Congressman Al Green to weigh in on Houston Police Beating of Unarmed Black Teen

By Daniel Strauss - 02/07/11 10:10 AM ET

From [HERE] The congressman for the Texas district where police officers were allegedly caught on tape beating a young burglary suspect is set to weigh in on the controversial arrest.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) will host a press conference Monday in Houston to discuss the officers' conduct during the incident.  Green's public statement comes in response to the arrest of Chad Holley, a black 15-year-old who was a suspect in a home burglary case. In making the arrest last March, a surveillance camera caught the officers kicking Holley after he had effectively surrendered.

Holley was later convicted of burglary.

The tape of the alleged beating, which a federal judge ordered not to be released to the public, was leaked by a member of the New Black Panthers party last week, according to CBS News. It aired last Wednesday.

Green, a former president of the Houston chapter of the NAACP, is an outspoken critic of racial profiling in law enforcement. Holley is black.

Four Houston officers have been indicted on an "official oppression" misdemeanor charge in the case. If found guilty, each officer could serve up to a year in jail and pay a $4,000 fine. All four officers have been fired from the Houston Police Department, according to the Houston Chronicle. 

On Monday, the Chronicle reported that Houston Chief of Police Charles McClelland has ordered an internal investigation into the arrest and disciplined 12 officers who allegedly had some involvement.