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.
Roxanne. How ignorant you sound, it’s an embarrassment. You should be ashamed of yourself. Police brutality has gotten out of control. There are always going to be good officers and bad. But lately I’ve seen more brutality than protecting and serving. And for you to say you know how their parties go. We know how your type of woman like to get “white girl wasted”. Dumbass.
OBAMAS DEM POLICE STATE
Yup, sounds right, all people talk about is how bad the police have gotten, yup, their terrible, and oh how the citizens, or our NEW across the border citizens have become pillars of every community! Crime rate is up, rioting is activelly becoming popular again, millions of illegals are flicking here and they came from countries where the law was delivered by drug cartels! Yes, the police are brutal, because they are being challenged by anyone who thinks they can do what ever they want! After all thats what they used to do where they came from! Grow up, we have domestic laws here, abide by them, or go back home, where it was so GREAT!!!
BUT ILLEGAL MEXICANS can do whatever they want and cops DO NOT DO $#%&!@*….TIME REAL AMERICANS STAND UP AND PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS and if there are any REAL AMERICAN COPS DO WHAT IS RIGHT…..
now we pepper spray kids, good things theres supposed laws in this country
I would like to see where your study took place, and how many people you actually interviewed to get your final analysis! You sound like someone who had a problem or a ticket, or new one individual you didnt like, that became a cop! I know a couple of guys that werent mommies boys, that were marines, they came home and became law enforcement officers, and no i didnt do a RESEARCH, but most of them are pretty stand up guys, oh, and they may love their mothers, but i know by your comment,you think that makes them mommies boys!! Get a clue michael patrick owens sr.????
Anthony Alvarez are an illegal ? A good for nothing fence jumping welfare taking waste of breath! Now stfu and go back to Mexico
police thuggery? pepper spraying small children says it all to me.
If you actually watch the video / you can see two people wrestling on the ground and the cops trying to get them apart…this was nothing but a domestic fight that the cops tried to break up and the idiots acted all stupid and got tazed for it …can’t wait for the truth to come out!
Whats next????? Is every person now going to claim police brutality? Bull.