Posted on 02/21/2003 10:35:31 AM PST by No Truce With Kings
By LISA TEACHEY
Coypright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Two former Houston police officers who were at the helm of a botched raid at a westside parking lot will go to trial June 2 to answer charges of official oppression.
Capt. Mark Aguirre and Sgt. Ken Wenzel, who appeared in court today for the trial setting, each face five charges of official oppression for ordering the arrests of more than 300 people, including many teenagers, at a Kmart parking lot in the 8400 block of Westheimer on Aug. 18.
The scene of hundreds of people being handcuffed, without warning, and lined up in the parking lot was filmed by television news crews and led to the largest internal affairs investigation in Houston Police Department history.
The in-house investigation ended with Aguirre being fired, Wenzel, who is also a lawyer, retiring and 30 other officers being disciplined.
After a brief appearance in state District Judge Carol G. Davies' court today, defense lawyers Terry Yates and Joe Bailey said they expect the trial could last two to four weeks. The men are expected to be tried together.
"We expect they'll be acquitted," Yates said. "And once the truth comes out it will be shown that they are innocent and nothing was done illegally out there."
Prosecutors Vic Wisner and Tommy LaFon did not comment. Assistant district attorneys usually do not comment on pending cases.
The Kmart raid was originally planned weeks ahead to nab drag racers. But when none was found that night officers arrested nearly 300 people on charges of trespassing and curfew violations.
Public outcry led to all the charges being dismissed and being expunged at city expense. Several civil lawsuits have been filed against the city and police department.
Sadly, Authority demands immunity and mostly gets it.
But Aguirre has nothing to fear from me. I don't live in this court's jurisdiction, so I can't get on the jury and argue during deliberations for the death sentence, darn it.
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