Photo: Screenshot, Fox 26
Family and friends of a Harris County (TX) man killed by deputies who alleged he was trying to steal a car demanded justice Sunday in a slaying that activist Quanell X tied to police “anger” over the killing of veteran lawman Clint Greenwood a day earlier.
“This was an execution,” the community activist told a small crowd gathered where Michael Maldonado was fatally shot off Airline Drive. “They never gave him a real chance to surrender.”
Quanell said the deputies’ trigger-happy response may have stemmed from a sense of unease in the aftermath of the Greenwood slaying, and authorities’ failure to catch his killer.
“Because of what happened to Deputy Greenwood and nobody has been arrested, the environment among Harris County law enforcement is already angry,” Quanell said. “The tensions are already high. And because they have nobody in custody, they’ve arrested no one and don’t really know who did it they’re already anxious and angry that a killer is on the loose.”
The Houston Chronicle reports that Precinct 1 constables started tailing the car in the Garden Oaks area, and followed along until Maldonado and his brother pulled into a parking lot at 9559 Airline.
According to police, Maldonado tried ramming the deputies’ vehicle, and the lawmen responded by opening fire.
Quanell disputed the account and demanded an outside investigation. “I believe that’s nothing more than a lie put forth to justify using that kind of excessive use of deadly force,” he said.
