When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. Given the departments broken relationship with the Latino community, making headway on the cases would be extremely difficult, especially because of the officer recruitment problem. Denson and Orlando were also convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in prison. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. About 100 persons rallied Saturday in front of the Houston police station to protest the sentences two former officers received following the death of Joe Campos Torres. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 . The squad did not have a single fatal officer-involved shooting during its three-decade tenure. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Two days later, his body was found badly beaten floating in Buffalo Bayou. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner comforts Margarita Campos Torres, the mother of 23-year-old Jose Campos Torres killed by police in 1977, as they stand in front of a trail at 1301 Commerce with an Army photo of her son dedicated in his honor April 2 in downtown Houston. Judge Sterling has been criticized recently by some members of a Federal grand jury here that handed up antiracketeering indictments against two oilbrokering firms. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. Unfortunately, Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III has made it clear he has no interest in putting federal pressure on local police departments that need reform. and help keep the future of the Houston Press, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, HPD Investigating Victims' Crime Advocate Andy Kahan, A Murder in Montrose: the Paul Broussard Legacy. Testimony at the Federal trial alleged that Mr. Torres was beaten severely after his arrest and forced to jump into the bayou by Mr. Denson, who told the man he wanted to see if a wetback can swim. Mr. Torres was a native Houstonian and a Vietnam veteran. Aided by the research of producer and Austin-based journalist Eva Ruth Moravec, Alonzo guides listeners through interviews with Chicano activists, former police officers, scholars, and Torress family members. Moment fitness influencer asks man to move off park bench 'because he's 'ruining her livestream' - but Mortgage demand plummets to a 28-year low as average interest rates hit 6.71% - just as spring home buying Britain braces for brutal -9C Arctic snap: Met Office warns more snow and ice could lash the country next ISIS fanatic jailed over the gruesome beheading of two Scandinavian women hikers in Morocco that shocked the Shamima Begum and other British women who joined Islamic State and are being held in Syria will 'ultimately' Is YOUR wood burner at risk? The two officers convicted in the Torres' case are expected to be sentenced within a few days. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. If you are associated with a college or university, you may ask your library if they would like to become a sponsor, which would give students and faculty at your institution the ability to view items from our collection. It goes to show how those moments of crisis and scandal within our public institutions become important opportunities for forward-looking leaders. Chief Bond introduces possible disciplinary action against the offending officers through the civil service law, KPRC reporter Don Shelby speculates on the possibility of a second assault on Torres in between the time when officers brought him to the jail and when he ended up in the bayou. With those words, Officer Terry Denson tossed Joe Campos Torres into Buffalo Bayou. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanor . Houston Police Chief B. G. "Pappy" Bond holds a press conference in his office. Last month, members of Congress visited our city to learn about HPD's successful community programs. Though he served in that role for less than three years, Caldwell instituted key reforms that still exist today, such as HPD's first internal affairs department, HPD's first formal manual and the first liaisons to minority communities. Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, Charles felt he had to act as king rather than as a father: REBECCA ENGLISH reveals why Charles backed moves Don't just stick to the Malbec! All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. It's never had its own day, but is definitely something that should be remembered, a lesson of Houston history and among Mexican-Americans. Jose "Joe" Campos Torres, shown in a photo held by his sister Janie Torres in 1998, was arrested after a 1977 Cinco de Mayo disturbance. "No parade, no day of remembrance. The three former officers are to be sentenced late next month. Report: Houston is the No. Family members and friends of his are working to win approval of historical markers at Moody Park to commemorate Torres' death and the community's reaction. Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Longtime Virginia men's basketball coach Terry Holland has died, the school announced Monday. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. Torres subsequently drowned. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. Forty years ago Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston. Joining HPD was regarded almost as a betrayal. The protests that . By Associated Press and Peter Belfiore For Dailymail.Com, Published: 17:01 GMT, 28 June 2021 | Updated: 08:56 GMT, 29 June 2021, Houston's police chief has publicly apologized to the family of a man killed by six officers more than four decades ago, calling it a 'straight-up murder.'