BoingBoing reader Kim in Houston, Texas says,
Last Friday night, a small music venue here in Houston (Walter's) was in the middle of a show when a cop walked in on a noise disturbance call (not unusual for Walters), and instead of talking with the management to turn down the music or shut down the show, walked straight up to the stage to tell the band to shut down. The band had no idea what was going on and asked why, at which time the cop tried to grab one of the musicians' guitar, and then slammed the musician to the ground… of course from that point on melee ensued, with at least three people being tasered by this cop, and several people being arrested. One of the kids tasered was a 14 year old kid who was there with his parents! One account states that the boy's father was also tasered.
Several accounts have published online: Link, video, more video, and another.
Local news reports have been almost exclusively based on the police reports, and say the cop was "attacked" by the band and audience and that he did the right thing. However the videos and first person accounts show something completely different.
THIS IS NOT OK. Cops cannot be allowed to just do whatever they want however they want (in this case almost instigating a riot), and that TASERS SHOULD ONLY BE USED IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE COP WOULD HAVE USED HIS GUN. Not just as a convenience. Just last week Houston cops killed a man using their tasers, and again, the question has to be asked, was that a situation where they would have previously used a gun? I would have hoped not.
Looks like metblogs in Houston has been covering this as well: Link.
Reader comments: Kim says,
Just a quick update. The city is having a public hearing on the Houston police officer vs. the band & audience incident today.
"Anyone interested in speaking at city
council open session to address the police brutality that happened at Walter's last weekend needs to call 713 247 1840 and have 3 minutes set aside. It will be at 1:30pm . Please mention officer Gabriel Rodriguez's name and make strong note of the fact that he was chasing people with a taser which makes evident he was not threatened but rather being an aggressor."COUNCIL CHAMBER – SECOND FLOOR – CITY
HALL
901 BAGBY – HOUSTON, TEXAS
Christina says,
Link to another account, complete with multiple videos and photographs of the injustice of the HPD responding to a "noise violation."
Kim says:
I attended the public hearing yesterday, however there were somthing like 260 people signed up to speak to the City Council that day, the majority of which were there regarding the upcoming vote on a smoking ban. It was three hours or so before they got to the speakers regarding the incident at Walter's.
I had to leave before that, but if I remember correctly, between 8 and 10 people had signed up to speak, and when it was time to speak, I was told about 5 of the people signed up were still there. But I'm still impressed that people came out to speak.
A friend was watching the hearing online, and said that the Council actually seemed concerned with what the speakers were telling them. And he said that one of the council members who usually sides with the HPD looked very worried and concerned for speakers.
Thank you to those who stayed for speaking out!!
There is also an article on Pitchfork where the band playing (Two Gallants) speak out about what happened.
And there's a a new article in the Houston Chronicle regarding how this incident could hurt our music scene.
