On August 1, 1966, Ramiro “Ray” Martinez was one of two Austin police officers to shoot and kill University of Texas Tower sniper Charles Whitman and put his killing spree to an end. Here, Martinez shares his reflections on the Tower incident and its aftermath. Martinez, who now lives […]
Each year in May fallen police officers from around the country are honored for the sacrifice they made and the ultimate price they paid, all in the name of serving and protecting their fellow citizens. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which was established in Washington, D.C. and dedicated […]
By the time the federal government completed its “Operation Wetback” program in the 1950s, more than 3.8 people of Mexican descent were sent to Mexico — many of them American citizens.
It was exactly that kind of discrimination and civil rights abuse that led Hispanic and Latino activists to organize, […]
Ever heard of CLEAT? In 1966, neither had Ramiro Martinez nor Houston McCoy – because it didn’t exist.
Oftentimes when we hear the expression, “That’s a thing of the past,” the connotation attached to the “thing” in question is not particularly positive.
But I’d wager that when it comes to CLEAT […]
Officer-involved shootings in America are, sadly, a staple of our regular news cycle. But in addition to the considerable trauma inflicted upon the public’s psyche when things of this nature occur, what about that of the involved officer or officers? How are they, who serve as first-hand witnesses to […]
