Houston's Chicano community found the fine especially hard to swallow, with chants of "A Chicano's life is only worth a dollar," reverberating through the neighborhood and throughout the country's Mexican-American communities. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/31/archives/3-former-officers-sentenced-in-texas-each-to-serve-extra-day-for.html. At least 22 persons were arrested at a city park after violence broke out in the chiefly Mexican-American neighborhood following a disturbance which led to vandalism and bottle throwing among the estimated mob of 1,500 persons. 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. Hernandez, Raymond Gonzalez, and Jose Selvera Jr. On top of their translating work in the field, the squad was also tasked with investigating 52 cases that experienced detectives on the force hadnt been able to crack. Terry Denson, 27; Stephen Orlando, 22, and Joseph J. Janish, 22 -- said they do not plan to appeal the . Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. Judge Sterling, who issued the sentences today without comment, was appointed to the Federal bench by President Ford in 1976. Dolph Briscoe, prompted the Department of Justice to seek indictments against the former officers on charges of having violated Mr. Torres's civil rights. This is a carousel. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. 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. [Victim's mother Margaret TORRES - feels happy because she wanted justice and doesn't want this to happen again.] ,The allwhite jury of seven men and five women was in its second day of deliberations after a trial conducted by Judge Ross N. Sterling, and had deliberated for a total of seven hours before reaching the verdict. (Two activists, Travis Morales and Mara Youngdahl, were later fined a total of $9,000 on misdemeanor riot charges.). 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. For many of the victims they interviewed, the officers presence did make a difference. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. View other clips in this broadcast . His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. 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.'. 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. Hector J. Garcia of Houston, chairman of the Coalition for Responsible Law Enforcement, whose group has been meeting with police officials since last April, said violent police incidents here show no sign of abating. Houston firemen fight a blaze which was reportedly set by rioters in the 4400 block of Fulton. His death and the light punishment the officers received would spark the infamous Moody Park Riot one year later. Joining HPD was regarded almost as a betrayal. We need to be honest about our history in order to learn from it, because decades later, the same thing is still happening., For decades before Torress murder, violent encounters with HPD officers had soured the relationship between the police department and the citys Black and Latino communities. 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. The pain is a lot deeper than what you could have ever imagined. Welcome! Updated: June 20, 2015. Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, drowned . 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. Denson and Orlando were also convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in prison. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Terry W. Denson. Leave them blank to get signed up. Although members of the Houston police force have previously been accused of brutality against prisoners, the Torres case is the first such incident to be brought to trial. Instead of being transferred to Ben Taub Hospital for treatment, Torres was taken to a site along Buffalo Bayou near Commerce, where he either jumped or was pushed into the bayou. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. 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.'. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Houston's independent source of Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Joe Campos Torres. Sometimes it's our sports teams, sometimes it's the happenings over at NASA, a breakthrough at the Medical Center or our atrocious weather that's in the headlines. Poe served as a chief felony prosecutor for eight years before being appointed a state district judge in 1981. . Historian Dwight David Watson, who is interviewed in Chicano Squad, wrote a book on twentieth-century HPD history in which he traces its ties to the Ku Klux Klan in the twenties and the years of racist incidents and attempts at reform that followed. info@texasarchive.org 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. Consider it our city's version of the Ferguson protests. Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. We want to let the people know what kind of person he was and what he meant to my family,' Molina said. 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? After a jail booking officer refused to accept Torres because of his injuries and ordered him taken to a hospital, the officers returned to the secluded spot, where one of them allegedly pushed him over a 17-foot embankment into the water after saying, "Let's see if this wetback can swim.". The case and its verdict outraged the local Mexican-American community, sparking protests outside the Harris County Courthouse and police headquarters. When you look at the records of some of their arrests, youll find lacerated livers, fractured skulls, broken hands. 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. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. One of them removed the handcuffs. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. Slowly, the Chicano Squad earned back the trust that HPD had lost. Following another beating, Campos Torres was pushed off the raised platform and fell 20 feet into the Bayou, where his body was found three days later. 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. 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. The city was quickly growing into the murder capital of the United States as a slew of unsolved killings in Houstons barrios piled up. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. It goes to show how those moments of crisis and scandal within our public institutions become important opportunities for forward-looking leaders. The judge gave the three suspended sentences of 10 years, plus five years probation, on the felony charge that resulted from Mr. Torres's death. