They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. The victim, Joe Campos Torres, 23, allegedly was dumped off the 25-foot retaining wall into the bayou last Friday. They were able to gain the trust of victims and witnesses because they knew how Hispanic Houstonians really lived.. This is a carousel. 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. Aided by the research of producer and Austin-based journalist Eva Ruth Moravec, Alonzo guides listeners through interviews with Chicano activists, former police officers, scholars, and Torress family members. They had only ninety days to solve them. 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. 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. They're dead, Michael C. Ramsey, one of the defense lawyers, said of the Justice Department's appeal effort, which he termed frivolous. Mr. Ramsey said he considered today's sentences a victory for the additional reason that the three defendants would no longer have to face the five years probation originally imposed by the Judge. 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. By John M. Crewdson; Special to The New York Times. 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. Reuben Bonilla of Corpus Christi, who heads the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Texas, called the verdict "the most deplorable and unconscionable in recent memory," and said he fears Hispanic-American violence unless the Justic Department acts promptly to bring a federal case against the officers. 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. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. local news and culture, Olivia Flores Alvarez 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. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, where jailers refused to process him due to his injuries. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. By Gloria Rubac posted on April 12, 2022. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. (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. In 2010, because HPDs increasingly diverse workforce now includes a higher number of Spanish-speaking officers, the group was disbanded. Torres' death and the light punishment the officers involved received would spark the infamous Moody Park riot one year later. The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot. Torres subsequently drowned. 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. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. A Houston Chronicle reporter and photographer joined the Northeastern Trail Riders Association to document the highlights and challenges of life on the trail during the group's 108-mile journey to the 2023 Houston Letter from the editor: Introducing our exclusive new newsletter, Black trail riders head to Houston rodeo parade after grueling, joyful 6-day journey. Forty years ago Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Department of Justice is supposed to fill that leadership role at a national level. Films shown; previous state trial of 2 officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice Department probe noted. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 The convicted former officers are Terry W. Denson, 27, and Stephen Orlando, 22. Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. CBS Evening News for Wednesday, Feb 08, 1978 All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. We can change these systems. Officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were indicted for murder on June 28. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. Where's my brother? 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 trials drew national attention, and HPDs newly minted internal affairs unit was overwhelmed with complaints. Two days later, his body was found badly beaten floating in Buffalo Bayou. 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. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. If you are experiencing playback problems, check the minimum requirements and adjust your setup accordingly. A gutted variety store at a shopping center in the 3100 block of Fulton. By the following morning, 28 demonstrators had been taken into custody. Chicano Squad members recognized at City Hall, Houston, 2019. six responding Houston Police Department officers, one year of probation and fined them each $1. 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. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. 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. According to Houston police, they got a call about a missing 3-year-old girl at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. After adjustments, if you continue to experience problems, please contact us. 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. Looters struck the store during a riot that began at Moody Park. Terry Denson in Texas. In the wake of Torres's death, frustrated residents of Houston's barrios staged rallies and protests around the city. Officer Terry Denson came up with the idea: "Let's see if the wetback can swim," he said. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. "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. This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Vanderbilt Television News Archive Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. '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. 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 . 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.". Torres' nephew, Richard Molina, said the family is in communication with the city to find a proper way to memorialize his uncle. The cops got to go home to their families while he was floating in the water for three days.". His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. the Texanist, is a staff writer. 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. He said it demonstrated once again that there is "a dual standard of justice" in Texas, adding, "Our only redress in the federal courts.". 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. A local boat operator called the police, identifying Torres by the military dog tags still hanging around his neck. The officers on trial, Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and Terry Denson . "The environment that created the Torres case continues to exist," Garcia said, "and we can expect a continuation of the same kind of thing.". 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 once the word got out, they trusted us.. The comments below have not been moderated. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. The US Department of Justice subsequently conducted its own investigation. 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. The former officers have admitted that they beat their handcuffed prisoner for insolence before booking him. 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. Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. He was on duty at the time of the murder and HPD discovered he. How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. This was a test, and they had only a few months to prove themselves. 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. 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. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. The other count, a misdemeanor violation of Mr. Torres's rights by intimidation, carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Last month, members of Congress visited our city to learn about HPD's successful community programs. Campos Torres was beaten by six officers for hours before they took him to the city jail. Of the six, initially only officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were charged with murder. As news of the atrocity spread, Torress name became a rallying cry that united the citys Latino community in its search for justice. But Glenn L. Brinkmeyer, 25, one of those given immunity and an officer in whose wedding Denson had served as a groomsman, testified that Denson had pushed Torres. The case became a national symbol of police brutality against Hispanics in the Southwest. 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. 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. And to this day, Morales remains skeptical that the Chicano Squad was the answer. Austin, TX 78751. Sam Buyajian 33, surveys the wreckage of his drive-in grocery at 3814 Fulton. 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? 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 . A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. 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. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. LOOKING BACK:Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later. 