Hundreds in Houston pray, call for sea change in police tactics
George Floyd’s burial in Houston last week marked the beginning of a recharged push for police reform nationwide, and activists and politicians in his hometown vowed Sunday to continue calls for much-needed changes to oppressive law enforcement practices.
The longtime Third Ward resident’s death on Memorial Day at the hands of Minneapolis police officers — and the recent fatal police shooting of another black man, Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta — served as the backdrop to the anti-racism rally Sunday night at NRG Park.
The rally was billed as a launch event for One Family One Future, an organization founded by Bishop James Dixon II. Faith leaders from around the city urged unity through gospel songs and prayers. Mayor Sylvester Turner and county
commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia delivered remarks to a crowd of about 200 people who practiced social distancing by staying in their cars and listening to the speakers over the radio.
While the event touched on an array of issues outside of police brutality — human trafficking, immigration discrimination — the recent police shootings consumed most of the conversation.
“Let’s not let this moment pass us by,” Ellis said to the crowd, which honked horns in support. “It’s been 20 days of demonstrations across the country … the question is, ‘Can we sustain this?’”
Ellis highlighted the recent fatal shooting in Atlanta, where a white police officer shot Brooks outside a fast-food restaurant following a struggle. Police were called because Brooks had fallen asleep in his car in a drive-thru.
Ellis pointed out that police in Atlanta released body camera footage shortly after the killing. He urged Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and other law enforcement officials to do the same after fatal officer-involved shootings in their jurisdictions.
“Release the tapes in this (community) and this city,” he said.
Acevedo, who also spoke at the event, has been criticized recently for not releasing body camera footage in six fatal officer-involved shootings earlier this year, despite his own public support for reform. He also gained national attention for his participation in protests and public condemnations of Floyd’s killing.
He characterized the weeks of civil unrest across the country as “spiritual warfare.” He also commended Turner for signing an executive order last week aimed at curtailing police violence. Much of the new laws, such as banning the use of chokeholds, were already a common practice among Houston police, according to earlier reports in the Chronicle.
Still, Acevedo emphasized the need to have those policies in writing.
“So that no chief can come in …. and change a critical policy about respect and the sanctity of human life,” he said.
During his comments, Turner acknowledged that the demonstrations “have made it uncomfortable for all those in power.” He advocated for more fundamental changes to policing, beyond creating new laws.
“I want all the police officers (in Houston) to recognize that part of the job is customer service,” he said. “These are men and woman with husbands and wives and children” in the community.
While the rally attracted politicians and police leaders, public demonstrations continued elsewhere in Houston. Local activist Dav Lewis, founder of a nonprofit that helps people after incarceration, led about a dozen people in a peaceful protest at Emancipation Park.
The demonstrators laid on the ground in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee — before marching to the Turkey Leg Hut.
Lewis said he wanted to see more specific changes in government, including more of a willingness to release body camera footage and an independent police review board with subpoena power.
“We continue to lose trust in the community because there’s no transparency,” he said. “We don’t see anything that’s happening.”