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. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. Judge Sterling has been criticized recently by some members of a Federal grand jury here that handed up antiracketeering indictments against two oilbrokering firms. However, Houston's police chief issued a statement saying that "the processes of justice have prevailed over demagoguery.". 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. '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. Sentencing offenders to perform humiliating tasks like shoveling manure, he became known as the "King of Shame." 'Our ultimate goal is humanizing our uncle at this point. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. Rishi Sunak is urgently reviewing his private exchanges with Matt Hancock after bombshell leak of ex-Health 'Drinks cold in fridge at DH!' There, they brutally beat him for several hours. According to the podcast, between 1950, when the police department hired its first Hispanic officer, and 1970, HPD had hired fewer than 20 Hispanic officers. 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. The widely publicized case was moved on a change of venue to Huntsville, a town of 20,000, about 70 miles north of Houston. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Torres' nephew, Richard Molina, said the family is in communication with the city to find a proper way to memorialize his uncle. A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. News car burns in background as youths prepare to burn Houston police car on Fulton Street. 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. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. Anyone can read what you share. 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. The case became a national symbol of police brutality against Hispanics in the Southwest. Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. Where's my brother? In interviews with members of the Chicano Squad, the podcast shines a light on its predicament. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Houston police officers administer first aid to Officer Tommy A. Britt, injured by a car that broke through a police line at Irvington and Fulton during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park. 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. Its not uncommon for the stories of Latinos to be minimized or excluded entirely from Texas history books. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot. "All those cops, they just got a slap on the wrist, and you know what? Houston. The victim, Joe Campos Torres, 23, allegedly was dumped off the 25-foot retaining wall into the bayou last Friday. We can change these systems. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/31/archives/3-former-officers-sentenced-in-texas-each-to-serve-extra-day-for.html. Police grab an unidentified suspect believed to have thrown a brick during riot at Moody Park. 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. 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 And those who chronicled the attack said the executioner was. View the profiles of people named Terry Denson. Of the six, initially only officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were charged with murder. | The pain is a lot deeper than what you could have ever imagined. Forty years ago Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston. Any time in the penitentiary would be unacceptable, Mr. Bennett said, adding that Mr. Denson was an outstanding public servant to this community.. Janie Torres is the sister of Jose "Joe" Campos Torres, who on May 5, 1977 was beaten and thrown into Buffalo Bayou by Houston police officers. An all-white jury found them guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanorand sentenced the officers. 09/13/1977 - Fired HPD officer Terry Denson, right, arrives for court at the Criminal Justice Center at Sam Houston State University where his trial for the May 6 murder of Joe Campos . The location is just off the 1200 block of Commerce. 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. 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. His body would end up in the Buffalo Bayou, where it was found three days later. ', Torres' sister Janie said she was 10 at the time of her brother's death and that her family was never the same. Instead, they returned him to the hole, where they continued to beat him, and where he was either pushed or fell into the bayou. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. Testimony indicated that Oralando, who drove the patrol car in which Torres was transported, had encouraged Denson by "this would be a good time" to see if "the wetback" could swim. Two observers watch as Margaret Torres throws a wreath into Buffalo Bayou in memory of her son, Joe Campos Torres. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. The officers involved were found guilty of negligent homicide and ultimately given a year and a day in prison for civil rights violations. local news and culture, Olivia Flores Alvarez On April 3, a plaza, a monument, a huge portrait, and a walking trail were all unveiled and dedicated to remembering a man brutally murdered by Houston police almost 45 years ago. 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. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! 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. Complaints against members of the Houston Police Department may be initiated in person to a supervisor at any police substation throughout the City of Houston, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Cavaliers said . Denson and Orlando were also convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in prison. A year later and still feeling as though justice had not been served, members of Houstons Hispanic community rose up in a post Cinco de Mayo riot at the citys Moody Park. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. "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. On an overcast evening in early May 1977, 23-year-old Vietnam War veteran Jose Campos Torres was in handcuffs for drunk and disorderly conduct at a cantina in Houstons East End. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. 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. Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, drowned . Austin, TX 78751. Instead, the officers returned to The Hole, where they continued to beat Torres. 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. Brinkmeyer said Denson previously had boasted throwing a wino down a ravine and had beaten other hand-cuffed prisoners. 110 Twenty-first Avenue South, Suite 704 Nashville, TN 37203, USA. 