Texas executes Jeffrey Williams

Jeffrey Williams

An inmate convicted of killing a Houston police officer was executed by lethal injection today at "The Walls" Unit in Huntsville, Texas.

In May 1999, Jeffrey Williams, now 37, was driving a stolen Lexus when policeman Troy Blando stopped him in a motel parking lot and tried to arrest him.

Williams shot Blando in the chest and fled, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Blando got back into his car and radioed for help, but he died from the gunshot wound.

Williams was arrested near the scene wearing one handcuff, according to an account of the case from the Texas attorney general's office.

He told police that he did not know that Blando, who was in plain clothes, was a police officer, and that he thought Blando was trying to rob him, according to the attorney general's account. Court records show Blando, although in plain clothes, was carrying his badge around his neck. 

Testimony and confessions also linked Williams to 4 robberies, another shooting and an attempted robbery.

Williams, who said he had mental disabilities, appealed to the US Supreme Court, saying that he had ineffective trial lawyers.

He lost his appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court less than an hour before his scheduled execution.

Williams' attorneys contended that his execution should be postponed so that the courts could further review their claims that he received substandard legal help at his trial that influenced the jury's decision to sentence him to death. 

They also said he received "grossly deficient" counsel early on in the appeals process because his attorneys then didn't address the poor job his trial attorneys had done. 

"Mr. Williams has never been afforded the guarantee of constitutionally effective counsel at the punishment phase and he for 9 years has sought a remedy in the state and federal courts for the resulting deprivation of his right to one meaningful opportunity to challenge his death sentence," said Jonathan Sheldon, Williams lead attorney. 

Attorneys for the state opposed any delay, contending Williams' arguments were rejected by the courts, including the Supreme Court, in earlier appeals.

Williams said police are "clowns" and accused them of "killing all these kids." "Y'all are getting away with murder all the time."

He briefly picked up his head as the lethal drugs took effect, then took several deep breaths and gently snored.

Williams was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m. CDT, 26 minutes after lethal drug began.

Williams became the 6th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Texas and the 498th overall since the state resumed capital punishment on December 7, 1982.

Williams becomes the 259th condemned inmate to be put to death in Texas since Rick Perry became governor in 2001.

Williams becomes the 12th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1332nd overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977. 

At least 8 others have executions scheduled in the coming months.

Sources: Reuters, AP, Rick Halperin, May 15, 2013