South Belt Houston Digital History Archive: On This Day, March 14, 1979

Two South Belt area youths survived a harrowing speeding and shooting incident which has resulted in the firing of one Harris County Sheriff's officer and the suspension of another.

At approximately 12:13 a.m. the 16 year old youth, driving his newly acquired '70 Capri, ran a stop sign located at hall Road and Sageberry.

Former officer Ronald Newman, on duty at the time, gave chase.

The youths fled and the officer followed -- speeds reportedly reached 90 mph.

While in pursuit, Newman, while driving, began firing at the youth's vehicle. . . .

The wild chase finally ended near the Sagemont Shell Service Station on the feeder road of the Gulf Freeway.

In the 18 minute episode, the youth's automobile had been hit four times -- once in the rear of the trunk . . . and twice near the back window.

The fourth shot which hit the vehicle put an end to the chase. It hit the rear tire. The officer also hit his own vehicle denting the hood. . . .

The driver was apparently beaten on the back of his head with a blunt object, which he claims was the officer's gun butt.

The other youth was shot in the neck, but the injury was slight, only a "graze".

The youths claim that when their vehicle came to a stop, the driver placed his hands on the top of his head, to surrender peacefully. They then report that Newman pointed a gun at him, grabbed him out of the car, placed him against the trunk of the vehicle and proceeded to beat him with his gun. "He told me not to move a muscle or he'd shoot me" stated the youth in an interview with the South Belt Leader.

The youth had to be given nine stitches in the back of his head, and was placed in the hospital the following Monday for three days for tests.

The second youth reports that he sat in the car as the officers approached them.

The youth, who stated "I'm small, only about 130 pounds and only about 5'6, so I wasn't going to start anything. I just sat there." According to the youth, while the driver was reportedly being beaten, officer Robert Lee Berry attacked him.

He sated that the officer threw his body on him and pulled him out of the car.

In the scuffle, he said he remembered that the officer hollered, 'He went for my gun."

The youth denies that he attempted to go for the gun, but it appears that this was when the gun discharged, grazing the youth in the side of the neck. . . .

Parents of both boys indicated that they were upset that the boys were kept for so long without receiving proper medical treatment; treatment of both the head wounds and the gunshot wounds were not given until approximately eight hours after the injuries occurred.