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The nation's fourth-largest city has a big problem when it comes to conducting criminal investigations. It's getting worse. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner resigned last week. There is no way he could have remained in his position after the scandal of 260,000 incident reports labeled “Suspended — Lack of Personnel”, or SL were discovered. Two assistant chiefs have been demoted and one executive has resigned. The new mayor, John Whitmire, has a real disaster on his hands. Whitmire said that the “dumb person that came up with that code” is no longer at HPD. Advertisement I don't care what the...

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland said he accidentally hit a man he didn't see crossing the street Wednesday morning, as the city's top lawman was driving to police headquarters in a city vehicle. McClelland described the accident as "unnerving," adding the heavy mix of pedestrians and motorists in Houston's busy downtown district is a "very dangerous situation." The man the chief hit suffered apparently minor injuries to both arms, according to the Houston Police Department. The accident happened about 8:15 a.m. at the intersection of Clay and Travis, about a block from police headquarters, said HPD spokesman John Cannon. Police...

It was a Saturday on campus when David Sedmak, a Rice University police officer, heard "Officer down, officer down!" on his scanner: Two members of the Houston Police Department had been shot downtown. Sedmak rushed to the scene to help his fellow officers. But Rice didn't see Sedmak as a hero. Instead, the university fired him, citing "dereliction of duty." The university said in a statement that its officers often assist other law enforcement agencies when the need arises. But Sedmak erred, it said, by not informing the university police dispatcher about where he was. "Sedmak left his post when...

Late last night, a white truck with flashing blue lights pulled over two vehicles on the Katy Freeway at the Grand Parkway in west Harris County. At least two men got out of the truck wearing what appeared to be police uniforms. They also had guns. They robbed the victims of one of their cars and also took cash, cell phones and other belongings.

Was it a spy, or would-be spy, in that SUV? Despite CIA mementos and other evidence, Roland Carnaby's life remains an enigma

Judge rips Kmart raid's mass arrests Calling actions unconstitutional, she rules 10 suits can now proceedBy HARVEY RICECopyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Calling the operation "almost totalitarian," a federal judge says a Houston police plan that led to 278 arrests in a Kmart parking lot almost three years ago was unconstitutional. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas allows all 10 lawsuits filed in the wake of the Aug. 18, 2002, mass arrest, and a smaller operation the previous night, to proceed.The "plan to detain all persons ... with no regard for the existence of open businesses and their customers,...

HPD's Aguirre fired over raid By KRISTEN MACK Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Jan. 29, 2003, 3:51PM Houston police Capt. Mark Aguirre, commander of the controversial raid at a west-side Kmart in August, was fired this morning. Acting Police Chief Tim Oettmeier announced Aguirre's firing during a briefing to City Council on the Kmart raids. "What we witnessed was nothing more than the political lynching of Aguirre and they used Oettmeier as the henchman," said Aguirre's attorney, Terry Yates. Aguirre, who had his first chance to speak out today, said the department is using him as a scapegoat and HPD is...

Two police officers involved in the Kmart raid in which nearly 300 people were arrested are likely to be fired Tuesday, their lawyer and a union representative say. The lawyer for Capt. Mark A. Aguirre, who ordered the raid, and for Sgt. Ken Wenzel said the Houston Police Department should wait to decide whether to fire them until after the two go to trial this summer on charges of official oppression. Instead both are scheduled for hearings, at which it will be determined whether they should be fired Tuesday. "Most people who have loudermill hearings get fired," lawyer Terry W....

Nov. 21, 2002, 10:35AM Testimony heard on police raid Lawyer: Focus is on Aguirre, sergeant By ROMA KHANNA Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Houston police Capt. Mark Aguirre and a sergeant who works closely with him appear to be the only targets of an investigation into the mass arrest of people in a Kmart parking lot, a lawyer for an officer cooperating with authorities said. "After reviewing all the evidence, my impression is that Aguirre and one other sergeant who is his right-hand man are the targets of this probe," said Clint Greenwood, who is representing Lt. Frank Jackson. Greenwood would...

A Harris County grand jury today will begin considering whether police handling of a mass arrest -- which already has led to lawsuits against the city of Houston and the suspension of 13 police supervisors -- also deserves criminal indictments. Public outcry was swift and furious after more than 270 people were arrested Aug. 18 in a Kmart parking lot in the 8400 block of Westheimer on the west side. Many who were caught in the roundup said they were customers at the Kmart or a nearby Sonic drive-in restaurant. City officials later dropped all trespassing and curfew charges resulting...