Civil rights attorney says 911 call backlog at Harris County Jail contributing to overcrowded conditions, inmate safety
During a news conference on Thursday, Civil Rights Attorney Randall Kallinen said 911 calls are critical pieces of evidence that are not being entered into the criminal justice system fast enough so prosecutors and defense attorneys can analyze them.
Former Klein ISD student wins $90,000 settlement following claims she was harassed for sitting out Pledge of Allegiance
A former Klein ISD student has won a $90,000 settlement years after a lawsuit was filed claiming she was subjected to harassment and discrimination for sitting out the Pledge of Allegiance, according to the civil rights group American Atheists.
Family of 27-year-old man killed by Houston police claims body cam video shows HPD officer firing first
The heartbroken mother of 27-year-old Charion Lockett stood with dozens outside Houston police headquarters downtown voicing their concern over the nature of Lockettโs death, saying their loved one was unjustly killed at the hands of police.
โHe danced his way into everyoneโs heartโ: Family wants justice after 19-year-old with special needs killed in Harris County Jail
Civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen and the family of a 19-year-old man with special needs who was recently killed in the Harris County Jail cried out for justice Wednesday at a press conference held on the steps of the facility.
Two Houston police officers accused of using excessive force closer to standing trial
HOUSTON โ A civil lawsuit accusing two Houston police officers of excessive force is one step closer to trial after a ruling from a federal judge. Jose Gomez, 44, filed suit against the city of Houston and the officers in 2018 after he was arrested during a March 2017 traffic stop. Get out!โThe video shows Gomez getting out of his truck and the officer appears to begin to handcuff him. Gomez filed a complaint with the HPD Internal Affairs Division, which later cleared the officers of any wrongdoing. They are protecting the city and the officers,โ said attorney Randall Kallinen who represents Gomez.
SFA hands over investigation to DAโs office while asking Evansโ family to agree to release the bodycam video of incident
SFA also claimed that they are awaiting permission from Evans' family to release body camera video that they said will show police acted โprofessional." According to Harris, the SFA officers' guns were not drawn or pointed, and that the room was dark. Harris said the university cannot release the video without the permission of Evans and her family. โ(We) call on the Evans' family to join us by agreeing to release the bodycam video of the incident,โ she said. However, Evans' attorney Randall Kallinen said SFA has not allowed Evans, the family or himself to view the video while simultaneously seeking to release the video for the public and media.
โSomething wrong was doneโ: Civil rights experts, lawyer explain racial implications of SFA incident
Evans' family called the incident a racist set-up based on lies made to police by white students. SFA police chief John Fields said there are 11 females involved: seven is white, three is Black and one is Hispanic. Itโs more students doing stuff they shouldnโt be doing,โ he said. โMy heart goes out to the innocent young lady the victim, in this case, this case of false reporting,โ said SFA President Scott Gordon. This is a very serious matter and those students need to be expelled,โ SFA President Kallinen said.
SFA campus police storm Black studentโs dorm with guns drawn after Houston family says white students made false claims
It has made me really paranoid,โ said 17-year-old Christin Evans. Kallinen says the teenโs three white roommates, along with as many as seven other girls, initiated the โswattingโ by telling their resident assistant that Evans was trying to attack them. โThe university is investigating a racially diverse group of students in an incident involving a false report to the university police department. Christin Evans' parents said the majority of the students involved in the incident are white. โI was looking forward to making friends and having a good time on the cheer team, but since this has happened, itโs made it really, really hard,โ she said, holding back tears.
Federal judge denies FBI agents motion to be dismissed from botched 2018 rescue that left man dead
HOUSTON A Federal District Court Judge denied an FBI agents motion to be dismissed from a case in which the agent shot and killed a hostage victim. When the FBI responded, an agent shot and killed the father who was being held hostage, officials say. The FBI was called to the scene to help rescue Valladares but in the attempt to rescue him, he was shot by an FBI agent. An FBI agent, whose identity still remains anonymous, shot and killed Valladares, leaving the 12-year-old boy orphaned. The family and the people of Harris County deserve nothing less.KPRC also reached out to the Houston FBI division.