Texas executes Wesley Ruiz despite ongoing fight over state’s use of old lethal injection drugs

Texas’ execution chamber in Huntsville. (Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

On Wednesday evening, Texas executed Wesley Ruiz despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the state’s use of drugs long past their original expiration dates to kill prisoners.

Ruiz, 43, was sentenced to death nearly 15 years ago for the 2007 shooting of Dallas police Senior Cpl. Mark Nix following a high-speed car chase. The chase began while police were searching for a murder suspect, according to court documents. Ruiz’s car eventually slid off the side of the road, and Nix rushed over and began smashing the passenger side window with his police baton. Ruiz fatally shot him in the chest through the back passenger window, court filings state.