Murder of John Hernandez

On May 31, 2017, John Hernandez died[1] after being placed in a choke hold while fighting outside a Denny's in the Houston area. The death was ruled a homicide by the Harris County medical examiner on June 6, 2017.[2] and Terry and Chauna Thompson were charged with murder.[3]

Murder of John Hernandez
DateMay 28, 2017 (2017-05-28)
Timec. 11:40 p.m. (CDT)
Location17700 block of the Crosby Freeway, Houston, Texas, U.S.
CauseHomicide
ParticipantsTerry Thompson
Shuana (Chauna) Thompson
CoronerHarris County Medical Examiner

Incident

The incident took place on May 28 around 11:40pm.[4]

Hernandez, who was reportedly drunk,[5] was supposedly urinating in public which sparked a confrontation between Hernandez and Terry and Chauna Thompson, a Harris County Sheriff's deputy, after Thompson pulled into the Denny's parking lot in the 17700 block of the Crosby Freeway with his children.[6] A fight broke out between the two, unclear who initiated the altercation.[7]

Chauna Thompson arrived, off-duty, to meet her family where she saw the altercation and called for assistance from the Sheriff's office.[7]

Terry Thompson held Hernandez in a chokehold while his spouse pinned him down.[8] Hernandez was seen kicking and screaming and then became motionless upon the arrival of medical personnel.

Death

Hernandez was rushed to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital[9] where he was placed on life support and slipped into a coma.[5] He died 3 days later at the age of 24 when his life support was removed.[10] The cause of death was ruled by the Harris County medical examiner as lack of oxygen and chest compression caused by strangulation.[11]

John Hernandez

Hernandez was the common-law husband of Maria Toral with whom he shared a daughter.[12]

Chauna and Terry Thompson

Chauna Thompson was at the time a Sheriff's deputy of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.[13]

Terry Thompson, 41, is married to Chauna Thompson.[14]

Video Release

Attorney Jack Carroll, the lawyer representing Hernandez's family, released a cellphone video at a news conference on June 5, 2017.[15] The 52-second video shows Terry Thompson holding Hernandez in a chokehold while Chauna Thompson pins Hernandez down.[16]

The video was released by an anonymous source. The video shows bystanders trying to block the videographer as well as telling the videographer that recording the altercation was illegal, with one bystander commenting that Chauna Thompson was a Sheriff's Deputy and she could arrest him for filming.[16] Under Texas law, it is allowed to videotape others without their permission in most public spaces when not for sexual purposes.[17]

Investigation

The investigation is currently being held by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.[7] Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that internal affairs is looking into the incident.[18][3]

Reactions

The Hernandez family has called for justice.[12] There have been demonstrations by family and friends of Hernandez asking for an arrest.[18]

Chauna Thompson was placed on administrative leave as of June 6, 2017.[19][17] As a result of the Harris County Sheriff's Office investigation, in July 2017 Chauna Thompson was fired and three other sheriffs faced disciplinary action.[3]

Mistrial

On 23-June-2018, "Judge declares mistrial in deadly Denny's chokehold trial after jury deliberates for more than 29 hours" [20]

Guilty Verdict

At retrial, Terry Thompson was found guilty of murder on November 5, 2018.[21] On November 7, he was handed a prison sentence of 25 years.

References
  1. "State, federal officials to probe death at diner". Houston Chronicle. June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  2. Despart, Zach (June 6, 2017). "M.E. Declares Death of John Hernandez a Homicide By Strangulation". Houston Press. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  3. Brooke A. Lewis (July 21, 2017). "Sheriff fires deputy charged in Denny's death". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  4. "Video From Fatal Denny's Brawl Is Released". Houston, TX Patch. June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  5. Willey, Jessica (May 31, 2017). "Man in coma after fight involving deputy's husband". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  6. "New video surfaces in fatal altercation at Denny's". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  7. "'Justice for John:' Family of man who died after confrontation with deputy's husband speaks out". KPRC. June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  8. "Attorney: Man used 'illegal chokehold' in deadly fight at Denny's location in Texas". WPMT FOX43. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  9. "Investigan la muerte de un hispano de Houston luego de un altercado con el esposo de una oficial del Alguacil". Mundo Hispanico (in Spanish). June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  10. Lohr, David (June 6, 2017). "Man Dies After Cop's Husband Puts Him In Chokehold Outside Denny's". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  11. TEGNA. "Autopsy: Denny's beating victim died of strangulation, chest compression". KHOU. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  12. "Video shows deputy's husband using chokehold on man who died after confrontation at Denny's". NewsFix. CW39. June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  13. FOX. "Cell phone video released in deadly beating case". KRIV. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  14. "Video muestra presuntamente cuando esposo de agente del alguacil estrangula a hispano en Houston". Mundo Hispanico (in Spanish). June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  15. "Watch: Husband of sheriff's deputy restrains man in deadly brawl outside Texas Denny's". Dallas News. June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  16. "Video shows deputy's husband using chokehold on man who died after fight at Texas Denny's". fox8.com. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  17. Ed Lavandera, Jason Morris and Nicole Chavez (June 9, 2017). "Texas Denny's chokehold death: Deputy and husband indicted". CNN. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  18. Naham, Matt (June 5, 2017). "Shocking video has emerged of a Texas deputy's husband putting a man in a chokehold — he would later die in a hospital". Rare. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  19. "Latest: Texas deputy put on leave after fatal confrontation". WRAL. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  20. http://abc13.com/judge-declares-mistrial-in-deadly-dennys-chokehold-trial/3643264/
  21. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2018/11/05/310691/jury-finds-terry-thompson-guilty-of-death-of-john-hernandez/
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