Texas Bounty Hunter Shootout Kills 3, Raising Questions

[PersephoneDankles]

As per the New York Times.

The two bounty hunters had their guns drawn as they entered a small, glass-enclosed office in a Texas car dealership on Tuesday. “Back up!” they shouted before trying to tackle a man in a baseball cap sitting at a desk. Gunfire rang out — about 20 shots in six seconds, officials said. Customers and employees ran for cover.

Within minutes the three men were dead from multiple gunshot wounds, according to city officials in Greenville, Tex. The two bounty hunters — Gabriel Bernal, 33, and Fidel Garcia Jr., 54 — were private investigators, hired to serve a warrant for the arrest of the third man, Ramon M. Hutchinson, 49, who was wanted in Minnesota on drug charges.

The episode, captured in a video and recordings of 911 calls that were released by city officials on Wednesday, drew further attention to the work of so-called bounty hunters, a job that pits freelance law enforcement figures against fugitives in ways that have sometimes operated outside of conventional policing methods and local oversight.

The police and officials in Greenville, a city of about 25,000 people in North Texas, distanced themselves from the fatal encounter. A statement from the city on Wednesday described it as an “unfortunate and tragic incident” in which “three outsiders crossed paths.”

Sgt. Adam Phillips, a Greenville Police Department spokesman, said in an email on Thursday, “Those individuals do not work for and are not associated with any police department, especially NOT the Greenville Police Department.”

Rick Ford, the Nissan dealership’s president, said that the showroom was involved “by circumstance” in the “tragic and isolated” episode, and that the showroom would remain closed until June 5.

Randy E. Pruett, a spokesman for the dealership, said in a telephone interview that the dealership did not have advance notice that the two men were going to arrive, but once on site, they told the dealership management that they had a role in law enforcement and were waiting for someone, probably to arrest.

“There were two law enforcement, outside for much of the time, hanging out, looking like they were customers looking at cars, looking very unobtrusive,” he said. "At no point did anyone even begin to think it would escalate like this.”

[Mormolyce]

I specifically said no disintegrations.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

good old america.

[Nilinor]

At least no bystander (assuming the guy was an actual criminal) were killed.

Begs the question though, who shot first? They kinda started it by rushing the guy, but it escalated into shooting people, so.. wonder what happened. Then again, it is Texas, a lot of people have weapons, so it could be the guy was innocent and freaking out (although if he was innocent they probably would have posted it, that it was mistaken identity).

For bounty hunters, they weren't very professional.

[Zeta333]

Did the perps shoot back or was it just the bounty hunters, i feel like we are missing most of the story.

[GreenJesus]

I am disappointed that they didn't ask the guy to walk with them outside and have a duel..

[derpkitteh]

it's kinda cool that bounty hunters can actually exist.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

it's kinda cool that bounty hunters can actually exist.

no its pretty fucking horrible.

[Deleted]

I really hope the fun americans get from the recreative use of guns is worth all the problems caused on their society by those instruments of death

[derpkitteh]

no its pretty fucking horrible.

it's the most bad ass shit ever. you get paid to hunt people, that's just cool.

i'd actually let it be more like jango fett than it currently is.

[Deleted]

it's kinda cool that bounty hunters can actually exist.

Its really hard to not be insulting sometimes

[Estherna]

it's kinda cool that bounty hunters can actually exist.

Well, if you dismiss the collateral damages they can create... They provoked a shoot-out in a middle of a public space, it's a wonder that no other persons than the 3 of them were killed.

I'm a little bit concerned at the idea that people with no clear legal statute can arrest people freely, under the threat of a weapon. Do they have to follow specific trainings regarding weapons, legal process and how to arrest someone? I mean, it's a job, not some kind of movie/video game thingy, there is real stakes there, especially innocent bystanders.

It's kinda strange...

[derpkitteh]

Its really hard to not be insulting sometimes

who were the coolest motherfuckers in all of star wars? jango fett and boba fett, the mandalorians in general were the best.

hunting people for money, it's just badass.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

it's the most bad ass shit ever. you get paid to hunt people, that's just cool.

i'd actually let it be more like jango fett than it currently is.

you know until 3 people end up dead because of it.

ps jango fett died because of being a bounty hunter.

[Seranthor]

no its pretty fucking horrible.

They exist because not everyone has the decency to show up in court when they are supposed to.

[Guy4123]

Well, if you dismiss the collateral damages they can create... They provoked a shoot-out in a middle of a public space, it's a wonder that no other persons than the 3 of them were killed.

I'm a little bit concerned at the idea that people with no clear legal statute can arrest people freely, under the threat of a weapon. Do they have to follow specific trainings regarding weapons, legal process and how to arrest someone? I mean, it's a job, not some kind of movie/video game thingy, there is real stakes there, especially innocent bystanders.

It's kinda strange...

I'm sure it couldn't be that hard to google "requirements to be a bounty hunter" to answer your question.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

who were the coolest motherfuckers in all of star wars? jango fett and boba fett, the mandalorians in general were the best.

hunting people for money, it's just badass.

- - - Updated - - -

They exist because not everyone has the decency to show up in court when they are supposed to.

id say the actually trained police should deal with that not random people but the police in america are so poorly trained who knows if that would be better.

[Seranthor]

Well, if you dismiss the collateral damages they can create... They provoked a shoot-out in a middle of a public space, it's a wonder that no other persons than the 3 of them were killed.

I'm a little bit concerned at the idea that people with no clear legal statute can arrest people freely, under the threat of a weapon. Do they have to follow specific trainings regarding weapons, legal process and how to arrest someone? I mean, it's a job, not some kind of movie/video game thingy, there is real stakes there, especially innocent bystanders.

It's kinda strange...

How much more 'clear' a legal statute is there than a US Supreme Court decision?

[Deleted]

who were the coolest motherfuckers in all of star wars? jango fett and boba fett, the mandalorians in general were the best.

hunting people for money, it's just badass.

Star Wars is not a desirable model for the handling of criminal justice in real life

[derpkitteh]

you know until 3 people end up dead because of it.

ps jango fett died because of being a bounty hunter.

eh, sometimes people die, it happens with the cops too.

maybe the person being hunted shouldn't get violent.