In a city flooded with violent crimes such as murder, robberies and muggings, the Houston Police Department has responded by devoting a lot of time to patrolling local gentlemen’s clubs. In fact, at one Houston club, Treasures, there have been nearly 150 arrests and now the owners are suing the city of Houston for harassment by the Houston Police Department.
While HPD has worked hard at charging dancers with prostitution, performing lewd acts and violating the 3-foot-rule, statistics show an interesting outcome. Out of 141 arrests made at Treasure Gentlemen’s Club, 130 cases were later dismissed and the other 11 that went to trial ended in acquittals.
According to the lawsuit, Treasures claims city police have harassed club workers for years and violated their first amendment rights.
City officials said the lawsuit is frivolous and said they plan to fight it.
A former officer with the Texas A&M University Police has been charged with burglarizing campus buildings.
54-year-old John Calvin Phillips was caught on surveillance video making three separate trips into the Texas A&M English department on January 2011, through a locked door by using a key. Once inside, Phillips can be seen stealing two cameras, a projector, and three camcorders, according to a police report.
Police said another burglary occurred June 11 in the Liberal Arts Department at the Blocker Building where a digital camera, sewing machine, multi-meter and a theatrical prop gun pistol were stolen.
John Phillips worked for the University Police Department from January 1978 until February 2007.
Several of the stolen items were later found at EZ Pawn in Bryan and at the Cash American pawn shop in College Station, authorities said. Pawn shop records reveal that all items were pawned by Phillips.
In total, Phillips pawned more than 40 items over the past year, authorities said.
Police said that since Phillips was employed by the university for several years, he would have had opportunities to come across building keys that might have been unattended.
Authorities have charged Phillips with two counts of burglary of a building, each a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Phillips remained in the Brazos County Jail on Friday in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Natalie Plummer was out riding her bike, from a nearby grocery store, when she noticed Houston police pulling over random drivers. One of their new tactics is to be on-foot, hiding behind a tree or along the roadside with a radar gun. They will then step-out into the roadway and motion drivers to pull-over.
Natalie created a sign on a paper sack and, while standing on a sidewalk a few blocks away, attempted to warn drivers of the speed trap. And for those who have followed the history of Houston police, or those living in the Houston area, you can probably guess what happens next.
It was a trip to jail for Plummer. However, the charges against her are astounding. Fortunately, she is speaking out.
"I was completely abiding by the law," she said. "I was simply warning citizens of a situation ahead."
She said, "I felt like he was just pulling random cars over."
"I for sure did not step into the street," Plummer said. "(I stayed) on the sidewalk the entire time."
After a few minutes, Plummer claims one of the officers drove up, jumped from his car and started pulling at her backpack. She says he searched it without consent, and then arrested her.
"He was telling me he was taking me to jail for obstructing justice, that was an automatic three to five years," Plummer recalled.
She was instead only cited with a misdemeanor. Court documents show her accused of "...walking in the roadway where there is a sidewalk present."
Plummer says, though, that she spent 12 hours in jail before bonding out.
The Houston Police Department has refused to talk about this incident. A spokesperson says Plummer was "in the roadway" and "was a danger to herself and others and "...the sum total of which was an arrestable offense."
Plummer said, "He couldn't take me to jail for holding up this sign or he would have. So all he could do was make-up something fake about it."
Police say Plummer was combative and resisted arrest. However, many are questioning if the police officer took things too far. One Houston legal analyst says Plummer should not have been arrested.
We are going to have to agree with the analyst. A Texas Badge in Question stands behind Natalie Plummer...(for what that's worth)
If you ever plan a fishing trip, it’s probably not a good idea to include former Houston police officer Dennis Redding. That’s because Redding has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Dr. Mark K. Holcomb, an oral surgeon in Webster, after the two paired-up for a fishing trip.
Dr. Mark K. Holcomb
Redding was freed Saturday on $150,000 bond, hours after the shooting of 61-year-old Dr. Mark Holcomb. The victim was an oral surgeon in Webster.
Investigators say the incident took place at Holcomb’s home in Hitchcock during a fishing weekend. The two men, according to police, were old friends. Apparently, they had experienced a quarrel at some point and were trying to re-kindle their friendship. Looks like it didn’t work out.
Authorities are trying to determine whether the two men argued before the gunfire around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Holcomb died later at a Galveston hospital.
Jail records did not list an attorney for Redding.
Authorities have confirmed that Montgomery County deputy constable Juan Chapa has been relieved of his duties, as of Friday.
The decision to relieve Chapa, a Precinct 4 deputy, was based on an investigation conducted by Texas Rangers and district attorney’s offices from Harris and Montgomery counties, officials said.
The Precinct 4 Constable’s office is also conducting an administrative investigation.
Montgomery County authorities declined to say what circumstances led to the decision to relieve Chapa.
“The integrity of the Montgomery County Pct. 4 Constable’s Office is of utmost importance to every employee and citizen. We will work diligently and quickly to make the correct decisions in this matter,” Precinct 4 Constable’s Office officials said in a news release.
Dallas Deputy Sheriff James Westbrook - This Week's Barney Fife Award Winner
Dallas, Texas
On Sunday, of Memorial Day Weekend, Chris Moore was riding his motorcycle southbound on Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. Moore was one of 50 to 100 sport bike riders. Although he was traveling below the speed limit, Moore happened to have a camera attached to his helmet and was pulled over by Dallas Deputy Sheriff James Westbrook.
Deputy Westbrook says he wanted to see what was on Moore’s camera. From there, things went downhill.
MOORE: "Was I doing something wrong? What am I being pulled over for?"
WESTBROOK: "The whole group of you guys."
MOORE: "No. I was not, individually. How can you pull me over?"
WESTBROOK: "The reason you're being pulled over is because I'm gonna take your camera and we're gonna use it as evidence of the crimes that have been committed by other bikers."
MOORE: "I have not committed any crimes, and you cannot take my personal property from me, sir."
WESTBOOK: "That's fine. Need to see your license and registration."
Once Westbrook returns, he arrests Moore for having a concealed license plate.
WESTBROOK: "You're under arrest for your license plate being obstructed. Place your hands."
MOORE: "Are you kidding me, dude?"
WESTBROOK: "Place your hands behind your back."
As Moore continued to protest, the deputy lost his patience.
MOORE: "Why'd you pull me over in the first place?"
WESTBROOK: "Have a seat, okay?"
MOORE: "Sir. Sir. What you did to me was not right. You know it."
WESTBROOK: "I'm going to ask you one more time to have a seat."
MOORE: "That's f'ed up. Where's my bike going?"
WESTBROOK: "Sit down.I'm telling you to chill out."
Westbrook is then seen on the video shoving Moore into his squad car and slamming the door forcefully.
The Sheriff’s office, after news reports surfaced, has decided to investigate.
Dallas County deputy sheriff James Yarbrough is enjoying a break from the hectic police pace after resigning Friday. However, if what his fellow comrades say is true, his leisure time may become more stressful soon.
Yarbrough’s resignation came after being confronted with allegations that he tipped-off a business that was going to be raided by a special task force. The business in question is an auto body shop. The special task force goes after businesses that sell counterfeit vehicle-inspection stickers and flout vehicle-inspection laws.
Sheriff Lupe Valdez said that when people know they’re going to be raided by the police, they could plan an ambush of their own, resulting in a potentially deadly situation.
“This could have been tragic for us,” Valdez said, adding that it thankfully didn’t happen in this case. “My officers could have been hurt.”
The sheriff confirms that the investigation of James Yarbrough is ongoing and could result in criminal charges if the allegations are true.
