Wesley Ruiz is the fourth convict to be executed this 12 months in US. (File)
Washington:
A person sentenced to demise for the homicide of a police officer was executed Wednesday evening in Texas regardless of suspicions of racism having tainted his trial. The Texas Division of Legal Justice confirmed that Wesley Ruiz, 43, was pronounced lifeless from a deadly injection on the penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas at 6:41 pm native time (1241 GMT).
Cops chased Ruiz by way of the streets of the central Texas metropolis of Dallas in 2007, believing his automobile was concerned in a murder. On the finish of the chase, Ruiz fired a shot at police officer Mark Nix who was attempting to interrupt the window of his automobile along with his baton. The shot killed Nix.
Throughout his trial, Ruiz asserted that he feared for his life and fired in self-defense, native media reported. Nonetheless, jurors sentenced him to demise.
Based on the Texas Division of Legal Justice, Ruiz’s final phrases had been: “I wish to apologize to Mark and the Nix household. I hope this brings you nearer.
“I wish to say to all my household and mates around the globe thanks for supporting me. To my youngsters, stand tall and proceed to make me proud, don’t fret about me, I’ll be OK. Alright Warden, I am able to experience.”
Within the years that adopted Ruiz’s conviction, his legal professionals launched a number of unsuccessful appeals.
Because the execution date approached, legal professionals argued in an emergency movement that jurors relied on “overtly racist” proof and “blatantly anti-Hispanic stereotypes” in appraising Ruiz’s dangerousness.
One juror had described him as “an animal,” “a mad canine” and regarded Hispanics on the trial to be “gang members,” they argued in courtroom papers.
Their case was dismissed at trial and on enchantment and was submitted for a last-ditch reprieve earlier than the US Supreme Courtroom.
Ruiz had additionally joined a lawsuit introduced by a number of demise row inmates in Texas, who accused the state Division of Legal Justice of extending the expiration dates of deadly substances used for executions.
Using outdated medicine, they are saying, dangers inflicting illegal struggling, for the reason that US Structure prohibits merciless and strange punishment.
The authorities insisted that their shares of pentobarbital don’t pose an issue.
The Supreme Courtroom didn’t keep the execution, making Ruiz the fourth convict to be executed this 12 months in the US.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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