Texas executed its sixth death row inmate of the year on Wednesday, a San Antonio man who was convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own gun 14 years ago, the Associated Press reported.
The US Supreme Court refused to review the case in November and
there were no last-day appeals.
Manuel Garza Jr., 35, was executed by lethal injection on
Wednesday for the murder of San Antonio Police officer John
“Rocky” Riojas in February 2001. He was pronounced dead
after 26 minutes.
In his final statement, Garza said he was sorry for causing pain
to his family, friends and “especially police officers.”
Also today, #txlege
committee heard bill to keep names of execution drug suppliers
private http://t.co/E98yuJGuUX https://t.co/juaJ6Rb7qD
— Eva Ruth Moravec (@EvaRuth) April
15, 2015
Garza was a career criminal beginning at the age of 14, with
burglaries and thefts on his record, as well as an escape from
custody and a police car chase involving a stolen vehicle. At 20,
he was stopped by Officer Riojas as part of an investigation into
property crimes at apartment complexes. Garza ran off and a
struggle ensued. Garza grabbed the officer’s gun and Riojas was
fatally shot in the head. Riojas was caught a day later.
READ MORE: Utah lawmakers vote for firing squads
in absence of lethal injection drugs
His defense attorney said Garza had suffered from childhood
neglect and abuse, and his family had encouraged him to break the
law.
Garza was executed with a new supply of pentobarbital, which had
been running low before Texas obtained a fresh supply. Two other
executions are scheduled for this month. Texas carries out more
executions than any other state.
READ MORE: Trade group wants pharmacists to stop
making lethal injection drugs – report
After this month’s execution, however, the state will have
exhausted its supply of pentobarbital. The chemical is getting
scarce as drug manufacturers are under growing pressure from
death penalty opponents to withhold their products if they are to
be used in capital punishment. Texas has three executions planned
for next month.
Other states, like Oklahoma, have resorted to experimental
protocols after similar supply problems. States have faced
lawsuits and botched lethal injections have placed the legality
of the process into question. Seeking alternatives, Oklahoma
lawmakers have moved forward on measures to allow for
executions via nitrogen gas, while Utah recently became the only
state to approve of firing squads carrying out the death penalty.