A man who was executed on Wednesday for murdering a police officer used his final words to say sorry to the family of the man he killed.
Wesley Ruiz fatally shot Dallas police corporal Mark Nix after becoming involved in a high-speed car chase back in 2007, a crime for which he was sentenced to death.
Using his last minutes alive on Wednesday, Ruiz apologized to Nix’s family for ‘taking him away from you’ before he was administered a lethal injection.
The 43-year-old did not look at the family and friends of Nix, who had gathered behind the glass at the Huntsville Unit at Texas State Penitentiary – the facility where Texas carries out executions – whilst he gave his apology, but he offered his sincere hopes that they receive closure with his punishment and death.
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Strapped onto his gurney, Ruiz said: “I would like to apologize to Mark and the Nix family for taking him away from you.
“I hope this brings you closure.”
He also paid thanks to his own friends and family before telling the prison warden that he was ‘ready to ride’, stating: “Don’t worry about me.
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“I’m ready to fly.”
He was then administered a lethal injection consisting of pentobarbital, a powerful barbiturate used in the state to carry out death sentences.
22 minutes later, he was declared dead by doctors on hand at the prison.
16 years ago, Ruiz fled from the law because he had drugs in his car and had taken some, firing a single shot at Corporal Nix after the pursuit was over as the police officer attempted to break the passenger side window of his car.
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Ruiz maintained that he didn’t mean to kill Nix, just stop him, and further claimed that Nix made threats to kill him.
The bullet he fired hit Nix’s badge which caused it to shatter and send fragments into Nix’s neck, once of which hit an artery, severing it and causing his death.
Nix died in hospital after the incident.
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He had served on the police force for seven years, following a stint in the US Navy.
The officer was engaged to be married at the time of his death.
Ruiz is the second prisoner to be put to death in Texas this year, after Robert Fratta died from a lethal injection on January 10.
He had been convicted in a murder-for-hire case back in 1994.
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This year, Texas has six executions scheduled after performing five executions in 2022.
Tom Wood