HOUSTON, TX – A police official blames recent violence against officers in Houston, Texas, and nationwide, on anti-police rhetoric and politicians who have echoed those messages.
"The violence of officers has started ever since these protests began" it has "not stopped… only increased," Harris County Deputies' Organization Executive Director Eric Batton told Fox News. "Politicians have echoed exactly what a lot of these activists have propagated and that's unacceptable," he continued.
WATCH:
A suspect fired multiple shots at three officers Thursday afternoon following a pursuit by police, according to Houston police Chief Troy Finner. In a Twitter post, Houston police identified the wounded officers N. Gadson, 35; D. Hayden, 32; and A. Alvarez, 28. The suspect, Roland Caballero, 31, has been charged with three counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer and one count of aggravated robbery.
Batton told Fox News: "It's gut-wrenching."
Thursday marked the second time in a week that officers in the area were shot. On Sunday, a Harris County constable was fatally shot while conducting a traffic stop in southwest Houston.
Oscar Rosales, 51, who police accuse of fatally shooting Harris County Corporal Charles Galloway early Sunday, is likely an alias, authorities said during a Monday news briefing. (Harris County DA/Houston OEM)
Officers have also recently been shot in New York City and Ferguson, Missouri.
Batton said: "On a national scale, lawlessness has been promoted by a faction of people who have tried to change the face of evil," projecting it "onto law enforcement across the country," but "it's not law enforcement that's the evil," Batton said. "Evil is still the same evil that it always was, violent criminals," he continued.
The police official said the Biden administration must take action.
"We need a host of people to stand up with us" and "lock arms with us…support what it is that we do" so that officers can be safe in their own communities.
HOUSTON - NOVEMBER 04: Houston Police Department in Houston, Texas. (Photo By Raymond Boyd)
As of January 25, there have been 41 homicides in Houston, making it the leading city in homicides so far this year, FOX26 reported. Houston locals told Fox News the spike in crime has been "surprising" and "scary," being that Houston is "known to be safe."
Houston local reacts to recent spike in crime (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
Batton blamed the city's crime spike on politicians who have given criminals "a clean, clear path to commit crimes."
Bail reform is another issue contributing to the increase, Batton said. Recently, Democratic Harris County leaders blocked an effort by a Republican commissioner to undo the county's existing bail reform, Houston Public Media reported.
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Batton also blamed judges setting bonds too low, and the district attorney incorrectly interpreting the law.
Harris County Deputies' Organization Executive Director Eric Batton (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
"The only way to get a handle on this is to keep violent offenders in jail" or they'll "continue to commit violence," the police union official told Fox News.
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"We're only one part of the equation in this whole criminal justice process. We're just one of the cogs in the wheel, and you can't have just one of the cogs working," he said.
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