Wesley Ruiz, 43, received a lethal injection Wednesday. For the March 2007 killing of Dallas police Senior Corporal Mark Nix.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – A man convicted of fatally shooting a Dallas. Police officer nearly 16 years ago was executed Wednesday after a high-speed chase.
Wesley Ruiz, 43, received a lethal injection in Huntsville. Texas for the March 2007 killing of Dallas police Senior Corporal Mark Nix.
Ruiz led officers on a high-speed chase. After he was seen driving a vehicle matching the description of one used by a murder suspect. Authorities said Ruiz fired a shot at Nix. When the officer tried to break the passenger window of the car after a chase. The bullet struck Nix’s badge, splitting it. and severing an artery and slicing through his neck. He later died in hospital.
The U.S. Supreme Court earlier on Wednesday rejected. An appeal by Ruiz’s attorneys to halt the execution. The defense argued that jurors relied on “blatantly racist.” And “blatantly anti-Hispanic stereotypes” to assess whether Ruiz. Posed a future danger, an element required to warrant the death penalty in Texas. Ruiz was Hispanic.
In court documents filed with the Supreme Court late Tuesday. The Texas attorney general’s office said Ruiz’s claim. Of jury bias had no merit because a review of the charges conducted last week by Dallas. County District Attorney John Creuzot found no such bias. One of the jurors accused of bias by Ruiz’s attorneys told Cruzat that. According to court filings, “I have not and am not biased toward anyone or any race.
Last week, U.S. District Judge David Godbey in Dallas denied Ruiz’s request to stay the execution. Saying his attorneys had failed to show. That jurors made statements showing “overt racial bias” during his trial. On Monday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Also denied a similar stay request citing racial bias. The Court of Appeal did not consider the merits of the claim, but rejected it on procedural grounds.
Ruiz’s attorneys had before argued unsuccessfully. That an expert witness for the prosecution had falsely testified. At the 2008 trial about an ongoing threat to Ruiz. His attorneys alleged prosecutors knew. About the false testimony but kept quiet about it. In his ruling, Godbey said the expert testimony was “probably innocuous.” And that even if it had been redacted, it would not have changed the jury’s decision to sentence Ruiz to death.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday unanimously. Declined to commute Ruiz’s death sentence to a lesser sentence.
Ruiz was one of five Texas death row inmates. Who sued to stop the state’s prison system from using expired and unsafe execution drugs. Despite an Austin civil court judge initially agreeing to the claims. The state’s top two courts on Jan. 10 allowed one of the inmates involved in the case to be executed. Prison officials have denied the lawsuit’s claims. And said the state’s supply of execution drugs is safe.
At his trial, Ruiz testified that he feared for his life when he fired in self-defense. At Nix after the officer threatened to kill him. He also said he believed the police fired their weapons first.
“I didn’t try to kill the officer. I tried to stop him,” Ruiz testified.
Ruiz also said he fled from police that day because he had illegal drugs in his car and had consumed drugs.
Gabriel Luciano, who knew Nix when he worked as a security guard. Said the officer always responded quickly. When people needed help in the northwest Dallas area where Luciano worked.
He was a “guardian angel,” Luciano said. “It’s still painful no matter what. Nothing is going to stop it.”
With seven more executions scheduled for later this year in Texas. Including one next week.
