Houston police: 4 officers wounded, 2 of 3 suspects dead

[leVieux]

I wish I were sure of that. AFAIK, there are some really bad folks who get special dispensation to get released late in life on "humanitarian grounds" i.e. they're really sick and prison becomes a level of punishment that approaches the sadistic. Also afaik, those releases are often grounded in the fact that the state doesn't want to spend the money required for end of life care.

OTOH, I've also heard about prison guards who have the odd duty of watching prisoners in hospitals who are all so sick they can't get out of bed and are waiting to die.

So I don't know how this works in practice.

Anyone around here with inside-the-system knowledge of the way the TDCJ handles end-of-life situations?

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I spent a few years on the UTMB Med Faculty. The big TDC “265 bed” hospital is attached. But I never entered that secure facility, the guards would bring the prisoner/patients over to John Sealy.

Interestingly, the Administrator/Warden also ran the local gun range over near Moody Gardens & the GLS Airport.

(p.s. IDK the actual size of that facility. Often hospitals are actually a bit smaller than their approved stated bed capacities.)

It’s been ~20 years, so I’m not current; IIRC there is a mental unit in
Austin.

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[oldag]

The sentence was appropriate for the crimes.

 

[Polkwright]

I wish I were sure of that. AFAIK, there are some really bad folks who get special dispensation to get released late in life on "humanitarian grounds" i.e. they're really sick and prison becomes a level of punishment that approaches the sadistic. Also afaik, those releases are often grounded in the fact that the state doesn't want to spend the money required for end of life care.

OTOH, I've also heard about prison guards who have the odd duty of watching prisoners in hospitals who are all so sick they can't get out of bed and are waiting to die.

So I don't know how this works in practice.

Anyone around here with inside-the-system knowledge of the way the TDCJ handles end-of-life situations?

I always thought if they decide your medical bills are going to be too high they parole you to Medicaid and call it "humanitarian".

 

[General Zod]

I'm glad he's going to prison, and angry as hell that Houston PD's DEI policies allowed Goines to wrongfully send hundreds of people - usually minorities - to prison, despite countless claims of innocence and only Goines' testimony ruining lives.

I am confused about Mr Tuttle, did he have a firearm or not? Did he fire, or not? I know Goines' defense lied about Tuttle managing to shoot 4 officers in areas not protected by their body armor - with a 6-shot revolver - and recall there was never a firearm recorded into evidence. A little reading about the trial also shows Goines' defense contradicted the testimony of a Texas Ranger that investigated the case; the defense claimed Tuttle opened fire - starting a firefight - when the Ranger (and overwhelming evidence) is the police fired first - at the dog, per the Ranger, although I recall earlier reports were an ND by an officer that was spooked by the dog.

Eli

Apparently the only firearms recovered from the house were two shotguns and a Winchester rifle (no model specified). The police initially claimed they had confiscated a .357 magnum revolver that Tuttle supposedly shot at them with, but it seems to have evaporated into the ether. No such firearm was entered into evidence or listed in the inventory of the house.

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Search-warrant-reveals-what-police-found-in-13601778.php

 

[Sasquatch]

I wish I were sure of that. AFAIK, there are some really bad folks who get special dispensation to get released late in life on "humanitarian grounds" i.e. they're really sick and prison becomes a level of punishment that approaches the sadistic. Also afaik, those releases are often grounded in the fact that the state doesn't want to spend the money required for end of life care.

OTOH, I've also heard about prison guards who have the odd duty of watching prisoners in hospitals who are all so sick they can't get out of bed and are waiting to die.

So I don't know how this works in practice.

Anyone around here with inside-the-system knowledge of the way the TDCJ handles end-of-life situations?

Not sure how much end of life stuff they do, but working in the hospitals I can say its very routine for TDCJ and the local LE agencies to have prisoners receive treatment in regular hospitals. They will have their own armed security details - deputies or corrections officers - watching them 24/7, and not just one officer. One of the hospitals I worked at in Houston *always* had some sort of prisoner / inmate there for treatment, often times multiples.

The most surprising thing though is that TDCJ is still arming their people with wheel guns instead of joining the 21st century and giving CO's some form of semi-auto. I get it - when DPS changes sidearms they don't water fall them to TDCJ, instead the troopers / rangers get to purchase their retired pistols - but c'mon, as classy as a 686 (pretty sure that's what I've seen them all carry) is, they'd be better served by something like an M&P or a Glock these days.

 

[oldag]

Not sure how much end of life stuff they do, but working in the hospitals I can say its very routine for TDCJ and the local LE agencies to have prisoners receive treatment in regular hospitals. They will have their own armed security details - deputies or corrections officers - watching them 24/7, and not just one officer. One of the hospitals I worked at in Houston *always* had some sort of prisoner / inmate there for treatment, often times multiples.

The most surprising thing though is that TDCJ is still arming their people with wheel guns instead of joining the 21st century and giving CO's some form of semi-auto. I get it - when DPS changes sidearms they don't water fall them to TDCJ, instead the troopers / rangers get to purchase their retired pistols - but c'mon, as classy as a 686 (pretty sure that's what I've seen them all carry) is, they'd be better served by something like an M&P or a Glock these days.

A glock? I would not wish tupperware on anyone.

 

[Sasquatch]

A glock? I would not wish tupperware on anyone.

Besides Staccato, there are no metal framed "duty guns" really marketed anymore. Safariland - by far the most used brand of duty holsters - doesn't make their flagship products for anything but polymer striker guns and 2011's anymore. They don't offer new holsters for Berettas, Sig 220/226/229's, and IIRC they never made duty holster for CZ 75s. M&P's, Walther PDP's, Sig P320's are about it, besides a 2011 and most guys can't afford one, and I don't think there are any agencies looking to drop $2k per officer on a handgun. I'm particularlly bummed by lack of quality duty holsters for Berettas and Sig metal guns, but its a plastic fantastic world we live in today.