Bodycam video shows confrontation between U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson and law enforcement
The footage shows Jackson being tackled to the ground and placed in handcuffs, with the Amarillo Republican directing a profanity-laced tirade toward a trooper. His office has said Jackson, a physician, was trying to help with a medical emergency.
Once again, tension builds after state police are deployed to a major Texas city
A month after the Texas Department of Public Safety began patrolling Austin streets, city officials have both praised a drop in violent crime and condemned the operationโs disparate impact on Latino and Black residents. In 2019, Dallas faced the same challenges.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelanโs new priority bills focus on school safety, requiring districts to adopt active-shooter plans
More than nine months after the Uvalde school shooting, top GOP lawmakers maintain focus on school safety reforms and investments in mental health resources in hopes it will prevent future tragedies.
Gov. Greg Abbott starts state task force on street takeovers
During a recent street racing incident, Austin residents faced long 911 wait times. City officials say they need to increase staffing for 911 call takers, but state license and background check requirements make it difficult to fill positions.
University of Houston asked students to wear neon vests after police drew weapon on a Black student
The university distributed vests to theater students after an officer drew a gun on a Black student rehearsing a violent scene last year. Officials walked back the requirement amid recent student criticism.
The fringe ideology of โconstitutional sheriffsโ is attracting believers within Texas law enforcement
Some 50 Texas sheriffs and numerous elected officials have attended trainings on the unsupported notion that sheriffs can single-handedly overrule state and federal law. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which offered state peace officers credit for the seminars, is now investigating.
Texas DPS chief Steve McCraw says his agency โdid not failโ at Uvalde school shooting
At a public meeting where families that lost children in the school shooting said he should resign, McCraw said members of the Department of Public Safety made mistakes. But he said heโll step down only โif DPS as an institution failed the families.โ
Crime Stoppers discuss public safety with Mattress Mack and others, announces โHouston Crime Indexโ from new research center
Crime Stoppers of Houston hosted a press conference Wednesday with Jim โMattress Mackโ McIngvale and other area leaders to discuss public safety challenges and solutions.
Police chief who led the response to the school shooting in Uvalde had no radio at the scene, reports say
The revelation is the latest to point to deficiencies and missteps in authoritiesโ response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School. Police opted to wait for reinforcements and tactical gear, taking more than an hour to confront and take down the shooter.
In battered Uvalde, where a police chief is in hiding, grief gives way to calls for accountability
As chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, it was Arredondoโs call to wait more than an hour for backup instead of ordering officers on scene to immediately charge the shooter.
Uvalde school districtโs police chief didnโt know about 911 calls coming from inside the school, lawmaker says
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said the commanding officer at the scene of the shooting was not informed about the calls that Uvalde police were receiving, calling the lack of coordination a โsystem failure.โ
Austin police officers who were indicted over actions during George Floyd protests sue the city
Several demonstrators who participated in the protests in response to George Floydโs murder were seriously injured when they were struck by police with โless than lethalโ beanbag rounds. The officersโ suit says they did not receive training on how to use this type of ammunition.
Webb County, a Democratic stronghold, is set to welcome Texas Gov. Greg Abbottโs controversial migrant arrests
The county is the most populous to embrace the Republican governorโs โcatch-and-jailโ policy to arrest people accused of crossing the border illegally for state crimes, including trespassing.
James Smith named special agent in charge of FBI Houston Field Office
Director Christopher Wray has named James Smith as the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Houston Field Office . Smith most recently served as a chief of staff to the associate deputy director at FBI headquarters in Washington.
โWe are coming after youโ: 19 Houston area suspects, including man who shot 3 HPD officers, charged in federal crackdown on illegal guns
US Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery announced federal charges and indictments against 19 people, including the man accused of shooting three Houston police officers during a police chase on Jan. 27, during a news conference on the possession of illegal firearms in the Houston area.
Gov. Greg Abbott floats pardons for Austin police officers charged with excessive force in 2020 protests
Abbottโs move is the latest in a long clash between Texas Republicans and Austin-area officials over policing โ and comes as the push for reform in the Texas capital enters a more complex and uncertain chapter.
