Story Archive

Overkill

Garland, Texas, police officer Patrick Tuter spotted a truck that had been in a chase in a neighboring town a few days before, and tried to pull it over. The driver took off, leading Tuter on a pursuit reaching speeds of over 100 mph. When the suspect vehicle turned into a cul-de-sac, Tuter’s own dashcam video shows he rammed it, then jumped out and opened fire with his sidearm. He reloaded “at least twice” in the barrage, firing 41 rounds. A backup officer didn’t join Tuter in shooting, but rather dove behind a squad car in hopes he wouldn’t be hit by Tuter’s bullets. It was a wise move: the suspect, who was not armed, was only hit by three of the bullets, and was killed. The Grand Jury has indicted Tuter, 33, for manslaughter; he faces up to 20 years in prison, and has been fired by his department. Prosecutors recommended the judge set his bail at $10,000, rather than the standard $25,000 in a manslaughter case, because he’s not a flight risk, but Judge Lena Levario refused. “I’m not concerned about whether he is going to return to court or not,” she said, setting his bail at $100,000. “I’m concerned about public safety.” (RC/Dallas Morning News) ...Clearly, more police cars need dashcams.