The Department of Justice is supposed to fill that leadership role at a national level. Austin, TX 78751, Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jos Campos Torres (1977). The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. This was a test, and they had only a few months to prove themselves. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Terry W. Denson. The Houston Police Department first arrested Phillips's replacement, a Security Guard Services, Inc. employee named Robert Taylor. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. 512-485-3073 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. All of the jurors were white, none was Mexican-American and five either worked for law enforcement agencies or had relatives who did. Top 5 Sickest Stephen King Sex Scenes (NSFW), The 10 Best And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever (NSFW). In their barrios, things werent much better. "Let's see if the wetback can swim." With those words, Officer. Anyone can read what you share. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. 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. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. The 14-year-old was cowering against the wall when he was shot. This has destroyed all of us. Here are four Houston murders that made news and, in three cases, changed the justice system. Poe served as a chief felony prosecutor for eight years before being appointed a state district judge in 1981. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. Any time in the penitentiary would be unacceptable, Mr. Bennett said, adding that Mr. Denson was an outstanding public servant to this community.. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. In Chicano Squad, an eleven-episode podcast released in January by Vox Media, host and actress Cristela Alonzo follows Houstons attempts to grapple with the aftermath of Torress death, which included the creation of the first all-Latino homicide squad in the country. And sometimes it's Houston murders. "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. 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. For Alonzo, the Chicano Squad is a reminder that reform is possible, even if its difficult to sustain. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. 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. 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. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. 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. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Its not uncommon for the stories of Latinos to be minimized or excluded entirely from Texas history books. View the profiles of people named Terry Denson. His death and the light punishment the officers received would spark the infamous Moody Park Riot one year later. 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. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. As news of the atrocity spread, Torress name became a rallying cry that united the citys Latino community in its search for justice. 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. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. In 2004, Poe was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving for 14 years. 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Facebook gives people the power to. 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. This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. The convicted former officers are Terry W. Denson, 27, and Stephen Orlando, 22. 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. Houston police officers during riot at Moody Park. By Gloria Rubac posted on April 12, 2022. "The environment that created the Torres case continues to exist," Garcia said, "and we can expect a continuation of the same kind of thing.". Phone 615-322-2927. 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. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. 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. Torres drowned after he had been arrested by Houston police officers for creating a disturbance in an East End bar. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 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. Updated: June 20, 2015. The city was quickly growing into the murder capital of the United States as a slew of unsolved killings in Houstons barrios piled up. "We never got justice," his sister Sandra Torres told the Houston Chronicle in 2011. Two days after Torres was arrested, his mangled body was found floating in Buffalo Bayou. In May 1977, Houston Police arrested Army veteran Joe Campos Torres following a disturbance outside an East End bar. Instead, the officers returned to The Hole, where they continued to beat Torres. Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Longtime Virginia men's basketball coach Terry Holland has died, the school announced Monday. Welcome! He was on duty at the time of the murder and HPD discovered he. 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. 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. Officer Terry Denson reportedly used . All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. October 7, 1977 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. 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. Forty-five year struggle wins a bit of justice. 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. 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. . 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. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights. the Texanist, is a staff writer. 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. 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. His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today. A convenience store/drive-in grocery at 3814 Fulton is vandalized by riotersin the 1978 Moody Park riots. Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. ", 40 years ago police killed Joe Campos Torres sparking massive Moody Park Riots. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. 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. It's never had its own day, but is definitely something that should be remembered, a lesson of Houston history and among Mexican-Americans. 110 Twenty-first Avenue South, Suite 704 Nashville, TN 37203, USA. [Victim's mother Margaret TORRES - feels happy because she wanted justice and doesn't want this to happen again.] With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. 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