Houston officer involved in multiple shootings faces scrutiny, activists call for investigation
HOUSTON - Community activists are calling for an investigation into a Houston police officer. The activists claim, David Inocencio, an officer for the Houston Police Department's North Belt Crime Suppression Team, used excessive force to kill a man in March.
Body camera footage from the Houston Police Department shows the moment officers shot 44-year-old Roosevelt Overton last month. Overton was caught on camera robbing a liquor store and running from police before he was shot and killed.
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"The guy is running away from you, and he’s not pointing a gun at you, and you shoot him in the back," said Randall Kallinen, a community activist.
Officers can be heard telling Overton to drop what appears to be a weapon in his hand, before shooting him multiple times.
"As they open fire, they yell ‘drop the weapon.’ It’s kind of late because the bullets are already out of the gun before this man has even finished saying the words," said Jeff Reese of the Greater Coalition of Justice.
Now, civil rights activists are questioning an officer’s role in the shooting by highlighting his involvement in prior shootings.
"Devin Inocencio has only six years on the force, and he’s killed four people," said Kallinen.
Back in February 2022, published reports said officer David Inocencio was involved in the shooting that killed 27-year-old Charion Lockett. A release from HPD in August 2022 confirmed he was part of the team that shot and killed a 52-year-old man accused of kidnapping a woman. And in April of 2023, he was involved in the shooting death of 19-year-old Dontel Thompson.
"There needs to be better training by these individuals by the Houston Police Department," said Kallinen.
"Why can’t we, with our training, learn some other ways to resolve it without death?" said Reese.
The Houston Police Department said three of the prior shootings were investigated and found to be within policy. The most recent shooting remains under investigation. HPD is reminding viewers that the North Belt Crime Suppression Team deals with the most violent and dangerous offenders.