Citizens are protesting police brutality in Baytown, TX after they allegedly pepper sprayed children and tasered 7 adults, including a grandmother 4 times, after responding to a complaint of loud music at a birthday party on May 4th.
Police responded to the accusations stating that the partygoers had attacked them first after they attempted to arrest one of them, and that they had actually locked 2 officers inside in order to trap them. However, the video shows 5-6 officers inside, not 2, as the dept. officially stated.
Baytown police are denying allegations of excessive force and racism leveled by guests at a house party where seven people were arrested after officers answered a loud music complaint there around midnight May 4. Much of the incident was recorded on cell phone video released Sunday.
Police say two officers warned homeowner Jose Zepeda earlier that evening that neighbors had complained about loud music. When they returned around midnight, Det. Edgar Elizondo says the officers found Zepeda in his backyard with 15-20 partygoers, and wrote him a ticket for disturbing the peace.
Elizondo says Zepeda refused to sign the citation, and the officers attempted to arrest him. Elizondo says three men stepped in to stop them: Rodolfo Zepeda, 19, Edgar Garcia, 24, and 23-year-old Christian Zepeda.
“From that point on, the three men started pushing the officers, assaulting the officers. Therefore one of the officers pulled out pepper spray and sprayed one time,” Elizondo said.
When the officers used pepper spray on the men, two of them ran into the house, Elizondo says, and the officers followed them. Once inside, police say someone locked the door behind the officers.
“You basically had a couple of officers inside trapped, fighting with people,” said Elizondo.
The officers put out a distress call. As help arrived, Elizondo says police used Tasers on three people who tried to interfere with arrests. One of them was 53-year-old Maria Zepeda who is seen on the video writhing after being shot with a Taser.
Her son, Gustavo Zepeda, says his mother was doing nothing but sitting in a chair when a female officer kicked her out of the chair when she didn’t respond to a police officers’ commands.
Family members claim Zepeda was shot four times with Tasers. Elizondo says she was shocked once when she tried to stop police from arresting her son.
Another part of the video shows several young children crying and complaining that they have pepper spray in their eyes. Elizondo says the officers did not spray anyone inside the house. He suggested the children may have been affected by spray still clinging to the men’s clothes after they ran inside.
There were also allegations that the video shows police referring to party-goers using racist names during the struggle. Elizondo says the video actually shows something else.
“We slowed that video down and you could plainly hear the officers saying, ‘Get back, get back.’ There were no racial remarks made, most of the officers there were Hispanic,” Elizondo said.
Dozens of angry protesters marched on the Baytown Police Department Sunday calling its officers criminal and abusive toward Hispanic people.
Community activist Quanell X calls the video clear evidence of police brutality and abuse aimed at people of color.
“The Baytown Police Department has a notorious record of violating the civil rights of Mexicans and blacks,” he said.
He added, “What are the citizens to do when they are being beaten and pepper-sprayed and Tasered, and they have done nothing criminal at all.”
Elizondo says the video has been turned over to prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney.
I really doubt it’s all as simple as that . This video does not tell the complete story ,
Our government’s Police State at work! We can expect more of this to happen!
Richard……at 21 years old I had a party at my apartment and had an office come 4 times that night. We were drinking, smoking weed….and the rules/law was after 3 visits a complaint must be filed to the complex and an eviction proceed. The office just asked us each time to keep it down. And the party did to end until I realized someone stole my MacBook. This was about 2-3 years ago. No police stacked me or did any crazy $#%&!@*, and the apartment was SO packed that it was hard to move. IT Was almost like a club. This wasn’t even half of that, but you wanna justify the police tazing and pepper spraying children per some loud noises? Well, Justin Bieber needs to et his ass tazed was well! Police were at his house over 20 times in the past year (but he’s only home about 10% of the year). Same way someone misses rent you can’t just take their stuff and throw it on the curb, after so many violations there’s notices and evictions that proceed (even for home owners. A HOA or the city fine until it leads to arrest or they can legally take possession of the home). A sleepless night or two for the neighbors is not gonna kill them, but they just scarred, frightened and hurt children over some $#%&!@*ing noise. I guess you were one of the people who supported that man who shot them kids in Florida because the music from heir car was too loud.
Hope they all get fired
Look I’m tired off seeing the mid arrest or after it went down videos. I want to see the lead up to video. The progression.
Some of you have clearly never been to a house party.
They have overstep there power and duty position, Time to firer some of these cops
the police are out of hand and need to be held accountable for there actions
I do believe cops need 24 7 surveillance on them. The constitution was rite about policing.
People have to stand up, go to City Hall, and let the Mayor know he is out if the cops don’t do prison time.It will take a lot of you to make a difference, round up every one you know, and just do it !