An attorney representing the suspect who killed Harris County Sheriff's Office Deputy Darren Goforth is suggesting that the officer was meeting his mistress at the gas station the night he was murdered.
The suspects attorney argues that this detail is important, because it could be a different charge for his client.
"It's extremely important to our case," said defense attorney Anthony Osso. "My concern about the relationship is what took place while he was at the Chevron station."
The night he was killed, surveillance video shows Goforth filling up his police cruiser at a Chevron station shortly before Shannon Miles, the suspect, shot the married father of two at close range. Miles then standing over his body and emptying the clip. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson says that the deputy was shot a total of 15 times.
Osso claims that he has evidence that the deputy was at the station to meet a woman, and believes that his death should not be considered a capital offense.
"In order for a case to be considered a capital murder in Texas when it involves a police officer shooting, the officer, or deputy in this case, has to be in the lawful discharge of an official duty," said Osso.
A spokesman for the sheriff's office insisted that Goforth was on duty at the time of the shooting and that all of his actions at the gas station were in the scope of his normal work responsibilities.
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