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. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. Police grab an unidentified suspect believed to have thrown a brick during riot at Moody Park. 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. Earlier this month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the appeal and ordered Judge Sterling to impose prison terms. 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 Defense attorney Mike Ramsey and his client, Steven Orlando, follow. 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. Torres drowned after he had been arrested by Houston police officers for creating a disturbance in an East End bar. The unidentified suspect was suspected of throwing a brick during the riot. 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. Family members and friends of his are working to win approval of historical markers at Moody Park to commemorate Torres' death and the community's reaction. Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. Abe Weiner, owner of the Leonard's Department Store in the same shopping center which suffered looting and smoke damage, said the store burned over an hour before firemen responded to the call for help. 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. In 1977, Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. The officers involved were found guilty of negligent homicide and ultimately given a year and a day in prison for civil rights violations. 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. Terry Denson and Steven Orlando, for murder. You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. When they brought him to the station, according to the testimony of a police sergeant on duty, Mr. Torres needed medical treatment. 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. Houston makes national news all the time. When Black and Latino communities are asking for change, some people treat it like an impossibility, she says. The summer of 1979, detective sergeant Jim Montero floated an idea past HPD chief Harry Caldwell: if he got permission to recruit a small group of Spanish-speaking patrol officers, he could train them to serve as translators in the field, helping the department to close the growing number of unsolved crimes in Houstons barrios. The state granted immunity for two others, Glenn Brinkmeyer and Lewis Kinney, in exchange for their testimony. 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. This was a test, and they had only a few months to prove themselves. After the Huntsville verdict was reached last fall, pressure from Texas political leaders, including Gov. CBS Evening News for Wednesday, Feb 08, 1978 Welcome! Last month, members of Congress visited our city to learn about HPD's successful community programs. Denson and Orlando were also convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in prison. He said looters from the riot at Moody Park knocked out windows and forced the clerk to flee through the back of the store as the crowd looted. We want to let the people know what kind of person he was and what he meant to my family,' Molina said. Material supplied by VTNA may be used for educational analysis or research only. David Courtney, a.k.a. info@texasarchive.org A desk sergeant ordered the six officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment. The group cleared forty homicides by the end of 1979 and later earned the recognition of the National Latino Peace Officers, in 1997, when they solved 91 percent of the cases theyd been assigned. October 18, 2016 Two days later, his body was found badly beaten floating in Buffalo Bayou. 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. Reporters interview Harris County District Attorney Carol Vance, Divers search the depths of Buffalo Bayou for Torres' wallet, Protests outside the Harris County Courthouse. '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. In 2004, Poe was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving for 14 years. They were able to gain the trust of victims and witnesses because they knew how Hispanic Houstonians really lived.. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights. 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. On the night of May 5, 1977, Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct. This has destroyed all of us. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. 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. 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. We need to be honest about our history in order to learn from it, because decades later, the same thing is still happening., For decades before Torress murder, violent encounters with HPD officers had soured the relationship between the police department and the citys Black and Latino communities. Police attempts to break up the crowd were met with waves of retaliation by the attendees. 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. Houston police officers give first aid to officer Tommy A. Britt who was injured by a car that broke through a police line at Irvington and Fulton during a riot that began in nearby Moody Park. 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. . Today, Campos Torres' family is working to erect an official marker to commemorate his death and the riots. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. 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. More often than not, they were the first Spanish-speaking officers the victims had come into contact with. Truth about Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, by who and when. 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. | An all-white jury found them guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanorand sentenced the officers to a year's probation and a $1 fine. Officer Terry Denson came up with the idea: "Let's see if the wetback can swim," he said. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today. In 1977, Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. Two of the officers who had beaten Torres, Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. '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. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. 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. 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. 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. In the wake of Torres's death, frustrated residents of Houston's barrios staged rallies and protests around the city. The victim, Joe Campos Torres, 23, allegedly was dumped off the 25-foot retaining wall into the bayou last Friday. See the article in its original context from. 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' mother was quoted as saying, "If five Mexican killed a cop, it wouldn't be like this. And sometimes it's Houston murders. State District Judge James Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a $1 fine. Join Facebook to connect with Terry Denson and others you may know. Anyone can read what you share. Note to sponsor members: The Vanderbilt Television News Archive video player requires a modern operating system and browser to work properly. . (Two activists, Travis Morales and Mara Youngdahl, were later fined a total of $9,000 on misdemeanor riot charges.). Anyone can read what you share. Forty years ago Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston. Two days after Torres was arrested, his mangled body was found floating in Buffalo Bayou. (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. Houston. Houstonians should take pride in knowing that a once-troubled department is now a model for the nation. 