Pubdate: Wed, 21 Oct 1998
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Copyright: 1998 Houston Chronicle

OREGON CASE: MORE INVESTIGATION, MORE PUBLIC INFORMATION NEEDED

The decision by a Harris County grand jury to indict only one Houston police
officer on a misdemeanor trespass charge in the shooting death of Pedro
Oregon Navarro is disturbing -- not as a Latino issue, but as an issue that
should concern every citizen of Houston. The case deserves much closer
scrutiny and a public accounting that would benefit both the city and the
Houston Police Department.

Oregon, 22, died in a hail of police gunfire on July 12, when officers were
following up on a tip from an informant that drugs were being sold in his
southwest side apartment. The officers who entered the apartment were in a
gang task force in HPD's Southwest Patrol Division and had no search or
arrest warrants.

They have contended that Oregon pointed a gun at them. Police officials said
one officer fired his weapon, hitting another officer in his
bullet-resistant vest and knocking him to the floor. The officers apparently
thought that shot came from Oregon, and they fired about 30 rounds, 12 of
which hit Oregon. Nine struck him in the back, one in the back of the head,
one in back of the shoulder and one in the back of the hand.

No drugs were found in the apartment, and Oregon had not fired at police,
though his gun was found nearby. Oregon also had no drugs or alcohol in his
system and had no criminal record.

Those, to say the least, are questionable circumstances. The grand jury,
however, heard eight weeks of testimony in the case before deciding to
nobill all but one officer.

It's important to remember that the grand jury process was but one avenue of
approach to the case. Many are now properly calling for a federal
investigation. A federal probe should go forward. Also, an HPD internal
investigation is being conducted, according to officials, and the Oregon
family reportedly is filing a lawsuit in the case.

At some point, however, more details about the officers' motives and methods
will have to be made public -- whether in a courtroom or some other forum.

As investigations proceed, such information must be somewhat guarded. But
eventually there must be a public accounting concerning this troubling case,
which shakes the confidence of the citizenry in the rule of law as it
relates to the use of deadly force by police officers.

That's a deadly serious concern that touches everyone, not just Hispanic
Houstonians.

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Checked-by: Don Beck