HOUSTON (AP) – The Houston police chief has angrily denounced politicians who may look to offer their sympathy to an officer who was shot in a struggle with a suspect while doing little legislatively to keep firearms from dangerous criminals.
Chief Art Acevedo said Friday that the 29-year-old officer is stable after hours of surgery, but earlier an animated Acevedo in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and a chaotic crime spree took aim at political leaders.
He said he didn’t want to hear from politicians “about how much they care about my cop.”
He said during a press briefing early Friday morning that, “If they’re not here to talk to us about solutions then don’t bother showing up to the Houston Police Department.”
Acevedo, with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at his side, thanked the Democratic mayor for his gun-control efforts and also praised Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who recently expressed support for background checks following two mass shootings in the state.
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