Murder of José Campos Torres

José "Joe" Campos Torres
Born
José Campos Torres

(1953-12-20)December 20, 1953
Houston, Texas
DiedMay 5, 1977(1977-05-05) (aged 23)
Houston, Texas
Cause of deathBlunt-force trauma
Body discoveredFloating in the Buffalo Bayou
Houston, Texas
CitizenshipAmerican
OccupationGlass contractor
Known forPolice murder victim
Parent
  • Margaret Campos Torres
    José Luna Torres
Relatives
  • Janie Torres (sister)
Military career
Buried
Houston National Cemetery[1]
29°55′53″N 95°27′02″W / 29.931250°N 95.450472°W / 29.931250; -95.450472
Allegiance United States
Service / branchUnited States Army seal United States Army
Years of service1974–1976
Rank Private
WebsiteSolidarity Walk Houston

José "Joe"[2] Campos Torres (December 20, 1953 – May 5, 1977) was a 23-year-old Mexican-American and veteran who was beaten by several Houston Police Department (HPD) officers, which subsequently led to his death. He had been brutally assaulted by a group of on-duty police officers on May 5, 1977, after being arrested for disorderly conduct at a bar in Houston's Mexican-American East End neighborhood.

After Torres' arrest at the bar, the officers took him to the city jail for booking, but his injuries were so extensive that a supervisor instead ordered the officers to take Torres to a local hospital for immediate medical treatment. The officers did not comply with the order, and three days later, his severely beaten dead body was found floating in Buffalo Bayou, near the 1200 block of Commerce St.,[3] in downtown Houston.

Following the discovery of Torres' body, two of the arresting officers, Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando, were charged with murder. Three other officers were fired from the HPD by Police Chief B.G. Bond, but no criminal charges were brought against them. A rookie officer who was present at the scenes of Torres' torture and drowning was a key witness for the prosecution. On October 7, 1977, Officers Denson and Orlando were convicted at the state level for Torres' death and found guilty of negligent homicide (a misdemeanor) by an all-white jury. The judge subsequently sentenced the officers to one year's probation and a one dollar fine.[4]

The racial composition of the jury, and the minimized criminal convictions and sentencing sparked community outrage, leading to multiple protests[5] and the 1978 Moody Park Riot.[6] His death led to negotiations between advocacy-based non-profits and HPD officials, which resulted in the addition of policies that addressed police-community racial relations.

Following the State of Texas' controversial convictions of the two former officers, the Torres case was reviewed at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Justice, which led to three of the officers' federal convictions for violating Torres' civil rights.

Torres' murder generated significant newspaper coverage across the United States. Initially, it focused on his assault and drowning, but soon it turned its attention to the historic racism, lack of HPD over-watch and the recurring absence of state and federal investigations. Later, a locally produced documentary appeared, entitled The Case of Joe Campos Torres, which focused on the history of police misconduct in Houston. In the year following his death, a poetic song by vocalist and activist Gil Scott-Heron appeared, titled "Poem for José Campos Torres", reflecting the struggles surrounding racism and police brutality.

On Saturday April 2, 2022 The City of Houston unveiled the Joe Campos Torres Memorial Plaza and trail along Buffalo Bayou. It is meant to remember the life of Torres and the impact his murder had on his family and the community. Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner said of the memorial "Mr. Campos Torres was brutally murdered in 1977. Nothing we do will bring him back to his loved ones. The monument will send a message; his life mattered, and our city will never let something like this happen again." Shawn Carreon, Torres' nephew, was quoted as well saying "Today is just to celebrate my uncle, Joe Campos Torres. My moms [sic] brother. I know she's been hurting and my grandmother has been hurting for the longest time, but now they can finally have some peace,"[7]

Background

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José Campos Torres was born to José Luna Torres Jr. in a poor family of Mexican descent. The family resided in a barrio in Houston, Texas. Torres achieved only an eighth-grade education. It is believed that a side effect of the poverty he experienced is what led to his constant struggle with his social demeanor.[8][9]

