The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Get Money,” R.I.P.

Posted on | July 9, 2024 | Comments Off on ‘Get Money,” R.I.P.

Timothy James Jefferson of Dallas began getting tattoos before he was old enough to drive legally, but he was not exactly a stickler for legality. Among the tattoos he got while still a minor — a ninth-grader at Oak Cliff High School — was the word “get” on one arm and the word “money” on the other: “Get money” being a life goal to which he was dedicated and, as previously mentioned, legality was not foremost among his concerns.

Jefferson’s “get money” tattoos were the subject of an appeals court case. Jefferson was charged with the armed robbery of a Foot Locker store in 2009, when he was 19, and at the subsequent trial, testified in his own defense. The prosecution asked for and received permission from the judge to ask Jefferson about his “get money” tattoos. On appeal, Jefferson claimed this was irrelevant and prejudicial, to which the Texas appeals court replied: “LOL! GFY!” (Or words to that effect.)

Jefferson made news last week when he decided to celebrate the Fourth of July by — can you guess? — committing an armed robbery:

A Dallas officer fatally shot a robbery suspect who pointed a gun at police early Thursday in east Oak Cliff, according to officials.
Officers responded about 1 a.m. to a robbery call in the 2900 block of South Lancaster Road and three suspects ran out the back of an illegal game room and jumped a fence to where “covert officers” were, police said.
One of the suspects pointed a gun at the officer, a “struggle” between the two ensued and the officer shot the suspect; according to a news release.
The person who was shot by the officer was identified by the Dallas County medical examiner’s office as 34-year-old Timothy James Jefferson.
Officers rendered first aid before he was taken to the hospital and died from his injuries.
No officers were injured, and the two other suspects who ran from the area were taken into custody.

The police body-camera video was released Monday:

An on-duty Dallas officer in plain clothes fired his handgun ”approximately” four times early Thursday morning at an armed man who allegedly was involved in a robbery of an illegal Oak Cliff game room and who reached for a gun during a struggle, police said.
A surveillance camera on a nearby business captured footage of the brief scuffle between Sr. Cpl. Ruben Martinez and 34-year-old Timothy James Jefferson, who later died from his injuries. Twenty minutes of 911 audio, body-camera footage and surveillance recording were released by police during a news conference Monday. . . .
Police received a 911 call about 1 a.m. from a person who described an ongoing robbery of an illegally operating game room in the 2900 block of South Lancaster Road. An audio recording of the call, played during the news conference, captured multiple people shouting. The caller was hushed while speaking.
“We’re being robbed,” the caller told the dispatcher, according to the recording.
The video then cuts to surveillance footage captured by a camera on a nearby business, showing people, including Jefferson, armed with what appear to be handguns while corralling others into a building. One armed man, whom police did not identify, can be seen pistol-whipping another man, the footage shows.
Responding to the robbery call, Martinez arrives in an unmarked Dodge sedan and parks near the nearby business with the surveillance cameras. Shortly after, a man identified as Jefferson is shown climbing over a fence into the business’ parking lot and sprinting around the corner and toward Martinez, the footage shows.
Jefferson appears to point his hand or raise an object — which police say was a handgun — at Martinez, who is exiting the sedan as Jefferson is running up.
Jefferson raises his arms toward the officer and drops an object, the footage shows. The two get into a brief struggle before several shots are heard and Jefferson collapses. Police say Jefferson reached out to grab the handgun, leading Martinez to shoot him.
[Police Chief Eddie] García said the encounter was so short that Martinez, who was calling on Jefferson to get on the ground, did not have time to put on a ballistic vest equipped with a body-worn camera before the shooting. . . .
Two people — 21-year-old Kyvarian Banks and 20-year-old Dominique Lee Bolin — are facing charges in connection with the alleged robbery of the game room, which García said has since been shut down.
Banks and Lee Bolin were held in Dallas County custody Monday on three counts of aggravated robbery. Banks faces two additional probation violation charges stemming from a previous aggravated robbery and evading arrest detention, records show. . . .
Police seized cash from Banks and located a bag of cash he dropped while running from officers, along with a handgun, García said. Officers found Lee Bolin in the game room parking lot before taking him into custody and seizing a handgun, the chief added.
A fourth person ran from the scene and evaded police Thursday morning. . . .
The manager of the game room, identified by police as 38-year-old Mohammad Ghali, is facing a charge of keeping a gambling place, García said.

“Get money,” get dead. Dallas CBS affiliate KTVT tells us what you already knew: “Garcia adds Jefferson had an extensive criminal history, including prison time for a string of business robberies in 2009.”



 

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Category: Crime, Texas

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