US Man Convicted Of Cop's Murder Executed
NDTV
During his trial, Wesley Ruiz asserted that he feared for his life and fired in self-defense, but the jurors went ahead and sentenced him to death.
A man sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer was executed Wednesday night in Texas despite suspicions of racism having tainted his trial. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed that Wesley Ruiz, 43, was pronounced dead from a lethal injection at the penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas at 6:41 pm local time (1241 GMT).
Police officers chased Ruiz through the streets of the central Texas city of Dallas in 2007, believing his vehicle was involved in a homicide. At the end of the chase, Ruiz fired a shot at police officer Mark Nix who was trying to break the window of his car with his baton. The shot killed Nix.
During his trial, Ruiz asserted that he feared for his life and fired in self-defense, local media reported. Nonetheless, jurors sentenced him to death.
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Ruiz's last words were: "I would like to apologize to Mark and the Nix family. I hope this brings you closer.