Page 10 • Tuesday, March 23, 1999
News
Botched raid lands former officer on trial
HOUSTON (AP) — A former
Houston police officer who partici
pated in a controversial raid that left
one man dead went on trial Mon
day for misdemeanor trespassing,
despite objections from the victim’s
family that the prosecution could
impede a federal probe.
James Willis, 28, was one of six
officers who raided the apartment
of Pedro Oregon last July 12, acting
on a tip that drugs were being sold
there. Oregon was shot 12 times,
including nine times in the back,
and no drugs were found.
A gun was found in Oregon’s
apartment, but it had not been fired.
All six officers were fired, al
though Willis was the only one in
dicted. Jury selection began Mon
day afternoon after a judge reject
ed pleas from Oregon’s family to
dismiss the trespassing charge.
Family attorneys contend the
state trial could interfere with a fed
eral grand jury investigation and
prevent more serious charges from
being filed against the officers.
They deny accusations by
Willis’ attorney that the family
wants the charge dropped because
Oregon’s brother, Rogelio Oregon,
was involved in dealing drugs.
“There’s a legitimate federal in
vestigation into a homicide that we
want completed before Mr. Oregon
takes the stand,” said Chris Flood,
Oregon’s attorney. “He has noth
ing to hide. He just doesn’t want to
participate in this cover-up.”
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Accident at theme par
kills 1, injures 10 othei
ARLINGTON (AP) — Three
people remained in good condi
tion at an Arlington hospital Mon
day, a day after an amusement
ride at Six Flags Over Texas went
awry, killing a woman and injur
ing 10 other people.
Arlington authorities and park
officials worked through the night
and early Monday searching for
clues at the park as to why a raft
like boat on the Roaring Rapids
ride overturned Sunday.
“The witnesses who were on
the boat say everything was pro
ceeding normally when they were
about to finish the ride,” police
spokesperson Dee Anderson said,
“then the boat suddenly over
turned when it went down into a
depression.”
In the ride, raft-like boats carry
up to a dozen passengers while
floating through a series of rapids
in water up to 4 feet deep.
Velaria Cartwright, of West He
lena, Ark., apparently drowned af
ter being trapped upside down in
waist-deep water when the raft
capsized. The 28-year-old woman
was taken to Arlington Memorial
Hospital, where she was pro
nounced dead. Autopsy results
were expected Monday afternoon,
Anderson said.
Most aboard the overturned
raft were able to unbuckle their
seat belts and get out of the water,
authorities said.
Six of the victims were treated
for minor injuries and released
Sunday evening. Three others —
two women and one man — were
in good condition Monday, ac
cording to hospital officials.
Jessica Venneberg of Lawrence,
Kan., was released Monday from
Cook Children’s Medical
Fort Worth. The 9-year-i
mother was treated and
for a broken leg, and hei
was in good condition.
Six Flags spokesperson
St. Pierre said park offic
chiding engineers and a
pendent safety expert, exj»
begin their investigation
incident Monday evening
Wendy Crown, a witne
attempted to give mo
mouth to Cartwright shoni
the accident, said parkemp.
looked as if they were it
pared for the emergency.
"That’s an outsider’s per
live.’’ St. Pierre said. “Itwail
ic. It was an accident see f
we knew exactly whatwi
doing. Our employees resp
exactly how they were tram
respond in an emergency
St. Pierre said all parkerj
ees receive emergency ti
and are tested . She noted(
training does not include
ing procedures, such as mo
mouth resuscitation.
Joel Cliff, a spokespers
the International Associat
Amusement Parks & Attract
Virginia, said the typeol
gency training is usually
mined by the amusementp
conjunction with (heir in
and outside consultants.
“Since safety is fundame
the industry — if you’reno
I
kJ'
A
cc
you’re out of business-i
to say parks make safely c
part and parcel of theiri
mission,” Cliff said.
Cartwright’s death mar
' â– : fatality at Six Rag. w*.
the park opened in 1961
by r
he Texa:
with th
mit harmfu
tudents anc
Abortion rights grou
targets Bush, Dole in at
WASHINGTON (AP) — An
abortion rights group launched a
series of television ads Monday
that accuse presidential hopefuls
George W. Bush and Elizabeth Dole
of camouflaging strict anti-abortion
positions.
