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. 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. The US Department of Justice subsequently conducted its own investigation. Host Alonzo, a self-proclaimed history nerd, often spent time in history classes in the Rio Grande Valley thumbing through her books trying to find important figures that looked like her. The department wanted to rebuild its reputation fast. 'My mother was never the same after Jose was killed,' his sister Janie Torres, who was 10 at the time her brother's death, said. The location is just off the 1200 block of Commerce. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. 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? Torres subsequently drowned. 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. 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. 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. October 18, 2016 They were able to gain the trust of victims and witnesses because they knew how Hispanic Houstonians really lived.. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. 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. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen. 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. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. His body was found days later. Buffalo Bayou near Commerce St. Tuesday May 6, 2014. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. 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. Note to sponsor members: The Vanderbilt Television News Archive video player requires a modern operating system and browser to work properly. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanor . 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. And once the word got out, they trusted us.. The Houston Police Department first arrested Phillips's replacement, a Security Guard Services, Inc. employee named Robert Taylor. The sergeant said he told the officers to take the prisoner to a nearby hospital; instead, they took Mr. Torres back to the 16foot embankment overlooking Buffalo Bayou near downtown Housotn, where they had beaten him. The judge sentenced them to one year of probation and fined them each $1. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. They couldnt fail. Outraged Mexican-American spokesman immediately called on the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute the case in federal court as a civil rights violation, for which the officers could receive up to life in prison. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? 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. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. Two of their fellow officers were given immunity from prosecution in return for their testimony in state court against the pair; one other officer faces related misdemeanor charges, and one, a rookie who reported the incident to superiors, remains on the 2,900-member Houston police force. 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. On May 5, 1977, Campos Torres, was arrested at a bar for disorderly conduct. In just a few short years, relationships between HPD and Houston's Hispanic community had improved to such a degree that Caldwell even commended a local police critic during a LULAC convention, who in turn praised the chief for his efforts. Vilma Martinez, president of the MexicanAmerican Legal Defense and Educational Fund, also called for the judge's impeachment. Police grab an unidentified suspect believed to have thrown a brick during riot at Moody Park. How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. 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. The former policemen had been on trial in connection with the drowning death of her son. 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. 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.'. See the article in its original context from. 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 . A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. As news of the atrocity spread, Torress name became a rallying cry that united the citys Latino community in its search for justice. 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. Judge Sterling has been criticized recently by some members of a Federal grand jury here that handed up antiracketeering indictments against two oilbrokering firms. Houston police take man into custody during Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. A convenience store/drive-in grocery at 3814 Fulton is vandalized by riotersin the 1978 Moody Park riots. Of the six, initially only officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were charged with murder. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Terry W. Denson. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. The widely publicized case was moved on a change of venue to Huntsville, a town of 20,000, about 70 miles north of Houston. 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?". "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. 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 . Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. 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. The victim, Joe Campos Torres, 23, allegedly was dumped off the 25-foot retaining wall into the bayou last Friday. Their convictions were for criminally negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor. The trials drew national attention, and HPDs newly minted internal affairs unit was overwhelmed with complaints. 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. Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. 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. She blends vividly reported details of decades-old events with personal anecdotes of similar struggles. Torres subsequently drowned. 1 of 2. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. "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. 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. The 14-year-old was cowering against the wall when he was shot. 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. View the profiles of people named Terry Denson. Any editing, reproduction, publication, rebroadcast, public showing or public display may be prohibited by copyright laws. 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. The killing of Torres - a Hispanic veteran arrested at an East End bar - was the spark that set off a series of protests, firings and reforms that eventually transformed the Houston Police Department into the modern crime-fighting institution that we know today. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. 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. Two days after Torres was arrested, his mangled body was found floating in Buffalo Bayou. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. Denson testified that Torres had said he could swim and had jumped into the water. More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. Chicano Squad members recognized at City Hall, Houston, 2019. six responding Houston Police Department officers, one year of probation and fined them each $1. 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. Two Houston police officers stand guard over a wrecked convenience store at 3814 Fulton. 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. His body was found by a boater three days later. Report: Houston is the No. On May 8, Mr. Torres's body was found floating in the bayou. Truth about Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, by who and when. Ruben Bonilla, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, termed the sentences a shocking, obnoxious misuse of Federal power and urged that Judge Sterling be impeached. "'You're not going to take him and do what you did to Joe Campos Torres.". 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. Terry Denson was married to Tennie E. (Kimbrough) Denson on October 28, 1971 in Harris County, Texas. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. You were a victim [of a crime], so Im going to treat you as a victim. 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. After the Huntsville verdict was reached last fall, pressure from Texas political leaders, including Gov. Mr. Torres was arrested May 5 at Houston tavern on charges of disturbing the peace. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. The comments below have not been moderated. Terry Denson in Texas. 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. The Department of Justice is supposed to fill that leadership role at a national level. 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. 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. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Who Said It: Legendary Houston Comedian Bill Hicks or New El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks? The jury returned a probated sentence of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine. 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. Find Terry Denson's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Carlos Calbillo sat on railing next to Buffalo Bayou near Commerce Street Tuesday. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. REPORTER: Dennis Murphy (KHOU-TV) Artist: Harris Milam. Police attempts to break up the crowd were met with waves of retaliation by the attendees. Past charges of brutality against Houston Police Department noted. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Brinkmeyer said Denson previously had boasted throwing a wino down a ravine and had beaten other hand-cuffed prisoners. "All those cops, they just got a slap on the wrist, and you know what? 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. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. 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. That sort of exchange previously would have been unimaginable. With those words, Officer Terry Denson tossed Joe Campos Torres into Buffalo Bayou. 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. . View other clips in this broadcast . The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, drowned . Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. Austin, TX 78751, Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jos Campos Torres (1977). 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