According to family and friends, Torres' dream was to run and own a karate school. He wanted to open the school near his East End neighborhood, allowing him to teach young people the art of self-defense. To pursue his dream, he realized that he needed a General Education Diploma (GED), a driver's license, and a job, preferably as a lineman with a telephone company.[8][10]

Richard Vargas, Torres' longtime friend, said that when Torres was 23 years old, he still felt emotionally lost, and was fighting a sporadic problem with alcohol. Torres would occasionally become very intoxicated, and his friends and family said that it was this that would trigger his aggression, in wanting to fight. Torres' younger brothers, Gilbert, 20 and Ray, 16 acknowledged that Torres had an occasional problem with alcohol abuse. "Alcohol really got to him sometimes." Vargas said, "Sometimes when he drank a lot he wanted to fight ... I didn't like to be around Joe when he was drinking. When he got drunk, he'd start practicing his karate. He'd yell and kick and punch at the air." When Torres was a teenager he got into a lot of fights, and yet he had confided to Vargas that he knew that the fighting would get him nowhere.[11]

Torres' father said that his son spent two years in the United States Army. During his military service, he was accepted to the United States Army Rangers, undergoing training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. While in training, he was separated from the service in September 1976, under a 'general discharge.' It was reported that his abuse of alcohol and anger outbursts are what ultimately led to his early release from the U.S. Army. His brother Gilbert said, "Before the service, Joe was bum and a drifter, but after he got out he really cut down on the drinking ... The normal Joe was different from the drunk Joe." He said, "The drunk Joe got rowdy easy and he [took] things the wrong way sometimes."[11][12][13][14]

Just two weeks before his death, Torres found employment as a glass contractor, earning $2.75 an hour. Vargas said that Torres had difficulty staying employed ever since his discharge from the U.S. Army. He said that Torres resented his being restricted to tedious, low paying jobs due to his low education level and nominal military skills. Even though Torres had received training in the military as a telecommunications lineman, not having his GED and a driver's license were barriers to employment with a potential telecommunications provider.[11][14]

Vargas said, Torres' true passions were physical fitness and the art of karate. After his return from the U.S. Army he was working to receive a black belt (expert) rating in karate. In addition to his progress in karate, he also underwent weight training and jogged, frequently attaching weights to his feet.[11][15]

Incident

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Shortly before midnight on May 5, 1977, Torres was at the Club 21, a bar in Houston's predominantly Hispanic East End neighborhood, wearing his army fatigues and military boots. He had apparently been drinking, and police officers arrived, arresting him for disorderly conduct. The six officers who responded took Torres to "The Hole", a spot behind a warehouse overlooking Houston's Buffalo Bayou, and beat him there. The officers then took Torres to the city jail, who refused to process him due to his injuries. A supervisor ordered to take him to Ben Taub Hospital, but instead of doing so, the officers took him back to "The Hole", and pushed him off a wharf into the water. Torres's body was found three days later.[16]

Trials

[edit]

Officers Terry W. Denson and Stephen Orlando were tried on state murder charges.[17] They were convicted of negligent homicide and received one year of probation and a one dollar fine.[18] In 1978, Denson, Orlando and fired officer Joseph Janish were subsequently convicted of federal civil rights violations, and served nine months in prison.

Moody Park Riot

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1978 Moody Park Riot
Moody Park; Houston, Texas
DateMay 7–8, 1978 (1978-05-07 – 1978-05-08)
Location
Moody Park; Houston, Texas, U.S.

29°47′32″N 95°21′51″W / 29.79231°N 95.36425°W / 29.79231; -95.36425
Caused byReaction to light sentencing of police officers in the murder of Joe Campos Torres
GoalsCivil rights • Ending police brutality • Ending police racism
MethodsArson • Assault • Looting • Rioting • Shooting • Property damage
Parties
Houston's Hispanic community
Law enforcement
News team (bystanders)
Number
approximately 1,500
Unknown
Unknown
Casualties and losses
8 injured
5 injured
2 injured
"Free The Moody Park 3" legal fund started

On the one year anniversary of Torres' murder, a riot was started at Moody Park located in Houston's Near Northside neighborhood.[19] The riot broke out on the evening of Sunday, May 7, 1978, at approximately 7:30 pm, once a Cinco de Mayo fiesta event ended at the park. Between five and six thousand people attended the celebration.[20]

It was the greatest miscarriage of public trust by police officers in my 27 years of wearing a badge.

— Harry Robinson, Former Houston Police Chief, Houston History Magazine[21]

Police arrived at the park in response to a call for an incident of disorderly conduct. It remains unclear on how the riot started. Some reports reflect that the officers were making a few arrests and this is when people in the event began yelling, "No you are not taking them" and "You'll kill them the way you killed José Campos Torres". The crowd's initial yelling immediately lead people to begin chanting in unison "Justice for Joe Torres" "Viva Joe Torres" and "A Chicano's life is worth more than a dollar!" The crowd then began throwing bottles and rocks at the officers.[20][22][23]

The Fulton Village shopping center's stores at 2900 Fulton street, were looted and set on fire. Abe Weiner, an owner of a department store in the shopping center, said it took the fire department over an hour to respond to his emergency 9-1-1 call for help. Three large buildings and two smaller ones in the shopping center were looted and stripped by fires.[24] The rioting escalated to over a ten-block area adjacent to Moody Park. A total of six stores and one gasoline station were set on fire.[20][22][25]

Officers were promptly deployed in riot gear to try and control the gathering of approximately 1,500 people according to police (other estimates reflect 150–300) who took part in the riot.[26] Some rioters had flipped cars over and set them on fire, fourteen of the eighteen smashed and burned cars were police cars.[22] The property damage of businesses and police vehicles reached $500,000. At least 28 people were taken into custody after the violence started in the predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood. The incident and all the fires were finally under control at 3:00 am.[20][27]

Houston police officer Tommy A. Britt suffered a broken leg when hit by a car while trying to close off one of the streets involved in the riot. The driver Rogelio Castillo did not pull over, but was apprehended a few blocks away from the incident.[28] The first news reporters to arrive at the scene were KPRC-TV reporter Jack Cato, and reporter/photographer Phil Archer. Both were beaten and stabbed.[29] Cato suffered a punctured lung from a stab wound in the lower back. Archer was hit in the face with a brick and then stabbed in the left hip while lying unconscious on the pavement. Rioters attempted to smash the camera he was carrying. It was later recovered, badly damaged. Cato managed to bring out the video shot during the attack which shows some of the rioters surrounding a burning Houston Fire Department ambulance supervisor's car.[28] The riot's violence left a total of five police officers, two news personnel and eight rioters injured and hospitalized. None of the fifteen hospitalized people died due to their injuries.[21][30][31]

Apology

[edit]

In June 2021, police chief Troy Finner apologized to the Torres family, calling the killing "straight-up murder".[32]

[edit]

Books

[edit]

Author Dwight Watson dedicated the chapter "The Storm Clouds of Change: The Death of José Campos Torres and the Emergence of Triracial Politics in Houston" in the book Race and the Houston Police Department, 1930–1990 A Change Did Come. The chapter covers the impact of Torres' murder on society and on changes in Houston's policing policies.[33][34]

It brought people who were very conservative and very quiet to become very vocal and very political and people began to hold the police accountable.[35]

— Dwight Watson, "Moody Park–The Aftermath", interview by Houston Public Media

Music

[edit]
External videos
video icon "Poem for José Campos Torres"

Vocalist and activist Gil Scott-Heron wrote a song "Poem for José Campos Torres" about the incident, in which he went so far as to refer to Torres as a brother:[36]

But brother Torres, common ancient bloodline brother Torres is dead
I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like this
I had said I wasn't going to write no more words down
About people kicking us when we're down
About racist dogs that attack us and drive us down, drag us down and beat us down
But the dogs are in the street

