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BORDER CONTROL

Texas Restricts Shooting From Helicopters After Illegal Immigrants Were Killed

They've stopped shooting anyone who's not firing back

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by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

Image: defensereview.com

The Texas Dept of Public Safety has announced that state troopers will no longer be permitted to shoot from helicopters unless they're being fired on.

DPS Director Steve McCraw announced the ban while taking questions on the deaths of two Guatemalan immigrants in 2012. "I'm convinced that now, from a helicopter platform, that we shouldn't shoot unless being shot at, or unless someone is being shot at," he said. But he insisted the policy change had nothing to do with the immigrants' deaths, which occurred when airborne troopers fired on their pickup near La Joya at the US-Mexico border.

McCraw defended the shooting on the grounds that the truck was nearing a school zone, and troopers suspected it was transporting drugs. Prosecutors are still investigating.

In a later email, the Texas DPS clarified that "a suspect's driving behavior including aggressive or reckless driving to evade arrest" does not warrant "a firearms discharge from an aircraft."

Texas was formerly unique among Southwestern states in allowing such aerial fire.

Via Fox News Houston. H/T Politix user martydotcom.
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Comments (view in Forum)

  • MrGreenHerb
    !
    @Arumizy Start killing them, you'll have many many people on your hands to deal with. The Mexican government will want justice for the deaths, since the Mexican race is high in America. You cannot go out and start killing people because they're crossing the boarder, thats like saying protect MickyD's to prevent obesity, if they cross the line start putting them down quicker then they down their milkshakes.
  • Arumizy
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    @MrGreenHerb Then the mexican government should control their people and help enforce the border. And what will they do, try to invade the US with their corrupt military and be destroyed? If they are crossing the border, they are an invader and should be dealt with in such a manner. You start sniping them as they cross and the rest will get the idea and stop trying.
  • View all 77 replies >
  • ZombieMedic
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    Heard a good idea that history has proven works for border security. Hadrian's Wall in Britian. A wall the length of the border, that people can stand and travel the length of while on top of it, with guardtowers every 1/4 mile, and barracks every mile, or few miles in this day and age. Have larger barracks every so many miles with troops. Rotate 8 hour shifts, a man every 1/4 mile, with shoot to kill instructions for anyone trying to cross illegally. Sonar sensory equipment would prevent tunneling. Would only take about 10,000 troops to secure border where not even a cockroach could get past. But it seems neither party really wants to secure the border. As far as shooting people from helecopters, that is a bit sissyfied. Get on the ground if you want to fight.
  • Rocker
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    Actually you can fire rather accurately from a chopper, it just takes a special gyro stabilized seat. But I don't know nothing about that.
  • Rocker
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    @mtkopf - Dark Humor for what it is and recognizing it isn't lost on me at the appropriate times. Sick as it seems now, it had some element of truth in that day and setting.
  • Post Removed by Moderators
  • View all 6 replies >
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
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    Or they can vote for obama and the liberals and they can continue to come here illegally and get welfare and free health care and whatever else they want for doing absolutely nothing.
  • u
    tomincali
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix i think we have already seen that . what is said of those who do not learn from history,well we are seeing first hand what those in office are.
  • u
    Jet_Silverman
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix as long as it ticks you "small government" conservatives off, I'm pleased. Illegals don't do anything? BS, they do work blubbery Americans won't. They come here for work, not welfare.
  • justapirate
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    @Jet_Silverman ...and they wind up with welfare. Haven't noticed that?

    And this blubbery American made many attempts to do those jobs that blubbery Americans won't do. I was constantly denied. If the workforce is driven from the area so that cheap illegals can do the job, then, tell me, who's at fault because the 'locals' won't take the jobs? We were run out. We ain't there no more. And that's our fault?
    Blind. Pure blind.
  • View all 40 replies >
  • DerivePI
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    How do we not know by now whether they had drugs in the truck?

