BLM Houston leaves METRO headquarters with no video, protest

HOUSTON – Black Lives Matter Houston said they came to a meeting with METRO Monday afternoon with the understanding that they would be allowed to view a surveillance video showing the beating of Darrell Giles, but that didn't happen.

Neither did a protest.

METRO police said Jairus Warren had found Giles slumped over a seat at Burnett Station and had beaten him with a baton after a confrontation.

Giles' attorney said the officer hit him more than a dozen times.

METRO's police chief said the beating was not justified, and METRO suspended two officers as a result of the incident.

Investigators dropped charges against Giles, and released him from jail Friday.

BLM Houston threatened to protest outside METRO headquarters until the video was released, but the group said now they will wait to take further action.

"The difference between then and now is we now have an entity who is willing to work with us, who is willing to say, 'We messed up, we know we messed up and we want to work with you,'" BLM Houston's Ashton Woods said. "A spokesman for the DA's office says they will not release the video because this case is likely going to a grand jury and they don't want to taint that process.