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Crime

Accused Cattle Thief Stalks Reporters

By Joe Hyde, Feb 5, 2019
 

SAN ANGELO, TX — San Angelo LIVE! Reporter Yantis Green was threatened in a Tom Green County Courthouse courtroom by accused cattle thief Dusty Thompson Tuesday morning during a pretrial hearing. For his protection, Green had to be escorted by courthouse security to his vehicle.

District Judge Ben Woodward was presiding over a series of pretrial hearings for dozens of defendants and was setting jury trial dates for those ready to go to trial. The session began around 9 a.m. in courtroom A on the second floor of the Tom Green County Courthouse.

Green was sitting on the bench near the door with jail inmates behind him and defendants and their family members setting in front of him. Reporters cover stories in the courthouse on a daily basis. They have a first amendment right to be there and report on any case deemed of public interest. The public has a right to know who is accused of committing crimes in and around their homes and neighborhoods.

When Judge Woodward called Thompson’s name, Thompson stood up as he was supposed to. When the judge finished, Thompson walked back to where Green was setting and sat down glaring at the San Angelo LIVE! reporter.

Thompson said, “I hope you saved some of that money you stole; you’re going to need it for attorney fees.”

Green didn’t respond to Thompson. He sat there doing his job. When Thompson’s attorney Gonzalo Rios was leaving the courtroom, he walked by Green. Thompson asked his attorney, “Are you going to talk to this clown?” Rios told Thompson he would and they both left the courtroom.

Green moved down the bench by the jailers who were there escorting the inmates to their hearings. Green told them that Thompson had threatened him in the courtroom. One of them asked what he said. Green told the deputy that Thompson threatened to sue him. Out of an abundance of caution, the jailers contacted courthouse security.

While Green was waiting on courthouse security, Rios came back into the courtroom and sat beside him. Rios kindly asked to speak to Green privately. Thompson was still standing in the hall just outside the courtroom.

Green said just a minute.

When courthouse security arrived, they told the reporter they would escort him out of the building and to his vehicle. Green said he wanted to talk with Rios before he left. Security deputies escorted Rios and Green across the hall to a private room where Rios and Green discussed the articles written and why Thompson was so upset. Rios explained that filing a notice in court for a defendant stating that defendant was eligible for probation was normal. Green explained to the attorney that the notice filed with the court seemed unusual to anyone who was not an attorney. Rios agreed that it could seem unusual but it wasn’t. Rios told the reporter he had advised his client not to talk to the reporter again and not to bother him.

After the article about the filing was published. Thompson went to the San Angelo LIVE! Office and videoed employees vehicles and license plates. San Angelo LIVE! Employees filmed Thompson and words were exchanged, according to security video footage we reviewed. Thompson proudly declared his identity. After a reporter inquired what his name was, he replied, “Dusty Thompson. That’s me!”

Green and Rios shook hands and the meeting ended. The deputies escorted Green downstairs. Thompson was standing in the lobby glaring at the reporter as he walked by. The deputies escorted Green across the courthouse lawn, across the street and to his parked vehicle.

Thompson is a public figure. He ran unsuccessfully for Tom Green County Constable. He was subsequently arrested and charged with theft of livestock. His jury trial was scheduled for Feb. 19, but was postponed because video evidence requested from the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t been provided to the defense yet.

Thompson’s trial has been postponed until March.

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“I'm often asked why there is such a great variation among sentences imposed by Texas judges. I can only quote the Texas judge who was asked why a killer sometimes doesn't even get indicted and a cattle thief can get ten years. The judge answered: "A lot of fellows ought to be shot, but we don't have any cows that need stealing.” - Percy Foreman

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Telling law enforcement u were threatened when someone says they are gonna sue you? The article makes a quote that he said Yantis stole something? Mind elaborating on that?

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Lest we forget that Yantis "misappropriated funds" to the tune of $63,000 while he was our trusted County Commissioner.

