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Yearly Tomball Police inspection draws area officials

Tuesday, 05 March 2013 19:36

The Tomball Police Department held its annual inspection Feb. 27. The department's 47 sworn officers and 13 civilian officers all lined up for command staff, area officials and community leaders.

Every member of the Tomball Police department stood waiting outside their building Feb. 27, their badges glistening in the early morning sun.

They weren't preparing to respond to an emergency, rather they had gathered in preparation for the one time a year they could all be together – the annual inspection.

Inspecting them were the departments command staff of Chief Robert Hauck, Cpt. Rick Grassi, Cpt. Anthony Solomon and Cpt. Rickey Doerre, as well as other area law enforcement officials, business owners and community leaders.

"We do this for multiple reasons," Hauck said. First is the opportunity to show off the men and women of our department, the opportunity to allow us to get together with our public safety partners and members of the community and also the feeling of pride that all of us get being together as a whole, for this one time each year."

Hauck said that while the 47 sworn officers and 13 civilian employees were all together, the city received the help of the Harris County Pct. 4 and Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable Offices, as well as the Harris County Sheriff's Office in patrolling the city.

"We are very grateful for our partners help, it's what allows us to do this inspection each year," he said.

Meanwhile several other officials, including other law enforcement members, talked to the officers, some jokingly trying to hire them away to work for their agencies.

"We have applications with us," Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said to laughter. "Seriously though, this community is very lucky that it has such fine men and women of the Tomball Police Department and to have Chief Hauck as well."

Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Gage said he was grateful his agency has received help from the Tomball Police Department in the past.

"When you all come across that creek to help us, we are so appreciative," he said.

Montgomery County Pct. 5 Chief Deputy David Wood agreed.

"I also live in Tomball, so I have a good view to see what a good job you all do," he said.

Tomball Superintendent John Neubauer said the department's continued partnership with the school district has been a key for school safety.

"It has been a great partnership," he said. "The Tomball Police Department is great and I just want to thank you for all that you do."

Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist said that the key to the department's success is the character of the men and women within the organization.

"You all look handsome in those uniforms," Hillegeist said. "But under those uniforms are what's really important, you all have huge hearts and we are blessed to have you all here."

Published in Top News

Charges dropped against 1 in Texas campus shooting

Tuesday, 29 January 2013 18:39

HOUSTON (AP) — Prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against a 22-year-old man who authorities initially believed was involved in a shooting that wounded him and two others at a Houston-area community college.

Carlton Berry was arrested soon after the Jan. 22 shootings at Lone Star College and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. But authorities later accused another man, Trey Foster, 22, of being the shooter.

Foster has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and faces a charge of resisting arrest in an earlier case. He was arrested Friday in the Dallas suburb of Plano.

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia defended his agency's initial arrest of Berry, saying two of the victims initially indicated that Barry was the shooter. He also said Berry at first refused to talk to investigators, and it was only after he was charged that he pointed authorities to Foster.

"I support my investigators. I continue to support them," Garcia said. "I remain proud of their thoroughness and their relentless pursuit of the truth. They did what they were supposed to do."

Investigators say the shooting happened after 25-year-old Jody Neal bumped into Foster while Foster was walking with Berry. Foster and Neal argued but went their separate ways.

But when the two ran into each other 30 minutes later, they argued again and Foster fired at Neal, wounding him in the abdomen and leg. Berry also was shot and wounded, and a maintenance worker for the college, Bobby Cliburn, 55, was hit in the leg.

Authorities say at least 10 shots were fired, causing panic and a leading to a campus lockdown.

Berry's attorney, Robert A. Jones, said his client never should have been charged or jailed because the evidence showed he was a victim. Berry was shot in the left hip, which Jones said was an indication that Berry might have been facing away or running away from the shooter.

"He said that continually, whenever (authorities) talked to him, that he didn't do anything. But that wasn't enough. Then they started their investigation based upon his statement and they realized he didn't do anything," Jones said.

Prosecutor Alison Baimbridge said authorities dropped the charges in the interest of justice. She said that as with any investigation, the more witness interviews and evidence collecting that are done, authorities are "better able to determine who was where, what actually occurred."

Charges were formally dropped during a court hearing Monday, and Berry was later released from jail.

Foster made his initial court appearance Monday. He is being held on bonds totaling $100,000, and if he posts them, a judge ordered him subject to GPS monitoring and a curfew.

Quanell X, a community activist and a spokesman for Foster's family, said Foster told him Berry had nothing to do with the shooting. Berry and Foster apparently knew each other from school.

"It was inappropriate and wrong for Trey to have a pistol on campus," he said.

Quanell X said Foster legally bought the .40-caliber handgun authorities say was used in the shooting at a sporting goods store in Houston. Foster took a class for a concealed handgun license but had not completed the process to get a license, he said.

Garcia said investigators confirmed Foster bought the gun at the store, but noted there are questions about whether he should have been allowed to do so because of his criminal history.

Jess Myers, a spokesman for the sporting goods store, St. Paul, Minn.-based Gander Mountain, said the company couldn't provide firearms purchase records or comment on an ongoing investigation.

"Gander Mountain operates in strict compliance with all local, state and federal laws regarding firearms ownership and fully cooperates with law enforcement," Myers said in an email.

Quanell X said Foster bought the gun to defend himself after he was shot in the face a couple of years ago and had recently been receiving threats. He said Foster panicked during the shooting.

"He was very remorseful and sorry that innocent people got shot," he said.

Published in Local News