Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 25, 2006 0:52:33 GMT -5
Man charged in HPD officer's shooting death
A 32-year-old man has been charged in Thursday evening's shooting death of
Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson.
Juan Leonardo Quintero has been charged with capital murder in the 248th
District Court, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.
A Harris County prosecutor said in court this morning that, while seated
in the back seat, the suspect pulled a 9 mm handgun from his waistband and
shot Johnson in the face. The officer was able to push an emergency
response button, alerting dispatch of a problem.
When other police arrived at the scene, Quintero remained in the back seat
with the gun in his hand, the prosecutor said. Police found bullet casings
inside the car.
Quintero kept his head down while waiting to be called before the judge.
During a brief hearing, he answered "Yes'' when asked whether he
understood the charge against him.
The simple traffic stop turned suddenly tragic Thursday evening when the
veteran Houston police officer was shot and killed as he sat in the front
seat of his patrol car near Hobby Airport.
Just after 5 p.m., Johnson had stopped a pickup with two people inside. It
was unclear why he detained or handcuffed the driver, though an officer
familiar with the incident said he had no identification on him. At least
one female passenger left, possibly with Johnson's permission, but Police
Chief Harold Hurtt said he thought officers had found the woman and were
bringing her to headquarters for questioning.
A source familiar with the scene said Johnson was shot four times through
the plastic shield separating the front and rear seats. Johnson managed to
push his emergency button before collapsing. The 12-year veteran of the
department was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced
dead.
The suspect reportedly struggled as officers tried to move him to a
different vehicle.
"They finally got him in the other car, but he was scratching and fighting
and acting crazy, like he could win in a fight like that," said Clara
Rodriguez, who lives nearby.
Johnson, 40, was the first HPD officer killed in more than 2 years.
"He was very personable," Hurtt said. "We will miss one of our true
soldiers in Rodney Johnson."
At least a dozen law enforcement vehicles cordoned off a large area at
Randolph and Braniff where the light bar atop Johnson's patrol car
continued to flash long after the shooting. Temporary spotlights
illuminated the scene into the evening as evidence technicians scoured the
area. The owner of a nearby machine shop was called to the scene because
bullets apparently pierced the wall of his building and investigators
needed to get inside.
Before the suspect was taken to HPD headquarters, he was stripped of his
clothes, which were placed in evidence bags, and dressed in a white
jumpsuit. He was then taken downtown in the 2nd of 3 patrol cars that left
the scene shortly after 7 p.m.
'It just breaks my heart'
As news of Johnson's death spread, police officers gathered in small
groups but said little. One HPD sergeant walked to a patrol car, took out
his cell phone and made a quick phone call, taking a long drink of cold
water from a bottle.
"Something real bad has happened by the airport," he said.
Rodriguez said that she and her neighbors in the small subdivision between
Telephone Road and Almeda Genoa knew Johnson well and that he was
well-liked.
"He would always wave and smile when he saw me," Rodriguez said. "He was a
real nice guy. All he was trying to do was enforce the rules."
Rodriguez said Johnson stopped her once for speeding when the speed limit
was lowered on Telephone Road. She said he politely asked her to slow down
and did not ticket her.
"He was just so very nice," she said. "He was not ever mean. It just
breaks my heart. I feel so very bad for his wife. He got up and went to
work this morning, and this is what happened. This is what happened to one
of the people who protects us, who truly took care of us."
Johnson graduated from high school in Oakland, Calif., then enlisted in
the Army, serving as an MP until he was honorably discharged in 1990. He
served as a corrections officer for the Texas Department of Corrections
(now the Texas Department of Criminal Justice) and as a Houston police
jailer before attending the police academy and graduating in 1994.
Johnson was assigned to the southeast division that year and to the
southeast gang task force in 1996. While on the task force he received 2
Lifesaving Awards from the department and one Medal of Valor from the
state. He was married to Houston police officer Joslyn Johnson. They have
3 daughters and 2 sons.
A familiar scene
Thursday's incident was similar to the shooting of Houston police officer
G.P. Gaddis in 1994. Gaddis was murdered by 1 of 2 aggravated robbery
suspects he was taking to jail for aggravated robbery. Both had been
searched and handcuffed behind their backs before being placed in the back
seat of the patrol car.
Edgar Arias Tamayo managed to maneuver his hands, still cuffed, to his
front and retrieved a pistol hidden in his clothes. He then shot Gaddis in
the back of the head as he was driving. The patrol car crashed into a
house, and the suspect escaped from the wrecked car, but was arrested
nearby.
Tamayo was convicted of capital murder and is on death row. The shooting
prompted criticism of the department by police union officials who claimed
Gaddis' death could have been prevented if patrol units carried 2
officers.
