A career criminal with more than 60 arrests took the life of Rosalie Cook, an 80-year-old woman in a Walgreens parking lot in Houston who was picking up a prescription.
Lewis was hanging around in the Walgreens parking lot before he took Rosalie Cook’s life. According to Breaking911.com : Randy Lewis, 38, was reportedly menacing people and begging for money at a nearby grocery store before the crime.
When Cook returned to her car, Lewis approached her and stabbed her in the chest. While she lay on the ground dying, he rifled through her belongings and then tried to steal her car, according to Houston Chief of Police Art Acevedo.
Law enforcement arrived on the scene and ordered Lewis out of Cook’s car. Lewis got out of the car and rushed the officer while brandishing his knife. The officer then used lethal force, fatally shooting Lewis twice.
Why was Lewis on the streets?
Lewis was free to murder Rosalie Cook because he had recently been released from a psychiatric facility into a care home, and he was out on bond for two felonies, including assault.
Randy Lewis should never have been free. Now an innocent woman has been murdered. Everyone deserves better. This is absolutely shameful. https://t.co/hfJ4dqfYxG pic.twitter.com/tqIr9Qlmln
— Houston Police Officers’ Union (@HPOUTX) May 18, 2020
Houston police chief blames criminal justice and bail reform
Art Acevedo, the Houston Chief of Police, blamed criminal justice and bail reform for allowing Lewis to be free. He pointed out that there has been a 50% increase in murders in Houston this year, bringing the number to 125.
As the press focused on officer-involved shooting, Acevedo responded by pointing out there are more criminals on the streets putting the community at risk. He then went off on the judges that release criminals into the community. Acevedo asked the press to focus on the injustice of that.
Who is the judge that released Lewis?
The judge who released Lewis back into the population is elected Judge Herb Ritchie, serving his second term in Harris county. He serves in the 337th criminal district court.
Ritchie includes his view of justice on his Harris County bio page:
“I believe in and will work for a system of justice whereby every person, regardless of status, receives fair and equal treatment under the Law.”
Where is Rosalie Cook’s fair and equal treatment under the law?
Watch Chief Acevedo address the press after the murder of Rosalie Cook’s murder:
