Gov. Rick Perry's cousin killed by deputies

[Lone_Star_Dem]

AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting death of a cousin of Gov. Rick Perry in a mysterious exchange of gunfire with sheriff's deputies.

An attorney for Larry Don Wheeler's estate said the 74-year-old north Texas man was sitting on his backyard deck after dinner Saturday night at his home at a Montague County country club.

David Gossom said that's when sheriff's deputies responded to a disturbance call.

Montague County District Attorney Jack McGaughey said Wheeler was holding a shotgun and an officer was shot in the hand.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/perry_cousin_killed_by_deputies

The article goes on to say his cousin was on Perry's 2006 re-election campaign steering committee.

[sonias]

1. Pretty weird huh?

I'm certainly sorry for the family.

I hope the people stirring up fear in the country didn't contribute to this man's mental health state. Some people see any officers as part of the "feds".

Sonia

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. It's a sad story no matter what the reason behind it.

This excerpt from Times Record News is bizarre, to say the least.

“The family is in shock,” said attorney David Gossom, who is representing Wheeler’s family. Gossom has traveled to the house on Country Club Drive in Nocona Hills, and he said they are all waiting to see if there is a reasonable explanation for what happened there Saturday night. “We’re not coming up with one.” He talked about the bullet holes that now mark the porch. They were at a downward angle, which to him indicated someone following a target to the ground and continuing to shoot, or someone shooting while nerves and stress were affecting them.

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/sep/30/shooting-rocks-nocona/?partner=RSS

It may be the poor man was hallucinating, who knows?

[sonias]

2. Bowie News story

Bowie News
Texas Rangers investigate officer-involved shooting

Texas Rangers have been called in to investigate how a shooting incident in Nocona Hills lead to the death of a 74-year-old man and the injury of a sheriff’s deputy over the weekend.

Montague County Sheriff Paul Cunningham reported the incident shortly before 10 p.m. Sept. 26, after deputies responded to a “shots fired call” at 136 Country Club Drive in Nocona Hills.

The call came in at 8:40 p.m. that Larry Wheeler was reportedly firing a shotgun in the back yard of his residence, which was occupied by him and his wife.

The sheriff said Chief Deputy J.T. Mitchell and Deputy Curtis Hamlin arrived at the home confronting Wheeler when gunfire erupted between the deputies and suspect. The 74-year-old Wheeler was killed. Justice of the Peace Rick Lewis was called to the scene, where he pronounced Wheeler dead and ordered an autopsy.

Sonia