Whose Peers?

It's both a triumphant, and a terrifying video to watch. New Mexico State Police Trooper Sharron Duran stops a white pick-up truck for tailgating. She is a K9 officer, and a member of a Federal Task Force. Seeing the initial video, the idea that the vehicle is technically tailgating but it:

*Has Arizona plates (approaching Albuquerque), and

*The vehicle it is following is a pickup truck with a fifth wheel, also Arizona plates and

*They are eastbound toward I-25...

My guess is that the officer was wondering if she was following someone involved in other suspicious activity, such as human trafficking. But, since the Supreme Court has allowed any traffic stop based on a violation, no matter the underlying motivation of the officer, and it being September 2020 before many legislatures "discovered" a right to be free from even reasonable seizures, Trooper Duran is well within the law to stop this guy.

Instead of reading what I write, watch her (and others) in action, in the video above. Yes, that is her being shot multiple times, with a vest save thrown in for good measure. Yes, that is her with both hands injured returning effective fire. That is also her behind the wheel of her patrol car, bleeding, chasing the suspect. That is her muttering "Fuck," cop shorthand for "That didn't go well." That is her pulling the asshole over. Yes, that is officers treating the suspect with professional respect even as the coworker he (allegedly) shot sits bleeding, and overcome by the emotions of the affair, in the weeds nearby.

But, that is not why this blog is important. It is important because of what happens next.

Defense attorneys, failing to have their client declared incompetent, decide that the officer is to blame. She observed the caravan (the suspect's parents were in the vehicle pulling the camper) before she executed the traffic stop. She went behind her vehicle and approached on the passenger side of the pickup. Very suspicious! Their client is paranoid, especially about police officers. She...patted her weapon!

Watch the video. See if you buy all of that. Because, one of the jurors at the suspect's trial a year and a half later did. 

“We can’t come to a unanimous vote,” the jury told the judge. “One juror needs more time to decide and some have medical conditions and need rest. Can we come back tomorrow?”

They left for the night and reconvened Friday morning but were still unable to come to a unanimous vote.

“One of us is refusing to listen to any deliberations,” the foreperson wrote. “It is clearly stated that nothing will change his/her opinion. What is the next step?”

In other words, in spite of video of the incident from the officer's dash camera, and her body camera... In spite of the admission that the suspect shot her multiple times, one person on the jury refused to be persuaded that he was guilty of attempted murder.

Trooper Duran (now Sergeant Duran) acted in the very best tradition of American law enforcement officers. She acted lawfully, courageously and in spite of her injuries got the suspect stopped without further injury to herself, the suspect or the public. She deserves every accolade available.

The juror? Puh-leeze. Whoever they are, they are not Sergeant Duran's peer.

Oh... The dude obviously decided he couldn't count on someone else like that on a future jury and he plead guilty to attempted murder. Sentencing to follow.