Psycho Houston Cop Highlights Wider Justice Problem

The word “psycho” is not used here to be inflammatory. It is generally accepted that the pyschopathic personality is a disorder characterized by amorality, brutality, lack of impulse control, and profoundly lacking empathy. With this make-up, as author of The Psychopath: The Mask of Sanity Hervey Cleckley, states:

Provided you are not forcibly stopped, you can do anything at all.

Stories of police brutality across the nation are legion, but every once in a while something stands out as particularly heinous. In this category would certainly be the case of Michael Pena of the NYPD who during his time off at 6:15 a.m. drunkenly raped Lydia Cuomo in a Bronx courtyard; an act that the court concluded was not rape, but “sexual assault.” Pena will likely be in prison for life, but the wording of the court is horribly offensive for victims of such savagery.

When the court system and the police departments themselves downplay, or completely overlook and obstruct the punishment of officers, it leads to public confidence falling into an irreparable state. Such is the case of a young Houston man who had the misfortune of running into Sgt. Curtis Hampton.

24-year-old Blake Pate, after being hurt in a car accident on Christmas Day, exited his vehicle dazed and likely seeking help. Instead of receiving help, he was shot four times . . . killed by a police officer who was nearby the scene of the accident. An autopsy revealed that there were no drugs or alcohol in his system, and he had no criminal history.

According to a complaint filed by the victim’s mother:

‘Officer Hampton witnessed the accident and went to investigate,’ the complaint states. ‘The noise of the crash brought numerous residents of the apartment complex outside, allowing them to witness the subsequent events.

‘Blake extricated himself from the wreckage of his vehicle and began to walk toward the nearest street light. Blake was stunned from the accident and bleeding from superficial wounds to his face. Blake had his hands extended in front of him.

Officer Hampton drew his service pistol and fired four shots at Blake at an extreme close range. Blake was struck in the thigh, the chest, and the neck.

‘At no point did Blake attack or otherwise threaten Officer Hampton. Blake was not found to be carrying any type of weapon. He was completely unarmed. At the time of the shooting, Officer Hampton was not in fear of his life or bodily injury or that of another. Officer Hampton saw no weapon on Blake nor did he suspect Blake had a weapon.’ (Source)

Blake’s mother, Patsy, received no remedy from a grand jury, which decided not to indict Hampton for the killing — they heard no witness testimony.

Patsy’s complaint has now been issued at the federal level. The complaint goes on to chronicle Sgt. Hampton’s long history of brutality, which included other questionable shooting incidents. One incident that was documented was Hampton shooting a man multiple times who was threatening suicide. The department ruled that this was not excessive force.

A second incident saw Hampton shoot a dog that was enclosed behind a fence. No disciplinary action was taken.

Adding to his repertoire of psychopathic behavior, Hampton also has multiple complaints against him for sexual harassment, categorized by one woman (also an HPD officer) as attempted rape. Hampton was suspended for 15 days, no charges. And that was a heavy penalty compared to the one that followed after he tied his girlfriend to a bed and tried to rape her – 5 days suspension, no charges. This incident was concluded to be sexual role play that “went overboard.”

According to the Houston Press, another incident emerged that led to the following statement encapsulating the classic behavior of a psychopath:

In 2008, another HPD officer filed a complaint against Hampton for sexual misconduct.

‘It is extremely disturbing that someone in a position of authority cannot see the error of what he did,’ reads an HPD Internal Affairs document. ‘The fact that [Sgt. Hampton] seeks to blame the victim makes his actions even more egregious.’ (Source)

To date the HPD has stayed true to form and has taken no action against Hampton for Blake Pate’s death. Blake’s mother has taken the correct step in filing a suit against the city, and against Hampton, personally. If police departments are not going to take action to screen, monitor, and properly evaluate predatory behavior within their ranks, then it is up to victims and activists to hold them accountable by filing lawsuits and spreading the word about being on high alert of certain individuals.

Here are a few recent cases and additional resources to help combat police brutality and hold accountable those committing acts of violence, as well as covering them up:

And of course one of the worst incidents ever caught on film: the torture killing of unarmed, homeless and mentally challenged Kelly Thomas: