State Trooper killed by Parole Violator released by Cherokee County Texas

TEXAS PENAL CODE        § 39.02 ABUSE OF OFFICIAL CAPACITY. 

(a) A public servant commits an offense if, with intent to obtain a benefit or with intent to harm or defraud another, he intentionally or knowingly:
(1)  violates a law relating to the public servant’s
office or employment;  or
(2)  misuses government property, services, personnel,
or any other thing of value belonging to the government that has
come into the public servant’s custody or possession by virtue of
the public servant’s office or employment.

Rusk, Texas:   North East Texas mourns the loss of decorated DPS trooper James Scott Burns, shot and killed the night of April 29, 2008 by ex-Kilgore, TX police officer Brandon Wayne Robertson during a high speed chase through Grayson County, Texas.

East Texas Trooper, James Burns slain by released parole violator

Brandon Wayne Robertson, age 37, had been on parole for multiple felony drug and theft convictions, as well as unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon in Gregg County, TX. Doing the world a favor, Robertson committed suicide Thursday May 1. The dirtbag piece of human debris killed himself after an extensive statewide manhunt immediately after his cold blooded murder of Trooper James Burns. The trooper’s slaying was witnessed by travelers trying to assist the fallen lawman; a description of Robertson’s vehicle was broadcasted throughout the region as authorities closed in on Robertson’s whereabouts. Huddled up somewhere near his crystal meth lab in the woods, Robertson shot himself before his capture.

Trooper James Burns leaves behind a grieving family and community. His funeral was held Saturday May 3, 2008. Murdered on the roadside by an ex-con armed with a shotgun who was recently released from Cherokee County jail for once being a good cop and “never really doing anything wrong before” turning to selling crystal meth, stealing and killing people in a drug induced hysteria. All of which is a parole violation.

James Scott Burns was the 83rd Texas State Highway Trooper to be killed in the line of duty. The ultimate tragedy and blame lies in what neighboring county, Cherokee County TX could have done days earlier in the month of April, when Brandon Robertson was in Cherokee County’s custody. His illicit drug trafficking was temporarily postponed by a fellow DPS trooper to the south, patrolling Rusk, Texas. Robertson was stopped, his vehicle searched and he was then arrested for drug possession by the Department of Public Safety officer. Robertson was transported and booked in the Cherokee County jail in Rusk, Texas on April 6th.

The next morning, the Cherokee County district judge, the sheriff’s office and district attorney passed on prosecuting parolee Brandon Robertson for his illegal narcotics and allowed Robertson to post bail. They didn’t even bother to confiscate his vehicle.

Cherokee County authorities never even notified Robertson’s parole officers in Smith County. In a matter of hours, Brandon Wayne Robertson was back on the highway to deal drugs, armed with a 20- Gauge COPKILLER. They literally just let the guy drive off. No hearing, no phone calls to a Parole Officer, no formal arraignment, just a deputy escort right out the front door.

22 days later, Brandon Robertson kills a Texas State Trooper who catches him transporting more illegal drugs into the region.

 

ex-con and ex-police officer Brandon Wayne Robertson

Brandon Robertson was well-known by local law enforcement, having previously worked for the Overton, TX and Kilgore, TX police departments between 1990 and 1999 and with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department (notorious for its internal corruption problems) for several years.  Robertson turned to transporting and selling crytal methamphetamine, or “ICE” to supplement his law enforcement salary until authorities arrested him. He had served 4 months of a 4 year sentence in TDCJ for multiple crimes until he was paroled in April 2007.

On April 6, 2008, three weeks before the slaying in Grayson County, Brandon Wayne Robertson was stopped and arrested in Cherokee County Texas by a patrolling DPS trooper.  Again, Robertson was busted for felony drug possession (crystal meth) along with a concealed weapon and transported to the Cherokee County Texas Sheriff’s Department.  TDCJ parolee and ex-cop Brandon Robertson spent one comfortable evening in Cherokee County jail and was released the very next day by Cherokee County authorities on $7500 bail. Robertson was arraigned on April 7, 2008 by Cherokee County even though he was on parole with multiple felony convictions. Despite his cited parole violations and criminal status as a convicted felon, Robertson was freed to go back to transporting his drugs in and around Rusk and Cherokee counties, while his case was postponed indefinitely.

Brandon Wayne Robertson’s connections to his former employers in the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and those within Cherokee County, TX are all too apparent. These two adjoining East Texas counties are the choice for local crystal meth traffickers, often disgraced former peace officers such as Robertson, who have cut deals with their former employers to continue manufacturing and distributing narcotics into the region.
Hopefully, this debacle of Cherokee County Texas allowing an armed and dangerous parole violator out of jail to go out and take the life of a DPS officer, a father, brother, husband and dedicated East Texas lawman, hopefully this will finally open the eyes of the US Attorneys’ Offices operating in the region. It is long past time to hold Cherokee County accountable for brazenly operating against the intent of the law. Knowingly and willingly letting an armed and dangerous parole violator out THE NEXT DAY on a measly 3rd Degree Misdemeanor charge should be the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

How does a felony charge of drug and weapons possession of a parolee constitute only a $7500 Bond? That means Robertson only had to put up a couple of hundred dollars to a Bail Bondsman for felony possession by a parolee. An inquest into the shooting of Trooper James Burns is pending by the Department of Public Safety and concerned citizens in Gregg County, Texas.

Cherokee County, TX pretends it never happened and never saw Brandon Robertson in their neck of the Piney Woods.

As far as Brandon Robertson taking his life to avoid prosecution, had his parole supervision been in Cherokee County, Texas, he’d be back out on bail the very next day after blasting his way out of speeding ticket. Hell, the District Attorney’s office could split the guy’s Life Insurance Policy and move into the deceased house. Good riddance to Brandon Robertson and his ilk. The sun won’t be shining where he’s going. Unfortunately, his type of bad seed has become all too common in East Texas.