Sunday, September 24, 2006

A Question or Two about the Accused Cop Killer

According to Saturday’s Chronicle, Juan Leonardo Quintero, who’s accused of fatally shooting police officer Rodney Johnson, “had been working for a landscaping company in the Deer Park area and was driving a company Ford double-cab pickup” when Johnson pulled him over Thursday for speeding.

So, out of curiosity, what is the name of the Deer Park landscaping company? Who, exactly, hired Juan Leonardo Quintero, even though he had been previously deported from the United States after being given deferred adjudication for indecency with a child? And who, exactly, allowed him to use a company vehicle, even though he previously had been arrested for DWI, driving with a suspended license and failing to stop and give information after an auto accident (we presume he would have been charged with unauthorized use, if he’d taken the pickup without permission).

We’ll go out on a limb here and wager that Juan Leonardo Quintero wasn’t carrying proof of liability coverage, either, when Officer Johnson pulled him over.

If the shooting actually raises questions about immigration policy, the city’s or the nation’s, then let’s bring out all the parties to the equation. Let’s hear what the accused’s employer has to say.

After all, Juan Leonardo Quintero didn’t jump the border and come to Houston for the scenery.

And by the way: What kind of person packs a 9 mm handgun in his pants when he goes to pick up his daughters from school, as Quintero supposedly was doing?

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