A Picture Is Not Always Worth A Thousand Words

Honestly I thought that episode of The Punisher where Jon Bernthal stands in the hallway for the whole episode until a Customs agent shows up to kill the bad guy for him was a little draggyhttps://t.co/Zrt7DCLiK3

— ImpressionableChildHat (@Popehat) July 12, 2022

Yeah, I was wrong, too.

Leaked surveillance of law enforcement responding to the Uvalde shooting was released Tuesday showing an officer glancing at his phone. The officer depicted was Ruben Ruiz, whose wife had just been shot inside one of the classrooms with the gunman.https://t.co/pbvbqIPJOt

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) July 14, 2022

The officer depicted is Ruben Ruiz, whose wife, Eva Mireles, lay dying inside one of the classrooms with the gunman. Mireles told Ruiz in a phone call that she had been shot. Ruiz, standing in the hallway with his pistol drawn, was unable to get to her. Other officers ultimately escorted Ruiz from the scene and took his gun. Mireles was alive when police transported her from the classroom, but she died before reaching the hospital. 

The online criticism of Ruiz prompted a member of the Texas House of Representatives committee investigating the shooting to speak out. Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said he had not planned to make any public comments until the committee’s report is finished, but felt he needed to set the record straight about Ruiz. 

“I couldn’t say nothing seeing this man, who’s lost everything, maligned as if he was indifferent or actively malicious,” Moody said on Twitter. “Context matters. To those who haven’t bothered to read even the news that’s been reported in your rush to judgment, he attempted to engage but was removed from the building and disarmed. We’ll have much to say about the police response, but no criticism of this officer.”

The happenstance of his lock screen showing up in the frame was also used against him. We all should have known better. None of us should have jumped to conclusions. None of us should treat seeing as believing and believing as knowing. But we did. And we were wrong.

We owe Officer Ruiz an apology.