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. The Houston Police Department first arrested Phillips's replacement, a Security Guard Services, Inc. employee named Robert Taylor. Bring on the Shiplap? Its not uncommon for the stories of Latinos to be minimized or excluded entirely from Texas history books. A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. After the Huntsville verdict was reached last fall, pressure from Texas political leaders, including Gov. Robert Bennett, attorney for Mr. Denson, who had been specifically charged with pushing Mr. Torres into the water, said that he would argue against a prison sentence for his client. 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. 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. Caldwell agreed, greenlighting a three-month-long pilot program in August of 1979 with five recruits who now made up the Chicano Squad: Cecil Mosqueda, Robert Gatewood, U.P. This connection to Torres and to the officers on the Chicano Squad is what allows Alonzo to shine as a host. 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. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. 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. 3 EXPOLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED IN HOUSTON, https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/09/archives/3-expolice-officers-convicted-in-houston-found-guilty-in-civil.html. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. EXCLUSIVE: Lanzarote sticks to its guns and insists it WILL limit tourists and move away from relying on Jeremy Clarkson DENIES he has been sacked as Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? Officer Terry W. Denson, 27, is charged with murder in Torres' death. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. Two observers watch as Margaret Torres throws a wreath into Buffalo Bayou in memory of her son, Joe Campos Torres. View Terry Denson results in Texas (TX) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Reuben Bonilla of Corpus Christi, who heads the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Texas, called the verdict "the most deplorable and unconscionable in recent memory," and said he fears Hispanic-American violence unless the Justic Department acts promptly to bring a federal case against the officers. October 18, 2016 In just a few short years, relationships between HPD and Houston's Hispanic community had improved to such a degree that Caldwell even commended a local police critic during a LULAC convention, who in turn praised the chief for his efforts. 'Our ultimate goal is humanizing our uncle at this point. Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Joe Campos Torres. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Police responded to a call at the park on the evening of May 7, 1978, and as the crowd began chanting Justice for Jose Torres, a riot broke out. And sometimes it's Houston murders. City officials vowed to memorialize Torres in some way, The worst thing for her, she said was that, 'No matter how many apologies we get, it can never change the fact because Joe, at the end, never got justice.'. The judge sentenced them to one year of probation and fined them each $1. Police grab an unidentified suspect believed to have thrown a brick during riot at Moody Park. While Bond says that he "cannot create a police review board," the Houston Police Department established the Internal Affairs Division soon after Torres' death to investigate police misconduct. The three foriner officers, Terry W. Denson, 27 years old, Stephen Orlando, 22, and Joseph J. Janish, 24, were convicted after a twoweek trial on two counts of violating the civil rights of. Divers were hoping to find a wallet belonging to Torres. 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.'. Carlos Calbillo sits on railing near Buffalo Bayou near Commerce Street, the area where his friend Joe Campos Torres was killed by police in 1977. 1977, Houston Police officer Terry Denson yelled, "Let's see if this wetback can swim!" Denson, along with five other white policemen (Louis Kinney, Glen Brinkmeyer, Joseph Janish, Stephen Orlando, and Carless Elliot) had arrested Torres after responding to a complaint of a drunken The Houston Police Department Chicano Squad, founded in 1979 after the killing of Jose Campos Torres. About 150 protesters met at Commerce and San Jacinto on May 21, 1977 near the site where the body of Joe Campos Torres was found just weeks before. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. On May 5, 1977, Houston police arrested Jos Campos Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. 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We can change these systems. October 7, 1977 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. Im not an immigration officer. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? The US Department of Justice subsequently conducted its own investigation. 110 Twenty-first Avenue South, Suite 704 Nashville, TN 37203, USA. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. Service station vandalized by riotersduring riot at Moody Park. "The community had this insurrection in the face of the brutality of the Houston Police Department," Carlos Calbillo, a community historian and filmmaker who made a documentary about the Torres case, told the Houston Chronicle in 2011. But as Alonzo points out: the squads role wasnt to patrol these neighborhoods, it was to solve the crimes that were plaguing them. We can only hope that the next congressional delegation brings along Sessions so that he, too, can learn the story of Joe Campos Torres and Chief Caldwell. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner apologized to the family of Joe Campos Torres for his death in 1977 in Houston police custody, calling it 'straight-up murder', Torres, a US Army Vietnam veteran, was 23 when he was arrested on May 5, 1977 for disorderly conduct at a bar, and beaten. They were ordered to take him to Ben Taub General Hospital, but instead of doing so, the officers brought him back to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and pushed him into the water. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. Torres was 23 on the night of May 5, 1977, when he was arrested for disorderly conduct at a bar, according to reports from the Houston Chronicle at the time. When Black and Latino communities are asking for change, some people treat it like an impossibility, she says. 12 pick, Tips for bringing your dog or cat on a flight, West Texans share apocalyptic photos of after massive dust storm, This Houston rodeo food vendor wants you to eat his rattlesnake. Slowly, the Chicano Squad earned back the trust that HPD had lost. Officers Terry Denson (left) and Stephen Orlando (right) were the only two officers convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, in the death of Torres, and each was fined $1 and given. | 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. The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . Who Said It: Legendary Houston Comedian Bill Hicks or New El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks? Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Note to sponsor members: The Vanderbilt Television News Archive video player requires a modern operating system and browser to work properly. Where's my brother? 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. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. "All those cops, they just got a slap on the wrist, and you know what? With those words, Officer Terry Denson tossed Joe Campos Torres into Buffalo Bayou. They were ordered to take him to Ben Taub General Hospital, but instead of doing so, the officers brought him back to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and pushed him into the water. Anyone can read what you share. 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? This was a test, and they had only a few months to prove themselves. To some of their fellow officers, it didnt matter whether they wore a badge or passed their exam, they were Mexicans first. Rather than taking him directly to the nearby jail, six responding Houston Police Department officers took a detour to a secluded spot near Buffalo Bayou that they called The Hole. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Brinkmeyer said Denson previously had boasted throwing a wino down a ravine and had beaten other hand-cuffed prisoners. They had only ninety days to solve them. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. 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 drowning of Joe Campos Torres, 23, a laborer. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. The appeals court did not specify the severity of the sentences to be imposed, however, and John Wilson, a Justice Department spokesman in Washington, said that no further appeals would be forthcoming because the judge had acted within the limits of the order.. The three former officers are to be sentenced late next month. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 Two days after Torres was arrested, his mangled body was found floating in Buffalo Bayou. The sentences that Judge Sterling imposed were each one year and one day, but they were set to run concurrently with separate oneyear sentences he imposed on the three men last year for a misdemeanor count of violating the victim's civil rights. In interviews with members of the Chicano Squad, the podcast shines a light on its predicament. 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. Past charges of brutality against Houston Police Department noted. 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. 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"The environment that created the Torres case continues to exist," Garcia said, "and we can expect a continuation of the same kind of thing.". If you are experiencing playback problems, check the minimum requirements and adjust your setup accordingly. You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. Vilma Martinez, president of the MexicanAmerican Legal Defense and Educational Fund, also called for the judge's impeachment. By Gloria Rubac posted on April 12, 2022. Sentencing offenders to perform humiliating tasks like shoveling manure, he became known as the "King of Shame." 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. [Houston United States attorney Tony CANALES - thinks justice served.] You were a victim [of a crime], so Im going to treat you as a victim. Its possible.. Report: Houston is the No. Forty years ago Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston. Nonetheless, Garcia said he is distressed by incidents, including the recent shooting deaths of a black police erroneously believed to be an armed robber and of a 16-year-old unarmed Mexican-American burglary suspect. 1 of 2. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. When they brought him to the station, according to the testimony of a police sergeant on duty, Mr. Torres needed medical treatment. Federal prosecutors termed the verdict a compromise, noting that the defendants were not found guilty of additional charges that they had conspired to obstruct justice by withholding information about the incident from Federal investigators. Mr. Torres was arrested May 5 at Houston tavern on charges of disturbing the peace. Officials at the jail refused to book Torres due to his injuries, and told the officers to bring him to a hospital. Burning car flipped during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park. The killing of Torres - a Hispanic veteran arrested at an East End bar - was the spark that set off a series of protests, firings and reforms that eventually transformed the Houston Police Department into the modern crime-fighting institution that we know today. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. Judge Sterling, who issued the sentences today without comment, was appointed to the Federal bench by President Ford in 1976. That trial took place in Huntsville, Tex., 70 miles north of Houston, because the defendants had said they could not get a fair trial in Houston. 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Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. He drowned after being beaten by officers and thrown into Buffalo Bayou. Above is the abstract of the item that you're interested in viewing from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive's collection. Every passing month seems to bring news of some officer killing an unarmed young man - we're still mourning the death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in Balch Springs, a Dallas suburb. HOUSTON, Feb. 8 Three former Houston police officers were found guilty in Federal District Court here today of beating a MeicanAmerican prisoner last May and then pushing him into a downtown bayou, where he drowned. Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. Anyone can read what you share. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen. Houstonians should take pride in knowing that a once-troubled department is now a model for the nation. The protests that . This is a carousel. Latinos around town began pinning a single dollar bill to their shirts, meant to symbolize what their lives were worth in the eyes of the criminal justice system. The six arresting officers instead took him, once again, to The Hole. When do the clocks change in 2023? In Chicano Squad, an eleven-episode podcast released in January by Vox Media, host and actress Cristela Alonzo follows Houstons attempts to grapple with the aftermath of Torress death, which included the creation of the first all-Latino homicide squad in the country. The former policemen had been on trial in connection with the drowning death of her son. According to the Houston Police Department, officers spotted a black Honda Accord that was reported stolen out of College Station at about 5:10 p.m. near Fairbanks North Houston and West Little York. . In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. After their conviction in March of last year, Judge Sterling sentenced the three former officers, all of whom were dismissed by the Houston Police Department within hours of the discovery of Mr. Torres's body, to a year in prison on the misdemeanor charge. Terry Denson and Steven Orlando, for murder. (Houston, Texas) Background of case involving alleged beating of Joe Campos Torres, which resulted in his drowning, by officers Terry Wayne Denson, Stephen Orlando and Joseph Janish given. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. 512-485-3073 Carrying picket signs reading "Protection not police brutality" and "Stop the war against Chicano people," the demonstrators were protesting the police-involved death of Jos Campos Torres. Torres subsequently drowned. the Texanist, is a staff writer. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. Police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him.
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