HOUSTON — The attorney for the officer at the center of the investigation says Chief Art Acevedo’s comments about the investigation, is hurting the officer’s chances of getting a “fair, unbiased” investigation into the raid.
KHOU 11 News is not naming the officer because he has not been officially charged with a crime.
Criminal defense attorney Nicole DeBorde tells KHOU 11 News she would like a “neutral third party” agency such as the Texas Rangers or the FBI to oversee the probe, instead of the Houston Police Department.
DeBorde says she is a former prosecutor who worked on these types of cases in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and that she believes the police chief is being “irresponsible” for commenting on developments while an investigation is still on-going.
“The Houston Police Department is tainting the investigation by its aggressive, specific comments before the investigation has concluded,” she said.
DeBorde says the chief’s comments about the likelihood of one or more officers in the raid being criminally charged, taints the public’s view of her client before all of the evidence and “investigative material” has been collected. She says it also affects the accounts witnesses might have.
Acevedo says the department is being transparent about its findings, and that it doesn’t need oversight from another agency.
