Houston mayor calls for more funding for social services to take pressure off police officers
During a Houston policing roundtable organized by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, several local leaders emphasized the need for social services funding. Full Story
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![Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during the funeral for George Floyd at the Fountain of Praise church in Houston on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.]()
Credit: Godofredo A. Vasquez/Pool via REUTERS -
“It was an execution”: Nicolas Chavez was on his knees when Houston police killed him. His father wants answers.
The shooting has sparked more questions about use of force and what many experts call the failed promise of police body cameras. Full Story
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![Joaquín Chavez poses for a portrait at the memorial near the scene where his son, Nicolas Chavez, was killed by Houston police. June 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Starghill for NBC News and The Marshall Project -
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will keep his job despite calls for his removal, city says
City Manager Spencer Cronk said Manley assured him that he is committed to making reforms in the police department. City Council members had asked for Manley to resign. Full Story
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![Police chief Brian Manley speaks during a news conference in Austin on March 12, 2018.]()
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Texas cities took quick actions after George Floyd's death. Advocates doubt they'll have a big impact.
As protests erupted in major Texas cities, local officials announced policy changes to reform policing. Advocates doubt the quickly cast votes and signed orders will have a real effect. Full Story
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![Law enforcement personnel stand guard in front of the El Paso Police Department headquarters building as protesters gathered nearby during a protest over the death of George Floyd on May 31, 2020.]()
Credit: Joel Angel Juarez for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn faces outcry from Democrats after questioning idea of systemic racism
The two Democrats vying to replace him this fall say he doesn't understand the concept. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks at The American Legion Boys State ceremony on the south steps of the University of Texas at Austin tower on June 14, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
George Floyd killing energizes a new generation in fight against racism in East Texas
Young people with little experience in activism are propelling a series of protests in East Texas, a region known for its history of violence against black people. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march in Tyler to protest the death of George Floyd on Monday, June 1, 2020.]()
Credit: Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph -
Texas Legislative Black Caucus starts planning legislative responses to police brutality, racial inequality
Lawmakers took input from constituents during the first in a seres of virtual town halls scheduled this week. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus at a press conference supporting the CROWN Act in Houston on Feb. 6, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas prisons will accept county jail inmates again, three months after the coronavirus halted intake
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice halted intake from county jails in April as the coronavirus began rapidly spreading in state and local lockups. The virus is still pervasive within the prison system. Full Story
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![Telford prison in New Boston.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court halts Texas execution of Ruben Gutierrez during legal fight over religious advisers' access to death chamber
Gutierrez has long fought for DNA testing he says could prove his innocence in a 1998 Brownsville murder and home robbery. But the high court's ruling centered on Texas prison officials' recent decision to keep religious advisers out of the execution room. Full Story
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![Interior of execution chamber.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
U.S. Supreme Court rules Texas death row inmate had an ineffective lawyer, orders new review
In a 6-3 opinion, the justices said Terence Andrus had ineffective assistance from his lawyer and that it was unclear if the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals properly considered whether that could have affected his sentence. Full Story
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![The United States Supreme Court in Washington on June 11.]()
Credit: Reynolds Stefani/CNP/ABACA via REUTERS -
Protests against police brutality and racism: scenes from small Texas towns and cities
The demonstrations against police brutality that have swept through Texas haven't been confined to its largest cities. Texas Tribune photographers documented marches in smaller cities and towns across the state. Here are some of their images. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march in Tyler to protest the death of George Floyd on Monday, June 1, 2020.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Sarah A. Miller/The Tyler Morning Telegraph -
Texas Democrats urge Abbott to call special session as details emerge showing Javier Ambler’s death at the hands of sheriff's deputies
In 2019, Williamson County sheriff's deputies held down Ambler and stunned him four times before his body went limp. He died at a hospital about an hour later. Full Story
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![Javier Ambler II.]()
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For these Texas organizers and officials, defunding the police means remedying effects of racism
Some Texas cities are eyeing cuts to police department budgets to fund social services like housing assistance, mental health services and job training. Full Story
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![A protester holds a sign towards a line of Dallas police at a march and rally for George Floyd in Dallas on May 29, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Austin City Council unanimously limits police officers' use of force and asks for cuts to department budget
The moves came after the department was criticized for how it responded to police brutality protesters and as residents continue calling for the police chief's resignation. Full Story
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![Protesters raise their arms and chant, “Don’t shoot!” after Austin police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd. May 30, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
President Donald Trump expected to discuss race relations and police at Dallas church
After the event, he’ll host a high-dollar fundraiser where about 12 to 24 people are expected to be in attendance. Admission is $580,600 per couple, the campaign said last month. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at Austin-Bergstrom Airport in Austin on Nov. 20, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Racism and the Texas GOP and reform after George Floyd's death
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Jolie and Ross about racist social media posts by GOP officials, and the group forecasts the possibility for policy reform in the aftermath of Floyd's death. Full Story
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![Simone Webb holds burning incense as she pays respects to those lost as a result of police brutality during a vigil at Freedman's Memorial Cemetery in Dallas on May 31, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Houston officials increase police budget as Dallas and Austin officials consider decreases in wake of police brutality protests
Some of Texas' biggest cities appear headed in different directions with police budgets during nationwide calls to cut law enforcement funding. Full Story
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![Dallas police officers during a march against the death of George Floyd on May 29, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
In George Floyd-inspired protests, Texas organizers find new allies in quest for police reforms
“They had to watch this man literally gasp for air ... to give a damn,” one Austin organizer said about the momentum building after millions saw the video of Floyd’s death. “They saw it. It was real, and I think that’s why we are where we are.” Full Story
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![Protesters gathered at a rally for George Floyd in Houston in 2020. Floyd, a former Houston resident, was killed in Minneapolis during an arrest by police.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott has condemned the death of George Floyd, but he’s been silent on Texas’ recent history of police killings
Abbott also has praised Texas’ “legacy of success” on criminal justice reforms. In recent years, many police reform efforts have repeatedly failed at the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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![State troopers stand guard at the state Capitol grounds to prevent protesters from entering during a protest over the death of George Floyd.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
George Floyd laid to rest in Houston as protests against police brutality and calls for change continue
After the service, Floyd was carried by a horse drawn carriage to his final resting place in Pearland next to his mother. Full Story
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![The Floyd family and others attend the funeral service for George Floyd at The Fountain of Praise church in Houston on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.]()
Credit: David J. Phillip/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network