August 12, 2015

Daniel Lee Lopez was executed by the state of Texas on Wednesday, August 12, 2015.  Daniel was pronounced dead at 6:31 pm CDT, inside the execution chamber at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas.  Daniel was 27 years of age.  He was executed for the murder of 47-year-old Lt. Stuart Alexander, a 20-year veteran of the Corpus Christi Police Department, on March 11, 2009.  Daniel spent the last 5 years of his life on Texas’ death row.

Daniel dropped out of school after the 10th grade.  In his childhood, Daniel was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a learning disability, and poor impulse control.  At the age of 12, Daniel assaulted his mother.  By the age of 17, Daniel had numerous encounters with law enforcement.  Before his arrest, Daniel attempted to commit suicide twice.  

Shortly after midnight on March 11, 2009, Daniel Lopez was observed running a stop sign by a police officer.  The police officer pulled Lopez over, where a confrontation ensued.  Allegedly, the officer attempted to use pepper spray to subdue Lopez.  Lopez was able to escape when taser and radio wires became wrapped around the officers legs.

Lopez claims that he fled because he thought there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest and because he had drugs in the car.  Lopez led police on a car chase.  Police eventually laid down spike strips to flatten Lopez’s tires.  Lopez saw the strips and swerved, hitting Lt. Stuart Alexander with his car, killing the officer.

Police were eventually able to surround Lopez’s vehicle, at which point Lopez attempted to run over another officer to escape.  Lopez was finally subdued when he injured by a police officer shooting him. 

Lopez asked for his execution to be expedited, waiving his rights to the normal appeals process.

Please pray for peace and healing for the family of Stuart Alexander.  Please pray for strength for the family of Daniel Lopez.