Texas Town Rallies Behind Jailed Deputy

The town of Rocksprings is rallying behind a deputy sheriff convicted of violating the civil rights of an undocumented immigrant Monday.

Deputy Gilmer Hernandez, a Hill Country deputy sheriff, faces up to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted of violating the civil rights of a woman he shot while she sped away from a routine traffic stop.

Hernandez has been in custody since his December conviction for the shooting.

The community said Hernandez should be freed, and they said so at a rally in the town square adjacent to the courthouse.

Ashley Hernandez, the deputy’s wife, said the incident is "something that I just want to put behind our past. It’s almost been two years and we've been living with it and we're ready just to put it in our past and go on with our lives.”

She said Hernandez was just doing his job, those who know him said the same.

“I know that he did what he thought was right. He never intended to hurt anybody. He was never that kind of person,” said Roy Cottle, a friend to Hernandez.

Though he said he respects the jury's verdict, the sheriff also backs Hernandez.

"We just don't believe that our deputy sheriff committed the wrong that he's accused of," said Sheriff Don Letsinger, of the Edwards County Sheriff’s Department.

Support for Hernandez went beyond rallies -- business leaders, church leaders and county employees are getting together to help make the car payment and the house payment to help his family survive while he's in prison.

Formal sentencing for Hernandez is set for March. He’s facing a range of punishment from 10 years to probation.