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. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. ', Torres' sister Janie said she was 10 at the time of her brother's death and that her family was never the same. 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. Five months after Torress murder, an all-white jury found Denson and Orlando guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanor. About 100 persons rallied Saturday in front of the Houston police station to protest the sentences two former officers received following the death of Joe Campos Torres. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. Service station vandalized by riotersduring riot at Moody Park. The six arresting officers instead took him, once again, to The Hole. | The officers involved were found guilty of negligent homicide and ultimately given a year and a day in prison for civil rights violations. the Texanist, is a staff writer. 'Let's get this clear because there's been some chatter in the neighborhoods [about] how Chief Finner feels about this,' he said of Torres' death, 'and that is straight-up murder of somebody. 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. In 1977, Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. 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. Houston police take man into custody during Moody Park riot that broke out following a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park. Torres' mother was quoted as saying, "If five Mexican killed a cop, it wouldn't be like this. View the profiles of people named Terry Denson. His body was found days later. Police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. Austin, TX 78751. 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. . 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. And those who chronicled the attack said the executioner was. 512-485-3073 This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. Slowly, the Chicano Squad earned back the trust that HPD had lost. 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. 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. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. A convenience store/drive-in grocery at 3814 Fulton is vandalized by riotersin the 1978 Moody Park riots. By the following morning, 28 demonstrators had been taken into custody. The Houston Police Department Chicano Squad, founded in 1979 after the killing of Jose Campos Torres. The former officers have admitted that they beat their handcuffed prisoner for insolence before booking him. A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. It's never had its own day, but is definitely something that should be remembered, a lesson of Houston history and among Mexican-Americans. Defense attorney Mike Ramsey and his client, Steven Orlando, follow. All six officers were found guilty of violating Torres' civil rights, and given a ten-year suspended sentence. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called "The Hole" next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. 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. Protesters met at Commerce and San Jacinto near the site where the body of Joe Campos Torres was found May 8. In their barrios, things werent much better. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Denson and Orlando were also convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in prison. The comments below have not been moderated. By Associated Press and Peter Belfiore For Dailymail.Com, Published: 17:01 GMT, 28 June 2021 | Updated: 08:56 GMT, 29 June 2021, Houston's police chief has publicly apologized to the family of a man killed by six officers more than four decades ago, calling it a 'straight-up murder.'. 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. More than 40 people were arrested during the riots, which became nationwide news and led to the creation of HPD's internal affairs department. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. 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. Three buildings in the shopping center were gutted by the fire. They couldnt fail. Bring on the Shiplap? The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. Of the six, initially only officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were charged with murder. On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. The arresting officers took him to a place dubbed 'the hole,' an area behind a warehouse along the Buffalo Bayou, and beat him before taking Torres to the city jail. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. Its not uncommon for the stories of Latinos to be minimized or excluded entirely from Texas history books. Houston Police Chief B. G. "Pappy" Bond holds a press conference in his office. The Department of Justice is supposed to fill that leadership role at a national level. According to Houston police, they got a call about a missing 3-year-old girl at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. Terry Denson, 27; Stephen Orlando, 22, and Joseph J. Janish, 22 -- said they do not plan to appeal the . His body would end up in the Buffalo Bayou, where it was found three days later. 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. They were able to gain the trust of victims and witnesses because they knew how Hispanic Houstonians really lived.. Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanor . TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Report: Houston is the No. But the Chicano Squad moved mountains with the little resources they had. 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. 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 Divers were hoping to find a wallet belonging to Torres. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. In the case of [Torres], theres racism, theres extreme brutality.. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Former KHOU anchor turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, The only Houston rodeo food guide you'll need, Report: Houston ranked No. 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. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Every passing month seems to bring news of some officer killing an unarmed young man - we're still mourning the death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in Balch Springs, a Dallas suburb. ,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. He said it demonstrated once again that there is "a dual standard of justice" in Texas, adding, "Our only redress in the federal courts.". Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. 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. REPORTER: Walter Cronkite, (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 1978, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Moody Park erupted into riots. New Higher Salaries! City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. 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 probation. "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. Police grab an unidentified suspect believed to have thrown a brick during riot at Moody Park. Mr. Torres was arrested May 5 at Houston tavern on charges of disturbing the peace. 6:00AM, Kinetic Celebrates Womens History Month with a World Premiere, What Your Favorite Mainline Final Fantasy Game Says About You. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. . Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. 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. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. 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