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Normally I'd be puzzled as to why this is a story. Someone threatening to sue a reporter for an article seems pretty ordinary. I guess that could be considered a physical threat after the other bullying tactics he had tried before. Probably smart to escort him out. I understand why it's a story when we get to the end. Usually anyone who is a public figure who acts like a psycho is going to make the news.
But... I can't figure out if this is a news story or an opinion piece. If this was a news story I would think Joe would have included direct quotes and a video interview with Mr. Green, but instead it's all told in a weird 3rd person that is normally reserved for editorials or opinion pieces. I'd expect direct quotes telling us some more of the detailed information.

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Although I wasn't there, I'm pretty sure he was sitting on a bench instead of setting.

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What did this Thompson slob do, bring his dad with him?

What's his purpose for being there? Comic relief?

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I guess Mr. Thompson went and sat right next to his. AL has made it quiet obvious that Thompson is not their favorite person in the community and will go to any extreme to find new and “bizarre” ways to make him look as unfavorable as possible. As evidenced by today’s headline OMG!!! I can’t blame the man for finally standing up for his rights and to Angelo Live and putting them on notice.

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"Not constable Dusty 'Cattle Thief' Thompson was spotted stealing every available opportunity to creepily threaten St. Green of SAL who was lead away due to unbiased reporting of facts and journalistic integrity..."

BRILLIANT!!

https://youtu.be/84dTVs-AmR8

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I’m confused as to how the word “stalking” ended up in the title of this story. Webster defines stalk as: “to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment.” How does a statement of “I’m going to sue you”, turn into a harmful threat or stalking?! Threatening to sue doesn’t mean the same thing as threatening harm.

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Thompson and the chimp in the knee brace went to S.A. LIVE! for the sole purpose of being a menacing presence, in an attempt to intimidate employees. "Stalking"? Possibly. Harassment, surely.

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Insecure snowflake's need to feel protected by law enforcement because they could never impose their will to be left alone on someone without their existence. I think the weak deserve to be protected by the strong, not bullied... The only thing that bothers me is that many waste resources that could be better put to use without this kind of nonsense.

Lares, you love the law when it strokes your sense of power and control, but you are the first to whine and talk about your crazed methods of societal cleansing when some idiot pops a bottle rocket near your house... Without the police, you would be eaten by the streets... You would be labeled as a coward and snitch and dealt with according to their rite's and ritual's...

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Going to happen one way or the other. Why do you think the wealthy, world leaders, and the other power brokers on this planet are so concerned with global population and how do you think it's going to get lowered?

Friend of a friend of mine "hates smart people." I can understand why Lares is often so callous in his appraisals. There are plenty of blustering 800lbs gorilla chiefs who wouldn't stand a chance up against one smart weirdo with a sharp stick and a mean look in his eyes if it wasn't for that Relical database the legal system set up.

In defense of our (apparently) libertarian "devil," Lares.

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It's against the law for someone to shoot a bottle rocket where I live. If I want quiet, and don't want to pick up some asshole's litter the following day, yeah, a call for service is a very convenient decision -- just as I'd ask a waiter for a new fork, if mine had spots on it.

Certain people are hired to do certain things, but of course the only one's who'd take issue with me and my dislike for noise and litter, are usually the one's providing it -- and I don't give a shit what they think anyway.

You misinterpreted the post (I think) you were referring to, regarding police protection vs. responsible proactivity. I'll clarify, hopefully:

I'd fully appreciate the opportunity to confront the bottle rocket guy, the chicken burner...but that's not the system we're allowed to live under. You're right, police duties could be put to much better utilization, and this would happen if more responsible proactivity among members of the community could be trusted, as we trust that the car at the red light will most likely stop, as our turns green -- but we cannot live under that system, as many would abuse it.

In a society with no police protection, it might be very interesting to learn exactly who'd be "eaten", who'd do a majority of the eating, and even go a bit further into snacking and comfort food -- in the name of bettering our community, of course.

