The Governor of New Mexico clearly is an ass. Gov. Bill Richardson has no intention to issue executive clemency to veteran police officer Sgt. Billy Anders. Why not is anybodies guess. A more complete account of this “Horrendous Injustice” is recounted by Les Kinsolving. The short version:
The New York Times March 17:
"Sgt. Anders, a beloved local officer nearing retirement, is charged with killing a handcuffed prisoner."
Shortly before the two lawmen pulled up to this cabin, Flippen shot to death his 30 year-old girlfriend, Debra Rhondes, whose body he rolled into a rug for loading into his truck.
Anders heard a shot fired from inside. But as he approached the cabin, Flippen fired his .357 Magnum at Anders – the bullet tore through his jacket, wounding him in the arm.
Sgt. Anders fired back, wounding Flippen three times, after which the sergeant handcuffed him.
Anders then went to the back of the cabin. Here he found the body of his fellow officer and best friend, Deputy Hedman – draped over a railing with a bullet in his head.
Then he returned to the handcuffed Flippen and fired a single round into this double murder's chest, killing him.
Lets review. Man murders girlfriend, kills cop, shoots and wounds another cop. Wounded cop shoots back, wounds bad guy and cuffs him; the wounded cop finds his partner dead. Anders shoots the bad guy one more time, killing him.
Anders may very well have lost the public's confidence in his ability to be a police officer. Then again he may not have, that should be the local communities decision not ours. He may have forfeited his good name and his families financial security. He certainly has done something that will forever affect his life.
What he has not done is commit an offense that should cause him to spend even one day in jail. The one absolute unchallengeable and irrevocable right of the chief executive of every state is the right to pardon and grant clemency to those convicted of violating state laws. Gov. Bill Richardson the time has come for you to exercise this right and at least release Sgt. Anders from prison, if not completely pardon him.
Anders killed a man that needed kill’n. Had he fired that shot 10 seconds earlier, he would've recieved a medal, not jail.
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