Texas Jury Sentences Cop-Killer to Death by Injection

A Texas jury deliberated for about eight hours before handing down the death penalty to a man convicted of killing a San Antonio detective. The sentence follows his conviction in July for the ambush-style killing of Detective Benjamin Marconi in November 2016.

A jury in Bexar County, San Antonio, Texas, retired to deliberate the fate of Otis McKane on Friday afternoon. Approximately eight hours later, the jury returned with a death penalty sentence for the convicted cop-killer, KENS CBS5 reported.

Police arrested Otis Tyrone McKane in November 2016 after he shot and killed Detective Marconi, Breitbart Texas reported. Detective Marconi had initiated a traffic stop near the San Antonio Police Department headquarters. While he was working on the traffic summons for the driver, McKane allegedly pulled up in a black sedan behind the detective’s vehicle.

He then walked up to the driver’s side of the patrol car and shot Marconi once in the head, Police Chief William McManus stated. McKane then allegedly reached into the vehicle and shot Marconi a second time before walking back to his car and leaving the scene.

McKane later told reporters while being walked to the jail that he shot Marconi because he was upset about child custody battles. “I’ve been through several custody battles and I was upset at the situation that I was in and I lashed out at someone that didn’t deserve it,” McKane responded.

While on the run from police for about 30 hours, McKane stopped long enough to marry a woman, Christian Chanel Fields. Police found him and placed him under arrest about seven hours later.

As the jury delivered a verdict of guilty in July, McKane reportedly elbowed a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy serving as a bailiff for the court, Breitbart reported.

The article states:

McKane stands from a seated position, raises his right elbow, and thrusts it at Gonzalez’s head, hitting him in the face. The approximately six-foot-tall McKane then lunges at the shorter Gonzalez and appears to strike the deputy with his right fist a second time. McKane then seems to hook his right arm around Gonzalez’s head and pulls the bailiff down to the courtroom floor.

Several other deputies and police officers present in the courtroom immediately ran over to assist Gonzalez and attempt to subdue McKane. As the team of officers tried to handcuff McKane for a second time, he continued to resist arrest, holding his arms under his large body while lying face down on the courtroom floor. Two bailiffs, including Gonzalez, required the assistance of a number of other police officers to finally handcuff McKane on Monday.

The family of Detective Marconi released a statement following the jury’s handing down of the death penalty sentence.