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.
Let em have it!
When those people resisted arrest and hid among the women and children, they are the one’s that put everyone else at risk. Not the officers. Our laws are there for a reason. They do not have the right to pick and choose what they will abide by and what they won’t! That simple!
Just a bunch of drunk $#%&!@*s who refuse to listen and then use the race card like they have a right to everything, Including being immune to any law.
Summer, you are a racist yourself. Shame on you.
Not enough on video to so what actually happened. Need to film from beginning to end to prove your case. Without can’t tell what actually transpired.
not
Y’all people who e spring the police are ignorant to what’s going on in this whole country. So being racist and open your eyes you small minds to see the bigger picture. Innocent people getting shoot and killed or beaten to with in inches of their lives every day. I can’t wait till your neighbors or someone calls the cops on you or your family and you see the brutality first hand. Open your eyes. Yes we need to take this country back. We need to stop this illegal immigrant influx immediately. But we also need to stop this government from invading every speedy of our lives and so growing complacent with letting these cops do whatever they want then getting away with it. Do your research and you’ll see the bigger picture rather than sitting there just being racist and saying of its OK, There a different color than I am. Racist bitches. That’s not what this is about. Look at Ferguson miss. Look at NYC. The police state is here and your rights are give. Let’s stick together and stop this $#%&!@* from happening to anybody in this one great country of ours that has officially turned to $#%&!@*.
Dru Polly, about 20 years ago I had a birthday party for my daughter and we made a little too much noise. Someone in the neighborhood called the police. I handled it quietly at the door. Later, when I figured out who ratted us out, I retaliated by damaging their personal property. They never bothered us again. Be nice to the police and go after the real problem (nosy neighbors) privately. If the neighbor had called me personally and asked me to tone it down, none of the above would have happened. Bring the police in, and I will find you out and punish you. Of course the kids thought it was the coolest thing that cops came to our party. No tasers or tear gas back then.
Police state USA. Its here folks,
Obamas infiltrators sent to make you not trust the police, is it working? His media teams are doing their part, get to know your local police force and fire the guy that hired these thugs.
More c**p.
it is extremely fun to live in a neighborhood with people who do not believe the laws pertain to them. this party affected at least 5 other homes. the cops were cool to not come out again until twelve o’clock. had the man signed the paper he would have paid a fine yet he chose to be an idiot and affect his entire family with violence. i see nothing the cops did wrong.