Joe Vinson Thornton

Deadly force

Thornton, wanted for producing methamphetamine, fled Lieutenant James David and Deputy Barry Simmons on a dirt bike. Video shows deputies stopping the dirt bike in a cornfield and Thornton drawing a gun and running off camera. The deputies shot at Thornton a total of 12 times, striking him five times. The Texas Rangers investigated. It was discovered that Thornton had meth in his system when he was shot. As the shooting was not reported to the attorney general's office within 30 days, a violation of the Texas Penal Code, the incident led to debate about law enforcement accountability.