Galveston Police Officers Suspended

As reported in a March 18, 2009 Chron.com posting, nine (9) Galveston police officers were suspended without pay and four (4) received written reprimands for involvement in a wedding fracas in which thirteen (13) guests were arrested, including Houston Astros pitcher Brandon Backe.  See, Rice, Harvey, “9 Galveston Police Suspended Over Backe Arrest,” http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6320046.html , 3/18/09.  Although guests complained about police abuse and violence during the October 5th incident, the article states that the Police Chief said no formal complaints were lodged against any officers, and, according to the article, the officers were disciplined for failing to properly document the incident.  The article further quotes a statement issued by the Police Chief which said that “no officer was found to have violated any departmental policies related to any arrest or any use of force.”  However, Chron.com reported in the article that police and wedding guests’ versions of events conflicted, with policie alleging that guests were unruly, fighting and interfering with officers and guests contending there was no fighting and that Backe and others suffered unprovoked attacks as thirty (30) officers swarmed into the Galveston wedding party.  In this regard, Chron.com reported that a video from the party allegedly showed officers using a Taser on an apparently unresisting father of the bride.  According to the article, investigators blamed the incident on a 19-yar-old they accused of resisting officers when they tried to arrest him for underage drinking.  Police reportedly charged Backe nad other arrested guests with resisting arrest.

Whether alleged police officer misconduct, police abuse or excessive force by law enforcement occurs in Galveston or elsewhere, victims may consider making formal complaints to the proper police department and consult an attorney to determine if a police misconduct lawsuit may ulitmately be appropriate under the particular facts and circumstances of the potential claim.