Darryl Robinson, 37, b/m, dies on 6/3/94 of asphyxiation two days after being hogtied and beaten by Houston police officers Joseph Romporti, John Leach, Melba Hogan and John Theis, and Harris County sheriff’s deputies Jeff Robinson and Collier Bridges (now a Houston police officer) after shopping at Dillard’s Dept. Store; the deputies were working off-duty as security guards. Police and Dillard’s claim Robinson demanded $1 million from a clerk and resisted the guards’ attempts to restrain him while in a psychotic state. His family and a store clerk said Robinson only became loud when a store clerk refused to let him withdraw $500 on his ATM card. The clerk testified she saw deputy Robinson beat him after he was handcuffed and hogtied; another saw brown foam coming from his mouth as Bridges had his boot on Robinson’s neck and deputy Robinson taped his legs. A grand jury no-billed all the officers, but in a later civil trial a jury found Robinson’s death was caused by the negligence of the deputies and a store manager and awarded his family $800,000 damages plus interest. Deputy Robinson said, "I don’t think I did anything wrong…I think I did a good job."

• 4/20/01 - Ex -deputy denies hogtying man in store incident