A former Houston, Texas, police officer has been indicted by a grand jury for actions taken on February 16, 2017. News of the indictment was released on June 22, 2017. In connection with the announcement about the former Houston Police Department officer, Kim Ogg, Houston’s District Attorney, said that her administration is focusing on police accountability. The former officer has now been charged with felony tampering of evidence and misdemeanor assault. Ogg, who has been the D.A. in Houston for six months, said at a news conference that these charges reflect the fresh commitment to police accountability.
The charges address alleged actions of the former police officer when he had a controversial encounter with Derek Carr, a man who had allegedly robbed the officer’s family home in Acres Homes, a northwest Houston neighborhood.
According to prosecutors who charged Carr with burglary, Carr was carrying some of the officer’s belongings and a 16-inch metal tool. They also say that since 1992, court records indicate that Carr has allegedly been charged with burglary 11 times.
When the former police officer encountered Carr on February 16, he was wearing his police uniform but was off duty. He and Carr got into a physical altercation, and the officer allegedly shot Carr once in the back and once in the arm. Just after the shooting, a bystander began shooting video footage, and it allegedly shows that the officer repeatedly kicked Carr. Photo evidence suggests that the police officer moved the metal tool, and the Houston D.A. said doing so was clearly meant to tamper with the evidence.
A Harris County grand jury did not indict the officer on a charge of aggravated assault for the shooting. The grand jury did, however, return a felony charge of allegedly tampering with evidence and a misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly kicking Carr.
Ogg used these indictments as an occasion to double down on her intent to make sure the law applies to all people equally, including law enforcement officials.
–Guest Contributor
