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. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The other count, a misdemeanor violation of Mr. Torres's rights by intimidation, carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were indicted for murder on June 28. 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. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. Service station vandalized by riotersduring riot at Moody Park. Instead, they returned him to the hole, where they continued to beat him, and where he was either pushed or fell into the bayou. ', Torres' sister Janie said she was 10 at the time of her brother's death and that her family was never the same. the Texanist, is a staff writer. Torres, an American citizen and a former serviceman, was wearing combat boots at the time of the fatal plunge. But as Alonzo points out: the squads role wasnt to patrol these neighborhoods, it was to solve the crimes that were plaguing them. 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. HPD offers a rewarding career, exceptional benefits and a competitive salary. Earlier this month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the appeal and ordered Judge Sterling to impose prison terms. 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. On January 15, according to a $100,000 damage suit filed by Robert and Alice Gleason, N. W. Holloway and his partner J. T. Olin were among several other cops who stormed into their Pasadena trailer. When you look at the records of some of their arrests, youll find lacerated livers, fractured skulls, broken hands. Five months after Torress murder, an all-white jury found Denson and Orlando guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanor. The judge received dismissed the case without explanation. More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. Torres drowned after he had been arrested by Houston police officers for creating a disturbance in an East End bar. Houston's independent source of Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Protesters met at Commerce and San Jacinto near the site where the body of Joe Campos Torres was found May 8. The violence May 7 left five police officers and two newsmen injured, and several stores in the area burned or looted. Looters struck the store during a riot that began at Moody Park. As we said at the time: what difference is it going to make to have the cops speaking Spanish when they brutalize and murder someone? he asks on the podcast. It's been 40 years since 23-year-old Vietnam War veteran Joe Campos Torres' body was found washed up on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou. (Two activists, Travis Morales and Mara Youngdahl, were later fined a total of $9,000 on misdemeanor riot charges.). Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Torres. Powerful Commons committee could look at case for banning stoves in towns and Love Island hit by hundreds of Ofcom complaints from furious viewers over 'toxic femininity' row and Movie Carrie Johnson joins campaign for Joanna Simpson's killer BA pilot husband who bludgeoned her to death with 'I don't know if I can trust them': Mel B reveals she 'wouldn't call the police' over domestic violence - Houston police chief Troy Finner formally apologizes to family of Joe Campos Torres over 1977 death - ABC13 Houston, Do not sell or share my personal information. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Holland, 80, previously was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Police officers seen outside emergency entrance of Memorial Hermann following the fatal shooting of an on-duty Houston Police Department officer Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Houston. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. The jury heard four weeks of testimony alleging that six police officers had taken Joe Campos Torres, 23, a laborer, from a cheap cantina, where he was arrested for public drunkeness, to a secluded spot near a bayou, where five of them beat him severely while his arms were handcuffed behind his back. Sam Buyajian 33, surveys the wreckage of his drive-in grocery at 3814 Fulton. Moment Times Square CD peddler opened fire during argument King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Police: Urgent search for Constance Marten's missing baby, Shocking video shows machete fight in broad daylight, Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Pupils take to TikTok as they stage protest at Shenfield High School, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Moment supermarket cashier is attacked at work in New York, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. "All those cops, they just got a slap on the wrist, and you know what? 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. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/31/archives/3-former-officers-sentenced-in-texas-each-to-serve-extra-day-for.html. 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. 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. 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. You were a victim [of a crime], so Im going to treat you as a victim. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. A third officer, J.J. Janish, was charged with misdemeanor assault. Houston Police lineup in riot gearin the 1978 Moody Park riots.. Houston Police in riot gearin the 1978 Moody Park riots.. Houston police make arrests in the 1978 Moody Park riots. 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. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Houston makes national news all the time. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. A gutted variety store at a shopping center in the 3100 block of Fulton. For Alonzo, the Chicano Squad is a reminder that reform is possible, even if its difficult to sustain. 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. In their barrios, things werent much better. Denson testified that Torres had said he could swim and had jumped into the water. REPORTER: Dennis Murphy (KHOU-TV) Artist: Harris Milam. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. 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. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. 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.'. A new podcast explores the history of the Chicano Squad as part of a Houston police department effort to repair its broken relationship with the Latino community. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. Houston. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Longtime Virginia men's basketball coach Terry Holland has died, the school announced Monday. Buffalo Bayou near Commerce St. Tuesday May 6, 2014. . 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