Early on a Saturday morning in April of
1971, Galena Park, Texas police officers tried to stop a car that ran a stop
sign. A chase ensued, in the vehicle and then on foot. The officers eventually
captured two suspects, Bobby Joe Conner and Larry Taylor, who were transported to the Galena Park Police Station.
During the chase, the Galena Park officers
called for help. Houston officers Arthur N. Hill, Jack A. McMahon, John H.
Gough, and I.B. Guerrero responded to the call. All four ultimately met
Galena Park officers at the police station and advised them that Conner had an
auto theft warrant pending. According to Hill, as reported during the trial,
the Houston officers left Galena Park after learning that the two men would be
transferred to the Harris County jail. Later that morning Conner died and
Taylor was hospitalized.
What or who caused the death of
Conner and injury to Taylor was a matter of dispute. Officers Hill and McMahon
were charged with the murder of Conner. Lawyers, whose names and faces are still well known in courthouses throughout Texas, took on the case. Richard
“Racehorse” Haynes and Mike Ramsey represented officers Hill and McMahon. Craig Washington
represented the suspect, Taylor.
After all four Houston officers gave
statements in which they denied beating Conner, Gough and Guerrero decided to change their
statements, implicating Hill and McMahon as the officers responsible for the
beatings. Thus the murder charge. Galena Park officer, Walter E. Sanders, who
was involved in the arrest of Conner and Taylor also contended that Hill
and McMahon beat the prisoners.
Police Chief Herman Short commented that
both officers had good records and had never been disciplined before. According
to an Associated Press article, Chief Short continued, stating, “Since
it is police officers, it is spread all over the front pages of newspapers,
whereas if the same thing happened to a private citizen, it would have been
buried in the back sections. But this is the difference expected between police
officers and private citizens. We are just waiting for the onslaught of
brutality allegations now.”
The trial in State District Court was moved to New Braunfels, Texas, where the officers were tried. Other Houston officers carpooled to the trial in a show of support for the two men on trial.
The
defense contended that Conner’s injuries were caused when he fled on foot and
ran through a pile of rubble and that his ingestion of morphine prior to the
chase contributed to his death. The autopsy revealed 12.1% morphine in his
blood. Defense attorneys also claimed that Gough and Guerrero conspired with
Galena Park officer Sanders to deflect blame from Sanders, because he had
previously been fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety after
accidentally shooting and killing a citizen.
At the conclusion of the trial, the
jury found both officers “Not Guilty.” Both had tears in their eyes as the
verdict was read. McMahon said he wanted to go back to work. Hill told the
media, “There’s nothing else in the world I want to be more than a policeman.”
But their trials were not over.
Soon the Federal Government filed charges
against both former officers for violating the civil rights of both Conner and
Taylor. But after hearing testimony, the Federal jurors in Houston reached the
same conclusion as the earlier jury. They were not guilty!
But neither was to return to the
Houston Police Department. Chief Short told the media, “They were dismissed
for other reasons than what they were being tried for.” He had no comment
on the verdict.
John Gough resigned from the Houston
P.D. in August of 1971. In his letter of resignation he cited having been the
victim of “rumors, gossip, remarks, and insinuations of other officers in the
Department.” He disputed a statement made by the Houston Police Officers
Association that he had left the Department for a better paying job and not
because of any harassment.
It appears a lot of questions have lingered about these cases for a few decades.
ReplyDeleteit is interesting when you look back 40 years how many questions can be raised.
DeleteI am the son of Larry Taylor and have many questions as my father passed away in 2008 due to complications of the beating.
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DeleteBobby Joe Conner is my uncle, and there were witness that were intimidated during that process. Also, I do not give Galena Park police a pass because I have two uncles who were taken to the courthouse and beaten. It was the wild wild west back then.
ReplyDelete