Brother with disability 'denied due process' when HPD suspended his assault case, sister says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Police Department continues to work through the 260,000 suspended incident reports. One of those cases is the assault of a man two years ago, and police say charges now can't be pursued because there is now a lack of evidence.

Millicent Holliday said her brother, Omie Holliday, is disabled and can't speak up for himself, so she's dedicated to being his voice.

She said that after being alerted that HPD suspended her brother's case, she had spent several months fighting for answers.

Millicent Holliday said in 2022, her brother was a client at the day program Center for Pursuit and noticed something about his face looked wrong at pickup.

"I asked him to take his glasses off, and he had two black eyes," she said.

A doctor told her, in addition to bruised and swollen eyes, that her brother had a fractured knee, so she filed a police report.

She said the day program told her another client hit Omie Holliday at the facility.

Police told her they could not press charges because the altercation was between two people with mental disability. She said she stopped hearing from police earlier this year.

"When I was reached out to by a detective during the scandal, I was very surprised," she said.

Omie Holliday's case was suspended due to a lack of personnel, and now Millicent is being told there is a lack of evidence, but she said she emailed police pictures and medical records two years ago.

In 2022, police told her they would pull video of the altercation from the facility.

"If there was a staffing shortage, I don't know if everything was provided for them. All they had to do was their end," Millicent Holliday said.

Millicent said trying to get updates on her brother's case has been like pulling teeth since it was first reviewed this year.

"It's like they'll start, and then everything will just be silent," Millicent said.

She feels that if her brother's case had been properly handled two years ago, they would have a clearer picture of what actually happened inside the facility and how to move on.

"I would just like to know exactly what has happened because my brother has been denied due process, and he has not been protected just like anyone else, and that's wrong," she said.

She believes that if evidence is missing in her brother's case after a two-year lapse, it must be happening in other cases, and she worries that others won't get the justice they deserve either.

HPD told ABC13 that HPD's Major Assault Division is still reviewing Omie Holliday's case, and it's considered active and open.

ABC13 reached out to the center where the assault happened to see if police were in contact with them in 2022 or this year. A Center of Pursuit spokesperson sent the following statement the day after our report aired.

"The well-being of our clients is always our top priority, and we were deeply concerned about the incident involving Mr. Holliday in 2022. Following our internal protocols, we promptly requested an investigation by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which was unable to confirm fault. The assault of Mr. Holliday by another client occurred outside at our now-closed facility on Kirby Drive in an area without video cameras. We fully cooperated with the authorities during their inquiries and remain committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all our clients."

For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.