    I like Guatemalans, but we need to have a no nonsense approach to any drug trafficing from Mexico (or anywhere). It shouldn't be Texans that have to track these belligerents but the feds.
  • u
    BossTweed
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    It all depends on our commitment to our children. Mexico shots anyone illegally crossing their southern border because they want to leave a sovereign nation to their kids. We may be too weak and heartless to defend our families and our Country from the invasion and colonization by benefit and service starved foreign peasants.
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    Exactly, near, before it got their, same difference, what if a kid was going by on the way to or from the school. And judging from this poll alot of these right wingers support it. These haters are so fanatic the don't care. You know these folks are crazy when they support something that even tex ass thinks is too extreme...
  • DARSB
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    I'm reassured by @NTBFW saying they weren't near a school. But I am a little creeped out by door gunners over American cities.
  • jessejaymes
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    You know I'm about as illegal immigration as anyone that posts here but shooting from helicopters with gunfire first originating from other than the helicopter in the USA has NO basis in need. NONE.
  • jessejaymes
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    @PoliticalSpice That's because I'm a moderate and I won't tolerate BS from either side. Talking about shooting people on the grounds "they might have drugs" is just indefensible.
  • justapirate
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    Had to think about this one a bit. Two issues in my mind that opposed each other. I don't approve of police agencies firing from aircraft in this country. A: That's a military undertaking, not civilian. I haven't yet seen a civilian program with sufficient training, oversight and safeguards to allow me to be comfortable with the idea. Any time at all spent paying attention to the news and it's obvious that going beyond limits by police officials is just too common an occurence. But then we have B:Those are invaders coming across that border and they need repelled by any means.
    I've reconciled the controversy in my mind. Invaders have no rights. They are subject to attack by anyone defending this country. So, good hunting, boys.
  • dances-weebles
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    invaders? have they actually been entering the nation as an army? has there been a declaration of war against the u.s.? have they actually attacked any government installations? if so, then why haven't we heard anything about it?
  • Knightkore
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    Okay, I'll vote you up....you have a well thought out and reasoned approach and I would add C: American civilians when LEGALLY crossing the border are usually shot at and are injured or killed....what has the Mexican government done other than to say....oops....?
  • u
    BelinKS
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    Not everyone sneaking into this country are part of drug smuggling. They are trying to get here for a better, much safer life. If your family had to live everyday with the absolute fear that the drug cartels are going to kill them, wouldn't you try anything to make them safer?
  • u
    BelinKS
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    @justapirate
    Their government has already conceded they cannot fight enough of the cartels while the others slip through. These are cartels from all over South America trying to use Mexico as their way to get their drugs into our country. Since our country are the consumers, aren't the American people to blame?
  • justapirate
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    @BelinKS Our government knows what needs done to the cartels. We even have the capability. Too many politicians in the way trying to suck up votes at the cost of our country. And that still doesn't justify the invasion we are facing daily. It has to stop even if it's one round at a time.
  • u
    BossTweed
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    So apply for Legal Immigration. Problemo solved. We can't be the Wallet paying for unlimited freebies for the Third World population. Calif is proof of that sad fact.
  • Concerned_Cit
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    I have sympathy for Mexicans being forced into the drug trade because of cartels, but they need to arm themselves and get something similar to a second amendment in their country. Mexico is a prime example of what happens to a country when the populace is disarmed and only the government and police have firearms, especially when most of the police are part of the problem helping the cartels.
  • View all 6 replies >
  • Your_Name_Here
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    Getting shot is a subscription service. If you don't want to get shot then just don't subscribe to the behavior that results in getting shot. In these times you have to assume that anyone who enters the US illegally is a terrorist and is only here to kill us so deadly force is required. It is interesting, though, how our government supports killing people in other countries using drones but this seems to be such an issue.
  • Brychan
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    Uhh... yeah. Vietnam: the better part of 2 decades in country. A-stan: Over a decade in country. I gotta question your definition of "fast enough".
  • u
    seedtick
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    I am all for doing what is needed to secure the border. But, we are dealing with human beings. While they need to be stopped from crossing the border, they do not need to be shot from helicopters because they run when spotted.
    Now, with that said, all bets are off when those spotted are armed. They are no longer migrants...they are a threat to our national security and the American citizens along the border. And, if they shoot at anything while crossing the border, they should then be targets of choice using any means necessary.
    One more thing...I would support attacks upon the Cartel leaders in Mexico by American forces. These animals should be considered as targets of choice where ever they stand.
  • dances-weebles
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    i think that if the border patrol wants to shoot people, then they should have to meet with them face to face and look right into their eyes when they pull the trigger. they should have to be able to see, hear and smell their fear... including the fear that brought them here in the first place.

    crossing the border is no excuse for murder.
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