Joe Campos Torres
Encyclopedia
Joe Campos Torres was a 23-year-old Vietnam Veteran
who was beaten by several Houston police officers and subsequently died. His death sparked protests.
and beat him.
The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. They were ordered to take him to Ben Taub General Hospital, but instead of doing so, the officers brought him back to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and pushed him into the water. Torres’ body was found two days later.
and received one year of probation
and a $1 fine. Denson, Orlando and Officer Joseph Janish were later convicted of federal civil rights violations in 1978, and served nine months in prison.
Those sentences sparked riots in Moody Park, on the 1st anniversary of his death. One of the principal organizers was the organization called People United to Fight Police Brutality, which was created by the Revolutionary Communist Party
.
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
who was beaten by several Houston police officers and subsequently died. His death sparked protests.
Incident
Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called “The Hole” next to Buffalo BayouBuffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
and beat him.
The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. They were ordered to take him to Ben Taub General Hospital, but instead of doing so, the officers brought him back to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and pushed him into the water. Torres’ body was found two days later.
Trial and aftermath
Officers Terry Denson and Steven Orlando were tried on state murder charges. They were convicted of negligent homicideNegligent homicide
Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against people who, through criminal negligence, allow others to die.Negligent Homicide is a lesser included offense to first and second degree murder, in the sense that someone guilty of this offense can expect a more lenient sentence, often with...
and received one year of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
and a $1 fine. Denson, Orlando and Officer Joseph Janish were later convicted of federal civil rights violations in 1978, and served nine months in prison.
Those sentences sparked riots in Moody Park, on the 1st anniversary of his death. One of the principal organizers was the organization called People United to Fight Police Brutality, which was created by the Revolutionary Communist Party
Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA , known originally as the Revolutionary Union, is a Maoist Communist party formed in 1975 in the United States. The RCP states that U.S...
.