Officer @ Ben Taub
- Thread starter SCPD
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red8
Member
I was shocked and appalled to find out tonight when I was watching the Factor with Bill O'Reilly to find out that the Houston225Texas said:
Police and the Mayor said that they don't enforce the immigration
laws. This kind of stuff is hard to believe. Police officers are to
enforce all laws not just pick and choose. I think the people ought
to recall the Mayor and the Police Chief. I am unable to do so because I am not a registered voter of Harris County nor do I
reside in the State of Texas. Bill went on to say that the man
involved in the shooting of the Police Officer was an illegal and had been released on parole for child molestation and deported. What in
the hell is this man doing back in this country? I am more than
shocked .
Why don't Houston Area local law enforcement enforce Immigration Laws?
Here's a brief history. Please pay close attention to the $$$$$$ factor:
A couple of decades ago, it was decided by the HPD Chief to not pursue immigration status when making contact with individuals from foreign countries, especially from those where Spanish is the common language. He took a lot of "heat" for this decision, but it was the correct one for the time. To question the immigrants' status would cause both witnesses and victims of violent crimes to continue to be victimized since they would either disappear and move to another town or stay and continue to be victimized. Either way, the complaintants (if alive) and witnesses would not be available for trial. One result of this decision was the formation of the Chicano Squad that worked the Spanish-speaking areas and investigated the crimes that occurred in these communities. It has been very effective in lowering the crime rate in those areas. The only people that had to worry about their immigration status being questioned were the criminals.
To compound the problem with area PDs not enforcing the immigration laws an incident occurred in 1994 when the City of Katy PD assisted the INS in an immigration roundup. A federal lawsuit was filed, and the City of Katy (presumably) had to pay a lot of bucks to the
plaintiffs .
First couple of paragraphs:
"'Katy police harassed Hispanics, groups say'
By JO ANN ZUNIGA
Staff
Katy police illegally harassed Hispanics by requesting immigration documents without any indication they were in the country illegally, civil rights advocates claimed Wednesday.
The harassment allegedly came during a May 18 crackdown on illegal immigrants by federal officials and Katy police, a sweep that has triggered an investigation by the League of United Latin American Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union, the
American Friends Service Committee and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights...").
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1994_1204027
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1994_1204266
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1994_1215157
Settlement:
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1997_1396384
"Settlement OK'd in raid suits/Hispanics expect `civilized treatment' 022297
By TERRY KLIEWER
Staff
A federal judge Friday approved a settlement to end lawsuits brought by 12
Hispanics angry about how Katy police and federal officers handled an
immigration raid.
Representatives and associates of the plaintiffs said they expect the
agreement to help change police attitudes toward Hispanic immigrants and,
at the same time, improve immigrants' views of local officers.
The settlement of the two lawsuits, which stemmed from a 1994 raid in
Katy, was approved by U.S. District Court Judge Melinda Harmon in Houston..."
So, it seems that local law enforcement is a bit "gun-shy" about becoming involved with the INS, unless it is clearly a round-up of criminally wanted aliens. Illegals are arrested, but after probable cause for another crime has been observed, or the subject has an active warrant for his/her arrest. Plus, the INS has agents located at the county jail to check the immigration status of those being brought into the booking area.
Hope this helps unmuddy some of the confusion of the politics that no one wishes to admit exists or research the underlying reasons for the hesitancy (is this a word?) of the local PDs.
<Rant Mode on> Apparently, not even the Komikle reporters go into the newspaper's archives, and I know the reporters can access more records than we mere subscribers. <Rant mode off>
Here's a brief history. Please pay close attention to the $$$$$$ factor:
A couple of decades ago, it was decided by the HPD Chief to not pursue immigration status when making contact with individuals from foreign countries, especially from those where Spanish is the common language. He took a lot of "heat" for this decision, but it was the correct one for the time. To question the immigrants' status would cause both witnesses and victims of violent crimes to continue to be victimized since they would either disappear and move to another town or stay and continue to be victimized. Either way, the complaintants (if alive) and witnesses would not be available for trial. One result of this decision was the formation of the Chicano Squad that worked the Spanish-speaking areas and investigated the crimes that occurred in these communities. It has been very effective in lowering the crime rate in those areas. The only people that had to worry about their immigration status being questioned were the criminals.
