Paper: Houston Chronicle

Date: Fri 01/18/2008

Section: B Page: 2 Edition: 3 STAR

Officer is charged with interfering in arrests at mall / He freed youths held in shoplifting, authorities say

By DALE LEZON, MIKE GLENN

Staff

A Houston police officer is free on bail after being accused of interfering with the arrests of two suspected shoplifters at Greenspoint Mall.

Kerry Q. Small, 43, is charged with hindering apprehension, a Class A misdemeanor. Authorities said the 22-year HPD veteran works at the police training academy.

"It's a pretty serious offense from the standpoint of the officer," said Harris County Assistant District Attorney Joe Owmby.

Owmby said security guards at Macy's said they found two girls, a juvenile and a 17-year-old, shoplifting Saturday. Court documents allege that the two had taken more than $400 worth of merchandise, which security staffers recovered.

The guards detained the two and alerted the Houston Police Department to send an officer. Small came to the store in uniform and took the girls away, apparently after one of the girls called him on her cell phone, authorities said. Owmby was not sure about Small's relationship with the girl.

After Small left with the pair, Macy's employees called the HPD to ask whether he had authority to take them, Owmby said. They were told that no officer had been sent to the store.

Small did not report the incident to the police, nor did he investigate the allegations or give security staff an offense report number, court documents state.

An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday. Small is free on $1,000 bail. Police said he has been relieved of duty with pay while the case is investigated.

If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a maximum $4,000 fine.

Owmby said the two girls have not been arrested and the district attorney's office will investigate the allegations.

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