More on the Roger, Arkansas incident which has prompted the mayor to propose real immigration reform in this town. It appears that some illegals were cooking the Meth that Americans won't cook!








Shooting An Accident, Prosecutor Decides

By Robin Mero The Morning News

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Prosecutor Robin Green issued a report Thursday saying the Oct. 20 shooting of an undercover Rogers Police officer was an accident. Undercover narcotics officers from the Rogers Police Department and the Benton County Sheriff's Office were serving a search warrant at 703 E. Mimosa Place when one of their guns discharged, shooting Rogers officer Brian Culpepper in the leg. Green investigated the events and determined the shooting was an accident and no charges are warranted. Sheriff Keith Ferguson and Rogers Police Chief Steve Helms said Thursday they expected that decision. "I agree it was an accident," Ferguson said. "(An accidental shooting) is one of the hazards of our profession and a possibility every time we go into a situation where drugs are being sold. "Helms agreed, calling the incident an "unfortunate accident." After surgery and hospitalization, Culpepper is recuperating well at home but no timetable has been set for his return to work, Helms said.

Green's report mirrored a description of the incident from a search warrant.Officers served two separate, but related, search warrants that day in Rogers, the first at 4:23 p.m. at a nearby motel room, where they seized 117 grams of methamphetamine. Jose Mora, 32, an illegal alien, was arrested there in connection with felony drug charges. A second man, Carlos Vega, was arrested in connection with felony drug charges and resisting arrest because he fought officers at the motel, according to the report. Police then traveled to the second location, the Mimosa Place home.Nine officers announced themselves at the door by shouting "Sheriff's office" and "Search warrant," then forced entry into the home.

Two females were in the living room. One female began screaming, refused commands to get down and reached for the couch area. Fearing she was reaching for a weapon, a sheriff's detective grabbed the back of her neck with his left hand. He held his weapon in his right hand. The female began bending and twisting away from him and they both began to fall. During the fall, the woman's hand grasped the officer's right hand, which held his weapon, and squeezed. "It is uncertain whose finger was on the trigger at the time of their fall," Green's report says. However the woman, who has been identified by two names -- Maria Ayon-Torres and Hermenia Vega -- was deported immediately after the incident. Officials said she would not have been deported if charges were planned. The woman is the wife of Carlos Vega, the man who fought police at the motel, Green confirmed Thursday. The second woman at the home, Juana Hurtado, was holding a baby throughout the incident. She was not involved in the struggle, according to the report.

At the home, 13 grams of methamphetamine were seized. Ricardo Mora later arrived at the home and was arrested in connection with felony drug charges. Helms said that, when Culpepper is able, all of the officers will be asked to sit down and evaluate the incident. Policy changes for serving warrants may be appropriate."We will see if anything should have been done differently," Helms said.
THE MORNING NEWS' Melissa Blakley contributed to this report.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles



_________________________
This is the official statement from the Prosecuting attorney:

BENTON COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICEIN
RE: SHOOTING AT
703 EAST MIMOSA STREET,
ROGERS, ARKANSAS

ON OCTOBER 20, 2006
After careful review of the investigation by the Arkansas State Police into the shooting of an undercover Rogers Police officer on October 20, 2006, while executing a search warrant at 703 East Mimosa, Rogers, it is the determination of this office that the shooting was accidental in nature.Specifically, the findings of this Office are as follows:Undercover narcotics officers with the Rogers Police Department and the Benton County Sheriff's Office served two separate - but related - search warrants on October 20, 2006 in Rogers. The first search warrant was served at a motel room at 4:23 p.m.

In the course of executing that search warrant, officers encountered resistance from one Hispanic male in the motel room, with it taking four officers to secure him and effectuate his arrest. After securing 117 grams of methamphetamine, the narcotics officers traveled to 703 East Mimosa, Rogers, for execution of a related search warrant.Specifically, nine undercover officers arrived at 4:53 p.m. at 703 East Mimosa Street in Rogers to execute this second search warrant. All officers were wearing tactical vests complete with "SHERIFF" or "POLICE" in either white or gold. Several detectives had law enforcement badges attached to their gear as well. Four undercover officers wore tactical hoods (masks) while five officers did not. Upon receiving no response to repeated shouts of, "Sheriff's Office! Search warrant!," officers made forced entry into the home. Two females were in the living room, with one female holding a small child and the second female near a couch in that room.

As officers entered the house and spread out to secure it, the female near the couch began screaming. This female refused to follow commands to get down and instead reached for the couch area. Fearing that she was reaching for a weapon, the nearest officer, a Benton County Sheriff's Detective, grabbed the back of her neck in an attempt to take her to the ground. The officer used his left hand, as his right hand was holding his service weapon. The female began bending and twisting away from him. During the struggle, the officer and the female began falling backwards to the floor. As they were falling, the female's hand grasped the officer's right hand, which contained his weapon, and squeezed. It is uncertain whose finger was on the trigger at the time of their fall. As the shot was fired and the officer and female fell to the floor, a second officer fell to the floor as well.

The Sergeant in the room immediately began yelling, "Who's shooting? Who is shot?" and other officers entered the room. Blood began pooling around the second officer, and officers immediately began rendering medical aid and calling for an ambulance. The officer whose gun had fired assisted in rendering aid to the fallen officer.The female subject began screaming and refusing commands to get up, forcing officers to physically remove her from the room. [It should be noted that this female is the wife of the male subject who was arrested at the motel moments earlier, and who fought the officers upon his arrest at that location]. The fallen officer was transported to St. Mary's Hospital and is now recovering. The methamphetamine seized at this residence, consisting of 13 grams of methamphetamine, was taken into evidence.It is the determination of the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office that the shot which was fired was the result of an Accidental Discharge, and accordingly, no charges will be filed.

ROBIN GREEN
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
19th JUDICIAL DISTRICT WEST