More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. She blends vividly reported details of decades-old events with personal anecdotes of similar struggles. The squad did not have a single fatal officer-involved shooting during its three-decade tenure. A gutted variety store at a shopping center in the 3100 block of Fulton. The case became a national symbol of police brutality against Hispanics in the Southwest. Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. This connection to Torres and to the officers on the Chicano Squad is what allows Alonzo to shine as a host. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. See the article in its original context from. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The Justice Department brought civil rights charges against the three after Mr. Denson and Mr. Orlando were acquitted of murder charges in state court. 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.. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. As the story goes, the 23-year-old was beaten so severely that authorities refused to accept him into the City Jail. Chicano Squad members recognized at City Hall, Houston, 2019. six responding Houston Police Department officers, one year of probation and fined them each $1. Here are four Houston murders that made news and, in three cases, changed the justice system. Buffalo Bayou near Commerce St. Tuesday May 6, 2014. The location is just off the 1200 block of Commerce. Officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were indicted for murder on June 28. 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. By Gloria Rubac posted on April 12, 2022. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. 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. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. 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. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, where jailers refused to process him due to his injuries. 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. 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. 'Our ultimate goal is humanizing our uncle at this point. The conflicts could have kept escalating were it not for Houston's new police chief, Harry Caldwell, who was hired a few months after the riot. You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. Each to Serve Extra Day for Roles in Suspect's Death Judge Assailed as Too Lenient. His body would end up in the Buffalo Bayou, where it was found three days later. In 2004, Poe was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving for 14 years. The city was quickly growing into the murder capital of the United States as a slew of unsolved killings in Houstons barrios piled up. Houston firemen put out fire of burning car flipped during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park. Service station vandalized by riotersduring riot at Moody Park. For Alonzo, the Chicano Squad is a reminder that reform is possible, even if its difficult to sustain. 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. Brinkmeyer said Denson previously had boasted throwing a wino down a ravine and had beaten other hand-cuffed prisoners. The convicted former officers are Terry W. Denson, 27, and Stephen Orlando, 22. Officials at the jail refused to book Torres due to his injuries, and told the officers to bring him to a hospital. 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's body was found two days later. Instead, the officers returned to The Hole, where they continued to beat Torres. The Houston Police Department first arrested Phillips's replacement, a Security Guard Services, Inc. employee named Robert Taylor. Holland, 80, previously was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. Any editing, reproduction, publication, rebroadcast, public showing or public display may be prohibited by copyright laws. When you look at the records of some of their arrests, youll find lacerated livers, fractured skulls, broken hands. Latinos around town began pinning a single dollar bill to their shirts, meant to symbolize what their lives were worth in the eyes of the criminal justice system. Above is the abstract of the item that you're interested in viewing from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive's collection. 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. 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. 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. He was on duty at the time of the murder and HPD discovered he. Terry Denson in Texas. 512-485-3073 Officer Terry W. Denson, 27, is charged with murder in Torres' death. [Houston United States attorney Tony CANALES - thinks justice served.] His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today. 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. '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. His body was found days later. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. 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. 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. Police attempts to break up the crowd were met with waves of retaliation by the attendees. Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. Bring on the Shiplap? Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Torres drowned after he had been arrested by Houston police officers for creating a disturbance in an East End bar. 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 . 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. Three days later, on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, 1977 his dead body was found severely beaten and floating in the Buffalo Bayou, a creek on the outskirts of downtown Houston. Truth about Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, by who and when. At least 22 persons were arrested at a city park after violence broke out in the chiefly Mexican-American neighborhood following a disturbance which led to vandalism and bottle throwing among the estimated mob of 1,500 persons. While speakers from the La Raza Unida party, the Texas Farmworkers Union, the Barrios Unidos en Defensa and the Torres family addressed the crowd, the father of the dead man, Joe Torres Sr., watched with his wife Margaret. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. 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. 1 of 2. The violence May 7 left five police officers and two newsmen injured, and several stores in the area burned or looted. 'I will never be the same, my family will never be the same. 