On the night of the 4th of July I’m in Houston, Texas, and after watching the city’s firework display with friends I witnessed an ironic moment for freedom and faith.
As the finale of the firework display came to an end and the echo of the last ear shattering bang was still in the air, a street preacher began to give his message to the departing crowds that would surely be numbered in the thousands.
Using a microphone and amplifier to project his voice, he began talking about how beautiful the firework display was but how “God’s creation is even more beautiful.” Though amplified his voice was quickly lost in the departing throng as they began the exodus from the city streets.
A number of us commented that such a method of preaching was perhaps a waste of time, but before the preacher could get into his full swing he was stopped.
Houston police officer, Charles D. Russell, approached the preacher after just three minutes. Clearly officer Russell felt that something that the preacher was doing was illegal, a ‘sin’ if you will.
His sin was that he didn’t have a permit to preach with an amplifier which apparently is required by the city of Houston. The preaching off duty fireman then asked to be “given a break” as he was unlikely to be any nosier than the thousands of jovial people leaving the area on this holiday.
He then made the mistake of describing himself as “Peace officer” in the context of simply being a person who wanted to preach a peaceful message, albeit a little loudly. However, officer Russell chose to take great offense at the preacher describing himself in this way and demanded to see his identification, thereby escalating what could have so very easily been a simple “move along please” into something more serious.
The group I was with decided to stand by and watch this unfold because regardless of what we felt about the preacher, the fact he was being bullied by three Houston police officers seemed somewhat unfair and uncalled for. Very quickly more police officers were on scene and officer Russell also requested a Houston Fire Department lieutenant.
I spoke to one officer who appeared to out rank officer Russell, and I asked him why the preaching couldn’t merely be overlooked given the fact that he didn’t seem to be hurting or offending anyone and that he wasn’t likely going to be louder than the crowds walking past us. The officer explained that the law needed to be upheld at all times with no exceptions, but as fair as that seems, here was a very simple “move along” situation being turned into something quite ugly and unsettling at the hands of the police, not the preacher.
In the end about 15 to 20 police officers, (3 police cars and two ‘paddy wagons’) along with several fire department personnel, were at the scene. At this point our group was told to “move along or go to jail”, face being arrested for “obstructing a police investigation”, and even “trespassing.” One officer told us to keep moving because they “didn’t need any witnesses” and another, officer Peña, unhooked his night stick aggressively indicating that he had no compunction in using it on Rachel, one of the girls in our group.
In the end despite some rather empty threats, no arrests were made. Officer Russell did take the time to present his side of the incident to us, but by then the damage was done. The bully-boy tactics of a few bored cops left an ugly stain on the end of what had until that point been a great evening. Houston Police had allowed a very minor situation to become unnecessarily ugly which did nothing but make them look bad, and further re-enforce the already low opinion of Houston cops that seems to be generally held by the cities residents.
I plan to contact the Police department and voice my concern over the handling of this most innocuous situation. Officer Russell knew he was being filmed and given that fact one wonders what might have happened had the officers not been under the scrutiny they were. Despite their insistence that they didn’t need witnesses, it’s my belief that the Police need to be watched closely by members of the public in order to ensure that they themselves act within the boundaries of the law and maintain a sensible perspective on the situations they are called to deal with.
I briefly spoke with the preacher who took the opportunity to give me some Christian literature and tell me that the challenges were “under God’s control.” When he first started to speak to the leaving crowds I dismissed him and his rather ‘shoot in the dark’ methods. But he showed some class in the way he dealt with the unpleasant situation. Hugely out numbered by bored cops itching to make an arrest the preacher had the courage to believe God was in control. It was, he said, “part of God’s greater plan”, and I could see he really believed that too.
I didn’t get his name and he couldn’t have said more than three sentences to me. The website address on the literature he gave me doesn’t work, but while he might not have saved any souls that night, it’s true to say that had it not been for the drama created by Houston Police, I would have paid no attention to that street preaching fireman. Instead though his brief words and absolute faith were communicated to me in ways far more powerfully than any long winded sermon he might have preached.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 6, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Quite honestly, after watching your video, I thought the police officer did all right. True, He was grasping for straws when he told the guy he could arrest him for impersonating a peace officer however, his initial reason for stopping the guy seemed valid enough. Do you think the cop really had a masters in theology?
Wrote the following comment on Jul 6, 2007 at 10:24 pm
After witnessing this I agree he was doing his job. As Christians we are told to obey and respect the law…the ONLY thing I thought was out of line was when that one cop, Russel maybe, pulled out his club on Rachel. Not cool.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 6, 2007 at 10:33 pm
If the video showed the amount of cops that were in attendance to this incident I think you might have a change of heart. The situation might have warranted a “move along please”, it didn’t warrant the reaction it got. PLUS, his reasons for reacting the way he did leant heavily on the man preaching after 10pm which of course he never did.