To compound the problem with area PDs not enforcing the immigration laws an incident occurred in 1994 when the City of Katy PD assisted the INS in an immigration roundup. A federal lawsuit was filed, and the City of Katy (presumably) had to pay a lot of bucks to the
plaintiffs .
First couple of paragraphs:
"'Katy police harassed Hispanics, groups say'
By JO ANN ZUNIGA
Staff
Katy police illegally harassed Hispanics by requesting immigration documents without any indication they were in the country illegally, civil rights advocates claimed Wednesday.
The harassment allegedly came during a May 18 crackdown on illegal immigrants by federal officials and Katy police, a sweep that has triggered an investigation by the League of United Latin American Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union, the
American Friends Service Committee and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights...").
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1994_1204027
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1994_1204266
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1994_1215157
Settlement:
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1997_1396384
"Settlement OK'd in raid suits/Hispanics expect `civilized treatment' 022297
By TERRY KLIEWER
Staff
A federal judge Friday approved a settlement to end lawsuits brought by 12
Hispanics angry about how Katy police and federal officers handled an
immigration raid.
Representatives and associates of the plaintiffs said they expect the
agreement to help change police attitudes toward Hispanic immigrants and,
at the same time, improve immigrants' views of local officers.
The settlement of the two lawsuits, which stemmed from a 1994 raid in
Katy, was approved by U.S. District Court Judge Melinda Harmon in Houston..."
So, it seems that local law enforcement is a bit "gun-shy" about becoming involved with the INS, unless it is clearly a round-up of criminally wanted aliens. Illegals are arrested, but after probable cause for another crime has been observed, or the subject has an active warrant for his/her arrest. Plus, the INS has agents located at the county jail to check the immigration status of those being brought into the booking area.
Hope this helps unmuddy some of the confusion of the politics that no one wishes to admit exists or research the underlying reasons for the hesitancy (is this a word?) of the local PDs.
<Rant Mode on> Apparently, not even the Komikle reporters go into the newspaper's archives, and I know the reporters can access more records than we mere subscribers. <Rant mode off>
wpwx694
Member
Slain HPD officer will be laid to rest today
Slain HPD officer will be laid to rest today
07:38 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
By Reggie Aqui / 11 News
Click to watch video
Slain HPD Officer Rodney Johnson will be laid to rest Wednesday morning.
HPD
HPD Officer Rodney Johnson was killed in the line of duty Thursday.
He was murdered Thursday in the line of duty.
Also online
Video : Suspect charged | HPD mourns | Death began with a traffic stop | Investigation | Suspect's common law wife | Wrecker driver first on scene | Jailhouse interview | Interviews with officer's family: Wife | Son | Daughter
Official criminal complaint
HPD officers killed in line of duty
Donations pour in to officer's family
HPD: Suspect gives confession
Family remembers man so many loved
The Houston Police Officers' Memorial
100 Club
Assist the Officer
Send your condolences | View others
The funeral is set for 10 a.m. at Grace Community Church.
The sanctuary will be filled with men and women wearing their blue uniforms, some with black tape covering up their badges.
On Tuesday, several radio stations stood in the streets of the Galleria area, taking donations for the 100 Club.
A visitation was held at the church, which has 4,000 seats.
Houston police think they might need all of those seats. On Tuesday, residents who lived in the southeast Houston area went to the visitation to pay tribute to man they may not have known, but they'd seen.
The man accused of Officer Johnson's capital murder, Juan Leonardo Quintero, remains in jail without bond.
Return to KHOU.com at 10 a.m. for a live stream of the services.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060927_ac_hpdfuneral.1fa181f4.html
Slain HPD officer will be laid to rest today
07:38 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
By Reggie Aqui / 11 News
Click to watch video
Slain HPD Officer Rodney Johnson will be laid to rest Wednesday morning.
HPD
HPD Officer Rodney Johnson was killed in the line of duty Thursday.
