San Antonio is dealing with not just the controversial fatal shooting of an unarmed teen but new disclosures that the officer was previously named four times for termination from the police force. Reports indicate that Officer Daniel Alvarado of San Antonio’s Northside Independent School District has been named on four occasions for termination due to misconduct but was never actually fired. He is now on suspension after he chased 14-year-old Derek Lopez, who punched another teen at a bus stop and ended up shooting him to death in a shed.
Lopez allegedly slapped a boy with the back of his hand without any cause or provocation. Alvarado was passing by in a cruiser when Lopez took off — no responding to orders to stop. While his supervisor told him to stay with the victim, Alvarado took a witness in the cruiser in search of Lopez. When a neighbor pointed him to a shed, Alvarado called out that he was a police officer and entered the shed. He reportedly said that the boy jumped from a hiding place and tried to get out the door. The door hit Alvarado in the face and the police say he was in fear for his life. He then shoot and killed the fourteen-year-old boy. A witness stated that Lopez came out of the shed and said he “came at me.” He recounted later “The suspect bull rushed his way out of the shed and lunged right at me. The suspect was literally inches away from me, and I feared for my own safety.”
That would be controversial enough. However, reporters have learned that between March 2006 and November 2010, Alvarado was suspended four times and named for termination.
While Alvarado insisted that he shot the boy at close range, an autopsy revealed “no evidence of close range firing [on] the wound.” The San Antonio Police Department, however, ruled that the death was a “justified” shooting. Alvarado remains on the force. The boy’s family is suing the department.
Source: San Antonio
Bette Noir
1, May 27, 2011 at 10:15 am
The story didn’t shock me until I came to the end: “Remains on the force.”
Okay, he chased down a kid and killed him. What does a guy have to do to get fired?
===============================================================
shoot the child of someone who “matters”
Right on Mike …
You’re supposed to be able to sue police and local governments before someone is killed. That is really supposed to be done in federal courts, which are supposed to be less biased and not involved with local government. However, in this country 96% of people don’t have even a possibility of suing in federal court because the starting cost is $100K. There are very few lawyers who will take it on contingency either especially in states where “tort reform” has limited many damages to $250,000 or $300,000 or often only $100,000 for a wrongful death of someone who isn’t working. The Courts are often really really crooked too.
Since the cops don’t have to worry about getting sued they can beat people up, steal their stuff, and demand sex. As far as this particular killing, it might have been a mafia revenge hit or some other premeditated act too just disguised as something spontaneous.
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows …”
Dredd,
“Don’t follow leaders, watch your parking meters.”
Sadee Bear:
Your post reminded me of what was going on here in Newark, New Jeresy a few years back,and the citizens thoughts on that activity:
Bootleg CD Crackdown
Everytime this happens I always laugh, ’cause it only takes about a day or two for the CD men to swing back in action. I guess it’s going to be for real this time? One thing, though, these guys have been selling the CD’s in downtown Newark for YEARS and no one ever batted an eye except for the occasional raids initiated by the R.I.A.A. So it’s going to be for really, real this time?
Newark officials seize bootleg CDs
Posted by The Star-Ledger October 7, 2006 13:42
The spots hit by the city’s quality-of-life task force, which
includes Newark police, code enforcement, fire and health department officials, were all located in the heart of Newark’s shopping and business district, only a few blocks from the county courthouse.
A store at the corner of Branford and Washington streets was found to be producing the DVDs and CDs, while a Branford Place warehouse contained piles of merchandise for street sellers to purchase, police said.
“These are the big guys,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Ron Salahuddin, who heads the task force. “These are the guys who supply the little people.”
The operation, which has been in the works for three weeks, was part of a quality-of-life campaign launched by Mayor Cory Booker, who has made public safety a priority of his administration.
— Nair Abdou
http://www.newarkspeaks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3254
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows …”
Well it could’ve been worst if the suspect was pirating DVDs too: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2011/05/23/californias-anti-piracy-bill-would-allow-warrantless-searches/
Tazzle,
Your daughter and your family are peasants and serfs here for the enjoyment and entertainment of socially retarded cowards who need to rely on other pansies in other government to live.
Go read some of their websites and blogs. They have 0 value for our lives.
Now if only the postal worker who defecated on someone’s lawn had done it on their memorial in DC, then I’d be far more lenient with him.
Are their good cops? Sure. But clearly not good enough to keep us safe from the bad ones.
“Officer Daniel Alvarado seems to be enjoying a great deal of “protection”. Perhaps the family’s lawsuit will be able to uncover the source of that protection.”
I have my money on the Police Union.
I’d like to give any police officer the benefit of the doubt. But, I lived in San Antonio for forty years and my daughter dated a city police officer from there for two years. He refused to take “no” for an answer when she wanted to break off with him. He stalked her for TEN YEARS afterwards. We turned in literally dozens of complaints to Internal Affairs as did neighbors and others who witnessed his harassment. He even had fellow officers following guys she was dating and harrassing them. Nothing was ever done. It was the biggest reason she finally decided to move out of state. She and her husband and children live in a town forty miles from San Antonio now. They figured they’d be safe because he was married and had kids as well. But, guess what? He’s divorced now and she’s been getting hang up calls for over a year now.
AY:
LOL. I always overlook something.
Mike,
There is always the Houston Police Department that will take him….
Whether or not the officer gets criminally charged with homicide I can see as being up for debate. Letting him continue on the police force after rubber stamping his conduct is simply unacceptable.
Monday, November 15, 2010 is the date on the San Antonio story…
So this is an “old” story?
Mike Appleton,
Ah ha … now I get it.
This incident will cost the City of San Antonio very large sums of money. The police department’s conclusion that the shooting was “justified” is intended to shore up a defense in the civil action, but it will fall apart should the case actually go to trial. Fortunately, however, this should be the end of Mr. Alvarado’s career in law enforcement.
Officer Daniel Alvarado seems to be enjoying a great deal of “protection”. Perhaps the family’s lawsuit will be able to uncover the source of that protection.
The story didn’t shock me until I came to the end: “Remains on the force.”
Okay, he chased down a kid and killed him. What does a guy have to do to get fired?
eniobob,
Not to minimize anyones death or the damage a gun can do…..but Officers on duty are expected to comply with the current state of the law….Now if TN vs Garner has been over turned…it may be a different result…but since…an officer cannot use deadly force to stop a fleeing felon….unless the officers or other folks safely is at risk….
GUNS:
“San Antonio Officer Fatally Shoots Unarmed Teen Who Scared Him — Previously Suspended Four Times From Force
Published 1, May 27, 2011”
Newark police officer shot in city’s South Ward dies
Published: Friday, May 27, 2011, 9:45 AM Updated: Friday, May 27, 2011, 9:54 AM
NEWARK — An off-duty veteran Newark police officer who was shot as he was ordering a slice of pizza inside a restaurant in the city’s South Ward has died, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/newark_police_officer_shot_in.html
Bullets have no distinction as to who they hurt or kill.