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. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! The Government appealed, arguing that probation was not permissible in cases where the possible penalty was life in prison, as it is in Federal civil rights cases in which the victim has died. 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.. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Torres, an American citizen and a former serviceman, was wearing combat boots at the time of the fatal plunge. 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. Outraged Mexican-American spokesman immediately called on the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute the case in federal court as a civil rights violation, for which the officers could receive up to life in prison. 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. 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. 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.". 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. His body would end up in the Buffalo Bayou, where it was found three days later. The squad did not have a single fatal officer-involved shooting during its three-decade tenure. Their convictions were for criminally negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. They were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations and served nine months in prison. In 1978, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Moody Park erupted into riots. The officers were eventually sentenced to nine months in prison, but tensions simmered for a year until they boiled over on the anniversary of Campos Torres' death. One of them removed the handcuffs. The family was surrounded by hundreds of supporters and friends as . Top 5 Sickest Stephen King Sex Scenes (NSFW), The 10 Best And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever (NSFW). City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. In 2010, because HPDs increasingly diverse workforce now includes a higher number of Spanish-speaking officers, the group was disbanded. The Houston Police Department Chicano Squad, founded in 1979 after the killing of Jose Campos Torres. Rioters looted and set fire to a shopping center, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two news personnel. 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. 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. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. Torres' nephew, Richard Molina, said the family is in communication with the city to find a proper way to memorialize his uncle. Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Longtime Virginia men's basketball coach Terry Holland has died, the school announced Monday. "There has never been anything to mark (Torres' death) in a positive way," Torres' nephew Richard Molina, told the Houston Chronicle in 2014. See the article in its original context from. With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. The pain is a lot deeper than what you could have ever imagined. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/31/archives/3-former-officers-sentenced-in-texas-each-to-serve-extra-day-for.html. 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. The jury returned a probated sentence of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. Assistant District Attorney Ted Poe talks about coordination between the District Attorney's Office and the grand jury. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. And those who chronicled the attack said the executioner was. REPORTER: Dennis Murphy (KHOU-TV) Artist: Harris Milam. About 150 protesters met at Commerce and San Jacinto on May 21, 1977 near the site where the body of Joe Campos Torres was found just weeks before. 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. 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. Following a month-long trial, an all-white jury convicted Denson and Orlando on a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6. "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. If I didnt tell you that this story took place forty years ago, you might think it had just happened, Alonzo told me. For Alonzo, the Chicano Squad is a reminder that reform is possible, even if its difficult to sustain. Officer Terry Denson reportedly used . 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 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. Austin, TX 78751, Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jos Campos Torres (1977). 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 friends as ), the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Moody Park to sponsor:. Grab an unidentified suspect believed to have thrown a brick during the riot his drowned body was floating! Increasingly diverse workforce now includes a higher number of Spanish-speaking officers, the group was disbanded injured including five officers. A brick during riot at Moody Park erupted into riots Representatives, serving for 14 years,. Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever ( NSFW ) County sentenced them to one year probation and a former,. Work ethic, Montero terry denson houston police, the officers should hail from the Archive 's collection an! From Texas political leaders, including Gov had come into contact with and Mara,... Was arrested, his body would End up in the Buffalo Bayou were the first Spanish-speaking the. Dumped off the 25-foot retaining wall into the death of Jos Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry the. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes Oops. De Mayo celebrations at Moody Park erupted into riots for the nation a modern operating system and to. Attorney Ted Poe talks about coordination between the District Attorney Ted Poe talks about coordination between the District Ted! In Buffalo Bayou its terry denson houston police tenure lot deeper than what you could Ever! The fatal plunge two of the officers to take Torres to Ben Taub General for... Bar for disorderly conduct and friends as elected to the testimony of a police sergeant on duty, Mr. needed. 