HOUSTON – Activist Quanell X and others are calling on Houston police Chief Art Acevedo to face the community and answer tough questions regarding the controversy and criminal charges that hit his department nearly a week and a half ago.
“You march with the people, you hugged and kissed as many babies as you could during the protest marches, you took all the photos you could. Well man, come on forward and answer these serious questions about how did you have all of that happening under your watch?,” Quanell said.
He was not alone with his criticism Friday.
There were others that joined him at 7815 Harding Street, site of HPD’s deadly botched raid. All came together in calling for Acevedo to either resign or step down. It all comes on the heels of the latest controversies that have plagued Acevedo since the deadly raid from 18 months ago.
“You just had cops indicted a short time ago, a few days back. We still haven’t heard from you. This audit is out, we still haven’t heard from you. That’s why cannot trust them to investigate themselves,” Quanell said.
No news conferences. No interviews over the blistering audit as well as the former cops arrested after being charged by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. It comes weeks after Chief Acevedo was everywhere on television and social media.
Prior to today’s news conference, Mayor Turner made his position on Acevedo clear to Channel 2 Investigates,
“I have 100% confidence in him and I think most Houstonians do as well,” Turner said.
Quanell X questioned the mayor after being informed of his stance.
“If your chief, under his watch, Mayor Turner says to you that I discovered my officers were selling dope, stealing dope, stealing money and killing citizens in cold blood under my watch, Mr. Mayor, I say to you, Mayor Turner, how the hell are you in your right mind to say you support that man 100%,” Quanell said.
In a lengthy statement, Acevedo did not address the calls for his removal from the Houston Police Department but addressed others departures writing, “approximately 160 officers, and a number of non-sworn departmental members, have been removed from the department as a result of discipline” over the over three years he has been in charge.