He was murdered Thursday in the line of duty.
Also online
Video : Suspect charged | HPD mourns | Death began with a traffic stop | Investigation | Suspect's common law wife | Wrecker driver first on scene | Jailhouse interview | Interviews with officer's family: Wife | Son | Daughter
Official criminal complaint
HPD officers killed in line of duty
Donations pour in to officer's family
HPD: Suspect gives confession
Family remembers man so many loved
The Houston Police Officers' Memorial
100 Club
Assist the Officer
Send your condolences | View others
The funeral is set for 10 a.m. at Grace Community Church.
The sanctuary will be filled with men and women wearing their blue uniforms, some with black tape covering up their badges.
On Tuesday, several radio stations stood in the streets of the Galleria area, taking donations for the 100 Club.
A visitation was held at the church, which has 4,000 seats.
Houston police think they might need all of those seats. On Tuesday, residents who lived in the southeast Houston area went to the visitation to pay tribute to man they may not have known, but they'd seen.
The man accused of Officer Johnson's capital murder, Juan Leonardo Quintero, remains in jail without bond.
Return to KHOU.com at 10 a.m. for a live stream of the services.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060927_ac_hpdfuneral.1fa181f4.html
wpwx694
Member
Slain HPD officer to be laid to rest today
Slain HPD officer to be laid to rest today
(9/27/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - A beloved Houston police officer will get a hero's goodbye today. Officer Rodney Johnson, who was killed in the line of duty last week, will be laid to rest with full honors.
Officer Johnson's funeral will get underway at 10am at Grace Community Church on the Gulf Freeway.
Johnson was allegedly shot Thursday by Juan Leonardo Quintero after a traffic stop near Hobby Airport. Quintero was handcuffed and in the backseat of Johnson's police cruiser when police say he managed to get a gun hidden in his waistband and shot Johnson numerous times in the face and back of his head.
Tuesday night, family, friends and even strangers honored Officer Johnson at a visitation. Fellow officers carried his flag-draped casket into Grace Community Church.
Johnson was 40 years old. He left behind a wife, who is also an HPD officer, and five children.
You can expect major delays on I-45 north-bound because of Officer Johnson's funeral procession. Around lunch time, the motorcade will travel from the church on the Gulf Freeway all the way up 45 to the burial site. That's at Resthaven Cemetery just off the North Freeway.
The delays will affect northbound traffic between Scarsdale and Kuykendahl around noon, depending on how long the 10am funeral service lasts.
All Houstonians are asked to drive with your headlights on today, in honor of Officer Johnson and his family.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)
Slain HPD officer to be laid to rest today
(9/27/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - A beloved Houston police officer will get a hero's goodbye today. Officer Rodney Johnson, who was killed in the line of duty last week, will be laid to rest with full honors.
Officer Johnson's funeral will get underway at 10am at Grace Community Church on the Gulf Freeway.
Johnson was allegedly shot Thursday by Juan Leonardo Quintero after a traffic stop near Hobby Airport. Quintero was handcuffed and in the backseat of Johnson's police cruiser when police say he managed to get a gun hidden in his waistband and shot Johnson numerous times in the face and back of his head.
Tuesday night, family, friends and even strangers honored Officer Johnson at a visitation. Fellow officers carried his flag-draped casket into Grace Community Church.
Johnson was 40 years old. He left behind a wife, who is also an HPD officer, and five children.
You can expect major delays on I-45 north-bound because of Officer Johnson's funeral procession. Around lunch time, the motorcade will travel from the church on the Gulf Freeway all the way up 45 to the burial site. That's at Resthaven Cemetery just off the North Freeway.
The delays will affect northbound traffic between Scarsdale and Kuykendahl around noon, depending on how long the 10am funeral service lasts.
All Houstonians are asked to drive with your headlights on today, in honor of Officer Johnson and his family.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)
wpwx694
Member
Thousands say goodbye to slain officer
Thousands say goodbye to slain officer
HPD officer killed in line of duty laid to rest
By Laura Whitley
(9/27/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Family, friends, and thousands of men and women in blue gathered to say their final farewells to slain Houston police officer Rodney Johnson. Grace Community Church in southeast Houston was filled to capacity with mourners, many of whom were fellow officers who came to honor one of their own. They protect and enforce our laws. But on Wednesday, they stood together and mourned.