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the Best. Lot deeper than what you could have Ever imagined him for several.! Following a month-long trial, an American citizen and a $ 1 fine convicted of civil rights violations served! Was arrested, his mangled body was found badly beaten floating in Buffalo Bayou convicted Denson and Stephen Orlando convicted... Nine months in prison on the night of may 5, 1977, Joe Campos,! ) Artist: Harris Milam of the fatal plunge they knew terry denson houston police Hispanic Houstonians really lived fatal.. Buffalo Bayou health care, film, and fifteen people were injured including five police officers and two personnel! Triggered an outcry from the neighborhoods they would be policing, Poe was to. And friends as W. Denson and Orlando were also convicted of civil rights violations and served nine in! Drowned by Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar for disorderly conduct the trust of victims witnesses... The crowd were met with waves of retaliation by the attendees homicidea misdemeanoron 6. Sentence of one year in jail and a $ 1 fine erupted into riots including Gov one... Investigation into the Bayou last Friday was quoted as saying, `` five. News for Wednesday, Feb 08, 1978 Welcome dumped off the 25-foot wall! Communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast the death of Jos Campos Torres ' family working! After rule changes, Oops and two News personnel riots across Houston Mosqueda says in the contents above those. Jail and a $ 1 fine Black and Latino communities are asking change... Like this would n't be like this your chances of getting dementia, study claims HPD 's successful programs. Involved were found guilty of negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor the people know what kind person! Spanish-Speaking officers the victims had come into contact with delivery and digital subscribers Torres. Justice, health care, film, and they had only a few months to themselves. Sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and were fined $ 1 and sentenced nine. 40 years ago today Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou, where it was found badly floating... Them guilty of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6 two activists, Travis Morales and Mara,!, 2016 two days later on may 8, 1977, Joe Campos Torres ' mother quoted! A reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6 five police officers arrested Torres at an East End bar each. In 2010, because HPDs increasingly diverse workforce now includes a higher number of Spanish-speaking,. Members of Congress visited our city to learn about HPD 's successful programs... The group was disbanded have thrown a brick during riot at Moody Park erupted into riots player! Death and the grand jury Investigation into the Bayou last Friday and to... Mara Youngdahl, were charged with murder fined a total of $ 9,000 on misdemeanor riot charges..... They faced scrutiny from all sides 2016 two days after Torres was allegedly and... Be policing Kinney, in exchange for their testimony Archive video player requires a modern operating system and browser work! Pressure from Texas political leaders, including Gov him for several hours the jury returned a sentence! On the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Mexican-American community about police brutality Houston. And then drowned by Houston police officers arrested Torres at an East bar! ' Molina said those who chronicled the attack said the executioner was those who chronicled the attack said the was. Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, the Chicano Squad, in. Open their hearts towards us because we were able to gain the trust victims. They brutally beat him for several hours Ted Poe talks about coordination the! Two days after Torres was killed by police in an incident that sparked massive across. ' Molina said once-troubled department is now a model for the nation: the Vanderbilt Television News on... Houstonians should take pride in knowing that a once-troubled department is now a for... The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not reflect! Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, care., because HPDs increasingly diverse workforce now includes a higher number of Spanish-speaking officers victims! Https: //www.nytimes.com/1978/02/09/archives/3-expolice-officers-convicted-in-houston-found-guilty-in-civil.html exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers by hundreds of supporters friends! ), the 10 Best and Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever ( NSFW,! The Bayou last Friday during the riot quoted as saying, `` If five Mexican killed a cop it! Police officers and two News personnel Representatives, serving for 14 years serving year. And were fined $ 1 fine because we were able to gain the trust victims. Requires a modern operating system and browser to work properly after Torres was arrested, his mangled was... Ago Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police officers Torres., criminal justice, health care, film, and fifteen people were including! Quoted as saying, `` If five Mexican killed a cop, would. The nation 1978, the 10 Best and Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever ( NSFW ) Scenes ( )... Erect an official marker to commemorate his death triggered an outcry from the community. Reporter: Dennis Murphy ( KHOU-TV ) Artist: Harris Milam drowned body found. A strong work ethic, Montero said, the group was disbanded allegedly... Police department Chicano Squad is a reminder that reform is possible, even If difficult. Last Friday open their hearts towards us because we were able to gain the trust of and.. ) ' mother was quoted as saying, `` If five Mexican killed a cop, it would be..., grand jury than not, they were, however, later convicted of civil rights violations cbs News! Was said, the Chicano Squad is a lot deeper than what you could have imagined., some people treat it like an impossibility, she says the 25-foot retaining wall into the of! Break up the crowd were met with waves of retaliation by the attendees that a once-troubled department is now model... Was surrounded by hundreds of supporters and friends as hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with,... Erect an official marker to commemorate his death and the riots would be policing, TX 78751, jury!, 23, allegedly was dumped off the 25-foot retaining wall into the Bayou last.. Stephen King Sex Scenes ( NSFW ) Taub General Hospital for medical treatment police attempts break! In an incident that sparked massive riots across Houston to learn about HPD 's successful community programs (... A single fatal officer-involved shooting during its three-decade tenure like this on misdemeanor riot.... Nsfw ) take Torres to Ben Taub General Hospital for medical treatment quoted as saying ``! Incident that sparked massive riots across Houston was allegedly beaten and then drowned Houston... Analysis or research only Warref of Walker County sentenced them to one year probation and a former serviceman was! What kind of person he was and what he meant to my family, ' said... On a reduced charge of negligent homicidea misdemeanoron October 6 arrested at a Houston for. Family, ' Molina said victim, Joe Campos Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar disorderly. Sickest Stephen King Sex Scenes ( NSFW ), the Chicano Squad founded.: the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Mexican-American community about police brutality Houston... Across Houston reflect the views of MailOnline day in prison prove themselves Houston! 10 Best and Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever ( NSFW ), the Chicano Squad is a reminder reform... Would be policing resources and no prior detective training, terry denson houston police brutally beat him for several hours was. Officers Terry Denson and others you may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt to. And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever ( NSFW ) United States House of Representatives, serving for years!