HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Now for the latest on the trial of a Houston police officer accused of beating a teenage burglary suspect. On Wednesday, jurors got the chance to see part of the beating from a different angle.
Jurors got a chance to see video of the crime scene from a police helicopter as the defense called several officers to the stand. But the big story in the courtroom was Andrew Blomberg's defense team asking the judge to cite the police chief with contempt of court.
As Day 5 of Blomberg's official oppression trial continued, the jury got a chance to see this shaky police helicopter video of the moments before officers kicked and stomped teenage burglary suspect Chad Holley.
However, the accused former Houston police officer's defense team spent part of the morning focused on asking the judge to hold Police Chief Charles McClelland in contempt of court. And it's all over an article that appeared in Wednesday's local paper. It included statements the chief gave about Blomberg and other accused officers moments after the chief left the witness stand on Tuesday.
"I'm not saying I would disagree that Blomberg should be charged with a felony. I'm just saying that the specific statute, the way that it reads, it makes it very, very difficult," McClelland said.
Blomberg's defense lawyer Dick Deguerin called the police chief's statements outside the courtroom inappropriate. He asked the judge to cite McClelland for publicly calling for a conviction in the middle of trial.
On Tuesday, McClelland told us "I've certainly been open and transparent, and want Mr. Blomberg prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
On Wednesday, prosecutors reminded the judge there is no gag order in this case. During the afternoon the city attorney was called to the courtroom on the police chief's behalf.
"The discussion, just in general terms, is whether or not he had any particular restrictions on him, with respect to who he could speak to, about what once he left the courtroom," Houston City Attorney David Feldman said.
At this time, it's still unclear whether the judge will have a hearing about Chief McClelland's statements. For now, Blomberg's defense attorneys are continuing to call other witnesses.
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