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A jury has found former HPD officer Andrew Blomberg not guilty of official oppression in the videotaped beating of 15-year-old Chad Holley, a decision that was quickly blasted by activists as racist.
The panel reached its verdict after less than a day of deliberations. Blomberg smiled broadly and hugged his defense team after the verdict was read. Screams could be heard outside the courtroom.
Janice Evans, spokeswoman for Mayor Annise Parker, tweeted that the mayor stands by the Houston police chief’s decision to fire Blomberg for his role in the beating.
“I certainly don’t agree with the verdict, and I support the chief of police in his actions in relation to these officers,” Parker said at her regularly scheduled press conference this morning. “They will never again be Houston police officers whatever the verdict is in the criminal trial.”
Parker noted that Blomberg has already gone through internal disciplinary process at HPD, so not allowed back.
Community activist Quanell X and others hammered prosecutors and the all-white jury — two women and four men — for racism. Blomberg is white; Holley is black.
“They just said to African Americans, they just said black people, that white people can do whatever they want and get away with it,” Quanell shouted outside the courtroom as other activists screamed expletives. “They just sent a message that our lives don’t mean a damn thing.”
“Nobody believes any of the other trials are any good either,” Quanell added. “They knew what they were doing with an all-white jury.”
He said the all-white jury “was not a jury of our peers, Chad’s peers, or the city’s peers.” Quanell said a protest is planned for 4 p.m. Thursday outside the Harris County criminal courthouse.
Assistant Harris County District Attorney Clint Greenwood, who prosecuted the case, declined to comment on the verdict or the criticism. The jury members told State District Judge Ruben Guerrero that they did not want to comment on the case. Guerrero refused to provide names of the jurors to the Houston Chronicle and also said he planned to seal their identities.
Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos said her office is prepared to go to trial against three others charged in the case.
“Although, I respectfully disagree with the decision, I accept it and thank the jurors for their service,” Lykos said in a statement. “Our prosecutors conducted themselves with professionalism and dedication to the pursuit of justice.”
When the mayor was asked what she’d say to people taken aback by the jury’s decision, Parker said, “I can’t say I agree with the verdict either, but I respect our judicial system.”
“We have the right in this country to protest decisions with which we disagree, but we will do it in a civil, safe manner. And I trust that Houstonians will do just that. I fully expect that there will be a lot of unhappy folks with this verdict and we will hear about it but I don’t expect any inappropriate reaction.”
“We’re going to continue to try to have the best police department we can have and hold our police officers to a very, very high standard,” Parker said.
When asked if the jury’s decision will drive a wedge between folks in the affected community and the police, she said: “There are thousands of Houston police officers, most of whom do an outstanding job every day under very difficult circumstances. There are always officers who fall short, and it is our responsibility to weed those officers out. I think the majority of the community here — whatever their reaction to this verdict — supports the Houston Police Department and understands how diligent we are in maintaining professional standards in that police department.”
Asked after the verdict if he’s going to be a police officer again, Blomberg said he’s going to take a deep breath and think about it. When asked if he thinks the other three officers charged in the beating are culpable, Blomberg said: “That’s for a jury to decide.”
Blomberg was the first of four former officers to go to trial in the March 24, 2010, beating caught on tape by a security camera.
The recording shows the teen falling over the hood of a police car as he flees a burglary with several other young men. Holley can be seen rolling on to his stomach and putting his hands behind his back when Houston Police Department officers, including Blomberg, appear to stomp, kick and punch the teenager.
Holley was not seriously injured and was later convicted of burglary.
Blomberg had faced up to a year in jail if convicted of official oppression, a class A misdemeanor.
The jury began deliberating Tuesday about noon.
Reporter Lindsay Wise contributed to this report.
A jury has found former HPD officer Andrew Blomberg not guilty of official oppression in the videotaped beating of 15-year-old Chad Holley, a decision that was quickly blasted by activists as racist.
The panel reached its verdict after less than a day of deliberations. Blomberg smiled broadly and hugged his defense team after the verdict was read. Screams could be heard outside the courtroom.
Janice Evans, spokeswoman for Mayor Annise Parker, tweeted that the mayor stands by the Houston police chief’s decision to fire Blomberg for his role in the beating.
“I certainly don’t agree with the verdict, and I support the chief of police in his actions in relation to these officers,” Parker said at her regularly scheduled press conference this morning. “They will never again be Houston police officers whatever the verdict is in the criminal trial.”
Parker noted that Blomberg has already gone through internal disciplinary process at HPD, so not allowed back.
Community activist Quanell X and others hammered prosecutors and the all-white jury — two women and four men — for racism. Blomberg is white; Holley is black.
“They just said to African Americans, they just said black people, that white people can do whatever they want and get away with it,” Quanell shouted outside the courtroom as other activists screamed expletives. “They just sent a message that our lives don’t mean a damn thing.”
“Nobody believes any of the other trials are any good either,” Quanell added. “They knew what they were doing with an all-white jury.”
He said the all-white jury “was not a jury of our peers, Chad’s peers, or the city’s peers.” Quanell said a protest is planned for 4 p.m. Thursday outside the Harris County criminal courthouse.
Assistant Harris County District Attorney Clint Greenwood, who prosecuted the case, declined to comment on the verdict or the criticism. The jury members told State District Judge Ruben Guerrero that they did not want to comment on the case. Guerrero refused to provide names of the jurors to the Houston Chronicle and also said he planned to seal their identities.
Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos said her office is prepared to go to trial against three others charged in the case.
“Although, I respectfully disagree with the decision, I accept it and thank the jurors for their service,” Lykos said in a statement. “Our prosecutors conducted themselves with professionalism and dedication to the pursuit of justice.”
When the mayor was asked what she’d say to people taken aback by the jury’s decision, Parker said, “I can’t say I agree with the verdict either, but I respect our judicial system.”
“We have the right in this country to protest decisions with which we disagree, but we will do it in a civil, safe manner. And I trust that Houstonians will do just that. I fully expect that there will be a lot of unhappy folks with this verdict and we will hear about it but I don’t expect any inappropriate reaction.”
“We’re going to continue to try to have the best police department we can have and hold our police officers to a very, very high standard,” Parker said.
When asked if the jury’s decision will drive a wedge between folks in the affected community and the police, she said: “There are thousands of Houston police officers, most of whom do an outstanding job every day under very difficult circumstances. There are always officers who fall short, and it is our responsibility to weed those officers out. I think the majority of the community here — whatever their reaction to this verdict — supports the Houston Police Department and understands how diligent we are in maintaining professional standards in that police department.”
Asked after the verdict if he’s going to be a police officer again, Blomberg said he’s going to take a deep breath and think about it. When asked if he thinks the other three officers charged in the beating are culpable, Blomberg said: “That’s for a jury to decide.”
Blomberg was the first of four former officers to go to trial in the March 24, 2010, beating caught on tape by a security camera.
The recording shows the teen falling over the hood of a police car as he flees a burglary with several other young men. Holley can be seen rolling on to his stomach and putting his hands behind his back when Houston Police Department officers, including Blomberg, appear to stomp, kick and punch the teenager.
Holley was not seriously injured and was later convicted of burglary.
Blomberg had faced up to a year in jail if convicted of official oppression, a class A misdemeanor.
The jury began deliberating Tuesday about noon.
Reporter Lindsay Wise contributed to this report.
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