HAMMOND | Thomas Houston turned to face a federal jury Friday, raised his voice slightly, and repeated "Where's my sh - -?"
Taking the stand in his own defense, former Gary Police Chief Houston repeated the words at the volume he said he used June 1, 2007, when federal prosecutors say he yelled at alleged victims in an unlawful raid of a Gary home.
Houston's account wrapped five days of testimony in the federal civil rights case against him and two other former Gary top cops, Deputy Chief Thomas Branson and Sgt. Thomas Decanter.
At one point, Houston teared up recalling what he deemed a "structural rape" of his Gary home at the hands of burglars the morning of June 1.
It was that burglary -- and a missing police-issued gun -- that Houston said led him to Sheila Baker's house, to question people he believed may have played a role in the burglary.
Federal prosecutors say Melissa Manley, 30; Sheila Baker, 51; Manley's family friend Victor Adams Jr., 29; and Darren Johnson, 39, were victims of excessive force and civil rights violations by Houston, Branson and Decanter. The government claims Houston rallied officers in orchestrating an unlawful search of Baker's home.
Houston was the final witness to testify on behalf of the defense, and neither Branson nor Decanter took the stand.
Gary Cmdr. Bruce Outlaw testified that when Houston first told him his house was robbed, Outlaw advised Houston to "stay out of it," which Outlaw said Houston did.
Though he said he was not enraged, Houston said he felt compelled to seek out the .40-caliber Beretta swiped from his basement.
"I was burdened with the thought that the gun might be in the hands of criminals," he said Friday.
Houston said he had Baker's consent to enter her home, after he said he opened his suit jacket, flashed her his badge and identified himself.
"I'm the chief of police, I'm here about a gun," Houston said he told Baker last year.
Houston said once inside the house, he hit Manley in the face, who said she was pregnant at the time, only after she lied to him and resisted arrest several times as he was questioning her about his robbery.
"I can't chokehold her, I can't mace her, can't taze her, I certainly can't shoot her," Houston said in his defense of smacking Manley once.
Houston admitted to kicking Adams once near his right ankle, calling it "not inappropriate," because Adams had cursed at him and kicked him first.
Federal prosecutor Betsy Biffl questioned how the 6-foot-7-inch Houston could have felt threatened by Adams, who stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
He said he told Adams he was being arrested on charges of interfering with police and assaulting an officer, but said he never filed an arrest report for him.
When asked why the four alleged victims were arrested, Houston denied knowledge or responsibility, repeatedly saying he did not physically arrest any of the four, nor did he fill out their arrest reports.
He also noted, however, that as the chief at the time, he had ultimate authority over what may have happened at Baker's house.
Houston said he based his suspicions on who was involved on a description his neighbor had given him days before about a separate incident during which her lawnmower was stolen.
He suspected Manley may have been connected to his burglary because he had previously seen her and an unknown man trespassing at his neighbor's house, Houston said.
Houston denied ordering that the four be held for more than 48 hours, saying he advised the assigned detective to wrap his investigation in time to formally charge the alleged suspects.
