Today, Campos Torres' family is working to erect an official marker to commemorate his death and the riots. Austin, TX 78751, Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jos Campos Torres (1977). Carless Elliott, the only rookie cop at the scene that night, later recalled in court the words of one of his fellow officers, the last words Torres must have heard before his body plunged into those dark waters: Lets see if this wetback can swim.. Torres was allegedly beaten and then drowned by Houston police. Divers were hoping to find a wallet belonging to Torres. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. On May 8, Mr. Torres's body was found floating in the bayou. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Poe served as a chief felony prosecutor for eight years before being appointed a state district judge in 1981. When police attempted to make an arrest at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park, attendees began throwing rocks and overturning police cars. You've got five officers sworn to protect, five, sworn to protect and serve and murdered an active military soldier,'. When you look at the records of some of their arrests, youll find lacerated livers, fractured skulls, broken hands. ', Torres' sister Janie said she was 10 at the time of her brother's death and that her family was never the same. View Terry Denson results in Texas (TX) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. "The environment that created the Torres case continues to exist," Garcia said, "and we can expect a continuation of the same kind of thing.". . 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 . You may visit the Television News Archive on the Vanderbilt campus to view on-site from the Archive's collection. 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. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner apologized to the family of Joe Campos Torres for his death in 1977 in Houston police custody, calling it 'straight-up murder', Torres, a US Army Vietnam veteran, was 23 when he was arrested on May 5, 1977 for disorderly conduct at a bar, and beaten. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. It goes to show how those moments of crisis and scandal within our public institutions become important opportunities for forward-looking leaders. How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. "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. 1977 - Joe Campos Torres -- his death triggered an outcry from the Mexican-American community about police brutality in Houston. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Terry W. Denson. Their convictions were for criminally negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor. Brinkmeyer said Denson previously had boasted throwing a wino down a ravine and had beaten other hand-cuffed prisoners. Terry Denson was married to Tennie E. (Kimbrough) Denson on October 28, 1971 in Harris County, Texas. info@texasarchive.org . The two officers convicted in the Torres' case are expected to be sentenced within a few days. Welcome! On the one-year anniversary of Torres' death, the simmering social unrest erupted into riots. According to Houston police, they got a call about a missing 3-year-old girl at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. 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. He drowned after being beaten by officers and thrown into Buffalo Bayou. His body was found on May 8Mother's Day. 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. For many of the victims they interviewed, the officers presence did make a difference. Updated: June 20, 2015. 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. 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. Two days later, his body was found badly beaten floating in Buffalo Bayou. 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. Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando two of the arresting officers were charged with murder following the discovery of Torres' body. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. The Torres case prompted the Houston Police Department to create its Internal Affairs Division in 1977. WHERE ARE THEY NOW:A look at prominent figures in the Rodney King riots, "What happened was when the police came in to arrest some people, and actually took somebody, people said 'No,'" then-rookie cop Harold Barthe told Houston Public Media in 2008. Mr. Orlando and Mr, Denson were convicted last October of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, after a jury acquitted the two former police officers of the murder charge. This connection to Torres and to the officers on the Chicano Squad is what allows Alonzo to shine as a host. By the time Torres arrived at the jail, authorities refused to book him due to the extent of his injuries. 1 of 2. 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. 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. The Department of Justice is supposed to fill that leadership role at a national level. In interviews with members of the Chicano Squad, the podcast shines a light on its predicament. There, they brutally beat him for several hours. This unedited footage from Houston's KPRC-TV captures protesters outside the Houston Police Department headquarters on May 16, 1977. Instead, they brought him back to the Hole. Two days after Torres was arrested, his mangled body was found floating in Buffalo Bayou. 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. And to this day, Morales remains skeptical that the Chicano Squad was the answer. Join Facebook to connect with Terry Denson and others you may know. Assistant District Attorney Ted Poe talks about coordination between the District Attorney's Office and the grand jury. Divers search the Buffalo Bayou site where Joe Campos Torres' body was found floating May 8, 1977. 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.'. Rather than taking him directly to the nearby jail, six responding Houston Police Department officers took a detour to a secluded spot near Buffalo Bayou that they called The Hole. Officer Terry W. Denson, 27, is charged with murder in Torres' death. See the article in its original context from. As news of the atrocity spread, Torress name became a rallying cry that united the citys Latino community in its search for justice. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Many segments are silent and would have been voiced over by the anchorperson during a live broadcast. The case became a national symbol of police brutality against Hispanics in the Southwest. The Justice Department brought civil rights charges against the three after Mr. Denson and Mr. Orlando were acquitted of murder charges in state court. Houston Police lineup in riot gearin the 1978 Moody Park riots.. Houston Police in riot gearin the 1978 Moody Park riots.. Houston police make arrests in the 1978 Moody Park riots. In the wake of Torres's death, frustrated residents of Houston's barrios staged rallies and protests around the city. 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. Bond resigned months later after only serving a year. 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. 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. Following another beating, officers pushed Torres off a raised platform into Buffalo Bayou. Once there, officials refused to book him because of the extent of his injuries, and ordered that he be admitted to a hospital. 3908 Avenue B, Suite 105 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. 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. In the wake of Torress death, frustrated residents of Houstons barrios staged rallies and protests around the city. LOOKING BACK:Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later. Dolph Briscoe, prompted the Department of Justice to seek indictments against the former officers on charges of having violated Mr. Torres's civil rights. The former policemen had been on trial in connection with the drowning death of her son. With limited resources and no prior detective training, they faced scrutiny from all sides. Because the felony and misdemeanor sentences are concurrent, the three will probably serve less than a year in prison. 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 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. HPD is now hiring for our upcoming classes. local news and culture, Olivia Flores Alvarez However, Houston's police chief issued a statement saying that "the processes of justice have prevailed over demagoguery.". 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. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, Astros GM provides update on Yordan Alvarez's hand injury, KPRC 2 anchor Brandon Walker announces he is leaving network, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Witnesses reflect on LA's Rodney King riot 25 years later, A look at prominent figures in the Rodney King riots, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob hits city, Former KHOU 11 anchor Lily Jang turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, Your essential and exhaustive guide to 2023 Houston rodeo food. View other clips in this broadcast . 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. The people would open their hearts towards us because we were able to communicate with them, Mosqueda says in the podcast. "No parade, no day of remembrance. Houston makes national news all the time. Testimony at the Federal trial alleged that Mr. Torres was beaten severely after his arrest and forced to jump into the bayou by Mr. Denson, who told the man he wanted to see if a wetback can swim. Mr. Torres was a native Houstonian and a Vietnam veteran. Officers Terry Denson and Stephen Orlando were convicted of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and were fined $1 and sentenced to probation. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Witnesses on the other side of the bayou couldnt make out what was happening in the darkness, but they heard a scuffle, then a splash. 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. 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 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. In addition to having a strong work ethic, Montero said, the officers should hail from the neighborhoods they would be policing. Houston firemen fight blaze which was reportedly set by rioters in the 4400 block of Fulton. 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