According to a police department patrol veteran, within the past 2 years
all HPD officers were required to attend an in-service training refresher
class on proper search technique. However, he said, the unique
circumstances of each incident dictate how thoroughly a suspect is
searched. Search procedures also are outlined in the department's general
orders manual, the officer said.
"The degree of search can range from a strip search to a cursory
pat-down," said the officer, who requested anonymity out fear of
departmental reprisals. "If the person is just a witness or if (the stop)
is just a traffic violation, you might just put them in the back of your
(patrol) car to do the paperwork. If the suspect is high risk or wanted on
a felony, then you need to do more than a pat-down. But even then, you can
still miss a weapon. It's part of the job. And this isn't the first time
an officer has been killed with a suspect in the back seat."
Nor was it out of the ordinary for a one-man patrol unit such as Johnson
to arrest one or more suspects without calling for backup, the officer
said.
In the estimation of the officer, the department's well-publicized
staffing shortage leaves approximately 80 percent of all HPD patrol units
with a single officer. There is no protocol mandating that single-patrol
officers call for backup while making arrests, he added.
"If we called for backup every time we made an arrest, nothing would get
done," the officer said. "Lots of officers arrest multiple suspects by
themselves. But would it be safer with two officers? Absolutely."
News of Johnson's death hit the department hard, especially Hans
Marticiuc, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, who said he
was a close friend.
"He was very, very safety conscious," Marticiuc said. "He knows how to
search. He worked in the jail for a number of years and all they do is
search prisoners down there. "
Johnson served on the union's board of directors.
Other officer deaths
The last Houston police officer killed in the line of duty was Frank M.
Cantu, who was hit by a drunk driver in Montrose in March 2004. The driver
was charged with intoxication manslaughter.
Three officers have been wounded in shootings since then, however. The
most recent occurred in January 2005 in west Houston. Officer Ronald V.
Pinkerton was shot twice as he approached a vehicle that had rear-ended
him.
The last fatal shooting of a Houston police officer involved Charles R.
Clark in 2003. Clark, a 20-year veteran, was killed while responding to a
silent alarm at a check cashing store on South Loop 610.
In July 2005, 33-year-old reserve Deputy Constable Nehemiah Pickens was
killed by friendly fire during a chase in northeast Houston. Pickens, who
was armed but not in uniform, was shot 4 times in the back by a deputy
sheriff.
About 100 Houston police officers have been killed in the line of duty
since 1860.
(source: Houston Chronicle)
A 32-year-old man has been charged in Thursday evening's shooting death of
Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson.
Juan Leonardo Quintero has been charged with capital murder in the 248th
District Court, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.
A Harris County prosecutor said in court this morning that, while seated
in the back seat, the suspect pulled a 9 mm handgun from his waistband and
shot Johnson in the face. The officer was able to push an emergency
response button, alerting dispatch of a problem.
When other police arrived at the scene, Quintero remained in the back seat
with the gun in his hand, the prosecutor said. Police found bullet casings
inside the car.
Quintero kept his head down while waiting to be called before the judge.
During a brief hearing, he answered "Yes'' when asked whether he
understood the charge against him.
The simple traffic stop turned suddenly tragic Thursday evening when the
veteran Houston police officer was shot and killed as he sat in the front
seat of his patrol car near Hobby Airport.
Just after 5 p.m., Johnson had stopped a pickup with two people inside. It
was unclear why he detained or handcuffed the driver, though an officer
familiar with the incident said he had no identification on him. At least
one female passenger left, possibly with Johnson's permission, but Police
Chief Harold Hurtt said he thought officers had found the woman and were
bringing her to headquarters for questioning.
A source familiar with the scene said Johnson was shot four times through
the plastic shield separating the front and rear seats. Johnson managed to
push his emergency button before collapsing. The 12-year veteran of the
department was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced
dead.
The suspect reportedly struggled as officers tried to move him to a
different vehicle.
"They finally got him in the other car, but he was scratching and fighting
and acting crazy, like he could win in a fight like that," said Clara
Rodriguez, who lives nearby.
Johnson, 40, was the first HPD officer killed in more than 2 years.
"He was very personable," Hurtt said. "We will miss one of our true
soldiers in Rodney Johnson."
At least a dozen law enforcement vehicles cordoned off a large area at
Randolph and Braniff where the light bar atop Johnson's patrol car
continued to flash long after the shooting. Temporary spotlights
illuminated the scene into the evening as evidence technicians scoured the
area. The owner of a nearby machine shop was called to the scene because
bullets apparently pierced the wall of his building and investigators
needed to get inside.
Before the suspect was taken to HPD headquarters, he was stripped of his
clothes, which were placed in evidence bags, and dressed in a white
jumpsuit. He was then taken downtown in the 2nd of 3 patrol cars that left
the scene shortly after 7 p.m.
