IDA DELANEY & BRYON GILLUM
On October 31, 1989 at 5:00 a.m., Ida Lee Delaney, a 50 year old mother and grandmother was gunned down by off-duty police officers wearing street clothes who had just left a local bar where they had been drinking. By all accounts, Delaney pulled in front of the officers' personal car, enraging the officers, who then pursued her for 13 miles. Logically, Delaney was in fear for her life. She was being chased by a car with 3 unknown men in the early hours of the morning. Due to her fear, she decided to fire a few shots from her gun. Upon seeing a work crew ahead, she pulled her car over. Off-duty Houston Police Department Officer Alex Gonzales got his gun from the trunk of his car and approached Delaney. According to work crew witnesses, Gonzales struck Delaney in the head with his fist. She reacted by going for her gun and shooting Gonzales, who returned fire, shooting Delaney four times, killing her. This set off a firestorm within the black community and an outcry from concerned citizens, community activists, and her family.
The subsequent indictment and trial that followed this horrible incident divided the Greater Houston community and shook up the Houston Police Department, the District Attorney's Office and the criminal justice system of Houston. A change of venue was requested. After months of debating, the judge finally decided that an impartial jury was impossible in Houston, and the trial was moved to Dallas. HPD Officer Alex Gonzales and the other two officers were fired from the department. The other two officers were no-billed by the grand jury. Eventually, Gonzales was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to two years' probation while only serving a total of eleven days in jail. Obviously, Mrs. Delaney's family and the community were shocked and extremely frustrated by the verdict.
In an additional case, Byron Gillum, a young African-American male security guard, was gunned down by a HPD officer who pulled him over near the University of Houston main campus on November 15, 1989. Gillum protested that the stop was harassment. The officer was irritated over the accusation and, seeing Gillum's .357 Magnum revolver on the seat of his car, ordered him out of the car. Bystanders say that the officer then shot Gillum in the chest, causing him to get out of the car and attempt to flee. The officer then shot Gillum a total of four times while he as attempted to crawl away. The officer named Tschirhart had previously shot and killed two other black male suspects within seven years. The community was outraged when the grand jury no-billed Tschirhart. Nevertheless, Mrs. Ada Edwards and members of the S.H.A.P.E. COMMUNITY CENTER have continued to fight for justice for Ida Delaney and Byron Gillum. They have called for a citizens review board with subpena power and investigative powers, police sensitivity training, more African-American officers on the force and better community relations.
The subsequent indictment and trial that followed this horrible incident divided the Greater Houston community and shook up the Houston Police Department, the District Attorney's Office and the criminal justice system of Houston. A change of venue was requested. After months of debating, the judge finally decided that an impartial jury was impossible in Houston, and the trial was moved to Dallas. HPD Officer Alex Gonzales and the other two officers were fired from the department. The other two officers were no-billed by the grand jury. Eventually, Gonzales was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to two years' probation while only serving a total of eleven days in jail. Obviously, Mrs. Delaney's family and the community were shocked and extremely frustrated by the verdict.
In an additional case, Byron Gillum, a young African-American male security guard, was gunned down by a HPD officer who pulled him over near the University of Houston main campus on November 15, 1989. Gillum protested that the stop was harassment. The officer was irritated over the accusation and, seeing Gillum's .357 Magnum revolver on the seat of his car, ordered him out of the car. Bystanders say that the officer then shot Gillum in the chest, causing him to get out of the car and attempt to flee. The officer then shot Gillum a total of four times while he as attempted to crawl away. The officer named Tschirhart had previously shot and killed two other black male suspects within seven years. The community was outraged when the grand jury no-billed Tschirhart. Nevertheless, Mrs. Ada Edwards and members of the S.H.A.P.E. COMMUNITY CENTER have continued to fight for justice for Ida Delaney and Byron Gillum. They have called for a citizens review board with subpena power and investigative powers, police sensitivity training, more African-American officers on the force and better community relations.
Ada Edwards, as former Houston City Council member, founder and co-chair of the Ida Delaney/Byron Gillum Justice Committee