HOUSTON, Texas — According to the indictment of Shannon Miles, the motive for the alleged killing of a Harris County deputy was for the deputy’s service as a member of law enforcement. The man accused of executing Deputy Darren Goforth by walking up behind him at a gas station and unloading 15 rounds into his head and back was indicted on Monday.
The indictment (attached below) provides that Miles committed the murder as “retaliation against Harris County Sheriff’s Department Deputy D. Goforth, for and on account of the service and status of D. Goforth as a public servant.”
“No other details are being released,” according to a spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in response to an inquiry from Breitbart Texas.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth was executed at a Chevron service station in Houston at about 8:30 p.m. on August 28th. The officer was in uniform at the station and was driving a marked patrol vehicle.
Initial accounts conflicted as to whether the officer was fueling his patrol car at the time of his murder, or if he was walking out of the convenience store. Official information, confirmed by Breitbart Texas, revealed that Deputy Goforth just left the store and was walking towards his patrol vehicle when he was shot.
Eyewitnesses reported that a black male wearing a t-shirt and shorts walked up behind the officer and shot him in the head and in the back. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson later revealed that the alleged cop-killer shot the deputy 15 times, as reported by Breitbart Texas.
Breitbart Texas traveled to the scene immediately after the execution of the deputy, interviewed witnesses, and reported when police took a “person of interest” into custody. Breitbart Texas also determined the identity of the suspect prior to his name being officially released by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and published an article within minutes of the official announcement.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, the escalation of anti-white and anti-cop rhetoric has been building in and around Harris County since militant black activists began marching in support of #BlackLivesMatter after the suicide of Sandra Bland. Bland committed suicide in the Waller County, Texas, jail which is approximately 30 miles from the gas station where Deputy Goforth was executed.
At protests at the jail where Bland killed herself, a radical activist called for all white people to be killed, and heavily armed members of the New Black Panther Party chanted “the revolution has started … off the pigs.”
As reported by Breitbart Texas, a Texas-based internet radio show called for the lynching of whites and the killing of police officers.
“This rhetoric has gotten out of control,” Sheriff Ron Hickman said during a press conference attended by two Breitbart Texas journalists. “We’ve heard ‘black lives matter,’ ‘all lives matter,’ well cops’ lives matter too,” said the leader of the third largest sheriff’s office in the country.
The visibly emotional Hickman continued, “Why don’t we just drop the qualifier and say ‘lives matter.’ Take that to the bank.”
At that August press conference the Harris County Sheriff said, “At this point,” referring to the executed deputy, “he was only targeted because he was wearing a uniform.”
Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson joined Hickman during that press conference and emphatically stated, “It is time for the silent majority in this country to support law enforcement.” She added, “There are a few bad apples in every profession.” Anderson continued, “But that does not mean that there should be open warfare declared on law enforcement.”
As reported by Breitbart Texas, anti-cop graffiti threatening violence against police appeared in the Houston area just days after the deputy was executed.
The next date set for a court hearing is December 9th.
If convicted of the capital murder, Miles could face the death penalty or life in prison.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as an associate judge and prosecutor. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2
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