He had been a trooper since 1985. On probation for selling marijuana, Weeks was a passenger in a stolen car driven by his uncle, Louis Dukes. Weeks reportedly fired two 9 mm bullets at the trooper. Ebert said the gun Weeks used to kill Cavazos previously had been used to commit another murder and was given to Weeks to hold. You pull someone over for a traffic violation and wind up being gunned down.
Every officer can relate to that.
This trooper was very understanding. He wasn't really a hard-nosed cop. In January, Weeks came within a vote of getting a new trial when the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the constitutionality of his conviction. Lawyers had argued that the judge's instructions to the jury were misunderstood, and that several jurors wanted to spare his life. Richardson is portraying Weeks as a remorseful man who has taken responsibility for the crime.