tires. When the vehicle halted due to the blown tires, several people fled the vehicle. One of the bullets Hernandez fired injured a woman in the vehicle, shattering some of her teeth.[1]

The initial investigation by the Texas Rangers and members of the ATF cleared Hernandez of any wrongdoing.[2] However, over a year later, the United States Department of Justice reopened the case under U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton. On December 1, 2006 Hernandez was convicted for violation of civil rights of the injured person on the grounds that he should not have shot at the fleeing vehicle since his life was not in danger. Defense contested that Hernandez did believe that his life was in danger.[2] Hernandez was sentenced to a prison term of 12 months and one day.[3]

Reaction

The guilty verdict surprised the Rocksprings community[1] and triggered many responses, most in opposition to the verdict.

Texas Congressman Ted Poe defended the deputy by stating that the “Federal Government is more concerned about people illegally invading America than it is about the men who protect America. Once again, our government is on the wrong side of the border war.” [4]

The case has been linked to those of convicted border guards Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean by dubbing them “The Texas Three”,[1] all involved in Mexican border incidents with smuggling, illegal aliens, use of firearms, and prosecuted by Johnny Sutton . According to America's Most Wanted, action on part of the Mexican government demanding that the "crime" will not be unpunished may have pressured the prosecution.[1]

Release

Hernandez was released from jail after serving 10 months of the 366-day sentence.[5][6]

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gollark: Did you know? It was already too late. The bees had approached. GTech™ dominion over reality had begun, and none could escape. One night the bees reached the horizon of the sun, and all the specks began. The swarms of specks, all over the city, and even over the whole town. It would be next year that the bees reached the horizon on the night of December 14, 2011. After a week of resting they came to the end of October. They were too exhausted to continue their journey even upon midnight. In the morning they returned to the city to continue their "trip" that came along with the plague. The evening afternoon after dawn, they crossed to the eastern edge of the city, and began their journey on the night of December 15th. The next day, the bees went on their trip to the west of the city. They went on their journey along the northern coast with an aeroplane. When they arrived in the coast of the east of the city, they had a night sleep, as they had not come along the northern coast any further.

See also

References
  1. America's Most Wanted (2/6/2007). "Gilmer Hernandez: Injustice at the Border". Archived from the original on 2007-02-18.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Accessed 2/22/2007
  2. Carolyn Anderson. "Jury finds Hernandez guilty in illegal alien case, appeal and/or sentencing to come". Article from the Rocksprings Record - December 7, 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-21. Accessed 2/22/2007
  3. Hernandez sentenced, March 2007
  4. Ted Poe. "Deputy Gilmer Hernandez on Patrol". House Floor Speech, accessed 2/22/2007. Archived from the original on 2007-03-01.
  5. (25 October 2007) Gilmer Comes Home Archived 2007-10-21 at the Wayback Machine America's Most Wanted. Accessed 30 October 2007.
  6. (30 October 2007) Show Transcript Glenn Beck. CNN.
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