'It just breaks my heart'
As news of Johnson's death spread, police officers gathered in small
groups but said little. One HPD sergeant walked to a patrol car, took out
his cell phone and made a quick phone call, taking a long drink of cold
water from a bottle.
"Something real bad has happened by the airport," he said.
Rodriguez said that she and her neighbors in the small subdivision between
Telephone Road and Almeda Genoa knew Johnson well and that he was
well-liked.
"He would always wave and smile when he saw me," Rodriguez said. "He was a
real nice guy. All he was trying to do was enforce the rules."
Rodriguez said Johnson stopped her once for speeding when the speed limit
was lowered on Telephone Road. She said he politely asked her to slow down
and did not ticket her.
"He was just so very nice," she said. "He was not ever mean. It just
breaks my heart. I feel so very bad for his wife. He got up and went to
work this morning, and this is what happened. This is what happened to one
of the people who protects us, who truly took care of us."
Johnson graduated from high school in Oakland, Calif., then enlisted in
the Army, serving as an MP until he was honorably discharged in 1990. He
served as a corrections officer for the Texas Department of Corrections
(now the Texas Department of Criminal Justice) and as a Houston police
jailer before attending the police academy and graduating in 1994.
Johnson was assigned to the southeast division that year and to the
southeast gang task force in 1996. While on the task force he received 2
Lifesaving Awards from the department and one Medal of Valor from the
state. He was married to Houston police officer Joslyn Johnson. They have
3 daughters and 2 sons.
A familiar scene
Thursday's incident was similar to the shooting of Houston police officer
G.P. Gaddis in 1994. Gaddis was murdered by 1 of 2 aggravated robbery
suspects he was taking to jail for aggravated robbery. Both had been
searched and handcuffed behind their backs before being placed in the back
seat of the patrol car.
Edgar Arias Tamayo managed to maneuver his hands, still cuffed, to his
front and retrieved a pistol hidden in his clothes. He then shot Gaddis in
the back of the head as he was driving. The patrol car crashed into a
house, and the suspect escaped from the wrecked car, but was arrested
nearby.
Tamayo was convicted of capital murder and is on death row. The shooting
prompted criticism of the department by police union officials who claimed
Gaddis' death could have been prevented if patrol units carried 2
officers.
According to a police department patrol veteran, within the past 2 years
all HPD officers were required to attend an in-service training refresher
class on proper search technique. However, he said, the unique
circumstances of each incident dictate how thoroughly a suspect is
searched. Search procedures also are outlined in the department's general
orders manual, the officer said.
"The degree of search can range from a strip search to a cursory
pat-down," said the officer, who requested anonymity out fear of
departmental reprisals. "If the person is just a witness or if (the stop)
is just a traffic violation, you might just put them in the back of your
(patrol) car to do the paperwork. If the suspect is high risk or wanted on
a felony, then you need to do more than a pat-down. But even then, you can
still miss a weapon. It's part of the job. And this isn't the first time
an officer has been killed with a suspect in the back seat."
Nor was it out of the ordinary for a one-man patrol unit such as Johnson
to arrest one or more suspects without calling for backup, the officer
said.
In the estimation of the officer, the department's well-publicized
staffing shortage leaves approximately 80 percent of all HPD patrol units
with a single officer. There is no protocol mandating that single-patrol
officers call for backup while making arrests, he added.
"If we called for backup every time we made an arrest, nothing would get
done," the officer said. "Lots of officers arrest multiple suspects by
themselves. But would it be safer with two officers? Absolutely."
News of Johnson's death hit the department hard, especially Hans
Marticiuc, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, who said he
was a close friend.
"He was very, very safety conscious," Marticiuc said. "He knows how to
search. He worked in the jail for a number of years and all they do is
search prisoners down there. "
Johnson served on the union's board of directors.
Other officer deaths
The last Houston police officer killed in the line of duty was Frank M.
Cantu, who was hit by a drunk driver in Montrose in March 2004. The driver
was charged with intoxication manslaughter.
Three officers have been wounded in shootings since then, however. The
most recent occurred in January 2005 in west Houston. Officer Ronald V.
Pinkerton was shot twice as he approached a vehicle that had rear-ended
him.
The last fatal shooting of a Houston police officer involved Charles R.
Clark in 2003. Clark, a 20-year veteran, was killed while responding to a
silent alarm at a check cashing store on South Loop 610.
In July 2005, 33-year-old reserve Deputy Constable Nehemiah Pickens was
killed by friendly fire during a chase in northeast Houston. Pickens, who
was armed but not in uniform, was shot 4 times in the back by a deputy
sheriff.
About 100 Houston police officers have been killed in the line of duty
since 1860.
(source: Houston Chronicle)