Deputy King, on trial for his life. UPDATED

Simon Gutierrez Jahuey endangered hundreds of people that day. He sped north on I-45, reaching speeds of up to 120 MPH for half an hour. He was thought to have a 13 year old girl that he had been sexually molesting in the van with him. He was running from the cops because he knew if caught he would be going to prison for child molestation. Child molesters don't have an easy time in prison. Deputy King, a 20 year veteran with a spotless record, managed to pull along side the van and fired his weapon through the passenger side window of the van, striking Jahuey in the neck. Jahuey lost control of the van and crashed, ending the danger to both the police, as well as the innocent citizens placed in harms way by this madman. It was July 3rd, 2005. Good ending to a sordid tale? If only.

Jahuey survived his shooting. The girl had just been dropped off outside her mother's apartment moments before the chase began so was not in the vehicle as thought. The girl's mother, who was Jahuey's estranged wife's sister, took the child out of state to prevent her from testifying against Jahuey, destroying any hope of prosecuting him for the molestation.


Prosecutor Joe Owmby has brought Deputy King up on charges of aggravated assault by a public servant. Deputy King violated a sherrif's department policy put in place in 2004.

Harris County forbids officers from firing into vehicles except when someone inside is pointing a gun or using deadly force other than the vehicle. The policy began in June 2004 after a four-month Houston Chronicle investigation found that of 184 police shootings in Harris County since 1999, deputies had killed six and wounded 16 by firing into vehicles.

King's Union attorney, Richard Cobb, criticized that policy.

"The policy is there to protect the politicians, not the public," Cobb said. "Policemen aren't supposed to let crooks get away. That's not what we pay them for."

Therefore, Deputy King is on trial and if convicted, he faces a punishment range from probation to life in prison, all because The Houston Chronicle decided it needed to stir up something to sell more papers.

UPDATE:
Aquitted in under 45 minutes!
Now the question is, how long before Joe Owmby is brought up on charges of official oppression and malicious prosecution?