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. Sentencing offenders to perform humiliating tasks like shoveling manure, he became known as the "King of Shame." All of the jurors were white, none was Mexican-American and five either worked for law enforcement agencies or had relatives who did. LOOKING BACK:Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later. Because the felony and misdemeanor sentences are concurrent, the three will probably serve less than a year in prison. 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. Slowly, the Chicano Squad earned back the trust that HPD had lost. 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. All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. 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. In San Antonio, a Road Map for the Future of Texas Art, A Users Guide to All the Banned Books in Texas, Author John Graves Was a Literary Godfather to Texas Monthly, The Best High School Basketball Team in Texas Doesnt Need a State Title, The Photo the Dallas Cowboys Never Wanted the Public to See, Wouldnt People Like Some Good News?: The Lasting Popularity of Texas Country Reporter. 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. New Higher Salaries! Its not uncommon for the stories of Latinos to be minimized or excluded entirely from Texas history books. Terry Denson was married to Tennie E. (Kimbrough) Denson on October 28, 1971 in Harris County, Texas. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Updated: June 20, 2015. "Let's see if the wetback can swim." With those words, Officer. 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. . Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. After their conviction in March of last year, Judge Sterling sentenced the three former officers, all of whom were dismissed by the Houston Police Department within hours of the discovery of Mr. Torres's body, to a year in prison on the misdemeanor charge. 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. "We never got justice," his sister Sandra Torres told the Houston Chronicle in 2011. 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 Jos Campos Torres, a 23-year-old Mexican American and Vietnam War veteran, at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. ", 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 Police Chief B. G. "Pappy" Bond holds a press conference in his office. Austin, TX 78751, Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jos Campos Torres (1977). Mr. Torres's body was found in a Houston bayou on May 9, 1977, two days after he was arrested by Mr. Denson and other officers in a latenight barroom disturbance. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. An all-white jury found them guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanorand sentenced the officers to a year's probation and a $1 fine. The Killing of Jos Campos Torres. Defense attorney Bob Bennett and his client, Terry Denson, exit the courtroom to deliver comments to the press. 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 . 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. It is the headquarters for the Texas prison system. WHERE ARE THEY NOW:A look at prominent figures in the Rodney King riots, "What happened was when the police came in to arrest some people, and actually took somebody, people said 'No,'" then-rookie cop Harold Barthe told Houston Public Media in 2008. Articles about the drowning of Joe Campos Torres appeared in the Houston Chronicle on May 15, 1977. The judge sentenced them to one year of probation and fined them each $1. The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . In the case of [Torres], theres racism, theres extreme brutality.. The case and its verdict outraged the local Mexican American community, sparking protests outside the Harris County Courthouse and police headquarters. 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. If you are experiencing playback problems, check the minimum requirements and adjust your setup accordingly. Terry W Denson of Harris County, Texas was born c. 1950. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. As news of the atrocity spread, Torress name became a rallying cry that united the citys Latino community in its search for justice. 512-485-3073 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. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Longtime Virginia men's basketball coach Terry Holland has died, the school announced Monday. (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. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. Carlos Calbillo sat on railing next to Buffalo Bayou near Commerce Street Tuesday. They couldnt fail. 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. You were a victim [of a crime], so Im going to treat you as a victim. Material supplied by VTNA may be used for educational analysis or research only. And once the word got out, they trusted us.. "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. 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. 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. When they brought him to the station, according to the testimony of a police sergeant on duty, Mr. Torres needed medical treatment. 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. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. Forty years ago Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston. [Victim's mother Margaret TORRES - feels happy because she wanted justice and doesn't want this to happen again.] Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, Charles felt he had to act as king rather than as a father: REBECCA ENGLISH reveals why Charles backed moves Don't just stick to the Malbec! If I didnt tell you that this story took place forty years ago, you might think it had just happened, Alonzo told me. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. By John M. Crewdson; Special to The New York Times. They were able to gain the trust of victims and witnesses because they knew how Hispanic Houstonians really lived.. 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 firemen fight blaze which was reportedly set by rioters in the 4400 block of Fulton. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. Im not an immigration officer. "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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. (Studio) Report on conviction of 3 former Houston policemen accused of violating civil rights of Mex.-American who drowned while in their custody. Federal prosecutors termed the verdict a compromise, noting that the defendants were not found guilty of additional charges that they had conspired to obstruct justice by withholding information about the incident from Federal investigators. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. Denson on October 28, 1971 in Harris County Courthouse and police headquarters carlos Calbillo on. 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