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

On May 31, 2017, John Hernandez was murdered by Terry Thompson during a fight outside a restaurant in Sheldon, Texas, part of the Greater Houston area. During the altercation, Thompson's wife, Chauna Thompson, a Harris County Sheriff's deputy, arrived and called for assistance. Bystander videos showed Terry Thompson placing Hernandez in a chokehold until he lost consciousness, while Chauna Thompson helped pin Hernandez down. Hernandez died in the hospital three days later from his injuries.[1]

Terry Thompson was convicted of murder in 2018 and sentenced to 25 years in prison;[2] charges against Chauna Thompson were dropped in 2019.[3]

Incident

On May 28, 2017, Terry Thompson and his children pulled into the parking lot of a Denny's restaurant in the 17700 block of Crosby Freeway in east Harris County, Texas, with their children.[4] They encountered John Hernandez, who investigators determined was urinating in public. Thompson yelled at Hernandez to stop,[5] and a physical fight broke out around 11:40pm.[6] It wasn't clear which party initiated the altercation.[5] Chauna Thompson – wife of Terry Thompson and a Harris County Sheriff's deputy – arrived, off-duty, to meet her family. She noticed the altercation and called for assistance from the sheriff's office.[7][8]

Terry Thompson held Hernandez in a reverse chokehold while lying on top of Hernandez, while Chauna Thompson pinned him down.[9][5] A witness also described Terry Thompson punching Hernandez in the head while holding him down.[10] On June 5, 2017, the attorney for Hernandez's family, Jack Carroll, released a video of the incident recorded on a bystander's cellphone.[11] The 52-second video shows Terry Thompson holding Hernandez in a chokehold while Chauna Thompson pins Hernandez down.[12] It also shows other 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.[12] Under Texas law, videotaping others without their permission in most public spaces when not for sexual purposes is not illegal.[13]

Death

Hernandez was rushed to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital,[14] where he was placed on life support and slipped into a coma.[15] He died 3 days later at the age of 24 when his life support was removed.[1][16] The cause of death was ruled by the Harris County medical examiner as lack of oxygen and chest compression caused by strangulation and ruled the death a homicide.[17]

People involved

The victim, John Hernandez, was the common-law husband of Maria Toral, with whom he shared a daughter.[18]

The perpetrator, Terry Thompson, 41, is married to Chauna Thompson.[19] Chauna Thompson was at the time a sheriff's deputy of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.[20]

Immediate aftermath

An investigation was begun by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.[7] Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced that the department's internal affairs unit was looking into the incident.[21][22] Family and friends of Hernandez held public demonstrations asking for an arrest.[21]

Chauna Thompson was placed on administrative leave by the sheriff's office on June 6, 2017.[23][13] Upon the conclusion of the office's investigation, Chauna Thompson was fired in June 2017, and three other sheriffs faced disciplinary action.[22]

Trial

Terry Thompson's first trial ended on June 24, 2018, when the judge declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, in spite of over 29 hours of deliberation.[24]

At retrial, Terry Thompson was found guilty of murder on November 5, 2018.[25] On November 7, he was handed a prison sentence of 25 years.[2]

The charges against Chauna Thompson were dropped in 2019 because prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to prove she committed a crime.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Lohr, David (June 6, 2017). "Man Dies After Cop's Husband Puts Him In Chokehold Outside Denny's". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Wallace, Randy (November 7, 2018). "Terry Thompson sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder of John Hernandez". Fox 26. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Homer, Michelle (April 3, 2019). "Murder charge against ex-HCSO deputy Chauna Thompson dropped in John Hernandez case". KHOU 11. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ Harden, John D. (June 5, 2017). "New video surfaces in fatal altercation at Denny's". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Timeline of deadly fight in Denny's parking lot". ABC13. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ Kirk, Bryan (June 5, 2017). "Video From Fatal Denny's Brawl Is Released". Houston, TX Patch. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "'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. ↑ Despart, Zach (June 6, 2017). "M.E. Declares Death of John Hernandez a Homicide By Strangulation". Houston Press. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Attorney: Man used 'illegal chokehold' in deadly fight at Denny's location in Texas". WPMT FOX43. June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  10. ↑ Willey, Jessica (May 31, 2017). "Man left in a coma after fight involving Harris County deputy's husband". ABC13. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  11. ↑ de Bruijn, Eline; Steele, Tom (June 4, 2017). "Watch: Husband of sheriff's deputy restrains man in deadly brawl outside Texas Denny's". Dallas News. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Video shows deputy's husband using chokehold on man who died after fight at Texas Denny's". fox8.com. Tribune Media Wire. June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Lavandera, Ed; Morris, Jason; Chavez, Nicole (June 9, 2017). "Texas Denny's chokehold death: Deputy and husband indicted". CNN. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  14. ↑ Dorantes, David (June 1, 2017). "Investigan la muerte de un hispano de Houston luego de un altercado con el esposo de una oficial del Alguacil". Mundo Hispanico (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ Willey, Jessica (May 31, 2017). "Man in coma after fight involving deputy's husband". ABC13. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  16. ↑ Harden, John D. (June 4, 2017). "State, federal officials to probe death at diner". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  17. ↑ Dougherty, Matt; Seward, Larry (June 6, 2017). "Autopsy: Denny's beating victim died of strangulation, chest compression". KHOU. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Video shows deputy's husband using chokehold on man who died after confrontation at Denny's". NewsFix. CW39. June 5, 2017. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  19. ↑ Dorantes, David (June 5, 2017). "Video muestra presuntamente cuando esposo de agente del alguacil estrangula a hispano en Houston". Mundo Hispanico (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Cell phone video released in deadly beating case". KRIV. June 5, 2017. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  21. 1 2 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. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  22. 1 2 Lewis, Brooke A. (July 21, 2017). "Sheriff fires deputy charged in Denny's death". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Latest: Texas deputy put on leave after fatal confrontation". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Associated Press. June 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  24. ↑ Dobbyn, Christine (June 24, 2018). "Judge declares mistrial in deadly Denny's chokehold trial after jury deliberates for more than 29 hours". ABC13. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Jury Finds Terry Thompson Guilty of Killing John Hernandez". Houston Public Media. Associated Press. November 5, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
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