"It's tough. It's tough," said HPD Officer Lonny Truman. "I lost a good officer."
More than 4,000 packed the church. His wife, Jocelyn, his five children, and other family members filled the first row.
One by one, personal remarks written by each of Johnson's children were read aloud.
"There's nothing like a father's love, none like the one down on earth or one up above in heaven," read Officer Selvyn Ellis during the funeral.
Close friends remember the 40-year-old's contagious sense of humor.
"I could almost hear him saying, 'Hey, I've got some of you in church today and it's not even Easter or Christmas,'" said one of Johnson's fellow officers during the service.
The Reverend William Lawson, who knew Johnson's parents before he was born, delivered the eulogy.
"He was an ordinary man in blue, and yet we think of him now as something fairly close to a saint," said Reverend Lawson.
Officer Johnson was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant. Reverend Lawson spoke of the renewed immigration debate that Johnson's death sparked.
"I would caution you right now to recognize what a difficult time this is for Officer Jocelyn Johnson, for these children, for this family," said Reverend Lawson. "They're not interested in all these political issues."
What did concern Johnson's family and friends was saying goodbye.
Officers from HPD and neighboring communities attended the service, along with lawmen from as far away as New York City.
As the funeral procession passed up the Gulf Freeway, there were more police officers, firefighters, and even civilians standing along the route, taking a moment to pay their final respects to Officer Johnson.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to help the families of fallen officers and firefighters you can make a donation to the 100 Club. The group donates a $10,000 check to cover immediate expenses.
Click Here to make donations to the 100 Club.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)
ABC13 News Team
Laura Whitley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standing tall along I-45 to honor slain Officer Rodney Johnson
05:21 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
By Karla Barguiarena / 11 News
Click to watch video
Thousands came early Wednesday to find a seat inside the church.
Others like Scott and Nancy Coyle chose a different kind of seat.
“We decided to come, park right here to pay our respects this way,” said Scott Coyle.
The Coyle family was friends of Officer Johnson.
“Always a smile, always talking, laughing joking he didn’t deserve this,” said Nancy Coyle.
They wanted to say goodbye one last time and they did it from the best place they knew how, the freeway.
“We are out of the family’s way plus all the officers that deserve to be in the church,” said Scott Coyle.
Also online
Salutes, waves and prayers
But even some who deserved to be in the church preferred the view from the freeway’s shoulder.
“Rodney was a friend fellow officer that we work with,” said Frank Granadas.
Granadas was the first tow truck driver to respond to Officer Johnson’s call the day of the shooting. “It was just something I really don’t want to see again, it was a bad scene.”
Still in shock, Granadas couldn’t bring himself to go in.
So he remembered his friend from the road and dozens of others joined him.
“I just decided to stop out of respect,” said one man.
KHOU - TV
People holding hands as funeral procession of Officer Rodney Johnson drives by
Most out here didn’t even know Officer Johnson or the other drivers that pulled over.
But none of that mattered.
Once they got here the united to remember a man they said can never be forgotten.”
In circles they prayed and stood silent as the processional began moving.
It was a sight they will never forget.
“This is beautiful, fantastic, it really is,” said Granadas.
Something others across town couldn’t miss.
All agreed it was the least they can do to pay tribute to a fallen hero.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060927_jj_funeralsidebar.218ee66c.html
Thousands say goodbye to slain officer
HPD officer killed in line of duty laid to rest
By Laura Whitley
(9/27/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Family, friends, and thousands of men and women in blue gathered to say their final farewells to slain Houston police officer Rodney Johnson. Grace Community Church in southeast Houston was filled to capacity with mourners, many of whom were fellow officers who came to honor one of their own. They protect and enforce our laws. But on Wednesday, they stood together and mourned.
"It's tough. It's tough," said HPD Officer Lonny Truman. "I lost a good officer."
