The policy that allows Texas Department of Public Safety officers to shoot from helicopters will be reviewed in the next Texas state legislative session.
An oversight committee will gather information from an internal investigation undertaken by the Texas Rangers, as well as the findings of a Hidalgo County Grand Jury, Democratic Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa told South Texas newspaper The Monitor:
“Depending on what comes out of the investigations, we can make an analysis to improve our policies and make the necessary changes, especially along the border"
The investigation was sparked after a DPS sharpshooter killed two undocumented immigrants. In recorded dispatch, DPS Tactical Flight Officer Miguel Avila inaccurately reported what he saw from the sky:
Avila says the truck is loaded with bales of drugs, but he’s wrong. There are eight suspected illegal immigrants in the back of the truck, and at the wheel was a 14-year-old boy.
Avila decides to end the chase by shooting two tires out on the truck. The truck comes to a stop, and Avila asks about other possible injuries.
Two people are dead, and another is injured and taken to a local hospital. No drugs were found.