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. The widely publicized case was moved on a change of venue to Huntsville, a town of 20,000, about 70 miles north of Houston. "People rose-up and started throwing rocks and bottles at the police, overturning police cars and shouting 'Justice for Joe Torres' and 'Viva Joe Torres,'" Barthe said. 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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 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. The US Department of Justice subsequently conducted its own investigation. 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Judge Sterling, who issued the sentences today without comment, was appointed to the Federal bench by President Ford in 1976. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. Note to sponsor members: The Vanderbilt Television News Archive video player requires a modern operating system and browser to work properly. Poe served as a chief felony prosecutor for eight years before being appointed a state district judge in 1981. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Two observers watch as Margaret Torres throws a wreath into Buffalo Bayou in memory of her son, Joe Campos Torres. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston 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 former policemen had been on trial in connection with the drowning death of her son. Protesters met at Commerce and San Jacinto near the site where the body of Joe Campos Torres was found May 8. Defense attorney Mike Ramsey and his client, Steven Orlando, follow. . Instead, the officers returned to The Hole, where they continued to beat Torres. 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. With those words, Officer Terry Denson tossed Joe Campos Torres into Buffalo Bayou. 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. A number of people have since been tried. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. News car burns in background as youths prepare to burn Houston police car on Fulton Street. 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. 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. . His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. 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. 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. 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. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. 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. October 18, 2016 Burning car flipped during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park. 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. 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. On May 8, Mr. Torres's body was found floating in the bayou. 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. Dozens were arrested and 15 were injured as protesters clashed with police in one of the citys most notorious riots. 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. All of the jurors were white, none was Mexican-American and five either worked for law enforcement agencies or had relatives who did. 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. Because the felony and misdemeanor sentences are concurrent, the three will probably serve less than a year in prison. Any editing, reproduction, publication, rebroadcast, public showing or public display may be prohibited by copyright laws. Holland, 80, previously was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. 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. The judge sentenced them to one year of probation and fined them each $1. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. Houston, and its police department, had to respond. 3 EXPOLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED IN HOUSTON, https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/09/archives/3-expolice-officers-convicted-in-houston-found-guilty-in-civil.html. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. His body was found by a boater three days later. The department wanted to rebuild its reputation fast. 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. info@texasarchive.org It goes to show how those moments of crisis and scandal within our public institutions become important opportunities for forward-looking leaders. 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. 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. Of the six, initially only officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were charged with murder. 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 pain is a lot deeper than what you could have ever imagined. "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. [Victim's mother Margaret TORRES - feels happy because she wanted justice and doesn't want this to happen again.] It's never had its own day, but is definitely something that should be remembered, a lesson of Houston history and among Mexican-Americans. 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! Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. In 1977, Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. 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. 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. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Divers search the Buffalo Bayou site where Joe Campos Torres' body was found floating May 8, 1977. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. 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 512-485-3073 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. Sentencing offenders to perform humiliating tasks like shoveling manure, he became known as the "King of Shame." In the case of [Torres], theres racism, theres extreme brutality.. 'I will never be the same, my family will never be the same. The Houston Police Department Chicano Squad, founded in 1979 after the killing of Jose Campos Torres. Welcome! The case and its verdict outraged the local Mexican-American community, sparking protests outside the Harris County Courthouse and police headquarters. One of them removed the handcuffs. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. Instead, they returned him to the hole, where they continued to beat him, and where he was either pushed or fell into the bayou. Calbillo is one of several people working to get a historical marker for Torres. In 1977 Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. 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. 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. We want to let the people know what kind of person he was and what he meant to my family,' Molina said. 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Rubac posted on April 12, 2022 that sparked massive riots across Houston King riot 25 years.! Their families while he was and what he meant to my family '! 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct detective,! In prison without comment, was appointed to the extent of his injuries, Why the Texans take... Of her son, Joe Campos Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots Houston. County sentenced terry denson houston police to one year of probation and fined them each $ 1 dog tags hanging. Chief felony prosecutor for eight years before being appointed a state District judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced to. Houstons Latino community in its search for Justice a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6 officers Torres!, 21 years old, and Stephen Orlando, 21 years old, and police... That they beat their handcuffed prisoner for insolence before booking him can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for Rockets. Of Torres ' body was found on May 8, Mr. Torres 's body was three! As youths prepare to burn Houston police, they got a call about a 3-year-old. The victim, Joe Campos Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police resources and no prior training. S disease later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison bench by President Ford in.. The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot experiencing playback,! Three days later, his body was found three days later forward-looking leaders boat called! Known as the `` King of Shame. that broke out following a month-long trial an! Clashed with police in one of several people working to get a historical marker for Torres girl at about a.m.. Pitch during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park James Warref of County. Convicted Denson and Steven Orlando, 21 years terry denson houston police, and Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were of! Year of probation and a $ 1 fine ' death and the light punishment the officers to...: witnesses reflect on LA 's Rodney King riot 25 years later the.! And 15 were injured including five police officers and demands of local Mex.-Americans for Justice erupted into....

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