More than 4,000 packed the church. His wife, Jocelyn, his five children, and other family members filled the first row.
One by one, personal remarks written by each of Johnson's children were read aloud.
"There's nothing like a father's love, none like the one down on earth or one up above in heaven," read Officer Selvyn Ellis during the funeral.
Close friends remember the 40-year-old's contagious sense of humor.
"I could almost hear him saying, 'Hey, I've got some of you in church today and it's not even Easter or Christmas,'" said one of Johnson's fellow officers during the service.
The Reverend William Lawson, who knew Johnson's parents before he was born, delivered the eulogy.
"He was an ordinary man in blue, and yet we think of him now as something fairly close to a saint," said Reverend Lawson.
Officer Johnson was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant. Reverend Lawson spoke of the renewed immigration debate that Johnson's death sparked.
"I would caution you right now to recognize what a difficult time this is for Officer Jocelyn Johnson, for these children, for this family," said Reverend Lawson. "They're not interested in all these political issues."
What did concern Johnson's family and friends was saying goodbye.
Officers from HPD and neighboring communities attended the service, along with lawmen from as far away as New York City.
As the funeral procession passed up the Gulf Freeway, there were more police officers, firefighters, and even civilians standing along the route, taking a moment to pay their final respects to Officer Johnson.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to help the families of fallen officers and firefighters you can make a donation to the 100 Club. The group donates a $10,000 check to cover immediate expenses.
Click Here to make donations to the 100 Club.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)
ABC13 News Team
Laura Whitley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standing tall along I-45 to honor slain Officer Rodney Johnson
05:21 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
By Karla Barguiarena / 11 News
Click to watch video
Thousands came early Wednesday to find a seat inside the church.
Others like Scott and Nancy Coyle chose a different kind of seat.
“We decided to come, park right here to pay our respects this way,” said Scott Coyle.
The Coyle family was friends of Officer Johnson.
“Always a smile, always talking, laughing joking he didn’t deserve this,” said Nancy Coyle.
They wanted to say goodbye one last time and they did it from the best place they knew how, the freeway.
“We are out of the family’s way plus all the officers that deserve to be in the church,” said Scott Coyle.
Also online
Salutes, waves and prayers
But even some who deserved to be in the church preferred the view from the freeway’s shoulder.
“Rodney was a friend fellow officer that we work with,” said Frank Granadas.
Granadas was the first tow truck driver to respond to Officer Johnson’s call the day of the shooting. “It was just something I really don’t want to see again, it was a bad scene.”
Still in shock, Granadas couldn’t bring himself to go in.
So he remembered his friend from the road and dozens of others joined him.
“I just decided to stop out of respect,” said one man.
KHOU - TV
People holding hands as funeral procession of Officer Rodney Johnson drives by
Most out here didn’t even know Officer Johnson or the other drivers that pulled over.
But none of that mattered.
Once they got here the united to remember a man they said can never be forgotten.”
In circles they prayed and stood silent as the processional began moving.
It was a sight they will never forget.
“This is beautiful, fantastic, it really is,” said Granadas.
Something others across town couldn’t miss.
All agreed it was the least they can do to pay tribute to a fallen hero.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060927_jj_funeralsidebar.218ee66c.html
wpwx694
Member
Thousands mourn slain HPD officer at funeral
Thousands mourn slain HPD officer at funeral
06:18 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
From 11 News Staff Reports
Click to watch video
Thousands of mourners packed a southeast Houston church Wednesday morning to honor HPD Officer Rodney Johnson.
KHOU
The 40-year-old HPD veteran was gunned down Thursday in the line of duty.
Fellow officers rotated shifts throughout the night and into Wednesday morning to stand beside the fallen officer's casket.
"He loved what he did," said HPD Chief Harold Hurtt. "Rodney loved his family, they loved him and we loved Rodney."
Thousands of law enforcement officers from agencies in Houston and around the state streamed into Grace Community Church.
"Thank you for protecting us," a tearful Desiree Osborne told many passing officers, hugging some of them.
She didn't know Officer Johnson. She just wanted to show her appreciation to those he left behind.
