Texas officer fatally shoots male, 18, who police say produced handgun amid assault of victim who was motionless on ground



A Corpus Christi, Texas, police officer fatally shot an 18-year-old male early Sunday morning who police said produced a handgun amid the assault of a male victim who was motionless on the ground.

Police said officers were dispatched just after 1:30 a.m. to an assault in progress at the Ranch Dance Hall in the 4000 block of Everhart Road.

'We understand that there has been another shooting of a black man by CCPD.'

Police said call notes indicated the male assault victim was on the ground and not moving.

Police said arriving officers saw an assault taking place on the side of a building on the corner of Everhart Road and Burney Drive — and that the suspect produced a handgun while over the victim on the ground.

One of the officers of the two-man unit fired his gun and hit the 18-year-old male suspect who was taken to a hospital where he died, police said.

The assault victim also was taken to a hospital for his injuries, police said.

Police said the the officer involved wasn't injured and will be placed on administrative leave.

Police added that those with information about the incident can call detectives at 361-886-2840 or make an anonymous call to CrimeStoppers at 361-888-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online.

The Nueces County Medical Examiner has identified the 18-year-old who was killed as Dwayne Earl Johnson, the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported.

Leaders of the NAACP's H. Boyd Hall Chapter held a press conference Monday morning over the police-involved shooting, the Caller Times said, adding that the organization noted in a press release that “we understand that there has been another shooting of a black man by CCPD. We have been in touch with the chief and have requested a thorough and independent investigation to ensure the truth of what happened is ultimately discovered."

How are observers reacting?

Well over 200 comments have appeared underneath the Corpus Christi Police Department's Facebook post about the shooting, and they appear decidedly mixed; some support the officer's actions while others have questions. Here are a couple that reflect the breakdown:

  • "Was the gun pointed at the cop?" one commenter wondered. "Did he try to get the kid to put the gun down first, or did he just shoot? So many questions.... I think police like to shoot first and ask questions later."
  • "If someone points a gun at an officer it's called self defense; if someone points a gun at someone else it's called self defense in the third person," another commenter said. "Police serve and protect. Reading what they advise in this news segment the victim was on the ground defenseless, and the suspect pulled a gun out toward victim who could not defend himself, and officers protected the victim by using deadly force to match deadly force."

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Texas attorney arrested near border, cited for 4 cases of human smuggling



A Texas attorney was recently arrested near the Mexico border on suspicion of human smuggling.

Timothy Daniel Japhet — who goes by the name "Dan," according to the State Bar of Texas — was arrested on August 13 for four cases of human smuggling. He was then taken into custody and spent six days in jail. He is now out on $40,000 bond, according to KHOU-TV.

Word of the arrest went viral after Galveston County Constable Jimmy Fullen posted a message about it on Facebook.

"A licensed Texas attorney and Federally appointed immigration magistrate was recently arrested in Kinney County, Texas for Smuggling of a human and resisting arrest," Fullen wrote. "Great job Deputy Gonzalez and Troopers who were on scene assisting."



Though Fullen claims that the arrest occurred in Kinney County, other reports suggest Japhet was arrested in Del Rio, Texas, a border city located in Val Verde County.

Japhet, 51, admitted that he had been arrested and cited for human smuggling, but he also claimed that circumstances were not what they seemed. He lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, about four hours away, and told reporters that he was taking a brief holiday to gamble in Del Rio. He had rented a car to make the trip with his dog.

He stated that while he stopped briefly to allow his dog to go to the bathroom, a man approached him and asked whether Japhet would give his friend and him a lift. Japhet agreed, but soon saw that a total of four men were getting in his car. Japhet said he felt uneasy about the situation but that he also felt pressured to give all four men a ride.

"I thought, this is not looking good for me right now," Japhet said. "I made a bad decision."

Japhet said he then decided to drive at a high speed in order to attract the attention of law enforcement.

Japhet was then pulled over by police. Border Patrol then allegedly got involved as well.

Japhet told reporters that he has not been indicted and that he expects the case to be dropped. He also denied Fuller's assertion that he is a "Federally appointed immigration magistrate." He stated that he practices immigration law only as it pertains to those who own property in Mexico. His bio on the state bar website does not mention anything about immigration law.

Japhet also denied that he was charged for resisting arrest.

As of Sunday evening, Japhet said he still had not been given his dog or his rental car back.

"I'm missing my dog terribly," Japhet told reporters. "I'll go back to Del Rio, I'll get a car and go back [Monday] and get my dog and find out how much it's going to cost me."

Fuller's deputies from Galveston had been patrolling Kinney County, nearly six hours away, as part of Operation Lone Star, a task force created by Gov. Greg Abbott to combat illegal immigration.

The identity and legal status of Japhet's four passengers are unknown.