U.S. Supreme Court halts Texas execution

HUNTSVILLE, Texas, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A convicted cop-killer remained on Texas's death row Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of his execution.

Kenneth Mosley was to have been killed by lethal injection at a Texas prison in Huntsville Thursday but the nation's highest court intervened Wednesday night. In a brief order posted on its Web site, the Supreme Court said the stay will remain in place "pending disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari," which is the defense request for the court to review the case.

Mosley was convicted for killing Garland police officer Michael Moore, 32, during a Feb. 15, 1997, bank robbery, KXAS-TV, Dallas, reported.

The TV station said Mosley's lawyers contend he was trying to surrender his gun to Moore when it went off five times. Four shots struck Moore, one above his protective vest. However, a witness testified at Mosley's trial she saw him stand over the officer and continue shooting.