Fired Mesquite officer's attorneys call for case to be dropped
Attorneys for the former Mesquite police officer accused of shooting a man are calling on the district attorney to drop the case and exonerate the officer.
Former officer Derek Wiley was responding to a report of a man breaking into vehicles last November when he shot then-suspect Lyndo Jones during a struggle. But it turned out the vehicle belonged to Jones, who later had all charges against him dropped.
Wiley was fired from the department and was indicted by a grand jury for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a peace officer. Jones has recovered from his injuries and has returned to work.
Wiley's attorneys say he followed his training and did nothing wrong during the shooting of Jones. They are now calling on the district attorney to review evidence they say exonerates Wiley.
Wiley's attorneys would not specify what the evidence is, but they say he shouldn't have lost his job because he's innocent. They believe Wiley acted within his rights as a police officer at the time and should be back at work.
Reps from the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas also accused District Attorney Faith Johnson and the Mesquite Police Department of rushing the investigation, intimidation and being motivated by politics and fear to indict Wiley.
“We don't think a complete investigation was done here,” said CLEAT Executive Director Charley Wilkison. “We think the chief reacted to political circumstances on the ground. We think the district attorney has continued to not exonerate and not move forward with evidence.”
In response, District Attorney Faith Johnson released the following statement on Thursday:
"It is highly unfortunate that during their press conference, C.L.E.A.T. and the MPOA stated inaccurate information, especially so close to trial, potentially prejudicing the very jury pool that we ask to be fair and impartial and to base their verdict on accurate facts presented in a courtroom."
The DA went on to say her office's only motivation, in this case, is justice. The trial is set for later this year.
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