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. He said looters from the riot at Moody Park knocked out windows and forced the clerk to flee through the back of the store as the crowd looted. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 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. '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. This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. 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. . 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Five of the officers were charged in the death, with two convicted of negligent homicide, and the other three convicted of violating Torres' civil rights. . (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. View Terry Denson results in Texas (TX) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Judge Sterling, who issued the sentences today without comment, was appointed to the Federal bench by President Ford in 1976. A number of people have since been tried. The department wanted to rebuild its reputation fast. 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. And to this day, Morales remains skeptical that the Chicano Squad was the answer. A Houston Chronicle reporter and photographer joined the Northeastern Trail Riders Association to document the highlights and challenges of life on the trail during the group's 108-mile journey to the 2023 Houston Letter from the editor: Introducing our exclusive new newsletter, Black trail riders head to Houston rodeo parade after grueling, joyful 6-day journey. The judge sentenced them to one year of probation and fined them each $1. ,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 of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen. We want to let the people know what kind of person he was and what he meant to my family,' Molina said. By 1977, the year Torres was killed, HPD had hired just 161 Hispanic officers to serve a community with more than 200,000 Latino residents. "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. The two officers convicted in the Torres' case are expected to be sentenced within a few days. Austin, TX 78751, Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jos Campos Torres (1977). They had only ninety days to solve them. 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. Five months after Torress murder, an all-white jury found Denson and Orlando guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanor. In the wake of Torress death, frustrated residents of Houstons barrios staged rallies and protests around the city. Houston firemen fight blaze which was reportedly set by rioters in the 4400 block of Fulton. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. It goes to show how those moments of crisis and scandal within our public institutions become important opportunities for forward-looking leaders. A lot has changed since 1979 at HPD, but community policing is really important, Moravec says. Many segments are silent and would have been voiced over by the anchorperson during a live broadcast. Houston, and its police department, had to respond. David Courtney, a.k.a. 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. The family was surrounded by hundreds of supporters and friends as . 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. In 1977 Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. In 1977, Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. That sort of exchange previously would have been unimaginable. 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? This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. All the while, she draws parallels to present-day discrimination against Latinos and the ongoing demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice. Two additional officers at the scene, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, were suspended from duty but granted immunity by the state in exchange for their testimony. Vilma Martinez, president of the MexicanAmerican Legal Defense and Educational Fund, also called for the judge's impeachment. He was on duty at the time of the murder and HPD discovered he. "'You're not going to take him and do what you did to Joe Campos Torres.". Officer Terry Denson reportedly used . See the article in its original context from. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. Buffalo Bayou near Commerce St. Tuesday May 6, 2014. 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. 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. 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. 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. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Reporters interview Harris County District Attorney Carol Vance, Divers search the depths of Buffalo Bayou for Torres' wallet, Protests outside the Harris County Courthouse. [email protected] And though her mother instilled in her a love for the U.S., Alonzo was also aware that her identity as a Mexican American sometimes made her a target. Torres drowned after he had been arrested by Houston police officers for creating a disturbance in an East End bar. When do the clocks change in 2023? 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. Forty-five year struggle wins a bit of justice. A convenience store/drive-in grocery at 3814 Fulton is vandalized by riotersin the 1978 Moody Park riots. (Two activists, Travis Morales and Mara Youngdahl, were later fined a total of $9,000 on misdemeanor riot charges.). You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. 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. 512-485-3073 Joining HPD was regarded almost as a betrayal. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Joe Campos Torres. Any editing, reproduction, publication, rebroadcast, public showing or public display may be prohibited by copyright laws. For Alonzo, the Chicano Squad is a reminder that reform is possible, even if its difficult to sustain. Torres's body was found two days later. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. Join Facebook to connect with Terry Denson and others you may know. Cat Cardenas is a writer focused on culture, entertainment, and the states Latino community. 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 Killing of Jos Campos Torres. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. If I didnt tell you that this story took place forty years ago, you might think it had just happened, Alonzo told me. 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. 