By Hallie Golden
Related Press
ALVARADO, Texas — A former U.S. Marine Corps reservist has been arrested and charged with tried homicide in reference to an assault at a Texas immigration detention center through which a police officer was shot within the neck, federal prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.
Benjamin Hanil Music, 32, is the most recent particular person charged within the Fourth of July assault through which attackers wearing black military-style clothes opened fireplace exterior the Prairieland Detention Heart in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, based on the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Northern District of Texas.
Music, from Dallas, was arrested after a weeklong search and has been charged with three counts of tried homicide of federal brokers and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to against the law of violence, the workplace mentioned in a press release. He’s accused of buying 4 of the weapons linked to the assault, it mentioned.
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U.S. District Court docket data don’t checklist names of attorneys representing Music or scheduled court docket appearances. U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Northern District of Texas didn’t instantly reply to an electronic mail asking whether or not Music has an legal professional.
The officer wounded within the assault has since been launched from the hospital.
Ten folks, most of them from the Dallas-Fort Value space, have beforehand been charged with tried homicide of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in relation to against the law of violence. One other particular person has been charged with obstruction of justice for concealing proof, whereas two others have been charged with accent after the actual fact for allegedly serving to Music get away.
If convicted, a lot of the defendants might resist life imprisonment, whereas these charged with obstruction of justice and accent after the actual fact would face lesser penalties if convicted, based on federal prosecutors.
The capturing occurred as President Donald Trump ’s administration ramps up deportations.
The attackers initially set off fireworks and spray-painted automobiles and a guard construction, together with the phrases “Ice Pig,” based on a prison criticism. This was “designed to lure correctional officers exterior the ability,” based on U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace. Correctional officers known as 911 and an Alvarado police officer responded and somebody within the woods opened fireplace.
One other particular person throughout the road fired 20 to 30 rounds at correctional officers who have been unarmed after they walked out of the ability, based on the workplace’s assertion.
After the group fled, sheriff’s deputies stopped seven folks about 300 yards (275 meters) from the place the officer was shot, based on a prison criticism.
“They have been wearing black, military-style clothes, some had on physique armor, some have been lined in mud, some have been armed, and a few had radios,” the criticism mentioned.
A sheriff’s workplace detective additionally stopped a van leaving the world and located two AR-style rifles and a pistol, together with ballistic-style vests and a helmet, the criticism mentioned.
The motive force, the one particular person within the van, mentioned he had been on the detention heart. He mentioned he had met some folks on-line and drove a few of them to the detention heart from Dallas to “make some noise,” based on the criticism.
Music’s cellphone’s location information reveals it was close to the detention heart from about 11:30 p.m. on July 4 and all through the day on July 5, based on a prison criticism.
“Although Music escaped by hiding in a single day after the assault, we have been assured he wouldn’t stay hidden for lengthy,” Appearing United States Legal professional for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson mentioned in a press release. “The fourteen people who deliberate and took part in these heinous acts will probably be prosecuted, and we count on justice will probably be swift.”