Update on The City of Brenham’s Lawsuit
Brenham Texas – Brandon Grablek, a prominent civil rights attorney, was in Brenham to conduct depositions on Lieutenant Raven, Detective Batson, Officer Bruno, and Officer Jenkins, and the corporate representative for the City of Brenham.
During these depositions, all four officers acknowledged their respective wrongdoings, as well as violations of civil rights and policy.
Following the incident that led to the lawsuit, these citizens submitted complaints to Chief Powell. Chief Powell affirmed that his officers conducted themselves appropriately and committed no wrongdoing.
Furthermore, the corporate representative for the City of Brenham, when deposed, acknowledged that the plaintiffs were handcuffed for a minimum of 50 minutes and placed in the back of a patrol car. This directly contradicts the Brenham Police Department’s written policy, which stipulates a 20-minute time limit for restraining or detaining an unarrested individual, unless specific officer safety concerns are present.
Police Officers Always Lie
In this incident, there were no concerns about the officers’ safety. These officers deliberately disregarded constitutional protections and their own established policies, as they believed they would face no repercussions from Chief Powell or Assistant Chief Schoen, which they didn’t.
The extended detention of these individuals in handcuffs appears to have been a coercive measure and bullying tactic aimed at compelling them to waive their Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure. I assess that the officers involved were well aware of the unconstitutional nature of their actions, yet proceeded nonetheless.
Chief Powell Forced to Resign
After the filing of the Brenham lawsuit, both Chief Powell and Assistant Chief Schoen retired from the Brenham Police Department.
Lt.Raven, Detective Batson, and Officer Jenkins still work for the Brenham Police Department.
Officer Bruno has transitioned from the department to serve as a DPS Trooper. Notably, she received the Officer of the Year award from the Brenham Police Department shortly after this incident, an accolade that was met with considerable surprise given the circumstances.
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