The recent reassignment of a Houston Police Department officer to active duty amid an ongoing investigation into a fatal crash has sparked outrage among the victim's family and the community. Officer Shelby Kennedy, who was involved in a collision that took the life of 41-year-old Desire Pool in front of her children, returned to duty, as confirmed by HPD. According to a Click2Houston report, dashcam and body camera footage revealed the tragic moments leading up to the incident on the evening of September 19.
Officer Kennedy was driving on Antoine Dr. when the crash occurred, with her partner Officer Joshua Rosales beside her. Rosales's reactions were captured in the video as he shouted, "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. Oh sh**. Oh, my fu***** God! You didn’t see them?" to which Kennedy replied, "No." The family's pain was compounded by HPD's decision to release the video the day before Thanksgiving, a move that Desire Pool's best friend, Regina Neal criticized, "The family’s insight is why now? Why right before Thanksgiving? Our hearts have not healed," Neal said, "Why bring something so tragic up, around the holiday time, you know?". Neal's sentiments were reported by Click2Houston.
As detailed by ABC13, Patricia Barnes, Desire Pool's mother, has voiced her dismay, questioning the attention Officer Kennedy paid to the road during the tragedy. "What was she doing that she didn't see these people in the street?" Barnes asked. She is especially disturbed by the fact that Kennedy, who hit and killed a mother in front of her children, has been reinstated without waiting for the investigation's conclusion.
This incident has raised significant concerns regarding HPD's protocols when an officer involved in a serious incident is returned to active duty while a case is still under investigation. A spokesperson for the department clarified that this action does not mean the officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the victim's family considers legal action, signifying an ongoing search for justice and accountability. "I'm not going to let this go. This was a mother, a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a friend," Barnes asserted, in the ABC13 interview.
