TRIAL BEGINS FOR FORMER HOUSTON COP ACCUSED OF BEATING BURGLARY SUSPECT
Surveillance video captured Houston Police officers kicking and beating a burglary suspect.
HOUSTON, Texas — (DMN) – It’s a case that stunned the nation. Houston police officers caught on surveillance video kicking and beating a teenage burglary suspect who was not fighting back. The first of four former Houston police officers accused of brutally beating teen burglary suspect Chad Holley will go on trial today.
Surveillance video from a nearby business shows Holley on the run from Houston Police officers. Holley gives up, rolls onto his stomach and puts his hands behind his head. The video shows the officers continue to punch and kick him. Holley was found guilty of burglary, but the video of his arrest raised tensions in the city of Houston. Experts say it will be hard to find people who haven’t seen the tape or heard about the arrest so, potential jurors will probably be asked a different question.
On the tape, it appears Andrew Blomberg is the first officer to begin beating the teen who was 15 years old at the time. The incident happened in March of 2010 and you can see the officers pounce on Holley after he’d already been handcuffed. He’s then repeatedly kicked in the head, punched and even stomped on the back of the leg. And before he’s taken to a patrol car, he’s hit one more time. Blomberg lost his job over the incident. He faces multiple charges and the possibility of jail.
Experts say it will be hard to find people who haven’t seen the tape or heard about the arrest so, potential jurors will probably be asked a different question. “The question is if you heard of it or seen it, can you divorce yourself from what you thought about it,” said Gerald Treece, KHOU-TV Legal Analyst. That’s a concern of well-known defense attorney Dick DeGuerin. He’s representing Blomberg. DeGuerin says that there’s another side to the story that he hopes the jury will be open to hearing. Gerald Treece explained. “Maybe this young man is threatening them, maybe all sorts of things are happening that we can’t see,” said Treece. “That’s the problem with video tape. That we can see and can’t hear.”
The four officers involved are charged with official oppression. “Oppression means abuse of the badge,” said Treece. “Being a government bully; going further than you have a right to go.” Justified or not? There are a lot of opinions. This jury will have to make their decision based on what they hear in court.
Surveillance video captured Houston Police officers kicking and beating a burglary suspect.
