Patterico's Pontifications

3/5/2009

Update on Joe Horn-Type Case in Texas

Filed under: Crime,Humor — Patterico @ 7:07 am



Following up on DRJ’s August 2008 post on another Joe Horn-style case in Texas, we have this update:

A 64-year-old Kingsland man, already charged with a state jail felony for shooting an alleged burglar of his neighbor’s home in July, was indicted Tuesday on one count of felony deadly conduct, officials said.

Tommy Oakes was originally charged in August with felony aggravated assault. The shooting victim, Casey Rowe, died in September at a Lubbock rehabilitation facility.

Oakes is accused of firing at a vehicle on July 30 after confronting several men he said were burglarizing his neighbor’s home. Rowe, who was in the vehicle, was later found at an emergency medical services station in Kingsland with a gunshot wound to the back of his neck, officials said.

Oakes’ attorney, Jim Wheat, has said that his client fired after he saw at least one of the men reach into the vehicle for what he thought was a weapon.

Reading through a past piece, the facts of this one seem unfavorable for Oakes, who never saw a weapon before he fired. That would never fly for a cop . . .

Still, you never know until the process works itself out.

7 Responses to “Update on Joe Horn-Type Case in Texas”

  1. That’s pretty close to Austin, so his chances may not be good should it go to trial.

    Pigilito (c4dfd6)

  2. He never saw a weapon, but we don’t know there wasn’t one either. Guy shooting at criminals in Texas is not going to get convicted as long as he uses a modicum of discretion in describing the situation.

    CAL (9dbc16)

  3. Llano County is NOTHING like Austin.

    Jerri Lynn Ward (86312b)

  4. “That would never fly for a cop . . .”

    Bulllllllllshiiiiiiiit!!!

    TC (0b9ca4)

  5. Anyone who knows Tommy Oakes can vouch his character. He a very good man…just a regular solid citizen, good husband and father, trying to live a peaceful retirement. He was confronted with a tough situation which he had the courage to confront. At the moment that he felt threatened, I think his response was very justified. I doubt that I would have done anything different in the same situation.

    I’ve wondered about the motives of the local DA, Sam Oatman, who appears to be very intent on pushing this case. He had the power to not ask for any indictment in the first place. Now surprisingly, he goes for a second indictment because he was not pleased with the lesser charge the first grand jury handed down. I suppose all the deer poaching and drug cases get pretty boring up in the quiet Hill Country. It appears that he’s enjoying the publicity that he’s helped generate.

    Unfortunately now though, Oakes will have to deal with at least one criminal trial and pay for a defense out of his retirement funds, or whatever is left of them. But Tommy has friends. “Friends and Citizens for Tommy Oakes” is a nonprofit fund set up at the Llano National Bank to help pay for his defense.

    Donations can be made at the Bank or mailed to Jack Derington, PO Box 1973 , Kingsland, Tx. 78639. Jack is a retired DEA agent. His phone number is 512 755 5302 if anyone has any other questions about the fund.

    SS (5fc5a3)

  6. Here’s a news release on the case….

    Tommy Oakes Reindictment

    SS (5fc5a3)

  7. Furtive movement is often used as a basis for deadly force by police.

    ParatrooperJJ (8a6914)


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