FEAR AND LOATHING IN MIDLAND, TEXAS

[redpoet]

FEAR AND LOATHING IN MIDLAND, TEXAS
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Twenty year old Chad Sanchez was shot and killed in Midland, Texas
this last April. Sanchez was shot by Det. Matt Fraley and Sgt. Michael
Hedrick of the Midland Police Department. Reports show that one
officer used his duty weapon, which is a Glock .45 caliber semi-
automatic, and the other used a rifle, but it is unclear which officer
was toting which firearm. Sanchez was hit in the torso and head.
Sanchez was a suspect in a double homicide, police said. The
department is still searching for the gun that killed the two men on
April 23, the same weapon police believe was at some point in
Sanchez's possession that day. They've never found it. When shot
Sanchez was unarmed. Police continue to investigate the double
homicide.

The two midland police officers who who did the shooting were first
placed on administrative leave were shortly put back on the job
although the investigation into the shooting continues. According to
Midland police, an administrative review board concluded that the
officers' actions were in compliance with both state law and Midland
Police Department general orders.

At least, three other officers were on the scene and did not discharge
their weapons.

Armando Garcia, was shot by police in a separate questionable incident
last September. Like Sanchez he was shot, at least once, in the head.
Garcia was shot after police reported seeing a white Ford mustang
speeding. Police said Garcia fled on foot and was cornered while
climbing a fence behind some trailers. They say he came down off the
fence charged the officers. Like Sanchez, the "suspect" was not armed.
Patrol Officer John Chandler who shot Garcia was alone at the scene.

On May 19, LULAC presented MPD spokeswoman Tina Jauz with an open
records request for information regarding any police-involved
shootings from Jan. 1, 1987 to May 31, 2007. They want to find out
information on police brutality in Midland, complaints against
officers, and whether any suspects have died while in police custody
as another step into questioning law enforcement conduct in recent
incidents.

LULAC President Felipa Lara said the group's goal right now is to let
the community know they will continue to pursue questions about police
conduct and the use of deadly force until they are answered.

"We want the young adults to feel safe and to let them know they can
trust the police; to do that, we need answers," Lara said.

Sanchez's Aunt said last month, "What they did, to shoot him like
that. That's why we have the court system to take it step by step."

Yesterday there was a meeting to further talk about what's next and
what's past.
My guess is nothing will happen. What's yours?

The following article is from the Midland, Texas Reporter Telegram.

Midlanders express frustrations over police shootings

Tearful family members representing two Midland men who were killed
during struggles with police spoke out about their beliefs of the
local police department's misuse of power at a Thursday meeting with a
mediator from the U.S. Department of Justice, officials said.

More than 100 Midlanders of all races were on hand for the three-hour
closed-door meeting with Synthia Demons of the community relations
service division of the DOJ. And many voiced similar sentiment as the
families of Chad Sanchez, 20, and Armando Garcia, 20, with stories
about police brutality and harassment by officers, according to ,
according to Lulu Corona, civil rights chair of the League of United
Latin American Citizens.

"We are basically being protected by murderers," said Amanda Luna,
Garcia's cousin. "And that does not make me feel safe at all."

Officers reported that the two men were both shot and killed while
resisting arrest during different incidents during last 10 months. But
Corona said the fact that neither man had a weapon is what caused
concern for her organization. Both men's deaths were reported to have
been due to gunshot wounds to the head.

"It's scary. (Teens) are not afraid of gangs anymore, they're afraid
of the cops," said Christy Diaz.

While Demons, who spoke with Interim Police Chief Price Robinson
earlier Thursday, was only in Midland to hear the concerns of
residents, Luna said she wished she would have had more of a reaction
to what people were saying.

"I was excited that a representative from the department of justice
came to hear us, but I expected them to demand an inquiry into the
police department," she said. "But I'm still glad she did come."

The CRS has no law enforcement authority and does not impose
solutions, investigate, prosecute or assign blame and fault, according
to information provided by the USDOJ.

There are plans for a future meeting between Midland Police officials,
LULAC and Demons' office. It is likely to take place in Dallas.

While some attendees believed Hispanics have been targeted by police,
others disagreed.

"It was an eye-opener," Corona said of the meeting.

Officials of the Permian Basin chapter of the LULAC said they invited
Demons to help address and resolve the issues Midlanders may have with
the MPD. But Corona said other agencies, such as the Texas Rangers and
the Midland County Sheriff's Office, came up as well. The Reporter-
Telegram was not told of any specific incidents involving the Texas
Rangers or Sheriff's Office.

"It's not about officers who do their jobs," Corona explained. "It's
about those few who feel they are above the law."

Corona said she and Demons spoke about what to do if no resolution is
reached, but would not say what that next step would entail.

