SAN ANTONIO, April 16 (UPI) -- A San Antonio man convicted in the 2001 shooting death of a SWAT team member with the officer's own gun was executed Wednesday.
Manuel Garza Jr. was given a lethal injection of pentobarbital for the slaying of John "Rocky" Riojas in February 2001. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the case in November, and no last-minute appeals were filed. He was the sixth person put to death in Texas this year.
"I'm sorry for all the pain that I caused my family, friends and extended family," Garza said as he began his final statement, which included a reference to an Ozzy Osbourne song. "Especially to y'all police officers. I know y'all probably hate me. What happened between me and Rocky happened too fast. I didn't even know what happened, man. I wish y'all peace and love... God bless y'all, I will see you on the other side."
"Oop, here it comes. Goodbye!" Garza said before letting out what sounded like a howl.
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Garza, 35, was declared dead at 6:40 p.m., 26 minutes after the lethal drug was administered.
Riojas, 37, was fatally shot in the head during a struggle with Garza in February 2001. Witnesses said Garza, who was 20 at the time, cursed at the police officer after he was shot. Garza was convicted in 2002. In an interview days before the execution, he said he felt no remorse because the shooting was accidental.
"To have remorse you have to kill somebody, and I don't think I did that," he said. "I think you have to have the intent and want to kill somebody to have remorse."
