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A former prison warden and his brother face additional charges in the shooting of migrants in West Texas | CNN

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A former prison warden and his brother face additional charges in the shooting of migrants in West Texas | CNN




CNN
 — 

Two brothers who have been accused of taking pictures two migrants in West Texas at the moment are dealing with extra fees of aggravated assault with a lethal weapon after being rearrested earlier this week.

Michael and Mark Sheppard, each 60, stay in custody as of Friday afternoon and bond has been set at $250,000 every, based on Chief Deputy Lazaro Salgado with the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Workplace.

CNN beforehand reported each males had posted bond, additionally of $250,000 every, on Monday on separate manslaughter fees and have been launched, based on Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West. They have been rearrested on Wednesday by the Texas Rangers on the extra fees.

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Each males have shut ties to regulation enforcement, based on a number of sources. Michael Sheppard was the warden at a privately-run jail within the space, and Mark Sheppard was employed by the sheriff’s workplace to do upkeep work. Each have been terminated from their positions after the taking pictures, based on LaSalle Corrections and the sheriff’s workplace.

The lads are accused of taking pictures at a bunch of migrants who had stopped to get a drink of water, killing one and wounding one other. The alleged taking pictures passed off on September 27 close to Sierra Blanca, Texas.

Surviving migrants informed investigators they hid within the brush when the lads pulled over of their truck, based on possible trigger affidavits for the primary arrest. The migrants stated they heard the lads shout one thing in Spanish to the impact of, “Come out you sons of bitches, little asses,” earlier than one among them fired two rounds.

Mark Sheppard informed investigators the 2 brothers thought they have been taking pictures at javelinas, a kind of untamed pig, however didn’t examine to see whether or not they’d hit something.

Immigrant rights advocates stated this space of West Texas has turn out to be an more and more busy route for migrants, and to achieve the world, migrants had seemingly been strolling for days in harsh situations.

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On Thursday, the sheriff’s workplace launched paperwork exhibiting the extra fees of aggravated assault with a lethal weapon, a second-degree felony. The brand new arrest affidavits are nearly precisely the identical because the originals, aside from a tweak within the language when the investigator describes the taking pictures.

The affidavits for the primary arrest on manslaughter say, “Mark Sheppard informed us Michael Sheppard exited the truck with a shotgun, leaned on the hood of the car and fired two rounds.”

The brand new affidavits with the extra aggravated assault fees say Michael Sheppard exited the truck with a shotgun, leaned on the hood of the car “and recklessly fired two rounds into their location.”

CNN has been unable to achieve or converse with the Sheppards’ attorneys.

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When reached by CNN, a consultant with the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender’s workplace declined to touch upon the case.

Hudspeth County Commissioner Andrew Virdell stated he was having espresso with the brothers and the sheriff just some hours earlier than the taking pictures. They have been on the sheriff’s workplace collectively, however the brothers didn’t point out any plans to go searching that night, Virdell stated.

“I can’t even consider they did it. It’s only a shock,” Verdell stated. “I don’t know what their motive could be.”

Mark Sheppard initially informed investigators they have been attempting to find geese, then modified it to birds, then modified it to javelinas, based on the preliminary arrest affidavit.

Virdell confirmed javelinas are sometimes discovered within the space of the taking pictures, however he stated it’s laborious to consider migrants could possibly be mistaken for javelinas.

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“If you happen to get folks ducking in bushes, I assume they may appear to be that (javelinas),” he stated, however added, “Often once you fireplace a gun in Texas, you go see what you hit or no matter. You don’t simply drive off.”

The victims who have been injured and killed by the 2 brothers final week have been Mexican nationals, based on a information launch issued by the Mexican Consulate in El Paso. The victims weren’t recognized by title.

The victims and their households are receiving consular and authorized companies for a potential human rights violations case and the Anti-Defamation League has been notified, the information launch states. CNN has confirmed with the league the case was reported to them.

“ADL is deeply disturbed to study of the obvious taking pictures of two migrants, one fatally, in Hudspeth County, TX. Whereas the investigation is underway, we strongly name for regulation enforcement to look at the potential of those shootings being hate-motivated,” the league’s Southwest workplace tweeted. “Migrants need to be handled with dignity and respect as they arrive to the U.S. to hunt a greater and safer life. Hate-filled rhetoric demonizing immigrant has real-world, lethal penalties and should cease.”

The Mexican nationwide who was injured stays hospitalized and is “out of hazard,” the Mexican Consulate of El Paso information launch states. Preparations are being made for the physique of the deceased particular person to be repatriated to Mexico.

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Michael Sheppard, the previous warden of the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca, was a topic of a scathing report which documented alleged racism and abuse of African males by the hands of Sheppard and different detention management, based on Fatma Marouf, the director of the Immigration Rights Clinic at Texas A&M College College of Legislation.

“We had proof of this precise particular person, kicking folks calling them racial slurs, throwing them on the bottom,” Marouf informed CNN by telephone. “So it’s not a shock to me. It’s simply horrible that nothing was achieved earlier.”

CNN has been unable to achieve Sheppard or his legal professional for remark.

Marouf’s staff and members of the Refugee and Immigrant Middle for Schooling and Authorized Providers and the Immigration Clinic on the College of Texas at Austin interviewed 30 of the lads and authored the 2018 report.

The report centered on the remedy of about 80 African males, ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s, lots of whom had lived within the US for many years, had US citizen relations, and had been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on minor legal offenses. Among the males had arrived as youngster refugees fleeing persecution of their dwelling nations.

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The report alleges Sheppard and different management on the detention middle used racial slurs, denied the lads medical and psychological well being care, and in addition bodily abused the people.

“He’s quoted as saying issues like, ‘Shut your Black ass up. You don’t deserve nothing. You belong in the back of the (that) cage,’ calling folks ‘Boy,’ issues like that. Telling folks ‘You’re my bitch,’” Marouf stated.

CNN reached out to LaSalle Corrections for touch upon the report after Sheppard was terminated final week however didn’t get a response.

Marouf says the authors of the report filed a grievance with the Division of Homeland Safety Workplace of the Inspector Common and with the US Division of Justice. The staff obtained a letter from the division concluding there was no wrongdoing, based on a duplicate of the letter supplied to CNN by Marouf. The Justice Division responded to them by saying the inspector normal’s workplace would take the lead, Marouf added.

“It usually comes all the way down to who you consider and that tends to be, you recognize, deference to regulation enforcement, sadly,” Marouf stated.

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CNN has reached out to Division of Homeland Safety Workplace of the Inspector Common and has not instantly heard again. The US Legal professional’s Workplace for the Western District of Texas emailed CNN saying the workplace didn’t have a remark presently.



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Texas

A&M-Texas rivalry is back where it belongs

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A&M-Texas rivalry is back where it belongs


(Michael Hogue)

My Aggie loyalty started in high school, when my future alma mater mailed a poster of Bonfire to a ZIP code at the very top of Texas. That was about all the recruiting I received from Aggieland, but it was enough. That poster hung on my wall (between Michael Jordan and a Porsche) and I memorized the only words on it:

Some may boast of prowess bold,

of the school they think so grand.

But there’s a spirit can ne’er be told.

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Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.

It’s the Spirit of Aggieland.

My enrollment at what was then the third-largest university in the nation was a sea change for me, and a culture shock. It’s when I stitched the High Plains together with the rest of Texas and started to get perspective about the history, personalities and traditions that shape our state. One of those traditions will be renewed Saturday when maroon and burnt orange take the field together, for the first time in 13 years, below the roar of the 12th Man.

This rivalry started in 1894, and was renewed 97 consecutive times from 1915 to 2011. Altogether, the game has been played 118 times. It used to unite the state, and it used to divide families. In recent years, jokes about tension over Thanksgiving dinner because of the A&M-UT game have been replaced by dread of Thanksgiving dinner over political talk. With the election behind us, it’ll be good for Texans to get back to the old ways.

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This rivalry has created our state’s own version of mixed marriages. Kevin Scheible, one of my closest friends from college, married a member of the Longhorn Band. Kevin and Sharon live in San Antonio now. They’ve somehow made it work, though it’s an arrangement I would counsel most young lovers to avoid.

A dozen years ago, right around the time the rivalry was being suspended, my Aggie wife and I found ourselves in a Bible study group that was evenly split between Aggies and Longhorns. It included two mixed marriages. Those people are still some of our closest friends. Only the supernatural bonds of the Holy Spirit could have kept us from cracking in half. That, plus we don’t watch the game together.

Ryan Sanders' Bible study group is half Aggies and half Longhorns. As the rivalry is...
Ryan Sanders’ Bible study group is half Aggies and half Longhorns. As the rivalry is renewed, fellowship may be strained.(Evan Chavez)

College football has changed enormously since this game was played last, let alone since it was played first. The crowds are larger. The record size of the 12th Man is 110,663; this game will almost certainly surpass that.

The payouts are bigger too. The era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) sponsorships has created a breed that would have been unthinkable in 1894: millionaire college athletes.

Two of the 10 highest paid college athletes in the nation are Longhorn quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, according to Yahoo! Sports.

In the new Aggie tradition of paying football personalities not to contribute, benched quarterback Conner Weigman will earn his $628,000 NIL valuation from the sideline.

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But at least the venue will be simple. The Aggies play at Kyle Field, the state’s largest stadium, named after Texas A&M horticulture professor E.J. Kyle, who created the school’s football field in 1904.

In contrast, the name of the Longhorns’ haunt is something like Campbell-Williams Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium presented by Bud Light in association with Hemp-It-Up-America Political Action Committee.

Both schools have storied programs. The Longhorns have Darrell Royal, Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams and four national championships if you include the one in 1970 when they lost to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl but United Press International writers awarded them the title anyway because the media loves them. Some things never change.

The Aggies have Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings and Jackie Sherrill (for the purposes of this column, please forget the state of Alabama exists), as well as Heisman Trophy winners John David Crow and Johnny Football Manziel. When I was a student, Aggies claimed just one national championship, back in 1939. But then other schools started putting such achievements in big letters on their stadiums and we demanded a recount. Now, Aggies include the undefeated seasons in 1919 and 1927 under Coach D.X. Bible who later coached at, you guessed it, UT.

The rivalry has included its share of pranks. The official story (and by “official” I mean made up by Aggies) of how UT mascot Bevo got its name is that a group of Aggie students snuck over to Austin one night, long ago, after the horns had lost to A&M 13-0, and branded the cow with the score. In a mascot cover-up, UT students converted the 13 to a B, the – to an E and added a V before the 0 to create the name.

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It is true that A&M beat UT 13-0 in 1915, and it’s true that some Aggies branded the mascot. But the brand-conversion part remains unconfirmed and Longhorns refuse to admit the obvious: that this is a terrific story that should live long in Texas lore.

October 11, 1953 - Stepping out in the State Fair of Texas parade through downtown Dallas...
October 11, 1953 – Stepping out in the State Fair of Texas parade through downtown Dallas Saturday was Bevo IV, latest in a famed line of University of Texas Longhorn mascots.(Dallas Public Library – Texas/Dallas History and Archives Division/The Dallas Morning News Collection )

For all the differences between these schools, there is still more that unites us than divides us, as it’s popular to say these days. Both institutions are doing important work in research and molding the next generation of Texas leaders. Aggies and Longhorns love their state. We love our schools. And we would love to see our rivals lose. Both school’s songs mention the other.

That poster on my bedroom wall would be as close as I would come to the real Bonfire until I stood on Duncan Drill Field watching it burn in the fall of 1991. My unit in the Corps of Cadets was known for building Bonfire. We had spent thousands of man hours in exhausting manual labor kindling Bonfire’s purpose: the burning desire to beat the hell outta UT.

I remember watching the news just a few years later, heartbroken by the loss of 12 Aggies who were making their own Bonfire memories when tragedy struck. Aggies everywhere remembered them this week.

Longhorns did too. I’ll never forget how Austin dropped the rivalry taunts and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with grieving Aggies in the wake of that tragedy. UT showed its class that year. The school canceled its Hex Rally, the ritual that traditionally preceded the game. The UT Tower went dark and the Aggie War Hymn was played there — the one that derides the “orange and the white.” It’s the only time in UT history that has happened, I’m told. At the game, the Longhorn Band played Taps, a fitting salute at a school with military roots.

Longhorn coach Mack Brown offered to postpone the game and he said he has shed tears over the loss of those 12 Aggies. His staff organized a blood drive. Brown was a great coach whose players would have run through a wall for him. In November 1999, I think a lot of Aggies would have too.

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Yellow pot Cody Flores, wearing a helmet with the names and years of those before him, looks...
Yellow pot Cody Flores, wearing a helmet with the names and years of those before him, looks up at the stack during the construction of the bonfire for the Texas A&M Aggies vs. University of Texas Longhorns rivalry game on Saturday, November 19, 2011 in unincorporated Benchley, Texas near College Station.

Two weeks ago, Mrs. Aggie and I attended a gathering sponsored by the Coppell Aggie Moms Club where we got to meet the Texana artist Benjamin Knox. Knox was in the Aggie Cadet Corps just a few years before I was. He went on to paint the school spirit at several Texas institutions, including commissions by the State of Texas, and the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Knox showed us a new painting he created to mark the revival of this Texas Thanksgiving tradition. And because I accosted him after the meeting, he agreed to let The Dallas Morning News reproduce it here.

From a folded poster hung with thumbtacks to a work of art by one of Texas’ great painters, this rivalry has produced a lot of memorable images. If the Aggies don’t run out of time, I look forward to treasuring the image of the Kyle Field scoreboard Saturday, and sharing it with a few of my Longhorn friends.

Editor’s note: Over Sanders’ loud objections, this column was edited for a variety of blatant biases and subtle but consistent grammatical slights (such as the use of “tu”) that did not meet our editorial standards.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com



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TCU Volleyball Dominates Texas Tech on Senior Night

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TCU Volleyball Dominates Texas Tech on Senior Night


A common theme for No. 22 TCU has been their complete dominance on their home floor this season. The Horned Frogs finished the year 14-1 at Schollmaier Arena. On Friday night, in front of over 3,000 fans, TCU swept Texas Tech (25-14, 26-24, 25-11).

The four seniors honored by TCU were Melanie Parra, Cecily Bramschreiber, Stephanie Young and Ashlyn Bourland. All four players found ways to contribute as Parra finished with 14 kills and seven digs. Bramschreiber filled up the stat sheet with four kills, four aces and seven digs. Both Young and Bourland got an ace.

Both teams traded points in the early going, but Bramschreiber sparked a 7-2 run to give the Frogs a 16-9 lead. TCU hit .417 in the first set and dominated the first set capped off by a Becca Kelley ace.

In set two, Texas Tech made things much closer jumping out to a 8-5 lead. A 4-0 run from TCU put them back in front. This set included multiple runs and it was Tech that got it to set point leading 24-22. TCU was able to end the set on a 4-0 run courtesy of kills from Jalyn Gibson and Parra paired with aces from Bramschreiber.

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Trying to keeps things alive, TCU wasn’t met with much resistance from the Red Raiders in the third set. The Frogs kept up the pressure with multiple runs to build a massive 17-8 lead. Bourland picked up her first career ace and an attack error ended things.

It was a fun night for the seniors that played in front of the TCU crowd for the last time. The 14 wins at home tied the school record for most wins at home in a single season. They also picked up the most wins in a season since 2015. What Jason Williams has done for this program in such a short time has been remarkable to watch.

The Frogs move to 19-7 overall 11-5 in conference. They still are fifth in the Big 12 standings with two games to go. They will travel to Morgantown on Wednesday to take on West Virginia at 6 p.m. and then to Cincinnati on Friday at 1 p.m.

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. 

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Texas AG sues Dallas for decriminalizing marijuana

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Texas AG sues Dallas for decriminalizing marijuana


Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit Thursday targeting the blue city of Dallas over a ballot measure that decriminalizes marijuana.

Paxton alleges that Proposition R, which “prohibits the Dallas Police Department from making arrests or issuing citations for marijuana possession or considering the odor of marijuana as probable cause for search or seizure,” violates state law.

The attorney general argues in the lawsuit that the ballot measure is preempted by Texas law, which criminalizes the possession and distribution of marijuana. Paxton also claims the Texas Constitution prohibits municipalities from adopting an ordinance that conflicts with laws enacted by the state legislature.

MORE AMERICANS SMOKE MARIJUANA DAILY THAN DRINK ALCOHOL, STUDY CLAIMS

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court on November 01, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“Cities cannot pick and choose which State laws they follow,” Paxton said in a statement. “The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them.”

Paxton called the ballot measure “a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution” and threatened to sue any other city that “tries to constrain police in this fashion.” 

WHAT ARE THE TOP RISKS OF MARIJUANA USE?

Cannabis

A flower bud of marijuana.  (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

The lawsuit comes after interim Dallas Police Department Chief Michael Igo directed Dallas police officers not to enforce marijuana laws against those found to be in possession of less than 4 ounces. 

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Ground Game Texas, a progressive nonprofit group that campaigned in favor of the ballot measure, argued it would help “keep people out of jail for marijuana possession,” “reduce racially biased policing” and “save millions in public funding.” 

TEXAS AG PAXTON FILES CRIMINAL REFERRAL AGAINST DOJ FROM ‘SUSPICIOUS DONATIONS’ THROUGH DEMOCRATIC GROUP

marijuana plant

A mature marijuana plant begins to bloom under artificial lights at Loving Kindness Farms in Gardena, Calif., May 20, 2019. Paxton has sued the city of Dallas over a ballot measure that decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.  (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

“It’s unfortunate but not surprising that Attorney General Ken Paxton has apparently chosen to waste everyone’s time and money by filing yet another baseless lawsuit against marijuana decriminalization,” said Catina Voellinger, executive director for Ground Game Texas.

“Judges in Travis and Hays counties have already dismissed identical lawsuits filed there. The Dallas Freedom Act was overwhelmingly approved by 67% of voters — this is democracy in action.”

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Since January 2024, Paxton has filed lawsuits against five Texas cities that decriminalized marijuana possession, arguing these policies promote crime, drug abuse and violence. 



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