Also online
Funeral videos : Musical tribute to Officer Johnson | Reggie Aqui's 11 News report | Officer Johnson's sister | Childhood friend | Letters from children |Funeral procession | Interviews with officer's family: Wife | Son | Daughter
Slideshows: Memorial service | Funeral procession
Official criminal complaint
Thousands mourn fallen officer
Couple pays tribute with I-45 salute
Interview with suspected cop killer
Family remembers man so many loved
The Houston Police Officers' Memorial
100 Club
Assist the Officer
Send your condolences | View others
"He must have been a special person to have everybody like this show up," she said.
The funeral began with a musical video showing photos of the officer with his wife, children, friends and co-workers.
The sanctuary was filled with a sea of blue -- thousands of officers in uniform, black tape covering their badges in memory of Johnson.
The southeast Houston church holds 4,000 but so many came that some had to be turned away.
"I'm gonna miss him, but I know he's with me every day," Susan Johnson, one of the officer's sisters, told the mourners. "I can't say enough about him. I wouldn't even know where to start and end."
She told Johnson's five children to take the support and love of the packed church with them to help carry them through the ordeal of losing their father.
"If you take anything from here today -- know that he was a great man, a great brother, a great father, a great son," she said. "He was big, had a big soul, a big heart."
A family friend read moving letters from Johnson's mother and children.
Then HPD Officer Selvin Ellis brought laughter with stories of Johnson's sense of humor. He met Johnson when they were small boys who lived on the same street.
"Most of you knew that Rodney was a probably one of the biggest jokesters that you could ever meet," he said. "And I could even hear him saying, 'Hey, I got some of you in church today and it's not even Easter or Christmas.'"
Ellis told the story of a barbecue he attended with Johnson and his "motorcycle gang."
"This was on Dixie Drive at the Dixie drive-in with Dixie flags flying about," laughed Ellis.
Ellis said he told Johnson a lot of the motorcycle club members looked like "good old boys" and maybe he should find himself another one.
"He told me "Don't worry about it, I got this covered. I'm not only in the gang but I'm their treasurer,'" remembered Ellis. "So he had all of their money."
KHOU
As the black hearse carrying the slain officer drove along I-45 to the cemetery, hundreds lined the freeway to pay their respects.
Signs of support were very visible.
Houston Firefighters parked their trucks along the interstate stood together at attention, saluting the hearse as it drove past them.
They were not the only ones.
Houstonians from all walks of life turned out to say goodbye in their own way.
Some saluted, others waved or just watched quietly.
Along the Fuqua overpass, a group joined hands as the slowly moving motorcade made its way to it’s final destination 30 miles away, Earthman Resthaven Cemetery.
A lone group of three Houstonians stand tall along I-45 and held up an American flag while saluting Johnson’s hearse and the succession of vehicles that followed.
Johnson was born in Houston, but graduated from high school in Oakland, California. He spent six years in the military and became a police officer in 1994.
Wife Joclyn, who is also an HPD officer, met her husband in the academy.
They married on Valentine’s Day in 2000 and renewed their vows on her birthday last year.
“He was so much fun,” she told 11 News last week. “He was so funny. He used to make me laugh. That’s what I loved about him the most. He made me laugh all the time.”
His fellow officers said that as an officer, he was a committed leader. As friend, they said, he was just as loyal.
“Every person in blue is shedding tears today because Rodney was one special guy,” said Lonnie Truman, his best friend.
In addition to his immediate family, Johnson is survived by his mom, a brother and two sisters.
The man accused of Officer Johnson's capital murder, Juan Leonardo Quintero, remains in jail without bond.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060927_ac_hpdfuneral.1fa181f4.html
Thousands mourn slain HPD officer at funeral
06:18 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
From 11 News Staff Reports
Click to watch video
Thousands of mourners packed a southeast Houston church Wednesday morning to honor HPD Officer Rodney Johnson.
KHOU
The 40-year-old HPD veteran was gunned down Thursday in the line of duty.
Fellow officers rotated shifts throughout the night and into Wednesday morning to stand beside the fallen officer's casket.
