UPDATE: Cops, Tasers, OT and The Houston Chronicle

This is today's revelation:

Seven witnesses say Robert McIntosh was shot by a police officer before he was handcuffed during a violent struggle Jan. 8, Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt said today.

"They all indicated he was handcuffed after the shots were fired," Hurtt said in a hastily called news conference today.

Two of three other people who said that McIntosh was handcuffed before he was shot have "recanted or clarified" their statements to indicate otherwise, Hurtt said.

Although he did not mention Yolanda Perry by name, Hurtt made it clear that Perry, the wife of a minister whose church is near the shooting scene, remains the only witness known by police who still maintains police shot a handcuffed man. Perry testified in secret before a grand jury concerning the shooting. She could not be reached immediately for comment Wednesday.

I sure hope they intend to indict Ms. Perry for perjury when she ends up recanting as well. She was just dazzled by the 15 minutes of "fame" and encouraged to "act out" by a certain felonious act-tee-vist, no doubt.

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From A blog about the Houston Chronicle with James Campbell

We don't create stories about HPD; we report them

The Chronicle peddles hate on a daily basis. One of their favorite groups to hate is the police. They seem to take turns bashing HPD and then they'll go off on the Sheriff's Department. If the Chronicle had it's way no blacks or browns would ever be arrested. The police would have to give up their handguns, their tasers, their sprays and striking devices and their patrol cars! 'Cause someone might get their widdle self hurt by those big old meanies in blue. Boo hoo.

One brave officer is taking up the challenge and responding quite eloquently and I'm going to cut and paste what he's had to say if for no other reason than to be able to find it. The Chronicle gets all possessive about their archives and dang if you can find something later if you need it. Way to go, "Dude" and here is what you had to say...

I agree that the Chronicle has been hammering the Houston Police Department. The only reason, in my opinion, that the overtime issue is being raised is because the department has been in the "headlines" lately. It's simple, its fresh on everyones mind. If the recent shootings and taser incidents had not occurred this overtime issue would never have came up again.

Now, onto the shooting incident involving Robert Mcintosh. I am a Houston police officer. I work the area where Robert Mcintosh was shot. I was on the scene that day, after the shooting. No one has addressed the fact that the suspect, Mcintosh, had a pocket full of PCP, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine on him at the time of his death. He was a dope dealer, plain and simple. He had driven out of a known dope location, 5050 Sunflower, when Officer Smith stopped him. Mrs. Perry stated she saw the entire incident. I know for a fact that she did not arrive on the scene until an hour after it had happened! One of the main witnesses in this case stated that if she would have been standing where she claimed, he wouldnt have seen anything. He did see the entire incident. Officer Smiths flashlight never left his car even though Mrs Perry stated she saw the officer beat Mcintosh with it. Officer Smith never got into his car and drove off after the shooting as she claims. How could he, he still had the feamle suspect in the back seat of the patrol car. I could go on and on here. The bottom line is, the woman is lying. She lied to the grand jury and I hope and pray they file charges on her. The other witness, Mike Oliva, who the Chronicles crack,expert, journalist quoted as saying he saw the whole thing from his bedroom window, told the homicide investigators that he had only said that so he could get on TV! Once the sworn statement form was placed in front of him he quickly recanted. Why isnt all this reported? I know you guys have to hear these things. This officer is a good man and these blatant lies by a few people and then your paper running with it is a crying shame. The story you guys should be investigating is the "all might" Quannell X. Find out where Mr X is getting his money. Go see his house. He used to be a two bit dope dealer in Sunnyside and Southpark in the late 80's and early 90's. Does he have a paying job now or does he just sponge off the people he claims to be defending? Now that would be an award winning piece of work.

As far as officers working overtime? Who cares? Do ya'll want to go deal with drunks, write tickets in the pouring rain and cold, or work accidents in the driving rain? The story should be about the divorce rate for the guys working so much. They're trying to make a living now and for when they retire. No one writes stories about a Mcdonald's manager working overtime or how much they make. Why is it even an issue? It's common knowledge that some Federal law enforcement officers make well over a 100K a year. Would you rather more of our department leave and work for the fed's?

