Houston Rights Activist Quanell X Decries Verdict in Lufkin Man’s Trial
Quanell X, the controversial leader of the New Black Panthers of Houston, says he's outraged that a Lufkin man could be found guilty of resisting arrest in his own home. He says it's the worst miscarriage of justice he's ever seen.
Quanell X is reacting to the outcome of the trial of Marco Sauceda, which grew out of an incident in 2009 when Sauceda was confronted by Lufkin police who thought he was a burglar who had broken into the house.
Sauceda, who speaks no English, didn't comply with police demands that he surrender. He fought the officers, who used pepper spray to subdue him. After he was arrested, police learned Sauceda was in his own house, but he was charged with resisting arrest anyway.
When Sauceda's case finally came to trial the jury found him guilty, despite their misgivings that he had been "wronged" by the way police handled the incident. The judge sentenced him to 30 days in jail and a fine, but he was credited with time served and released.
Quanell X says Sauceda was convicted because of his skin color, and the verdict says a lot about Lufkin. “If Mr. Sauceda’s last name was Mr. Goldberg, Mr. White or even Mr. O’Brien, there is no way in hell that jury would have found that man guilty."
The Sauceda case is far from over. The trial verdict is just the beginning. Sauceda has already filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Lufkin and the Police Department.
Quanell X says he will follow that lawsuit, and he also intends to come to Lufkin for meetings with Hispanic and African-American groups and a protest march through downtown to the courthouse.
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