Top cop apologizes for raid that resulted in 273 arrests
08/28/2002
HOUSTON (KHOU) -- Houston's top cop found himself in the hot seat at Houston's City Hall Wednesday and apologized for a massive police raid that he said he never approved.
For several hours Wednesday, Police Chief C.O. Bradford answered questions about the raid at a Kmart parking lot that landed hundreds in jail. "I am embarrassed as police chief," Bradford said.
Those in charge of the raid said they were trying to catch street racers, but Bradford said there was no indication of it.
New numbers came out Wednesday in the raid on a West Houston Kmart parking lot on Aug 17. Bradford said 273 people were arrested for trespassing that night, but many said they were never told to leave in the first place.
"We offer an apology," Bradford said. "Even if everything turns out to be within the law. The way it was effected should have been done a little bit differently."
Now there's a question of who knew what and when. 11 News first reported last week on internal police memos addressed to Chief Bradford in May detailing the proposed crackdown and arrests.
But Bradford says he didn't approve it. And department policy is to issue citations instead of arrests. "I never saw this plan, never heard about this plan until a week after the event," he said.
But council members heard from a wrecker driver on Tuesday who said the raid was well planned and publicized over the police radio. "Wrecker drivers know more about what's going on in our police department than our police chief," said Houston City Councilwoman Ada Edwards. "That bothers me very, very deeply."
Chief Bradford has suspended 13 police supervisors who worked in the raid. Many of those taken in are talking to attorneys alleging unlawful arrests. This incident has become an unprecedented event for Houston Police, which may lead to an unprecedented outcome as well.
Attorneys said that more clients are coming forward everyday. And they expect more lawsuits to be filed later in the week alleging unlawful arrest.
Chief Bradford said that the Internal Affairs investigation won't be wrapped-up for another couple of months. But in the next few weeks, the department will decide whether to press ahead with the trespassing charges or to just dismiss them.
Despite Bradford's City Hall explanations, many questions remain unanswered surrounding the raid on the Westheimer parking lot. What is known is that 273 people were arrested and 42 of them were juveniles. No citations were issued.
You are doing a yeoman's work in that effort.
Mayor says he supports police chief
08/28/2002
HOUSTON (KHOU) -- Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford did little to quell critics Wednesday during his first public statements on the mass arrests at a Kmart parking lot.
"I have no evidence, at this point in time, that anybody was involved in street racing on the date and time in question," Bradford said, as he answered questions from council members.
Some citizens at city council listening today questioned whether Chief Bradford was really in control of Houston's police force. The city council had several questions for the chief, and 19-year-old Michael Guerra had one of his own.
"He's saying that it never reached him, the plan to arrest everyone never reached him. I would just want to ask him, how could that happen if he's supposed to be the chief?" Guerra said. "He's supposed to be in control of everything. You know, just, something this massive happened without him knowing about it?"
Hans Marticiuc, with the Houston Police Officers Union, said Bradford's answers only led to more questions. "I'm not sure whether he's lost control, but I think the confidence in the entire administration is jeopardized, " Marticiuc said.
Mayor Lee Brown supported the police chief. "I have the utmost confidence in Chief Bradford," Brown said. "He's a career police officer."
At city council, some lawyers took notes on the chief's statements. His answers to council members' questions could come up in lawsuits against the city.
"I heard a number of things that could help the case," said Randall Kallinen, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who was taking notes. "There was definitely something wrong."
It's not the last time Chief Bradford will face the spotlight on the controversial raid.
Isn't it up to the property owner to decide whether to press charges or not?