CheapNailsalonsnearme– A recent incident at a Houston Food Not Bombs (FNB) meal distribution has sparked controversy and concern, following a violent arrest and the use of a Taser on volunteers. The event, which took place outside the Central Library in Downtown Houston, has raised questions about the treatment of volunteers under the new administration of Mayor John Whitmire.
On January 3rd, during one of FNB’s regular outreach events for unhoused Houstonians, Harris County constables arrived to serve a warrant on an FNB volunteer. The situation quickly escalated, resulting in the tasing and arrest of another volunteer, Jerrod Brown.
This incident has brought to light the longstanding tension between FNB volunteers and local authorities, who have been enforcing Houston’s decade-old feeding ordinance. Nick Cooper, an FNB volunteer, described the scene as chaotic, with video footage from the event showing multiple angles of the confrontation.
The footage, posted on FNB’s Instagram, captured the moment when Brown was tased by an officer and later showed him being escorted away by the police. Brown reportedly suffered a broken wrist during the incident, and a female officer was seen pointing a taser at another volunteer’s face.
VIDEO: Violent arrest, tasing mar Houston Food Not Bombs handout https://t.co/Nua4sENvM9
— Chron (@chron) January 5, 2024
The feeding ordinance in question, enacted in 2012 but only recently enforced, restricts the distribution of food to more than five people without permission from the property owner. The only approved public property for meal distribution is currently 61 Riesner Street, a decision former Mayor Sylvester Turner defended, citing decreased library use and increased crime in the area.
The incident has raised concerns among FNB volunteers, especially with the recent mayoral change. Mayor Whitmire’s office, however, has stated that the mayor was not briefed about the city’s history with Food Not Bombs and has not decided on the future of citations for feeding unhoused people in unsanctioned public places.
Since the enforcement of the ordinance in March 2023, FNB volunteers have received over 80 tickets, with one volunteer being found not guilty in a jury trial. The group contends that by feeding people at the library, they are meeting unhoused individuals where they already gather.
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In response to the incident, FNB has set up a GoFundMe to assist the arrested volunteer with medical and legal expenses. The event has brought to the forefront the challenges faced by organizations attempting to provide aid to the unhoused, and the often contentious relationship between such groups and city administrations.