Press Conference about Moody Park Riot (1978)

Duration: 3:41

Year Published: 1978

Sound: sound

Description: In this unedited footage from Houston’s KPRC-TV, Houston Mayor Jim McConn holds a press conference to talk about the Moody Park Riot. In his statement, McConn commends the police response, saying that officers prevented “an explosive situation” from turning into a “war on the streets.” On the evening of May 7, 1978, a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Moody Park erupted into riots. Tensions were running high between law enforcement and the Mexican-American community in the wake of the police-involved death of José Campos Torres the previous year. The situation escalated as more officers in riot gear arrived on the scene, with stores across a 10-block area around Fulton Street looted and set on fire. Fifteen people were injured and 22 others were arrested. Also included in the footage are scenes of a demonstration outside Houston City Hall led by a small group called People United Against Police Brutality.