Jack Burns | The Free Thought Project

Garland, TX — In a travesty of justice, a mistrial was declared Monday in the latest trial of an officer who shot and killed an unarmed father — dumping 41 rounds into him, reloading twice.

Late on August 31, 2012, Michael “Mookie” Allen, 25 was running from the police while driving his white pickup truck. “Michael was terrified of the police, first of all,” Randy Allen, Michael’s father, said reflecting on his son’s state of mind. Garland, Texas police officer Patrick Wayne Tuter was giving chase that night.

The pursuit ended in a Mesquite, TX cul-de-sac when police cruisers had boxed Allen in, but Tuter opened fire on Allen who was still sitting inside the truck. In a hail of bullets, 41 in all, Tuter killed Allen, who was unarmed. Investigators said the officer reloaded at least twice during the shooting. Two other officers were on-scene. They did not fire their weapons, only Tuter did. Witnesses said the officer gave no time for Allen to exit the vehicle, opening fire three seconds after being told to “get out” of the truck.

An investigation into the officer involved shooting revealed Tuter claimed he ‘feared for his life.’ But instead of getting a pass from the police department for murdering Allen, he was fired, and later a grand jury indicted him for Manslaughter. According to the Dallas News, it was the first time in 15 years a grand jury had indicted an officer involved in a fatal shooting.

“He didn’t deserve the death sentence. Patrick Tuter was not judge and jury and that’s what he made himself out to be,” Stephanie Allen, Michael’s mom told reporters after learning he was fired in 2013.

According to the Dallas News, “Tuter was later determined to have lied about the encounter, claiming Allen rammed his squad car twice, when in fact, Tuter had slammed into Allen’s truck at the end of the chase.”

During the trial, which concluded last week, Tuter took the stand at his own defense and said, “It’s a very intense situation…Your adrenaline dumps, and you’re shaking, and you have to remain calm.”

He defended his actions on the night in question saying, “Mr. Allen was being extremely reckless and showing no sign of pulling over…I believed based on what I saw, and experience, that he was going to injure or kill someone.”

–> Continue reading full report at The Free Thought Project.