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. "'You're not going to take him and do what you did to Joe Campos Torres.". View other clips in this broadcast . Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. The comments below have not been moderated. Before that he was a member of the Houston law firm of Vinson, Elkins, to which John B. Connally, the Republican presidential candidate, also belongs. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. On May 8, Mr. Torres's body was found floating in the 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. 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 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. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. 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. 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. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. . Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. Officer Terry Denson came up with the idea: "Let's see if the wetback can swim," he said. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, where jailers refused to process him due to his injuries. Looters struck the store during a riot that began at Moody Park. The two officers convicted in the Torres' case are expected to be sentenced within a few days. Denson and Orlando were also convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in prison. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. The US Department of Justice subsequently conducted its own investigation. 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.. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. A group of Houston police cadets gathered Friday morning to hear family members of Joe Campos Torres speak of their loved one's death by officers in 1977. . Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Torres. Torres subsequently drowned. For years, [HPD] operated with impunity, he says. 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. Reporters interview Harris County District Attorney Carol Vance, Divers search the depths of Buffalo Bayou for Torres' wallet, Protests outside the Harris County Courthouse. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. The cops got to go home to their families while he was floating in the water for three days.". Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. Austin, TX 78751. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/31/archives/3-former-officers-sentenced-in-texas-each-to-serve-extra-day-for.html. Become a member to support the independent voice of 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. David Courtney, a.k.a. The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot. 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. Assistant District Attorney Ted Poe talks about coordination between the District Attorney's Office and the grand jury. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. 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. One of them removed the handcuffs. A gutted variety store at a shopping center in the 3100 block of Fulton. "Let's see if the wetback can swim." With those words, Officer. With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. 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. How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. 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. Forty-five year struggle wins a bit of justice. We can change these systems. 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. Decades before the recent police violence in Memphis, a brutally beaten Latino man was tossed by officers into a Houston bayou and drowned. Torres's body was found two days later. More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. 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. Earlier this month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the appeal and ordered Judge Sterling to impose prison terms. The squads success came from how connected they were to these neighborhoods. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. 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. Rishi Sunak is urgently reviewing his private exchanges with Matt Hancock after bombshell leak of ex-Health 'Drinks cold in fridge at DH!' 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. Terry Denson was married to Tennie E. (Kimbrough) Denson on October 28, 1971 in Harris County, Texas. 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. 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. 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. 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. "No parade, no day of remembrance. 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. And to this day, Morales remains skeptical that the Chicano Squad was the answer. 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. ,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 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. LOOKING BACK:Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later. A number of people have since been tried. 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. Campos Torres was beaten by six officers for hours before they took him to the city jail. Houston police take man into custody during Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. Service station vandalized by riotersduring riot at Moody Park. When do the clocks change in 2023? Slowly, the Chicano Squad earned back the trust that HPD had lost. If I didnt tell you that this story took place forty years ago, you might think it had just happened, Alonzo told me. [Houston United States attorney Tony CANALES - thinks justice served.] Each to Serve Extra Day for Roles in Suspect's Death Judge Assailed as Too Lenient. There, the officers beat Torres, bruising and bloodying him to the point that when they finally drove him to the city jail, officials there wouldnt process him, telling the officers to take him to a nearby hospital. 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. Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Longtime Virginia men's basketball coach Terry Holland has died, the school announced Monday. But the Chicano Squad moved mountains with the little resources they had. 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. His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today. Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? To some of their fellow officers, it didnt matter whether they wore a badge or passed their exam, they were Mexicans first. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. (Studio) Report on conviction of 3 former Houston policemen accused of violating civil rights of Mex.-American who drowned while in their custody. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. When the case was brought to federal court in February 1978, Denson, Orlando, and officer Joseph Janish were convicted of federal rights violations and were sentenced to one year in prison. October 18, 2016 The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . Top 5 Sickest Stephen King Sex Scenes (NSFW), The 10 Best And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever (NSFW). By the following morning, 28 demonstrators had been taken into custody. 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. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Officer Terry Denson reportedly used . The Houston Police Department first arrested Phillips's replacement, a Security Guard Services, Inc. employee named Robert Taylor. 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. Defense attorney Bob Bennett and his client, Terry Denson, exit the courtroom to deliver comments to the press. The protests that . 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. Houstonians should take pride in knowing that a once-troubled department is now a model for the nation. 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 probation. 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. Police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. The violence May 7 left five police officers and two newsmen injured, and several stores in the area burned or looted. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. Instead, the officers returned to The Hole, where they continued to beat Torres. 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. Welcome! He said it demonstrated once again that there is "a dual standard of justice" in Texas, adding, "Our only redress in the federal courts.". 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?". The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. Abe Weiner, owner of the Leonard's Department Store in the same shopping center which suffered looting and smoke damage, said the store burned over an hour before firemen responded to the call for help. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. The Houston Police Department Chicano Squad, founded in 1979 after the killing of Jose Campos Torres. 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 the prisoner, Joe Campos Torres, a 23-yearold laborer whose body was found floating in Bffalo Bayou two days after the beating. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. The judge sentenced them to one year of probation and fined them each $1. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. 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When they brought him to the station, according to the testimony of a police sergeant on duty, Mr. Torres needed medical treatment. 1 of 2. 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. 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. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. In 1978, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Moody Park erupted into riots. Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. The department wanted to rebuild its reputation fast. 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