HOUSTON — The Houston Police Department officer who struck and killed a pedestrian last December will not be charged with criminally negligent homicide.
A Harris County grand jury has no-billed Officer Orlando Hernandez, meaning he won't face charges in the case.
Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Dec. 31, 2021.
Michael Wayne Jackson, 62, was walking to his Sunnyside home three weeks before Christmas when he was struck by Hernandez in the 9100 block of Scott Street near Reed Road.
"A minute, I had a brother. Another minute, he was gone," Timothy Jackson told KHOU 11 a few weeks after his brother was killed.
Hernandez was speeding to assist officers involved in a chase when he lost control on the slick road and jumped the curb, according to authorities.
"Officers need better training, because the road was wet, and was all that speed necessary?" Timothy Jackson asked after seeing the bodycam video of the accident.
He and his family wanted the officer to be held accountable.
What led up to the accident?
Police said they got a call just before 5 p.m., on December 4, from a woman who said she was robbed at gunpoint at a business at 7510 Bellfort Avenue. She told police several young men stole her black Ford truck and her purse.
A little while later, the same woman called police back and said her dealership was able to track her truck and told her it was at 3313 Tangerine Street.
Just before 5:45 p.m., HPD officers spotted the truck but when they turned around to stop it, the driver took off.
According to police, there were five juveniles in the truck. When the chase came to an end, the suspects jumped out of the truck and ran on foot. Three of the five were apprehended and charged with aggravated assault, HPD said.
Hernandez and his partner headed that way with lights and sirens on.
Hernandez lost control of his vehicle while westbound on Reed Road.
“They crashed into this dumpster area behind us, immediately exited their vehicle and ran back, told the dispatcher they’d been involved in an accident, called for an ambulance and within a minute started CPR and tried to render aid,” said HPD Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite.
Jackson died at the scene.
At the time, Hernandez had been with HPD for less than two years, officials said. He was placed on administrative leave for an unspecified period of time while HPD conducted their own investigation.