“Move along please” would have been the correct way of dealing with the preacher. Instead Officer Russell decided to call the preachers lieutenant and make a huge deal out of it for absolutely no reason what-so-ever.
The entire incident was completely overblown and was nothing short of an ugly display of bullying legitimized by the fact that the bullies had uniforms and guns.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 6, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Thank you Mercedes!!!!! i agree.. it wasnt cool at all. Do i look threatening?
I think most offensive were things said off the video unfortunately. We were told initially to move along because they didnt need witnesses.. point blank. That’s not right, what kind of country do we live in where we cant keep an honest eye on our law enforcement? I think they also blew out of proportion something that could have been handled a lot less aggressively. How many cops and firemen does it take to quiet one cooperative preacher? anyways… i’m upset because of their hostility.. and the bully approach they thought was necessary.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 7, 2007 at 4:13 am
In reading your post the thing that caught my attention was the officer telling you all to move along because “they didn’t need any witnesses” I understand that the presence of people can obstruct officers from trying to maintain order. However, it does look suspicious when cops don’t want to be observed.
Oh, and the whole thing with unhooking the night stick. Dear God, what was that about? I guess Rachel must have a kind of indomitable and menacing presence about her. :-)
Wrote the following comment on Jul 7, 2007 at 8:10 am
xangbang07! glad I came :)
no comment on the fuzz.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 7, 2007 at 9:17 am
yeah i have to say that if you just watch this, you don’t get the whole situation. even if he’s violating the law, a simple “move along” was all that was needed. as chip said, aren’t there murders that need to be solved? and “we represent everybody.” funny because last week, when i asked for police protection, i got an officer who acted like it was not his job to watch over 2 ladies locked out of there car at 10:00 at night in houston on HIS beat.
I think these guys were on a power trip (notice the “you better walk on” attitude the cop took with Hanley?) seriously, i’m afraid that many cops are in it for the control and power. the cop last week we called for OUR protection trying to act like he was going to arrest me for yelling at my friend is another example. there really ought to be psychological testing on police officers. but i guess when a city is understaffed, they take what they can get. it’s scary, rhough that the people hired to uphold the law often take it into their own hands and use their power in unhealthy ways. obviously, i could go on and on, but i’ve seen too many cops act this way. the “we don’t need witnesses” part was really scary, too. yikes!
Wrote the following comment on Jul 7, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I think the real annoyance to peace was the ice cream truck. Somebody please devise a way to get rid of that horrid song!
Wrote the following comment on Jul 7, 2007 at 5:20 pm
If that was an after-10 p.m. noise violation, then they should have arrested the driver of that ridiculous ice cream truck…
Wrote the following comment on Jul 7, 2007 at 9:24 pm
i’m more excited about the picture of chris and ashley (even tho i don’t know chris). no, seriously, it’s all exciting. i love the debate and interaction with everyone. love your video editing, also. very nice.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 9, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I’m more worried at the pics of the people in cowboy hats perpetuating stereotypes about Texans than the police incident. What’s wrong with me?
Wrote the following comment on Jul 9, 2007 at 7:48 pm
anthony, indomitable and menacing…lol… i think i must come across that way! i dont get it but this isnt the first time i’ve been singled out in a protest. awe well.. makes life interesting!
MW, i thought you wore cowboy hats somewhat regularly
Wrote the following comment on Jul 9, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Just boots. ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Jul 11, 2007 at 12:57 pm
So, you do like to write…where are you!?!?! Why haven’t you posted…?
We may host another Xangbang, I’ll let you know….babybongo likes the sound of it…the actual word, that is….oh, post pics of the party…but not the one of me with my eyes closed!
Wrote the following comment on Jul 11, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Xangbang pictures will follow shortly. Truth is I’ve had such a packed time in New Orleans and Mississippi I’ve simply not had time. But they’re coming I promise!
Wrote the following comment on Jul 12, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Sounds like a fun night. There’s an organization called Copwatch that may or may not still have a presence in Houston. Their goal is/was to get ordinary citizens in the habit of observing police in an attempt to prevent or expose brutality or bullying by officers.
Wrote the following comment on Jul 13, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Simon … I couldn’t watch past the part where Houston’s finest starts moving everyone along .. I got too angry.
That man needs to push himself away from the donut plate long enough to realize he’s a public servant.
All I saw was an arrogant assclown abusing the power that’s been entrusted to him.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2007 at 3:42 am
hi, one of my street preaching buddies told me about this video a couple of days ago 08-17-07 otherwise i would have never seen it cause i don’t get much into secular websites like youtube.com but i do get into GODTUBE.com its cool. anyway he said, i seen your incident on 4th of july and i’m like, what?!!!! he say’s yeah your famous and well when he mentioned it i knew right away who it was that took the video, thanks. One small misunderstanding, i never said i was any kind of “peace officer” he totally lied about that, i guess you guys believed him, i understand he seemed very convincing. i did however unfortunately say i was an officer, since when i took the OATH OF OFFICE raising my right hand in a ceremony and told i was no longer a civilian, well i should have never said anything about me being a anything i made a mistake i thought he would give me break since we are supposed to have some kind of a “brotherhood” but i guess he was not aware of the “brotherhood”, i learned my lesson never mention my occupation not even to a “brother” police office. Well HPD did make a complaint to HFD headquarters and all my co-workers heard about it but unfortunately after the story was told many times it was all twisted and i was made out to be somekind of a fighting riotter i heard all kind of exagerated stories. one thought i had an organization of people with me and of course i was alone (GOD with me)ofcourse, but never even raised my voice to anyone. Just a couple of days back i was just thinking of how wished i could have recorded the whole incident even when i did NOT say i am a “peace” officer and told myself next time i will have my mp3 recording everything. GOD answered my hearts desire days later when my buddy told me about this video, GOD IS PERFECT AND IN PERFECT CONTROL! i understand that as Christians i am to respect the law, i guess my zeal of waiting and planning and praying for this for a year overflowed when i asked the Officer for a break and it got the best of me. These things take a while to become formal but i hope that it fades away and i don’t hear anything else about it from my employer! PLEASE, KEEP THIS BLOG TO MINIMUM EXPOSURE SINCE I DON’T WANT TO ROCK THE BOAT. if u know what i mean. i haven’t heard anything else about this and i hope that it’s treated as just a “move along please” situation. if something formal comes out of this, is it ok if i was to get some “witness” support from you guys? The website i am working on is not finished i’ve been extremely busy lately but GOD willing i will finish it. PLEASE KEEP THIS INCIDENT IN YOUR PRAYERS, THAT NOTHING ELSE COMES OUT OF IT. THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2007 at 4:54 am
after re-viewing the video if you notice from the beginning as soon as he asked me if i was a “peace office” and i can’t quite hear what i said but he answered with i am gonna have an HFD ? to this location. in other words i must of said something about being a firefighter not a impersonating a Police Officer or a Peace Officer (sir, could you e-mail me the video? if it’s not too much of me to ask, Please?) and when he is explaining his reasons very close to the camera he also states at the 1:35 mark that i said “officer” and not “peace officer” either way i should not have said “officer” either, cause come to find out although i am not a “civilian” i am not an officer either,i don’t know what i am, i regret the slip of words, like i said my zeal got the best of me! But it’s a big difference saying i am a peace or police officer and saying i am an officer, i really thought i was an Officer, guess not. looking back, i know that, by you guys being there to record and to speak up, GOD was taking care of me all a long and NO MATTER what happens out of all of this GOD will always be with me taking care of me FOR all things work together for good to them that love HIM!!! Like i said GOD IS ALWAYS PERFECT AND IN PERFECT CONTROL!!! i KNOW THIS!!! ALL GLORY TO GOD THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2007 at 4:55 am
oh and Thanks Again, Mr. Simon Jones.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 23, 2007 at 1:07 am
Hi there Mr Lover. I’m glad you found this post and I appreciate your comments.
Unfortunately I no longer have the original vide, so the YouTube version is all that’s left. However, the YouTube version is pretty much all the footage anyway.
Should the incident lead to any kind of bother for you do feel free to use the contact form on this website to get in touch with me as I am more than happy to speak up in your defense, and I’m quite sure the other witnesses would too.
Now, briefly touching on another point you made about not visiting secular websites, I feel I can’t allow you to go without challenging that behavior. You’re a Christian and that’s great, but you would surely be making a serious error if you were simply one of those strange social misfit Christians who uses their religion as an excuse to retreat from society into a safer subculture that is set apart from everyday life.
You and I live in the same world, and while your approach might be different, I’m never going to learn anything from you if all I ever see of you is the fact that you adopt a rather hands off disconnected street preacher tactic to ‘save my soul.’ Engage me, don’t preach to me! Challenge me, don’t shout at me.
As for Godtube, well hmm.. take a moment to check out what I had to say about Godtube and if you go there be sure to check out my video.
Thanks again for stopping by.