Houston-area has had 2 officers killed and 5 hurt in first weeks of 2022
For the fourth time this year, news of law enforcement officers being hurt in the line of duty is in the headlines in Houston. The officers and deputies in the two most recent cases survived. The officers in the earlier cases tragically did not.
Analysis: A swelling Texas treasury gives 2022 hopefuls room for big ideas
As the political season starts, the contestants got an unexpected bit of good news: The state comptroller says the next Legislature will start with almost $25 billion in the state treasury. Expensive campaign promises just got a lot easier to make.
In latest blunder, charges dropped against migrants arrested in Texas governorโs border crackdown because of faulty paperwork
The migrants were arrested for trespassing, but court documents failed to specify what property they allegedly trespassed upon. Itโs the latest misstep in implementation of Greg Abbottโs border initiative, which has seen frequent violations of state law and disregard for due process rights.
Congressional Democrats ask feds to investigate whether Texas migrant arrests violate constitutional rights
Under a Gov. Greg Abbott initiative, more than 1,600 migrants have been arrested for allegedly trespassing on private property after crossing the Texas-Mexico border. The arrests and subsequent imprisonment of the migrants have led to state law violations and constitutional concerns.
Migrants arrested by Texas in border crackdown are being imprisoned for weeks without legal help or formal charges
Defense attorneys have started asking courts to set migrants free because local justice systems, overwhelmed by arrests under Gov. Greg Abbott's border security push, are routinely violating state law and constitutional due process rights.
After a Texas prosecutor dismissed dozens of migrant trespassing cases, some men were dropped at a border bus station
Officials said immigration authorities werenโt interested in taking migrants who had no criminal conviction into federal custody. But without documentation, at least one newly released migrant soon found himself back in detention.
Thanks to local politics and a railroad, rural Kinney County accounts for most of Texasโ migrant arrests
Under Gov. Greg Abbottโs border security push, Texas state police have arrested hundreds of migrants in the conservative county, usually after spotting them on cargo trains or walking remote ranch lands. Sent to a state prison retooled as an immigration jail, many men were left without lawyers for weeks.
An 18-year-old Venezuelan was among the first set free from Texasโ new jail for migrants. No one knew what to do with him.
After more than three weeks in jail, a trespassing charge against the man was dropped because state troopers shouldnโt have arrested him under Gov. Greg Abbottโs border security push. He wound up in bureaucratic limbo for days as federal agencies passed the responsibility for resolving his immigration status.
The first migrants arrested in Gov. Greg Abbott's border crackdown have served their time. Federal officials will decide what happens next.
The Texas governor has derided federal immigration policy as "catch and release." But unless federal authorities now take them into custody, the migrants Abbott ordered state troopers to arrest could soon be freed.
Army sergeant indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges after fatally shooting Austin protester Garrett Foster in 2020
Army Sgt. Daniel Perry shot and killed Foster, who was legally armed, after an altercation during a protest against police brutality last summer, police said. Perry argues it was in self defense.
Legislators running out of time to pass bills curbing law enforcement agencies from hiring bad cops
Texas law enforcement agencies have long dealt with troublesome cops who move from one department to another. Transparency bills aim to make their disciplinary records more easily accessible to law enforcement agencies.
Texas leads the U.S. in officer-related deaths in 2020, report finds
HOUSTON โ 2020 was the deadliest year for officer-related deaths, and Texas tops a nationwide list produced by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum. The organization found officer deaths have increased sharply by 96%, with COVID-19 being the leading cause, according to a news release distributed this week. Texas leads the U.S. in officer fatalities, with 48 in 2020, followed by New York, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, the release said. Thirteen states did not lose an officer in 2020. โAs the leading authority in line-of-duty deaths, this time of year always reminds us of the sacrifice of law enforcement and the importance of our mission to honor the fallen, tell the story of American law enforcement, and make it safer for those who serve.โ said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Marcia Ferranto.
