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Texas’ Largest Police Union The Publication of the Houston Police Officers’ Union www.HPOU.org Vol. XXXXI No. 6 June 2015 Officer Richard Martin 1967-2015 NON-PROFIT ORG. Houston Police Officers’ Union U.S. Postage 1600 State Street PAID Houston, Texas Houston, Texas 77007 Permit No. 7227 Richard Martin ..............Pg 16-18 Police Week Photos ................ Pg 33 Police Week Honorees ...... Pg 42-50 Non-profit Statement: Badge & Gun is published monthly at no subscription charge. Send Correspondence and Address Changes (include mailing label) To: BADGE & GUN 1600 State Street Houston, TX 77007. Telephone: 713-237-0282. Page 1 Badge & Gun • June 2015 BadgeGun June 2015 Issue.indd 1 6/2/15 1:35 AM HPOU Board of Directors Executive Board Ray Hunt Doug Griffith Joseph Gamaldi Will Reiser President 1st Vice-President 2nd Vice-President Secretary [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Board Members Kawanski Nichols Gary Hicks Jeff Wagner Robert Breiding David Riggs Terry Wolfe Don Egdorf Bubba Caldwell Director 1 Director 2 Director 3 Director 4 Director 5 Director 6 Director 7 Director 8 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Joseph Castaneda Rebecca Dallas Rosalinda Ybanez Timothy Whitaker Luis Menedez-Sierra Robert Sandoval Stephen Augustine Tom Hayes Director 9 Director 10 Director 11 Director 12 Director 13 Director 14 Director 15 Director 16 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Bill Booth Terry Seagler John Yencha Colton Peverill Director 17 Director 18 Director 19 Director 20 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mark Clark Executive Director Randy Upton Tim Butler Joslyn Johnson Cole Lester Nancy Jones [email protected] Sergeant at Arms Treasurer Parliamentarian Assistant Secretary 2nd Assistant Secretary [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Page 2 Badge & Gun • June 2015 BadgeGun June 2015 Issue.indd 2 6/2/15 1:37 AM Editorial BADGE& GUN Martin’s Death Again Voice of the Houston Police Officers’ Union Published monthly at no subscription charge Reminds Citizens How by the: Houston Police Officers’ Union 1600 State Street, Houston, TX 77007 Dangerous Policing Is Ph: 832-200-3400 • Toll free: 1-800-846-1167 IT’S STILL VERY SAD TO SAY THAT IT TAKES the line-of-duty death of a brave police officer to Fax: 832-200-3470 remind citizens that officers put their lives on the line for them every day and every night. E-mail: [email protected] Website address: www.HPOU.org Through the sadness and tears in the wake of the death of Officer Richard Martin – the 113th Legal Department: 832-200-3420 officer to offer the ultimate sacrifice for Houstonians – we can take solace in the fact that honest, Legal Dept Fax: 832-200-3426 law-abiding citizens are reawakened when reminded of these all-too-routine sacrifices. Martin’s Insurance: 832-200-3410 death comes after nearly four years since Officer Kevin Will’s death on a freeway when struck by Badge & Gun is the official publication of the a speeding motorist. Houston Police Officers’ Union. Badge & Gun is published monthly under the supervision of its Martin chose HPD as his second career after serving as a supervisor in a warehouse for 20 years Board of Directors. However, opinions expressed and deciding that he always wanted to become a police officer and he was going to give it a try. He by individual Board members or any other writer soon got the reputation for working hard, remaining gracious in his interactions with others and in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire Board of Directors. Editorial actually being chosen as a field training officer after just several years of experience on patrol. submissions are welcomed and encouraged. All submissions must be received by the 7th of Houstonians turned out by the hundreds for Martin’s memorial service. According to Assistant the month. Chief Charlie Vasquez’ first-person account of the HPD procession to Norman, Oklahoma, where Martin was permanently laid to rest in a nearby cemetery, the special process included police ADVERTISEMENT IN THE BADGE & GUN DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, escorts along most of the route. The meaningful gestures by policing agencies from Conroe to A WARRANTY OR A GUARANTEE BY Norman got the attention of grateful citizens who doffed their hats and voiced their prayers for law THE UNION. enforcement officers. It’s sad that we had to lose the life of one of our own to once again emphasize the importance of POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the job and the dedication and bravery necessary