No Indictment, No Justice for Houston Police Officer Who Shot Jordan Baker

[TexasTowelie]

Jordan Baker, a young black man, a father, a son, a partner, a Houstonian, was walking through the parking lot of a mall on January 16. He was stopped by an off-duty cop who was working security because he looked “suspicious.” He was unarmed. He was shot and killed.

And now, the killing of Jordan Baker is one of nearly 300 instances in which Houston grand juries have let officers walk in an instance of excessive use of force. This afternoon, a Harris County grand jury cleared HPD officer Juventino Castro, the man who killed Baker.

In the days, weeks, and months leading up to the announcement, Houston activists have demanded justice for Baker’s death in the form of a trial—what would be the first trial for a police officer using excessive force in ten years. This Sunday, a group of activists along with Jordan Baker’s family and friends gathered in the parking lot where he was killed to pray for the grand jury to give Officer Castro a trial.

According to Castro, Baker looked “suspicious” because he was wearing a black hoodie. Castro said that “a brief struggle and foot chase ensued.” Although Baker was allegedly running away, at one point, he—according to the cop who killed him—stopped and decided to charge the officer while reaching into his waistband (again, Baker was unarmed). That’s when Castro killed him.

Read more: http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/29039/breaking-indictment-justice-houston-police-officer-shot-jordan-baker

[Turbineguy]

1. We really need schooling on how to deal with the police.

We need to learn how to behave like professional criminals. They know what to do. They know they are dealing with somebody who is armed, afraid and may be ginned up on power.

[Gothmog]

2. This is wrong

I intend to attend one of the protests over this verdict