THE CZECH IS IN THE MAIL
Some people are quick to jump to conclusions about lawenforcement personnel.
In recent years, there have been times when misguided decisions by a peace officer have given the entire profession a bad name. One such episode was the death of George Floyd by members of the Minneapolis Police Department in May 2020.
In the most recent headlines, Renee Good on Jan. 7 was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. The aftermath of Good’s death resulted in numerous protests against ICE, including in Elgin and Taylor.
On Jan. 12, an immigrationrelated case in East Williamson County could have spelled disaster if it hadn’t been for quick lawenforcement intervention.
Sheriff’s deputies stopped and arrested four individuals in a sedan linked to gunfire while driving east on U.S. 79 toward Taylor. No injuries were reported.
The suspect accused of standing in the car’s open sunroof and firing a gun at random was taken to the Williamson County Jail in Georgetown. He was charged in that case and was identified as being a person of interest to ICE, according to officials.
The other three occupants were detained by ICE.
The presence of ICE agents in East Williamson County caused some concern among residents that Monday. We received calls claiming ICE was seen all over town, from car washes to restaurants and even at Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
We could never substantiate the reports, except the case involving the Sheriff’s Office at 5 a.m. In other words, the only verified ICE presence in the area centered on the detained occupants of the car early Monday morning, when most people were still asleep.
Of course, our reporting team knows the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor is operated under the auspices of ICE, but that’s different.
I’m not going to debate whether I’m for or against ICE, but I will say the agents who worked with the deputies did their jobs well. I cannot say the same about Minneapolis.
I haven’t done a lot of research on the Good death, but the key word here is “death.” Justified or not, it is a tragedy when someone dies during an encounter with officers.
But that goes both ways.
What happened Jan. 10 in Copperas Cove was just as tragic as what took place in Minneapolis. Officer Elijah Garretson was fatally shot in an altercation with a man wanted on a warrant.
The suspect, Jamison Cavazos, shot himself to death after negotiations with police proved fruitless.
Although this was not an immigrationrelated case, it shows that any day can be a dangerous day for police.
Thank you, local and area law enforcement, for serving and protecting us.
Chlapek is the area editor of the Elgin Courier and Taylor Press. He can be reached at jason. chlapek@ granitemediapartners.
com.
