During the research process, Moravec found that the Chicano Squad posted a consistently higher clearance rate than other HPD units. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. On May 8, Mr. Torres's body was found floating in the bayou. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. The US Department of Justice subsequently conducted its own investigation. Any time in the penitentiary would be unacceptable, Mr. Bennett said, adding that Mr. Denson was an outstanding public servant to this community.. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, where jailers refused to process him due to his injuries. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. The Justice Department brought civil rights charges against the three after Mr. Denson and Mr. Orlando were acquitted of murder charges in state court. 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. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. And those who chronicled the attack said the executioner was. A gutted variety store at a shopping center in the 3100 block of Fulton. Find Terry Denson's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Bring on the Shiplap? Houston police take man into custody during Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. Past charges of brutality against Houston Police Department noted. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Chief Bond comments on the function of the Civilian Review Board. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. Truth about Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, by who and when. 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. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. "'You're not going to take him and do what you did to Joe Campos Torres.". Attorneys for the three defendants said they would probably appeal the verdict. It's been 40 years since 23-year-old Vietnam War veteran Joe Campos Torres' body was found washed up on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou. 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. Robert Bennett, attorney for Mr. Denson, who had been specifically charged with pushing Mr. Torres into the water, said that he would argue against a prison sentence for his client. . 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. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. 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 people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. 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.". When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. His body was found by a boater three days later. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. 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. 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. He was on duty at the time of the murder and HPD discovered he. 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. 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. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. REPORTER: Dennis Murphy (KHOU-TV) Artist: Harris Milam. And once the word got out, they trusted us.. Two days later, his body was found badly beaten floating in Buffalo Bayou. It's never had its own day, but is definitely something that should be remembered, a lesson of Houston history and among Mexican-Americans. Sentencing offenders to perform humiliating tasks like shoveling manure, he became known as the "King of Shame." His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today. 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 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 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. As the story goes, the 23-year-old was beaten so severely that authorities refused to accept him into the City Jail. Anyone can read what you share. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. It is the headquarters for the Texas prison system. Looters struck the store during a riot that began at Moody Park. 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. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. After the Huntsville verdict was reached last fall, pressure from Texas political leaders, including Gov. 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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. An all-white jury found them guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanorand sentenced the officers. We can change these systems. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Articles about the drowning of Joe Campos Torres appeared in the Houston Chronicle on May 15, 1977. and help keep the future of the Houston Press, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, HPD Investigating Victims' Crime Advocate Andy Kahan, A Murder in Montrose: the Paul Broussard Legacy. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanor . 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. 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. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. However, Houston's police chief issued a statement saying that "the processes of justice have prevailed over demagoguery.". If you are experiencing playback problems, check the minimum requirements and adjust your setup accordingly. 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. 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. See the article in its original context from. 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. Officer Terry Denson reportedly used . The protests that . The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . 1 of 2. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Dolph Briscoe, prompted the Department of Justice to seek indictments against the former officers on charges of having violated Mr. Torres's civil rights. New Higher Salaries! Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot. Reporters interview Harris County District Attorney Carol Vance, Divers search the depths of Buffalo Bayou for Torres' wallet, Protests outside the Harris County Courthouse. 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. How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. Consider it our city's version of the Ferguson protests. 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. 'I will never be the same, my family will never be the same. 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. 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 pain is a lot deeper than what you could have ever imagined. Divers search the Buffalo Bayou site where Joe Campos Torres' body was found floating May 8, 1977. In 2010, because HPDs increasingly diverse workforce now includes a higher number of Spanish-speaking officers, the group was disbanded. 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. The judge received dismissed the case without explanation. 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 convicted former officers are Terry W. Denson, 27, and Stephen Orlando, 22. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. 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 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. 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. 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. Im not an immigration officer. LOOKING BACK:Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later. For many of the victims they interviewed, the officers presence did make a difference. 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 to this day, Morales remains skeptical that the Chicano Squad was the answer. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. Divers search the murky water of Buffalo Bayou in an unsuccessful attempt to find a wallet belonging to a southeast Houston man allegedly drowned by a policeman. See the article in its original context from. The 14-year-old was cowering against the wall when he was shot. Mr. Torres was arrested May 5 at Houston tavern on charges of disturbing the peace. 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. . Police attempts to break up the crowd were met with waves of retaliation by the attendees. Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. In 1978, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Moody Park erupted into riots. [Victim's mother Margaret TORRES - feels happy because she wanted justice and doesn't want this to happen again.] Brinkmeyer said Denson previously had boasted throwing a wino down a ravine and had beaten other hand-cuffed prisoners. 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. On January 15, according to a $100,000 damage suit filed by Robert and Alice Gleason, N. W. Holloway and his partner J. T. Olin were among several other cops who stormed into their Pasadena trailer. Officials at the jail refused to book Torres due to his injuries, and told the officers to bring him to a hospital. We want to let the people know what kind of person he was and what he meant to my family,' Molina said. 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. 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. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. The family was surrounded by hundreds of supporters and friends as . 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