Posted on 08/28/2002 1:02:00 PM PDT by Dog Gone
The raid happened Aug. 19 in the parking lot of a Kmart department store, located in the 8400 block of Westheimer Road, in southwest Houston.
HPD officials had previously said that it conducted the crackdown in response to numerous complaints from citizens and previous police surveillance regarding street racing and large crowds forming in the area.
Police said that these crowds impeded the access to and from businesses and that as a result of the operation 278 people were arrested with the majority being charged with criminal trespass.
"Zero tolerance does not override the need for probable cause to issue citations or to make arrests, nor does it mean to arrest everyone in sight," Bradford said.
Bradford answered some tough questions Wednesday for more than two hours by some members of the City Council.
He admitted that the parking lot raid arrests may be illegal, if people were never told they were trespassing and given a chance to leave.
Bradford said that if that's true, then he wonders why his officers followed an illegal order to arrest everyone.
"No officer in the Houston Police Department has ever been cited with insubordination or any other offense for their refusal to obey an unlawful order nor will they be on my watch," Bradford said.
Councilman Mark Ellis and others said that they wondered why no one blew the whistle before this raid, because a smaller sweep was done the night before at a James Coney Island eatery in which 25 people were arrested.
"Friday night, I didn't know. A chief in charge of the department didn't know, because no one reported it in a significant event report that it had occurred," Bradford said. "So, therefore, there was not that opportunity to intervene before the next night occurred."
The city attorney told the council that if an internal affairs investigation reveals that the arrests were illegal, the city will dismiss all of the charges against all of the people and even overturn the convictions for those who pleaded guilty to get out of jail.
Thirteen officers have been suspended in the wake of the raid, including the officer in charge of the operation, Capt. Mike Aguirre.
One of those people arrested has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the city, accusing Aguirre and the city of falsely arresting him for "attempted trespass."
He didn't become Chief of Police by making a practice of defending the indefensible.
I have little admiration for this man because he allowed the Department to get to the point where this could happen, but at least he realized that what happened was wrong and was willing to admit it.
I'd love to see the objective criteria applied there, since some of the people had actually made purchases. Milk, ok. Soft drink, you're going to jail, buddy. Bread, ok. Candy bar, cuff'em Danno.
Given that he was undercover, those receiving the card would have likely chunked it anyway as people are always handing out junk in stores.
Not to mention the people arrested at Sonic and the people who just simply were not breaking any law.
Separate issue, therefore irrelevant.
Same police department, same methods, same result.
d you can thank our biased, leftist news media for it.
Why? Because they wouldn't cover up mass arrests of innocent people for Aguirre?
You know, I don't shed any tears for Rodney King or the other kid in Kali that got slapped around by the cops. They were guilty and they tried to mix it up with the cops. The cops may have crossed the line in those cases, but given the nature of the perps c'est la vie.
But this is nothing like that. The worst crime being committed was loitering and underage drinking. A family eating in their car at a drive in is not doing either. Someone in the process of leaving the parking lot is not loitering and it is pretty easy to tell if they have engaged in underage drinking.
The bottom line is that HPD did not care if the people they were arresting had committed a crime. As a result, even the arrests of the guilty become suspect, since in cases like this the entire validity of the charge rests solely on the testimony of the arresting officer.
They shot themselves in the foot, the liberal left wing media is just pointing and laughing.
I thought that only happened in Chicago.
He didn't do that, and he could have, at least for a little while longer.
I'm not sure whether he did this because he figured he couldn't cover up forever, or because he really was surprised and disappointed/angry over what happened on that parking lot. At least for the next couple of days, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I may have sent some personal insults toward some people here, but not once have I accused anyone of being dishonest.
Here is my bottom line: I want a public apology RIGHT NOW, or your posts get forwarded to Jim Robinson.
Hit the abuse button right now, if it makes you feel better. You don't deserve any kind of apology.
You will be basemented before this is over
As a result, I can take it or leave it. I've had a little too much a few times in college, but it's been years since I did that. I avoided it altogether for 5-6 years when I owned a plane and didn't miss it at all.
Sometimes, I think it's the "forbidden fruit" that makes it attractive. The people that I shoot with tell me that it works the same way with guns: if you hide them away, they'll find them when you aren't around. If you let them handle them (under supervision) anytime they want, they'll either get bored and leave them alone or will get interested in shooting.
Hit it Houmatt hit it!
Hit it Houmatt hit it!
Good grief. What he's raging at wasn't even a good innuendo.
Please elaborate. On this, and your problem.
At this level charges dropped (or filed) have little if anything to do with violations or no violations.
You asked for it -- direct control from politicos over the police.
Welcome to it.
It will only get worse.
Maybe they got a thrill out of it.
Wal-Mart has denied calling the police to do this. Can you source your claims?
Correction: KMART.
To whom "they BELIEVED to be" legitimate customers?!?!?!
My, what insights these brilliant super-men possess. They have the power to walk into a department store, and relying on their keen perceptive abilities, discern who is and is not a legitimate customer.
That is absolutely preposterous. Do you honestly stand behind that ridiculous statement?
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