HPD crash video withheld in "error," will be released in coming days
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The Houston Police Department will soon release video footage showing an officer hitting and killing a woman crossing the street in September after officials initially said the video would be withheld.
Why it matters: The video could shed light on why the officer did not stop in time to avoid hitting the woman.
Catch up quick: Desire Pool, 41, had just stepped off a Metro bus with her three children before 10pm on Sept. 19 when they started crossing Antoine Drive at Golden Forest Drive. She lived in an apartment less than a half-mile from the intersection, records show.
- Witnesses told police she might have dropped her bus card and stooped down in the street to pick it up when a 28-year-old HPD officer driving a suspect to jail hit her, according to HPD.
- Pool was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where she died hours later. Her three children were uninjured.
Driving the news: More than 30 days after the crash, Axios asked HPD when footage would be made available.
- Houston police spokesperson Erika Ramirez, speaking on behalf of investigators, said earlier this month the department did not intend to release the footage.
Yes, but: On Thursday, HPD spokesperson Victor Senties said there was a "miscommunication" within the department about the video that prevented its release.
- "It was an error on our part," Senties said.
- Senties said the video should be released in the coming days after extending an opportunity to Pool's family to view it ahead of time.
Go deeper: HPD's critical incident video release policy, enacted by former Chief Troy Finner in 2022 under Mayor Sylvester Turner, dictates footage depicting police shootings or "officer-involved civilian deaths" must be released under the rule.
- The policy's definition of "officer-involved civilian death" specifically includes fatal crashes.
- Senties said the video release policy has not changed since it was enacted.
The intrigue: An HPD crash report obtained by Axios shows investigators believe Pool "may have failed to yield right-of-way" to the officer and indicated she was not in a crosswalk.
- The northwest Houston community where the crash happened is packed with homes, grocers and retail stores but few options for people on foot, bike or wheelchair to safely cross the neighborhood's wide arterial roads like Antoine and Pinemont drives.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from the Houston Police Department on the release of the video footage.