The meeting, while open to the public, was held behind closed doors.
The media and police were asked not to attend because Demons said she
was concerned about people being afraid to be fully candid about their
dealings. Reporter-Telegram appeals to sit in on the meeting were met
with threats by LULAC to cancel the meeting outright

[juar...@gmail.com]

Hello my name is Arturo Juarez Jr. I'm 23 years old and I was 12 years old when my cousin Armando was called upon by the good Lord him self. Rip. Armando was my 1st cousin my father and his mother are siblings and we had a strong connection actually our whole family did and well it's way to say his loss and other family matters have drifted us apart over the years. I can't and won't forget my aunt, a single mother, and my grandparents cousins uncles aunts parents faces and vibes how they just weren't the same I myself also began to question life society authority the difference from good and bad God and evil I started to become more alone and deep in thought worst of all curious I began to defy authority it's self a became a "menace to society" in other words I began smoking marijuana drinking skipping school even tried cocaine I lost myself I quit football and my high grades began to tumble id just blame it on Life blamed it on the cops police all of them not just him or her all of them I grew into a hatred for law enforcement. I then turned 16 and was driving now and really came full force into the true unknown except I saw it as just another freedom to take advantage is so I'd drink and drive smoke and drive speed u name it I was 16 when I first got stopped unfortunately I had almost an ounce of very very strong weed the high level stuff this was one of my first true encounters with Midland Police department (MPD) it was myself and a friend we had just gotten it I truly believe we were being followed the whole time well I was driving on a main street on the northwest part of town the"higher" class part of town where we had gotten the bud I then decided to cut through a school zone to cut down on time on the road I pulled up to a four way intersection came to a complete stop checked my mirrors and nothing so I go I drive to the next intersection maybe a block away and as I'm pulling up I see a set of lights behind my I lean forward a little and see a silouette above the car that of the lights so i begin to get nervous as I make the complete stop I hesitate because I wanted to turn but instead kept driving I didn't go but 50ft before I got it up keep in mind I'm 16 years old with an ounce of weed stinking up a two door car so I tell my friend to try and hide it but if course no luck. As the cop is walking up I'm getting all my paper work insurance license etc I notice the officer was just silent I knew he smelled it as he was walking up so I start talking i ask him how he's doing and why he stopped me handing him all the papers all at the same time and nothing he did reply for a few seconds before he asked "Where is it?" Followed by "I know there's drugs in the car" I replied with a startled look and said"III'm sorry sir I don't know what your talking about" he thenv opens the door and asks me again where the drugs were and that he smelled the weed as he was walking up I just put my head down didn't say a word and he sat me down on the curb and got my friend out of the passenger asking him as well but he too didn't say anything. The officer then proceeded to search the vehicle I noticed he didn't call for back up and there was someone with him in street clothes sitting in the front passenger seat the officer then comes back to me I'm guessing he's just found what he was looking for and asks whose it was and where I got it from and if I didn't tell him my friend and I would be going to juvy we both didn't respond so he then puts us in his car and makes us wait to I guess further search the car after a while he pulls me out of the car but I notice he cracked the window just a little like rolled it down like he wanted who ever was in the car to hear keep in mind my friend is still in the car and he asks again where I got it from I said nothing then he asks me if it was my friends and that if I told him he'd let me go and take him in I then panicked and crushed under pressure I didn't say it was mine or his but I told him I was driving it's my car so do what u got to do he then asked again where I got it from and said if I told him that he would go easy on us so I made up an address not really made up just told him a different street name where I'd gotten some weed before he then said "Oh? Na I know about that street already we've been trying to get them already" he then puts me in the car and goes away my attention then goes to my friend he wasn't saying anything just looking at me I felt scared nervous ashamed and lost I didn't know what to think say or do then I look up towards the front of the car on the hood the officer had the the bag of weed and was looking at it didn't bag it up in their evidence bags or nothing he then pulls out his phone an iPhone ,I remember this because they were a thing at the time, and starts taking pictures and makes a phonecall. He then returns to us and gets us to call our parents but he talked to them on the phone i have him my dad's number knowing I wasn't gna hear the end of it. My friends parents arrive first they talk to the officer wait a little bit for my Dad to get there then they leave a few minutes later my father shows up I see in his eyes he wasn't happy he then talks to the officer the office then takes me out of the car and says "Well.... I decided I'm not taking u in next time I see you I will" my dad then insists I receive some kind of punishment do I get a ticket for running a stop sign. I didn't realize how scared my dad actually was he told me he didn't know what to think when he answered the phone to a police officer about his own son it really didn't hit me how fresh the incident with Armando was but I continued to do the things I was doing because I then felt I could get away with anything. That cop didn't do his job properly I know he didn't I believe he used his power to an advantage so I too felt a power to be above I was working making money so young I felt like the law was controlled by money and power not by the protection of us the people. That was just my first encounter I then went on to get a wreckless driving charge and two possession of marijuana charges within 18 months and plus I was skipping school putting my graduation in jeperady. But it wasn't till years later when I started to realize my path to destruction and how it started and then all of these recent movements and police brutality accusations and videos of deaths caused by police activity opened my eyes to the nationwide cases like mine like ours it re lit the fire and I want to spread the word of unity and peace and be a voice I feel like my story can help.
Thank you. God bless