No bond for suspect in officer’s death
Man accused in Nassau Bay sergeant’s killing not allowed out on unrelated assault charge
After a Harris County magistrate late Thursday set bond at $150,000 for the driver accused of striking and killing Nassau Bay Police Sgt. Kaila Sullivan, local law enforcement officials were quick to voice their anger — and disbelief.
“Outrageous!” Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted on Thursday, hours after he attended a funeral for a fallen HPD officer. Houston Police Officers’ Union President Joe Gamaldi called on the magistrate to resign. Gov. Greg Abbott the next day retweeted an article showing photos of the victim and accused killer and remarked, “The bail reform I pushed last session would prevent cop killers like this from getting out.”
As it turns out, the uproar may have been for naught. Officials with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office note that before 21year-old murder suspect Tavores Dewayne Henderson was arrested Thursday, another judge had already forfeited Henderson’s bond on an unrelated aggravated assault offense, meaning he was taken into custody with no immediate chance of being released.
Authorities also were working toward an upgraded capital murder charge, which was filed early Friday and resulted in state District Judge Amy Martin issuing a second “no bond” order.
“The people of Harris County
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, for Nassau Bay Police Sgt. Kaila Sullivan at Grace Church Houston, 14505 Gulf Freeway.
should not be misled,” said Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “He has been charged with capital murder, and a judge has ordered he be held with no bail (on a separate charge). He is not going anywhere but a cell or courtroom where he faces the possibility of a life in prison or a death sentence.”
The episode illustrates how emotions are running high in the Houston area after two police officers were killed in a span of several days, and how Harris County’s move to undertake felony bail reform remains a hot topic among police, prosecutors and elected officials. Advocates for bail reform allege that the current system permits freedom for people only if they have the resources to pay bail money. A federal judge approved a landmark misdemeanor bail settlement for Harris County earlier this month.
Sullivan, a 16-year police veteran, died Tuesday night after she was struck by a car driven by Henderson during a traffic stop in the 2000 block of San Sebastian Court, accoding to police.
Two-day manhunt
Henderson was wanted on a warrant related to a domestic violence case. As he was being handcuffed by another officer with Sullivan standing nearby, Henderson suddenly got back into the car and took off, striking Sullivan, authorities said.
After a two-day manhunt, Harris County sheriff’s deputies arrested Henderson at a home in the 4200 block of Heritage Trail near southeast Houston.
Henderson’s mother, Tiffany, and her boyfriend, Geoffrey Wheeler, have been charged with hindering apprehension in the case, according to the district attorney’s office. The pair are accused of driving Henderson to a hotel the night of Sullivan’s death and then lying when confronted by investigators, authorities said.
Sean Teare, division chief of the district attorney’s office trial bureau, said he believes Henderson and Wheeler are not the only people who may have helped the 21year-old avoid arrest. The district attorney’s office is actively pursuing leads into other suspects, he said.
Henderson talked to authorities after his arrest and admitted to knowing that Sullivan was an officer trying to detain him and to driving away, authorities said.
Teare said investigators have already
conducted extensive research into Henderson’s criminal history. The suspect’s social media posts indicate a propensity for violence, the prosecutor said, and he had pending cases in other counties.
“Based on his social media presence across a number of platforms, there’s a lot of concern about this individual,” Teare said. “In every one of his videos, in every one of his social media posts, you see some other evidence of potential violence. You see firearms, you see body armor, you see singing about robbing and drug-dealing.”
Henderson was on bond at the time of his arrest Thursday on an aggravated assault charge in Harris County, a theft charge in Galveston County, and theft and evading arrest charges in Montgomery County.
‘Shaking in disbelief ’
The case became mired in controversy when Colin Amann, a magistrate in Harris County, set a $150,000 bond on the felony murder charge. The decision perplexed some local officials, who worried that the suspect was a flight risk and a danger to the public.
“I was literally shaking in disbelief,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday. “I couldn’t understand it. I still don’t understand it.”
Reached Friday, Gonzalez declined to elaborate on his previous statements and instead offered comment on bail reform.
“I understand that we are transitioning from a traditional system of bail and the traditional system is incredibly flawed,” he said in a Twitter direct message. “It presents a critical public safety problem by allowing higher risk defendants to buy their way out of jail. … We must continue to advance our efforts in finding better ways to assess defendant risk.”
The sheriff said authorities need to strike a balance with regard to “the release of lower risk defendants and the detention of higher risk defendants.”
Gamaldi directed a tweet at the magistrate, “Your total lack of judgement/common sense in this case prevents you from ever sitting on that bench.” The outspoken union head voiced hope that county commissioners would consider removing the magistrate.
While Henderson’s $150,000 bond on the murder charge was short-lived, the Texas Municipal
Police Association joined local authorities in condemning Amann’s initial decision.
“What this judge has done is unconscionable — it is not only an affront to Sgt. Sullivan’s family, it is a slap in the face to every law enforcement officer who is out there today trying to keep our communities safe,” said Kevin Lawrence, the executive director of the state organization.
Amann, the magistrate, could not be reached for comment Friday. Judges typically cannot speak about pending cases because of rules set forth in the Canons of Judicial Conduct.
But Teare stressed, “We ensured prior to his capture, that (when he was) captured, he was not getting out.”
Trudy Strassburger, training director and senior counsel at the Justice Collaborative, a nonprofit for criminal justice reform, said that while bond decisions can differ depending on circumstances such as criminal history or flight risk, people need to be careful not to rush to convict defendants in the first 24 hours.
“Our bond system only works when we’re careful and thoughtful and keep in mind that an arrest is the first step in any proceeding,” she said.
Chief ‘appalled’
The confusion was on display at a news conference Friday held by Nassau Bay Police Chief Tim Cromie.
Cromie told reporters that he was “appalled” that Henderson initially was granted the lower bond on the felony murder charge. Cromie noted that he’d had conversations with officials in Montgomery and Galveston counties, where criminal charges were filed against Henderson in which he received no bond.
“We received a lot of outpouring of support but also questions, answers and outrage about the judicial process,” Cromie said.
Informed by a reporter that Henderson’s bond had since been revoked with the filing of the capital murder charge, Cromie said he appreciated the efforts by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg to ensure that Henderson would remain behind bars.
Said Cromie: “I had confidence in DA Ogg that she and her staff were going to do everything in their power to request a no bond.”