Houston (TX) -- Congressman Al Green (TX-09) released the following statement on the arrest of Chad Holley and the trial of former Houston Police officer Andrew Blomberg:

I support the Houston Police Department, but I do not support what I saw on the video of Chad Holley’s arrest. Which is why, on Thursday, May 17, 2012, I met with officials at the Department of Justice while in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, I reiterated my request to have the DOJ look into the circumstances surrounding the Chad Holley arrest and trial. The community has requested it and justice demands it.

I support the American justice system, but I do not support unchallenged one race juries in Harris County which has over 2.5 million minorities. We are one of the most diverse counties in our great nation. We must not only celebrate our diversity in the political, social, and economic order; we must also celebrate it in the judicial order and reflect it in our jury trials.

The Chad Holley case is about more than Chad Holley’s race. It’s about more than black and white. It’s about wrong and right. It’s about how you get a one race jury in Harris County regardless of the race of other participants in the trial.

In Harris County, with over 2.5 million minorities, it’s wrong to have an unchallenged, one race jury regardless of the race of the jurors. In Harris County, it would be wrong to have an unchallenged all black jury; and, it is equally wrong to have a one race all white jury.