— Gil Scott-Heron, "Poem for José Campos Torres", Album: The Mind of Gil Scott-Heron
External audio
audio icon "El Ballad De José Campos Torres"
(0:53 - 5:29)

In March 2006, Charanga Cakewalk released the album Chicano Zen, whose closing song "El Ballad de José Campos Torres" is also inspired by the life of Torres.[37][38]

So many people think of what happened to José Campos Torres, but I got [to] thinking about him as a person, who he was, what he felt, how he lived.[39]

— Michael Ramos, The Zen of Revolution

Films

[edit]

In 1977, Tony Bruni and KPRC-TV Channel 2 produced the documentary The Case of Joe Campos Torres, which depicted the series of events and the protest assemblies, community/police department discussions, and legal actions by the Torres family that followed the murder.[40][41] The film notably utilized raw footage from local news station's archives, as a reminder to viewers that in a day before video cameras could bring police misconduct to light, the Torres family had to rely on community support to help them find justice.[42]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Administration, National Cemetery. "Nationwide Gravesite Locator". gravelocator.cem.va.gov. United States of America, Veterans Administration. Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  2. ^ Romero, Jhair (May 25, 2024). "Joe Campos Torres was a Houston veteran left to die in a bayou by police. This walk honors his memory". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Tallet, Olivia (April 2, 2022). "I can hate no more: Mother of Joe Campos Torres, vet killed by Houston police, breaks decades of silence". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Curtis, Tom (October 7, 1977). "2 Ex-Policemen Convicted in Drowning". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  5. ^ KPRC-TV (1977). "Protests Against Police Brutality (1977)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  6. ^ KPRC-TV (1978). "Moody Park Riot (1978)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  7. ^ Bustamante, Roxie; Adger, Patrina (April 2, 2022). "Houston dedicates plaza to Joe Campos Torres who was killed by HPD nearly 45 years ago". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Nolan, Joe; Reyes, Raul (May 15, 1977). "Interactive: Joe Campos Torres | Torres Friends say he had his dreams—and his drawbacks". Houston Chronicle. Vol. 76, no. 212. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. p. 1. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  9. ^ Katz, Donald (2001). "The "Misdemeanor Murder" of Joe Campos Torres". The Valley of the Fallen and Other Places (1st ed.). New York: AtRandom.com. ISBN 0679647228. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "Abilene Reporter-News from Abilene, Texas | Murder Charges Filed Against Police Officer". United Press (UP). Houston (UP): Newspapers.com. May 12, 1977. p. 45. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d Nolan, Joe; Reyes, Raul (May 15, 1977). "Interactive: Joe Campos Torres | Torres Friends say he had his dreams—and his drawbacks". Houston Chronicle. Vol. 76, no. 212. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. p. 12. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  12. ^ Salinas, Lupe S. (July 1, 2015). U.S. Latinos and Criminal Injustice. Michigan State University Press. p. 236. ISBN 9781628952353. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  13. ^ Wilson, Steven Harmon (2002). "Criminal Justice in the 1970s". The Rise of Judicial Management in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 1955-2000. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780820327280.
  14. ^ a b Curtis, Tom (September 1977). "Texas Monthly | Support Your Local Police (or else)". Domain: The Lifestyle Magazine of Texas Monthly. 5 (9). Emmis Communications: 85. ISSN 0148-7736. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  15. ^ Mendoza, Lydia; Nicolopulos, James; Strachwitz, Chris (1993). Lydia Mendoza a Family Autobiography (in Spanish). Houston, Tex.: Arte Público. p. 353. ISBN 9781558850668. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  16. ^ "Nation: End of the Rope". Time. April 17, 1978. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  17. ^ KPRC-TV (1977). "Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of José Campos Torres (1977)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  18. ^ Williams, Jack (May 8, 2008). "Echos of Moody Park: 30 years later". KUHF-FM. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  19. ^ KPRC-TV (1978). "Moody Park Riot (1978)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  20. ^ a b c d "Houston history: An ugly Cinco de Mayo celebration". ABC13 Houston. HOUSTON (KTRK): ABC Inc. KTRK-TV Houston. May 6, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  21. ^ a b Block, Robinson (January 2, 2012). "Moody Park: From the Riots to the Future for the Northside Community". Houston History Magazine. 9 (3): 20–22. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  22. ^ a b c Williams, Jack (May 7, 2008). "Moody Park Part 2- The Riot | Houston Public Media". Houston Public Media. University of Houston. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  23. ^ Márquez, John D. (2014). "Neoliberalism and Its Aftermath". Black-Brown Solidarity: Racial Politics in the New Gulf South. University of Texas Press. p. 125. ISBN 9780292753891. ... all while chanting slogans like "Viva Joe Torres!" "Justice for Joe Torres!" and "A Chicano's life is worth more than a dollar!"
  24. ^ "Moody Park Riot (1978)" [film]. KRPC-TV. The Texas Archive of Moving Image.
  25. ^ Boyd, John (April 28, 2015). "Remembering Joe Campos Torres and Houston's Moody Park riots". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 10, 2017. Image 9 of 37 - Caption
  26. ^ León, Arnoldo De (2001). "XI Moderation and Inclusions, 1975 -1980s". Ethnicity in the Sunbelt : Mexican Americans in Houston (1st Texas A & M University Press ed.). College Station: Texas A & M University Press. p. 211. ISBN 9781585441495. Retrieved December 22, 2017. The mob of about 1,500 according to police (other estimates say 150–300) ...
  27. ^ Cory, Bruce (May 15, 1979). "2 Who Incited '78 Houston Riot Fined, Put on 5-Year Probation". Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  28. ^ a b KPRC-TV
  29. ^ KPRC-TV (1978). "KPRC Newsmen Injured During Moody Park Riot (1978)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  30. ^ ABC Inc., KTRK-TV Houston, ed. (October 22, 2017) [1978]. Moody Park Riots ABC13 Coverage (Television production). Houston, TX: ABC 13. Event occurs at 11:55. Retrieved December 9, 2017 – via Mashpedia. Police are talking with the District Attorney on what charges need to be filed in connection with the disturbance. Charges have already been filed against Rogelio Castillo in connection with the incident, in which the police officer was struck by the car.
  31. ^ Jo Ann Zuiga; S.K. Bardwell (October 19, 1998). "10/19/98 Houston Chronicle Article on Pedro Oregon Navarro Shooting". www.lulac.net. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 10, 2017. ... lack of punishment prompted the Moody Park riot, which sent 15 people to the hospital.
  32. ^ "Houston chief calls 1977 police killing 'straight-up murder'". Associated Press. June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  33. ^ Macías, Francisco (May 5, 2015). "Remembering José "Joe" Campos Torres's Last Cinco de Mayo". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  34. ^ Watson, Dwight (2005). Race and the Houston police department, 1930-1990 : a change did come (1st ed.). College Station, Texas: Texas A & M University Press. ISBN 9781585444373. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  35. ^ Williams, Jack (May 8, 2008). "Moody Park- The Aftermath". Houston Public Media. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  36. ^ "Gil Scott-Heron – Jose Campos Torres Lyrics | Genius Lyrics". Retrieved December 16, 2017. José Campos Torres | Produced by Gil Scott-Heron | Album The Mind of Gil Scott Heron
  37. ^ "Charanga Cakewalk - Chicano Zen". Discogs. 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2018. Track:11, Title: El Ballad De Jose Campos Torres, Duration: 4:50
  38. ^ "El Ballad de Jose Campos Torres". napster.com. March 28, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  39. ^ Marsh, Dave (August 18, 2006). "The Zen of Revolution: Michael Ramos' Charanga Cakewalk". Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  40. ^ "May 8: The Case of Joe Campos Torres (Film)". doscentavos.net. May 2, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  41. ^ "Shared Histories Film Screening and Panel Discussion: The Case of Joe Campos Torres". Arts Hound. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  42. ^ Ruiz, Raymond (July 28, 2011). ""The Case of Joe Campos Torres" debuts to a packed house - The Venture". The Venture. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
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