to perform it. Badge & Gun 1600 State Street Police Chief Charles “Chuck” McClelland knows situations like this better than most and he put it Houston, TX 77007 wisely when he told the news media: “Police officers across the nation are catching so much grief Fax: 832-200-3470 and criticism right now and nobody tells them that they’re doing a good job. People like Officer Martin going out here every single day and night and risking their life.” McClelland said he wanted the community to be more vocal than the critics and hopes that through this tragedy his officers get the recognition they deserve. No one underscores this better than one-time HPD chaplain and current Bishop Floyd Lewis, who continues to describe police officers as “soldiers in the war against domestic terrorists.” We’ll say it one more time and keep on saying it: It’s dangerous out there every time a shift starts. It would be nice if it didn’t take another incident like the one that took the life of Richard Martin for taxpayers to realize just how dangerous it gets on a regular basis. Important Numbers ATO: 713-223-4ATO Badge & Gun: 832-200-3400 HPOU Offices: 832-200-3400 1-800-846-1167 Insurance Fax: 832-200-3470 Legal Services: 832-200-3420 Legal Fax: 832-200-3426 email: [email protected] www.hpou.org Page 3 Badge & Gun • June 2015 BadgeGun June 2015 Issue.indd 3 6/2/15 1:37 AM Page 4 Badge & Gun • June 2015 BadgeGun June 2015 Issue.indd 4 6/2/15 1:37 AM Thanks to all who assisted in giving Richard Martin the funeral and The President’s Message burial he deserved. The list includes Geo. Lewis Funeral Home, the pastor and staff of Grace Community Church, HPD Honor Guard, Lt. HPD Loses One Corby Wilk and the staff at Employee Services, Air Support, Solos, Mounted Patrol, Assistant Chief Charlie Vazquez, Chief Charles A. of its Own, Officer McClelland, Jr. and all who assisted. Officer Richard Martin is the 113th HPD Officer killed in the line of Richard Martin, duty since 1860. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. at the End of Legislative Session Ends The 84th legislative session ended on June 1, but due to deadlines, Police Week this article was written prior to the session ending. Ray Hunt Many HPD and HPOU members traveled to Washington, D.C. for We have been actively monitoring nearly 300 pieces of legislation Police Week. HPD had been blessed for another year without an in the Texas House and Senate. The most notable efforts have been officer being killed in the line of duty. The last officer HPD lost was made to prevent the forces who want to convert law enforcement Kevin Scott Will, struck and killed by a drunk driver on May 29, 2011. pensions to defined contribution plans/401’s. That all changed in the early morning hours of May 18 at Kirkwood The charge to attack law enforcement pensions this session and St. Mary’s in west Houston. was led by newly elected Senator Paul Bettencourt, (R) Houston, and Representative Jim Murphy, (R) Houston. Both legislators, if Officers were pursuing an evading suspect north on Kirkwood allowed to do so, would have devastated past, current and future near the Katy Freeway. Four-year Westside Officer Richard Martin Houston police officers’ pensions. was deploying spike strips when the suspect, a wanted felon, drove toward the officer, striking him and killing him instantly. The We are extremely appreciative to Representative Dan Flynn, (R) suspect continued to flee before being stopped in North Houston, Van Zandt, who chairs the House Pensions Committee, for his where he shot himself in the head. willingness to not be swayed by the pleadings of those who have shown their true colors as it relates to support for working law I pray none of you ever have to witness a tragedy like that accident. enforcement officers. Officers who witnessed the tragedy were obviously distraught at the scene, but continued to do what Houston police officers always do, Additionally, our success in thwarting those who want to their job. I recall one of the jurors in the Kevin Will case stating how radically change our pension benefit happened due to the loyal amazed he and his fellow jurors were that comrades can continue support and hard work of every other House member in the Houston to do the job they are sworn to do when one of their own has just delegation. On the Senate side, we received key help from Lt. been killed. Gov. Dan Patrick, (R), Senator John Whitmire, (D), Senator Joan Huffman, (R), Senator Rodney Ellis, (D), Senator Sylvia Garcia, (D), and Senator Larry Taylor, (R), Friendswood, to prevent any move As the body of Officer Martin was loaded by the medical attacking our pension.