โYou will be caughtโ: Montgomery County announces increased DWI enforcement through Thanksgiving weekend
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas โ Starting Wednesday, Montgomery County law enforcement agencies will begin to conduct increased DWI enforcement over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The Montgomery County District Attorneyโs office, in conjunction with both state and local law enforcement agencies, will increase no-refusal operations and DWI enforcement throughout Montgomery County. During this time, the District Attorneyโs office, through their No Refusal TxDOT Grant, will provide nurses, prosecutors, and investigators, to assist law enforcement in obtaining blood evidence in cases were a DWI suspect refuses to provide a scientific sample. โMany Montgomery County law enforcement agencies have committed to increasing DWI Enforcement to catch as many impaired drivers as possible.โโAs many travel to spend Thanksgiving with their loved ones, law enforcement will be out looking for impaired drivers and working to keep our roads safe,โ Andrew James, Vehicular Crimes Chief, is quoted as saying in the news release about the event. โIf you chose to drive impaired, you will be caught, and you will be prosecuted.
Documents outlines law enforcementโs strategic plans, which included snipers, during George Floydโs burial in Pearland
PEARLAND โ Months after George Floyd was laid to rest in Pearland, law enforcement agencies have released its detailed plan and law enforcement presence during the procession. The documents also outlined an incident action plan that included the authorization of deadly force. Still, some were upset by the specifics of the plans and large turn-out by law enforcement. Pearland police argue the plans met the moment. The NAACP of Brazoria County also reacted to details outlined in the documents.
One Good Thing: 8-year-old afraid of law enforcement forms friendship with South Carolina deputy
An 8-year-old South Carolina boy who told his mom he was afraid of the police has a new and unexpected friend. Gavin Williamson says he was scared of law enforcement before meeting Deputy Kerry Shelton last week. His mom, Ashton Williamson, says she saw Deputy Sheltons cruiser on the side of the road and decided to pull over and introduce Gavin to the deputy. Thats when a new friendship formed. Gavin says he now sees law enforcement in a different light and wants to be an officer when he gets older.
Autism training for police officers: Getting to know each other better
Officers touch on a list of serious and chronic mental health disorders and learn to identify their symptoms. In 2014, Fort Bend County seemed to be ahead of the curve, when the 1115 Waiver grant was approved for mental health training. Fort Bend County had implemented the 40-hour mental health police officer coarse training with the grant. They saw the need for this area and were proactive in getting officers prepared for what was becoming a rising trend: officers coming into contact with people who may have a mental illness or different types of health disorders. The State of Texas mandated mental health training for all officers in 2017.
Center for Race and Justice proposed
Center for Race and Justice proposed for Prairie View A & M University (KPRC)THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CENTER FOR RACE AND JUSTICE:1-PVAMU President Dr. Ruth Simmons came up with the idea in the wake of the racial unrest after the George Floyd killing. 2-Goal will be to address issues of race and to expose students to cutting edge research and activists whove lived a life of uplifting their communities. 3-One million dollar personal contribution was made by Charles Butt, Chairman of H-E-B to kick start the funding for the center to be named after Dr. Ruth Simmons. Ruth Simmons, Ph.D., President of Prairie View A & M University, says the idea behind the center is to address issues and work to find solutions to race related problems that continue to exist in this country. With funding underway and curriculum being developed she says all thats needed now is approval from the Texas A & M University System board of regents.
Police department policies vary when it comes to releasing body camera video
โIf anyone wants to see a video they need to contact the police department,โ Acevedo said. Acevedo said at present, only family members would be able to review video, and only if they approved its release. Lovie Williams Linzer is one family member who asked to see the body cam video of her nephewโs death. โWe want to see the video and we wonโt stop.โDiffering video release policiesIn 2015, Texas adopted body camera guidelines for all law enforcement in the state, but they left the decision on whether to release the videos to each individual department. HPD remains committed to working with the family representative in such incidents and to the issue of transparency regarding body worn cameras.โ
Houston woman making custom face masks from bulk fabric she has accumulated over the years
Tammy Rosas said the fight to curb the spread of coronavirus encouraged her to began making masks for her son and coworkers, who were law enforcement officers. Many first responders and healthcare workers don't have access to adequate protection due to the lack of personal protection equipment. For the first batch, she said she made 26 masks at home using fabric she has accumulated over the years. Then, Rosas said she announced on Facebook that she was making masks. Rosas said sells them $5 each while still providing free masks to law enforcement officers.