Officer relieved of duty after altercation
Police probe customer's death in bar parking lot
By MIKE GLENN HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Tue 07/07/2009 Houston Chronicle, Section B, Page 2, 3 STAR R.O. Edition
A veteran Houston police officer has been relieved of duty with pay pending an investigation into the July 4 death of a man after an altercation outside a Stafford bar, authorities said Monday. Just before 2 a.m. Saturday, Stafford police were sent to investigate reports of a disturbance in the parking lot of the Studio 59 bar, 11110 W. Airport.
The caller, whose identity remains unknown to Stafford police, told the 911 operator that an off-duty Houston police officer - identified as 14-year HPD veteran T.L. Harris - had "detained" a patron, officials said.
Stafford police arrived within two minutes, finding Syulvanus Okhueleigbe, 30, lying on the parking lot.
"Another person was holding his head. That was the manager of the establishment," said Raphael Virata, a Stafford police spokesman.
Although the Stafford officers felt a faint pulse, it didn't appear that Okhueleigbe was breathing, Virata said.
Harris, assigned to HPD's Westside Patrol Division, remained behind as Okhueleigbe was taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"He (Harris) was very cooperative," Virata said.
Citing the department's ongoing investigation, Virata declined to offer any specifics into Harris' account of what happened that night. Harris told officials with the Houston Police Officers' Union that he had been at the bar that night to meet friends.
The off-duty HPD officer learned of an altercation between Okhueleigbe and a female employee at the bar, said HPOU President Gary Blankinship.
"When it got time for her to get off, (the manager) asked Harris to walk her to her car," Blankinship said.
Virata said their investigators don't have any statements from witnesses that Okhueleigbe was belligerent to any bar employees that night.
Okhueleigbe walked toward Harris and the employee in the parking lot. The officer told him to back away, identifying himself as a police officer, Blankinship said.
"He said the guy just came at him. (Harris) thought the guy was high," Blankinship said.
Okhueleigbe charged at Harris. As the two men struggled, the officer put Okhueleigbe in a headlock and tried to pull his hands behind him so he could handcuffed, Blankinship said.
Harris said he did not use a chokehold to subdue Okhueleigbe, Blankinship said.
"He was just trying to contain this guy and get him to comply with the orders," Blankinship said.
On Monday, Virata said the results of Okhueleigbe's autopsy by Harris County medical examiners were pending.
Once the investigation is complete, the matter will be referred to a Fort Bend County grand jury.
Harris, who is facing an internal HPD investigation into the incident, will be represented by the HPOU.
mike.glenn@chron.com
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