"He loved what he did," said HPD Chief Harold Hurtt. "Rodney loved his family, they loved him and we loved Rodney."
Thousands of law enforcement officers from agencies in Houston and around the state streamed into Grace Community Church.
"Thank you for protecting us," a tearful Desiree Osborne told many passing officers, hugging some of them.
She didn't know Officer Johnson. She just wanted to show her appreciation to those he left behind.
Also online
Funeral videos : Musical tribute to Officer Johnson | Reggie Aqui's 11 News report | Officer Johnson's sister | Childhood friend | Letters from children |Funeral procession | Interviews with officer's family: Wife | Son | Daughter
Slideshows: Memorial service | Funeral procession
Official criminal complaint
Thousands mourn fallen officer
Couple pays tribute with I-45 salute
Interview with suspected cop killer
Family remembers man so many loved
The Houston Police Officers' Memorial
100 Club
Assist the Officer
Send your condolences | View others
"He must have been a special person to have everybody like this show up," she said.
The funeral began with a musical video showing photos of the officer with his wife, children, friends and co-workers.
The sanctuary was filled with a sea of blue -- thousands of officers in uniform, black tape covering their badges in memory of Johnson.
The southeast Houston church holds 4,000 but so many came that some had to be turned away.
"I'm gonna miss him, but I know he's with me every day," Susan Johnson, one of the officer's sisters, told the mourners. "I can't say enough about him. I wouldn't even know where to start and end."
She told Johnson's five children to take the support and love of the packed church with them to help carry them through the ordeal of losing their father.
"If you take anything from here today -- know that he was a great man, a great brother, a great father, a great son," she said. "He was big, had a big soul, a big heart."
A family friend read moving letters from Johnson's mother and children.
Then HPD Officer Selvin Ellis brought laughter with stories of Johnson's sense of humor. He met Johnson when they were small boys who lived on the same street.
"Most of you knew that Rodney was a probably one of the biggest jokesters that you could ever meet," he said. "And I could even hear him saying, 'Hey, I got some of you in church today and it's not even Easter or Christmas.'"
Ellis told the story of a barbecue he attended with Johnson and his "motorcycle gang."
"This was on Dixie Drive at the Dixie drive-in with Dixie flags flying about," laughed Ellis.
Ellis said he told Johnson a lot of the motorcycle club members looked like "good old boys" and maybe he should find himself another one.
"He told me "Don't worry about it, I got this covered. I'm not only in the gang but I'm their treasurer,'" remembered Ellis. "So he had all of their money."
KHOU
As the black hearse carrying the slain officer drove along I-45 to the cemetery, hundreds lined the freeway to pay their respects.
Signs of support were very visible.
Houston Firefighters parked their trucks along the interstate stood together at attention, saluting the hearse as it drove past them.
They were not the only ones.
Houstonians from all walks of life turned out to say goodbye in their own way.
Some saluted, others waved or just watched quietly.
Along the Fuqua overpass, a group joined hands as the slowly moving motorcade made its way to it’s final destination 30 miles away, Earthman Resthaven Cemetery.
A lone group of three Houstonians stand tall along I-45 and held up an American flag while saluting Johnson’s hearse and the succession of vehicles that followed.
Johnson was born in Houston, but graduated from high school in Oakland, California. He spent six years in the military and became a police officer in 1994.
Wife Joclyn, who is also an HPD officer, met her husband in the academy.
They married on Valentine’s Day in 2000 and renewed their vows on her birthday last year.
“He was so much fun,” she told 11 News last week. “He was so funny. He used to make me laugh. That’s what I loved about him the most. He made me laugh all the time.”
His fellow officers said that as an officer, he was a committed leader. As friend, they said, he was just as loyal.
“Every person in blue is shedding tears today because Rodney was one special guy,” said Lonnie Truman, his best friend.
In addition to his immediate family, Johnson is survived by his mom, a brother and two sisters.
The man accused of Officer Johnson's capital murder, Juan Leonardo Quintero, remains in jail without bond.
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Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060927_ac_hpdfuneral.1fa181f4.html
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