The two early favorites for the
Republican presidential nomina
tion, who have also been attacked
by anti-abortion groups questioning
their commitment to the cause, are
now the target of ads bought by the
National Abortion and Reproduc
tive Rights Action League (NARAL).
The ads, which began airing
Monday morning on stations in
Manchester, N.H., and Des Moines,
Iowa, use quotes from the pair in
an attempt to show they are op
posed to abortion. The ads accuse
them of trying to “hide their ex
treme views,” NARAL director Kate
Michelman said.
“George W. Bush opposes a
woman’s right to choose. Elizabeth
Dole opposes a women’s right to
choose,” she said. “But they both
know they must communicate
more moderate views in order to be
elected.”
Michelman would not say how
much money was being spent on
the campaign or how often the ads
would run.
“It is a significant buy,” she said.
The ads are running around
morning and evening newscasts in
pproaching;
uiring bars (
f income ti er
Dr. J. Mal-
en t for stml
\ prelimmai
fministiYitic
e options fc
oblems ale
the two cities and later wu ,. W(? ire ^
broadcastin otherregim , and
Bush, the governor of Texas, iri t
said he is opposed to
wiih exceptions0T*|taML latjon id ,
l ie mother, rape and '| clion is uil
Though he personally woulf, 0CCLIr ml
abortions to be outlawed, nt p r Denni
■^“■■"■■■'^^“■^^^cohol and
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late at the
get everyone’s amoum
| Bowen sai
should I decide ttem stems fr
â– , ig students
I m pro-life.ence of a
roups, alcol
—GeorgeW : t uc i enls ami
Governor of’jliU f° r sw
run
Americans’ “hearts are
on the issue, so Republicans)
fight for incremental steps
banning late-term abortions^
quiring parental consent(o
tions for teenagers.
“I don’t expect to get
D/reti
body’s vote should 1 decide’:
for the presidency,”
Monday. “I’m pro-life.” * •]! )
Dole has declined to discc* LJlIvt
abortion views in any deplly.
entering the presidential fray^
Iowa is the site of the (ini
idential caucuses in 2000.
Hampshire holds thefirstprf
BY
Panelist attempt to quell fea§M e c) Te "
misconceptions about Y2Kb
‘Be
titiated in
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
greatest danger from the Year 2000
computer problem may be panic
among Americans convinced there
will be major disruptions, emer
gency experts told a House hearing
Monday.
The panelists did, however, cau
tion people to be ready for minor
breakdowns in basic services. The
International Association of Emer
gency Managers said communities
should prepare as if for a storm, in
cluding aftereffects, lasting about
seven days.
“It is important to say the sky is
not failing because of Y2K,” Mike
Walker of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency said, which is
helping local emergency systems
deal with the computer problem.
“There is no need to hoard, there
is no need to take money out of
banks, there is no need to head for
the hills,” he told the House Gov
ernment Reform Committee’s gov
ernment management panel.
“Fear of unknown consequences
places citizens at the risk of either
lii
overreacting or not reacting)
tlie subcommittee’s chairman]
Stephen Horn, R-Califsaid.
The Y2K problem arises 2
the ability of many compiiffl-r
read only the last two digits in)' WO/71
Those computers would ref
m
'peak
year 2000, or “00,” as 1900,cf,
computers to malfunction or
down, possibly threateningsef
ranging from electricity to . J *
plies. lliUlt
Walker joined other expf
concluding that, after spendiry>
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reh
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i
laren Kai:
lions to fix computers, thef?|
government and the larges
industries can say there will
major infrastructure problem 1
Jan. 1.
But there has also beendi;
motion and hype, much on Od author,v
ternet, that has some peoples 400 at a lur
for catastrophic events. >hting Worn
“There are those who™ Clark’s ligl
ic,” Rep. Jim Tlirner of Texf-d “Downsi
subcommittee’s top DemocUcouragedp
He said his own fatherw.Jffotic schet
ing about spending more >ch personr
$2,000 for an electric general) Clark, pres
tecutive Pla