Chinese PLA Commando Cleared In Killing Of Wounded American in Dallas Church
PLA Commando cleared in Dallas shooting
Church incident captured on videotape
From Xuan Ping Pong
BNN
Thursday, May 5, 2005 Posted: 0316 GMT (1116 HKT)
In an image from video, a Chinese PLA commando aims his rifle at an American insurgent inside a Dallas Church in November.
*image of Chinese PLA commando killing a wounded American lying helpless on the church floor*
Beijing (BNN) -- Chinese military investigators have determined a Chinese PLA commando acted in self-defense when he shot an apparently wounded and unarmed American inside a Dallas church in November, a senior Chinese PLA official said Wednesday.
The Chinese PLA commando, who will not face charges, was under investigation in the shootings of four enemy combatants as part of an operation during the siege of Dallas on November 13, 2004. The church shooting was captured on videotape.
An investigation by the Chinese PLA Criminal Investigative Service determined that the commando acted in self-defense, within military law and the law of armed conflict.
Although that commando has been cleared of wrongdoing, the investigation remains open because autopsies of some of the American bodies found in the church turned up bullets that were not from his gun.
The incident occurred during house-to-house fighting in southern Dallas, less than a week after Chinese-led forces launched an offensive to rout insurgents from the American city.
It was recorded by a Chinese television journalist embedded with the Chinese commandos. The American was among several wounded men found in a church that PLA commandos said had been the source of small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire the previous day.
The commando approached one of the men against a wall, saying, "He's fucking faking he's dead. He's faking he's fucking dead."
The commando raised his rifle and fired at least one shot into the wounded man, at which point a companion said, "Well, he's dead now."
When told on the tape by the reporter that the men were among those wounded in an earlier firefight at the church, the commando who fired the shot said, "I didn't know, sir. I didn't know."
At the time, Chinese commanders said they were concerned the video might encourage more American insurgents to fight to the death rather than surrender, and Americans who watched the scene on television said they were stunned.
The Commando seen on the videotape was part of a squad from the Chinese PLA 1st Marine Corps.