Community outraged by Houston Police Department hire of abusive cop Deven Ortiz

By Aswad Walker
Defender
https://defendernetwork.com/

Activists from multiple organizations united recently in front of Houston City Hall, demanding the removal of a recent Houston Police Department (HPD) hire.

The officer, Deven Ortiz, worked as a detention officer at the Harris County Jail for 25 months. In that short span, Ortiz was the subject of “multiple Internal Affairs investigations.” The Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s disciplinary board recommended termination.

Before a move was made to terminate Ortiz, he resigned in April 2024. That same month, Ortiz entered the Houston Police Academy and graduated as a probationary officer in November.

DISTURBING VIDEO

Recently, a video from inside the jail of one of those incidents came to light. It showed Ortiz pushing a handcuffed female inmate into the wall, slamming her to the ground face-first, then yanking her off the ground and slamming her back into the floor again. According to the sheriff’s office, that particular event occurred on Jan. 17, 2024, while Ortiz was escorting the inmate to court.

Tammie Lang Campbell, founder and executive director of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, and others question why an individual with such a background was even considered a viable candidate by HPD.

“Houston is in a crisis of trust and denied justice,” said Campbell. “Too many law enforcement officers sworn to protect and serve are breaking the law themselves. Yet, their badges shield them from accountability, leaving our communities betrayed and broken.

“The case of Deven Ortiz shows us what happens when bad officers are shuffled from one agency to another. It’s a dangerous cycle that erodes trust and threatens public safety,” added Campbell.

“As you look at the video and see how egregious this person is in their actions, also notice that nobody who was around him, his co-workers, tried to stop him,” said Cynthia Cole, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1550.

Activists are also curious to see how HPD leadership and Mayor John Whitmire, who ran a “tough on crime” mayoral campaign, respond to their calls for Ortiz’s termination.

CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

“Today, we call on Mayor Whitmire, Sheriff Gonzalez, and Police Chief Diaz to prioritize transparency and accountability. We need full disclosure of officer misconduct, independent oversight by a civilian review board, and ethical leadership that demands the highest standards from law enforcement,” she stated.

When seeking a statement from HPD, the Defender was directed to HPD’s X account for a post made in December. It stated the following:

“The Houston Police Department was recently made aware of a video showing a use of force incident involving a detention officer at the Joint Processing Center in January 2024. The former detention officer involved entered the Houston police academy in April and graduated in November. That person is currently employed at the Houston Police Department as a Probationary Police Officer. An investigation has been initiated to determine the circumstances of the event and what information was disclosed by the employee in relation to this incident at the time of his application. At this time, he has been assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation.”

A representative of Mayor John Whitmire referred the Defender to HPD’s Public Information Officer but did not provide a statement by press time. The representative added that Whitmire expects all departments to operate with accountability and transparency and that HPD is looking into the concern.

Campbell was joined in front of City Hall’s Reflection Pool by Randall Kallinen (Civil Rights Lawyer, National Lawyers Guild Houston Chapter), Nicholas Little (NAACP Houston Branch, Criminal Justice Committee chairman), Jacilet Griffin (mother of a son killed in HCJ and founder Justice for Evan Custody to Casket); Cole (AFSCME Local 1550) and Hai Bui (member, We the People Organize).

The activists were joined by two former law enforcement officers: Kathy Swilley, representing Cops Holding Cops Accountable and Jeff Reese, who is a retired Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) employee with 26 years of experience.

“It’s appalling because we have the Harris County Jail where a whole bunch of evidence has come out, where there’s a whole bunch of unjustified violence going on by the guards against inmates resulting in death even,” said Kallinen. “So, an individual from the Harris County Jail who’s on video slamming a small woman who’s handcuffed onto the floor is troubling because then that individual is going from the Harris County Jail out onto the streets where they could do it to anybody. A person who has shown that propensity for violence should not be on the Houston Police Department or any police department.”