. Rather than transport him to jail for booking, the six responding officers first took Torres to "The Hole," an isolated area behind a warehouse along Buffalo Bayou. One of the counts, involving a violation of Federal civil rights laws in which death results, is a felony, with the maximum sentence life in prison. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Witnesses on the other side of the bayou couldnt make out what was happening in the darkness, but they heard a scuffle, then a splash. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. Instead of being taken to jail, police took Campos Torres to "The Hole," an isolated area behind a warehouse along Buffalo Bayou where Houston Police Department officers could write reports, question suspects and sleep. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, Astros GM provides update on Yordan Alvarez's hand injury, KPRC 2 anchor Brandon Walker announces he is leaving network, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later, A look at prominent figures in the Rodney King riots, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob hits city, Former KHOU 11 anchor Lily Jang turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, Your essential and exhaustive guide to 2023 Houston rodeo food. info@texasarchive.org HOUSTON, Oct. 30 Federal District Judge Ross N. Sterling, acting under orders from a Federal appeals court to impose prison terms on three former Houston police officers he had sentenced to probation for their roles in the death of a young MexicanAmerican man, today handed the three what amounted to an extra day in orison. 512-485-3073 In the wake of Torres's death, frustrated residents of Houston's barrios staged rallies and protests around the city. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The Government appealed, arguing that probation was not permissible in cases where the possible penalty was life in prison, as it is in Federal civil rights cases in which the victim has died. But Glenn L. Brinkmeyer, 25, one of those given immunity and an officer in whose wedding Denson had served as a groomsman, testified that Denson had pushed Torres. Attorneys for the three defendants pointed out that the new sentences, because they exceed one year, would render the former officers eligible for parole, which would not be the case had their sentences remained at precisely one year. A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. Terry Denson and Steven Orlando, for murder. All of the jurors were white, none was Mexican-American and five either worked for law enforcement agencies or had relatives who did. "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. On June 28, a Harris County grand jury indicted two of the officers, Terry Denson and Steven Orlando, for murder and a third, J. J. Janisch, for misdemeanor assault. Two former Houston policemen on trial for beating and drowning a Mexican-American prisoner in their custody last May were convicted by a jury today of misdemeanor charges that will cost each no more than a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. The three former officers, Terry W. Denson, 29 years old, Joseph J. Janish, 25 and Stephen Orlando, 24, were found guilty in Judge Sterling's court last year of responsibility for the death by. Top 5 Sickest Stephen King Sex Scenes (NSFW), The 10 Best And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever (NSFW). In May 1977, Houston Police arrested Army veteran Joe Campos Torres following a disturbance outside an East End bar. ", State Rep. Ben Reyes of Houston, also a Mexican-American, called the verdict "pathetic" and "the worst miscarriage of justice that I've ever seen." Officer Terry Denson reportedly used . For years, [HPD] operated with impunity, he says. By Gloria Rubac posted on April 12, 2022. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. Three days later, on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, 1977 his dead body was found severely beaten and floating in the Buffalo Bayou, a creek on the outskirts of downtown Houston. 'I am the chief of police, but I am a son of Houston, and what people need to understand is if you cannot see and feel 44 years of pain and suffering of this family, you're not human,' Finner said. (Studio) Report on conviction of 3 former Houston policemen accused of violating civil rights of Mex.-American who drowned while in their custody. Join Facebook to connect with Terry Denson and others you may know. "All those cops, they just got a slap on the wrist, and you know what? Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. Anyone can read what you share. Dairy Queen Gets an Updated Jingle, Courtesy of Josh Abbott, Check Out Kilgores Treasure Trove of Vintage Cameras, Radios, and TVs, How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. Torres subsequently drowned. 512-485-3073 Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. When you look at the records of some of their arrests, youll find lacerated livers, fractured skulls, broken hands. The apology to Torres' family was the first by any city official, and Finner promised to work with the family to build a monument in Torres' name. A lot has changed since 1979 at HPD, but community policing is really important, Moravec says. 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