City Councilman reacts to firing of four Houston police officers
HOUSTON - "This is a matter of judgment and if that fearful with 28 officers and a man that's been wounded already, I don't need them as a police officer. Do you want me to bring them back so they can do it to someone else? I don't think so," said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.
In the video, you hear the four officers speaking calmly speaking to 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez.
Houston Police Chief, Houston Mayor news conference following firing of four HPD police officers **WARNING - EXPLICIT CONTENT**
Full video of the news conference held by Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner following the firing of four Houston Police Department officers. **WARNING - EXPLICIT CONTENT**
They ask him repeatedly to get on the ground and drop what appears to be a knife in his hand.
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But as far as Acevedo is concerned, firing at least 21 rounds at a man having a mental crisis was not justified.
"If officers around the country see that use of deadly force as justified, don't come here," said Acevedo. "Because as long as I'm the police chief, under similar circumstances, you're going to be indefinitely suspended. Don't come here, this is not the place for you."
"No policeman anywhere wants to shoot their gun at anybody," said Mike Knox, Houston City Councilman At-Large Position 1, who was a Houston Police Officer for more than 15 years.
"Whether you've been shot once, 21 times, or whatever, if the use of force is authorized on the first bullet, it's authorized on the last bullet. They followed the law, they followed policies as far as I can see and now they've been fired."
RELATED: Family of Nicolas Chavez say firing of police officers is a step in the right direction
The four filed officers can appeal their terminations through the Civil Service Commission.
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They are also facing a criminal investigation.
Houston District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement, "I met with the mother, father, and wife of Nicolas Chavez to listen to their concerns and personally assure them that our Civil Rights Division prosecutors will conduct a thorough, independent review of all the evidence in his death. Once we complete our review, we will present the case directly to a grand jury. That grand jury will determine whether the Houston Police officers who shot Nicolas Chavez were justified or whether they committed a crime."