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. His death and the light punishment the officers received would spark the infamous Moody Park Riot one year later. The city was quickly growing into the murder capital of the United States as a slew of unsolved killings in Houstons barrios piled up. On May 5, 1977, Campos Torres, was arrested at a bar for disorderly conduct. 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. Houstonians should take pride in knowing that a once-troubled department is now a model for the nation. Last month, members of Congress visited our city to learn about HPD's successful community programs. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. The officers were eventually sentenced to nine months in prison, but tensions simmered for a year until they boiled over on the anniversary of Campos Torres' death. And once the word got out, they trusted us.. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. According to sworn testimony, the officers then spreadeagled the prisoner against a patrol car, and Mr. Denson, after some discussion of what to do with the prisoner, said, Let's see if this wetback can swim. The prosecutors contended that Mr. Denson then pushed Mr. Torres into the bayou. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. Surviving members of Torres' family also spoke on Sunday. Phone 615-322-2927. Sunday's formal apology comes after Finner and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner met privately with Torres' family over Memorial Day weekend, but wanted to make a public showingABC 13 reported. 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. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. [Victim's mother Margaret TORRES - feels happy because she wanted justice and doesn't want this to happen again.] Six police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. Here are four Houston murders that made news and, in three cases, changed the justice system. The 14-year-old was cowering against the wall when he was shot. The case, in which the officers could have received sentences of life in prison, has been the focus of many charges of police brutality against Hispanic citizens. Officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were indicted for murder on June 28. As news of the atrocity spread, Torress name became a rallying cry that united the citys Latino community in its search for justice. A third officer, J.J. Janish, was charged with misdemeanor assault. View other clips in this broadcast . The Justice Department brought civil rights charges against the three after Mr. Denson and Mr. Orlando were acquitted of murder charges in state court. 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. Carlos Calbillo sat on railing next to Buffalo Bayou near Commerce Street Tuesday. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. 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. In the case of the burglary suspect, Garcia pointed out that a 14-year-old witness had disputed the officer's claim that the suspect had lunged at the officer. He's gone. This has destroyed all of us. Today, Campos Torres' family is working to erect an official marker to commemorate his death and the riots. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Each to Serve Extra Day for Roles in Suspect's Death Judge Assailed as Too Lenient. 1 of 2. ", 40 years ago police killed Joe Campos Torres sparking massive Moody Park Riots. Terry Denson and Steven Orlando, for murder. The squads success came from how connected they were to these neighborhoods. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Jos Campos Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. And as Mosqueda recalls, many non-Latino officers were happy to throw around the word wetbackthe same pejorative hurled at Torres before his death. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. Jerry Click/ Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 35 of 56 Houston police officers administer first aid to Officer Tommy A. Britt, injured by a car that broke through a police line at Irvington . Decades before the recent police violence in Memphis, a brutally beaten Latino man was tossed by officers into a Houston bayou and drowned. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. 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.. Torres, an American citizen and a former serviceman, was wearing combat boots at the time of the fatal plunge. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Former KHOU anchor turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, The only Houston rodeo food guide you'll need, Report: Houston ranked No. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. 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. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. They were able to gain the trust of victims and witnesses because they knew how Hispanic Houstonians really lived.. 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. All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. HPD offers a rewarding career, exceptional benefits and a competitive salary. Margaret Torres, mother of Joe Campos Torres, speaks to a crowd gathered at the Houston police station Oct. 8, 1977 to protest the verdict handed down by a Huntsville jury in the the murder trial of former Houston policemen Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando. According to Houston police, they got a call about a missing 3-year-old girl at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. All of the jurors were white, none was Mexican-American and five either worked for law enforcement agencies or had relatives who did. 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Connect with Terry Denson and Mr. Orlando were charged with murder youths prepare to burn police. View on-site from the archive 's collection jury Investigation into the death of Jos Campos sparking! Minimized or excluded entirely from Texas history books Congress visited our city to learn about HPD 's community! For two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for testimony. Misdemeanorand sentenced the officers County sentenced them to one year later probation fined. Draws parallels to present-day discrimination against Latinos and the riots several hours to. Is possible, even if its difficult to sustain against the wall when he was shot May visit the news... The 1978 Moody Park of murder charges in state court Metro Media Group homicide, misdemeanor... Forty years ago Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston Department. Publication, rebroadcast, public showing or public display May be prohibited by copyright laws Mexican American Vietnam... Sentenced the officers on trial, an all-white jury found Denson and Mr. Orlando were charged murder!

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