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I'm reminded of that movie "Airplane" you linked to elsewhere—the same movie with the pilot asking inappropriate questions. I'm reminded of this because I have to ask: have you ever been to Mexico? Between driving habits, police effectiveness, and any number of given factors, I doubt you'd be pleased.

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I spoke of societal cleansing in direct reference to several comments Lares has made over the time that I have frequented Live... A lot of users on Live talk about how "we should" handle those that fall into the less than savory category, as though our system is so faulty. We have the best justice system in the world.

People of all walks can pose a threat from the sweaty, dope fiend, street strutter... To the well educated, mild mannered, family man. Nobody is special when it comes to posing a threat... some folks can handle it on their own, some folks call the police over nonsense.

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Oh you're preaching to the choir about America having a great system. Rule of law is why so many are willing to risk so much to get here in the first place. Just noting that some aspects of what you're commenting on are actually part of a larger historical trend.

Sometimes I suppose it may be easy for some to mistake the relatively posh situation of the local probation officers sitting in their office doing real important stuff on their computers for the tough job of being out on the street dealing with incorrigibles wielding everything from illegal firearms to pointy objects to a funny look on their face to portable meth labs, etc.

"Handling their own," though, sounds like a legal liability in some cases. I'm sure if Lares kidnapped some bottle rocketeers and demonstrated some of the S&M ideas he's written about in previous Live! articles until those individuals had a spontaneous change of heart, he'd suddenly be the "bad guy."

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It's OK if you don't have the confidence to assert yourself to the bottle-rocket, chicken men of our society, and require police assistance, I know many who lack that certain quality and I believe that you have a right to protection from nitwit's regardless of your personal form. I guess it just seems to lack luster coming from the guy who talks about flaying and quartering criminal folk in the town square...

Mr. Green, while I respect a man doing his job within legal limit's, seems like the antagonist type from the outside, pure speculation on my part.

Look @ the pic of Thompson, holding his cellphone so menacingly... People are increasingly calling normal confrontations, "harassment", like our good friend Lares...
A well documented history of this kind of thing, may stack up into a case for such, but not the initial incident, in and of itself. Good for a soft chuckle and a bit of impetuous ranting on my part though.

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I'll repeat, for the last time -- while I don't like that my hands are tied, when it comes to chicken burners and reckless fireworks freaks, there are laws which prevent..or shall I say "discourage" me from having it out with people of that ilk. While one might misinterpret the exercising of a bit of self-restraint as "a lack of confidence", I call it "staying out of jail" -- a foreign concept to you, so I've read.

I never saw any practicality in losing my composure over one or two useless assholes, so that I may be carted away and placed in a miniature community of more useless assholes. If the cops don't effectively take care of our resident scumbags, one of your jailbird buddies, fighting for the honor of his neck tattoo or cellmate lover, will hopefully seal the deal, and earn themselves addition time in their cages, to network with other lowlifes...become "born again", all the useless activity considered "reform". You know the drill, Nate.

As for Thompson and his goon, given the history of events, I think most reasonable people would look at the bigger picture, their "intent". They weren't there by coincidence, and lurking outside people's workplace and photographing their vehicles aren't generally considered "normal confrontations".

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Delacruz's confrontation with Tanya Bermea was not normal; Meanwhile, here on planet earth, things like this with Yantis and Dusty are common occurrences that hardly warrant the description you utilized.

The past 11 years that I've stayed out of legal trouble speak volumes more than your childlike drivel about the past that I've freely shared with the general public.

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You weren't supposed to be in trouble, within the last 11 years, or before.

That's adorable though, when ex-cons jump on their soap box after a 5-10 year stint in a cage, with all the sage advice of a 95 year old world traveler, followed by an imperious update on how long they've managed not to break into my car, or assault someone.

I'm all out of cookies, Nate.

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"But you were NEVER supposed to be in trouble in the first place." I can just hear you whining like the kid from "Life With Louie"... "But MOM, his redemption story doesn't fit in my worldview!"

Get over yourself. Grow up. You complain more than readers that get ticked when RR comments 53 periods on every SAL story! Or is it ZZ now?

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