Find another story to write about. And when you do decide to write one follow up with the facts, even if its days later. You guys are messing with peoples lives here.

Posted by: Dude at January 17, 2007 09:19 AM

And then again he wrote.....

Let me address a few things here. First of all, as I stated earlier, I am an HPD officer and unlike the chronicle, I dont make statements that I know nothing about. Let's get to the overtime issue. We are able to work over the 16 hour rule with a Lt's permission. Do some officers go over this 16 hour rule. Sure. Most of the time its not just to make extra money. It's due to something that has happened on the shift to where you cant hand it off to another unit or investigator. If I'm in the middle of working a major accident why pass that off to another unit who wasnt on the scene. That's when things start to get screwed up. What, should I think, "Oh, Im about to pass the 16 hour threshold, I better hand this mess over to someone else." No, you work it and deal with the overtime issue later. I still dont see a problem. A handful of officers made a kiiling in overtime. So! I, for one, didnt. There is still about 4,400 of us who just worked the minimum. No one was complaining when all of us were working 3-4 days straight when our "lovely guests" from New Orleans showed up or when we worked 2-3 days straight during Rita. We all did. I dont know of one single officer who acted any different towards the citizens because he was tired or "cranky". Most of us are ex military and working long hours without rest is no big deal. We are all professionals and understand the ramifications of our actions. Please, dont let this OT thing be an issue.

Now, on to my favorite subject, the taser! Give it a rest! Bottom line is this, if you physically resist me I will light you up. There. Need I draw a picture. I really dont care what color, sex, age, religious belief, or you voted for, if I lay my hands on you and you resist you will get lit up! I have tasered five suspects since I was issued my taser. They were all black males and they all resisted. Two of those times the taser did not work and we still had to chase the suspect around a neighborhood until he was caught. The highly informed member of the Chronicle, Roma Khanna, made a comment that the taser was used more than 1,000 times in the last two years but in 95 percent of the time they were used in cases where the suspect was not armed with any weapons. Well, no kidding! If I pull up and you are standing there with a gun in your hand I am not going to use my taser on you. You will be hit in the ten ring multiple times! What a stupid statement. Does she expect me to use my taser of suspects holding weapons? It wasnt made for that. It was given to us so we had another tool to use along with our batons and pepper spray. In my opinion, it works. Ive deployed my taser two times. Ive pulled it out on a daily basis and just the sight of the little red dot will make some suspects stop whatever they are doing. Ms. Khanna also states that a number of people we tase are not being charged afterward. Now, there is a story. The District Attorneys office makes it routine to drop all charges once we file the charges and the suspect is processed in the system. Thats not because the case is weak, its because the D.A's office likes to get "minor" cases off the docket. They also will dismiss cases or plea cases out without even contacting the arresting officer. Most of the taser incidents I see are ones generated by the so called "routine" traffic stop or disturbance call. You stop a suspect, he has dope, you try to arrest him, the fight is on, you tase him. Smae with the disturbance. You get there, the suspect has assaulted someone, you try to arrest the person, he fights you, you tase him. Is any of that wrong? By the way, there is nothing "routine" in stopping a car at night or going to a family disturbance with weapons involved. Maybe Ms. Khanna would like to go to one of these calls. Let's all remember Officer Rodney Johnson. He died on a traffic stop. I think about him and that stop everyday.
The bottom line is, if you dont want us to tase you, do what we say if we are there to arrest you. If you, as a city, do not want me to tase people then dont call me when the bad guy is breaking into your house, threatening your family, stealing your car, or lurking around in the dark. Let me stay in the Shipleys or the coffee shop where I wont get complained on.
I love my job. I love helping the people who call me. And I know this part will surprise alot of you, but I like helping ALL of you, the black, hispanic, asian and white citizens. However, let me make something clear. If anyone tries to hurt me, my partners, or another innocent citizen, I will light them up with my taser if it calls for it, or if need be, I will send two to the chest and one to the head.

Posted by: Dude at January 18, 2007 04:46 PM

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Take care....and be safe, guys and gals!