This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. ", State Rep. Ben Reyes of Houston, also a Mexican-American, called the verdict "pathetic" and "the worst miscarriage of justice that I've ever seen." (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. 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. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Terry W. Denson. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. HOUSTON, Oct. 30 Federal District Judge Ross N. Sterling, acting under orders from a Federal appeals court to impose prison terms on three former Houston police officers he had sentenced to probation for their roles in the death of a young MexicanAmerican man, today handed the three what amounted to an extra day in orison. ,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. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. The location is just off the 1200 block of Commerce. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. 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. Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. Where's my brother? The arresting officers took him to a place dubbed 'the hole,' an area behind a warehouse along the Buffalo Bayou, and beat him before taking Torres to the city jail. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. The Houston Police Department Chicano Squad, founded in 1979 after the killing of Jose Campos Torres. View Terry Denson results in Texas (TX) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Torres, an American citizen and a former serviceman, was wearing combat boots at the time of the fatal plunge. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/31/archives/3-former-officers-sentenced-in-texas-each-to-serve-extra-day-for.html. The group cleared forty homicides by the end of 1979 and later earned the recognition of the National Latino Peace Officers, in 1997, when they solved 91 percent of the cases theyd been assigned. A third officer, J.J. Janish, was charged with misdemeanor assault. Testimony at the Federal trial alleged that Mr. Torres was beaten severely after his arrest and forced to jump into the bayou by Mr. Denson, who told the man he wanted to see if a wetback can swim. Mr. Torres was a native Houstonian and a Vietnam veteran. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 The three former officers are to be sentenced late next month. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanor . This was a test, and they had only a few months to prove themselves. More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. 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. 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. One of them removed the handcuffs. 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. Terry Denson, 27; Stephen Orlando, 22, and Joseph J. Janish, 22 -- said they do not plan to appeal the . 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. 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. A number of people have since been tried. The Justice Department brought civil rights charges against the three after Mr. Denson and Mr. Orlando were acquitted of murder charges in state court. 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.'. Mr. Orlando and Mr, Denson were convicted last October of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, after a jury acquitted the two former police officers of the murder charge. To some of their fellow officers, it didnt matter whether they wore a badge or passed their exam, they were Mexicans first. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. 512-485-3073 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. | 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? 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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 will cost each no more than a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. The family was surrounded by hundreds of supporters and friends as . 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 CBS Evening News for Wednesday, Feb 08, 1978 REPORTER: Walter Cronkite, (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. Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Torres. All of the jurors were white, none was Mexican-American and five either worked for law enforcement agencies or had relatives who did. If I didnt tell you that this story took place forty years ago, you might think it had just happened, Alonzo told me. 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.". Phone 615-322-2927. Cat Cardenas is a writer focused on culture, entertainment, and the states Latino community. 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. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. The case became a national symbol of police brutality against Hispanics in the Southwest. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Members of Houstons Latino community described the light sentences as a slap in the face. On the first anniversary of Torress death, protests reached a fever pitch during a Cinco de Mayo celebration at Moody Park. Because the felony and misdemeanor sentences are concurrent, the three will probably serve less than a year in prison. Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, drowned . Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. Join Facebook to connect with Terry Denson and others you may know. Assistant District Attorney Ted Poe talks about coordination between the District Attorney's Office and the grand jury. ", 40 years ago police killed Joe Campos Torres sparking massive Moody Park Riots. The convicted former officers are Terry W. Denson, 27, and Stephen Orlando, 22. Officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were indicted for murder on June 28. Killings, planted evidence and a federal discrimination lawsuit all provided the fuel that Torres' death set ablaze at an event known as the Moody Park Riot. 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. Houston police take man into custody during Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. He drowned after being beaten by officers and thrown into Buffalo Bayou. 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.. Truth about Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, by who and when. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. the Texanist, is a staff writer. 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. You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. He drowned after being beaten by officers and thrown into Buffalo Bayou on... Felony and misdemeanor sentences are concurrent, the three after Mr. Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of homicidea... 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