HPOU

This report is an updaThe Houston Police Officers Union made a call for change of leadership at the city’s crime lab on Wednesday. te to what we report

HOUSTON – The number of homicides reported in Houston this year is the highest since at least 2015. Data from the Houston Police Department showed the number of homicides reported in 2020 in the city is at 345. Joe Gamaldi, of the Houston Police Officers Union, said 2020′s number is approaching the most homicides in two decades -- 377 were reported in 2005. Over the past six years, the lowest number of homicides reported in Houston was 269 in 2017. There’s no question about that.”“When you look at the numbers this year, the numbers are exponentially higher,” Turner added.

HOUSTON – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed his back-the-blue pledge in Houston on Wednesday as he continued calls to stop efforts aimed at cutting police budgets. “It’s a commitment to fight any efforts at any level to defund the police,” Abbott said. Abbott said he has already called on the state legislature to pass laws that would prevent money from being diverted from law enforcement agencies. Texas law is crystal clear: bail is set by judge, not prosecutors.

HOUSTON – Four Houston police officers have been fired in connection with the fatal officer-involved shooting of Nicolas Chavez nearly four months ago. A cellphone video recorded by a witness appeared to show Chavez on his knees when he was shot by officers. Bodycam videoHouston police Chief Art Acevedo said officers encountered Chavez after several 911 calls about a man darting into traffic were received. The video, which included different angles from officers who fired shots, showed officers confronting a clearly distraught Chavez. The video is paused when the fatal shots were fired, but the audio of the shots can be heard.