HOUSTON -- Almost two years after an unarmed man was shot to death by an off-duty police officer outside a strip mall, community activists gathered outside Houston police headquarters calling upon authorities to release a video connected with the shooting.
Jordan Baker, 26, was killed in January 2014 after an encounter with a 10-year veteran HPD officer named Juventino Castro, who was working a moonlight security jog in the 5700 block of West Little York near Antoine.
When the officer tried to stop Baker in the shopping strip parking lot, police said, Baker scuffled with Castro, ran away then turned around reached into his waistband.
Baker died of a single gunshot wound. A grand jury later decided against indicting the officer, triggering protests outside the criminal courthouse.
Community activists said they only recently learned about a video showing at least some of what happened between Baker and the officer who shot him.
"We believe that there's something in that video that they're hiding that they don't want the public to see," said Deric Muhammad, a community activist who's been working with the victim's family. "So we're demanding that that video be released immediately so that the public can see what really happened."
Muhammad said the public has heard only the side of the story offered by police.
"In that video could be Jordan Baker's voice," Muhammad said. "In that video could be those missing components of the truth that we know nothing about. So we want to say release the video, release the truth."
HPD released a statement pointing out that a grand jury had reviewed the case and that an administrative investigation determined the officer complied with the department's policies and the law. HPD said it would not release any evidence because Baker's estate has filed a lawsuit against the city government.
"Due to possible civil litigation, and on the advice of the city attorney, HPD will not release any evidence regarding this case at this time as permitted by the Texas Government Code," the statement said.
Critics who gathered outside HPD headquarters claimed that's just an excuse, pointing out that many other departments have released videos of controversial cases regardless of the threat of legal action.
"If you release the video, at the very best you will give Houstonians – especially black Houstonians – the best Christmas present ever," said E. A. Deckard, pastor of the Green Light International Church. "We can restore our faith that the system works."