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. But the Chicano Squad moved mountains with the little resources they had. An all-white jury found them guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanorand sentenced the officers to a year's probation and a $1 fine. Buffalo Bayou near Commerce St. Tuesday May 6, 2014. Each to Serve Extra Day for Roles in Suspect's Death Judge Assailed as Too Lenient. This was a test, and they had only a few months to prove themselves. 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. If I didnt tell you that this story took place forty years ago, you might think it had just happened, Alonzo told me. Its possible.. 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. By the following morning, 28 demonstrators had been taken into custody. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. You have three options if you'd like to view this item: If you believe that you are associated with a sponsoring college or university and have received this message in error, please let us know. All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. Looters struck the store during a riot that began at Moody Park. Any editing, reproduction, publication, rebroadcast, public showing or public display may be prohibited by copyright laws. Here are four Houston murders that made news and, in three cases, changed the justice system. 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. 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. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot. The summer of 1979, detective sergeant Jim Montero floated an idea past HPD chief Harry Caldwell: if he got permission to recruit a small group of Spanish-speaking patrol officers, he could train them to serve as translators in the field, helping the department to close the growing number of unsolved crimes in Houstons barrios. 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. On May 5, 1977, Campos Torres, was arrested at a bar for disorderly conduct. 512-485-3073 Houston firemen put out fire of burning car flipped during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park. Adrian Garcia, former HPD officer and current Harris County commissioner, said some of his friends stopped talking to him when he joined the force, calling him a sellout. Cat Cardenas is a writer focused on culture, entertainment, and the states Latino community. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Houston Police Chief B. G. "Pappy" Bond holds a press conference in his office. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 And as Mosqueda recalls, many non-Latino officers were happy to throw around the word wetbackthe same pejorative hurled at Torres before his death. Mr. Elliott later became a prosecution witness at both trials. The comments below have not been moderated. The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . They're dead, Michael C. Ramsey, one of the defense lawyers, said of the Justice Department's appeal effort, which he termed frivolous. Mr. Ramsey said he considered today's sentences a victory for the additional reason that the three defendants would no longer have to face the five years probation originally imposed by the Judge. 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. And those who chronicled the attack said the executioner was. For years, [HPD] operated with impunity, he says. David Courtney, a.k.a. In 1977 Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. The squads success came from how connected they were to these neighborhoods. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. Carless Elliott, the only rookie cop at the scene that night, later recalled in court the words of one of his fellow officers, the last words Torres must have heard before his body plunged into those dark waters: Lets see if this wetback can swim.. In May 1977, Houston Police arrested Army veteran Joe Campos Torres following a disturbance outside an East End bar. Garcia said there had been progress in that Chief Harry Caldwell has required officers to register the extra weapons they carry with them, has banned the use of "long rifles" such as deer rifles, and has forbidden officers to shoot at fleeing suspects who aren't threatening their safety or that of others. This has destroyed all of us. 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. When do the clocks change in 2023? Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. He's gone. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. '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. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. After the Huntsville verdict was reached last fall, pressure from Texas political leaders, including Gov. Protesters met at Commerce and San Jacinto near the site where the body of Joe Campos Torres was found May 8. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. After learning of Mr. Torres's death, Carless Elliott, a 20yearold rookie police officer who witnessed the incident, reported what he had seen to his superiors. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. Chief Troy Finner issued the apology on Sunday to the family of Joe Campos Torres, a Mexican-American Vietnam War veteran, who was beaten to death and his body dumped in the Buffalo Bayou by Houston police officers in 1977. By Gloria Rubac posted on April 12, 2022. 'Let's get this clear because there's been some chatter in the neighborhoods [about] how Chief Finner feels about this,' he said of Torres' death, 'and that is straight-up murder of somebody. He was on duty at the time of the murder and HPD discovered he. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Who Said It: Legendary Houston Comedian Bill Hicks or New El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks? "The environment that created the Torres case continues to exist," Garcia said, "and we can expect a continuation of the same kind of thing.". This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. "People rose-up and started throwing rocks and bottles at the police, overturning police cars and shouting 'Justice for Joe Torres' and 'Viva Joe Torres,'" Barthe said. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? Divers search the murky water of Buffalo Bayou in an unsuccessful attempt to find a wallet belonging to a southeast Houston man allegedly drowned by a policeman. At the time, the department was enmeshed in a series of police brutality scandals covered by Texas Monthly in an article titled, " New Gang In Town: What Happens When Cops Run Wild?". 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