University of Houston Students Demand Additional Safety Measures Following Recent Crimes
Protest and Demands for Increased Security
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, over 100 University of Houston students gathered to demand additional safety measures from the university following a series of recent crimes on campus. The protest was sparked by the alleged sexual assault of a student at knifepoint and a string of robberies.
Investigation and Charges
According to an arrest affidavit, Eric Latroy Brown, 40, allegedly forced a UH student inside of her vehicle in a campus parking garage and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint for 15 minutes. Hours later, Brown was found near the scene by university police officers. He allegedly failed to follow their commands and struck one officer with his elbow before he was subdued with a stun gun and arrested, the affidavit states. After initial charges related to Brown’s scuffle with the officers were declined by prosecutors, Brown was released from police custody.
Charges related to the alleged sexual assault, which occurred on February 7, were not filed by prosecutors until five days later. Warrants for Brown’s arrest on those charges were still active as of Friday, as police worked to locate the man.
Miscommunication Between Agencies
Exactly what led to Brown’s release from custody after the alleged sexual assault remained unclear. In statements to Houston Public Media, both the district attorney’s office and the university deflected blame for what appeared to be a miscommunication between the agencies.
"The University of Houston Police Department confirms that the probable cause for the arrest of the individual taken into custody Friday, February 7, was the sexual assault charge," said Shawn Lindsey, a university spokesperson. "This information was disclosed to the District Attorney’s office. The additional charges would not have existed or been presented but for the apprehension of the suspect for the sexual assault."
The district attorney’s office, however, maintains that prosecutors in its intake division were not initially presented charges regarding the sexual assault by the university police department, "though there was mention that the defendant could possibly be a suspect," Courtney Fischer, a spokesperson for the DA’s office, said.
University Response
The university has acknowledged the recent crimes and has taken steps to improve campus security. In an email, the university stated that it is working on immediate solutions to improve the visibility of its security team by placing improved lighting systems on police bicycles and carts. More security officers are now stationed at all six parking garages and 10 surface lots, according to the university.
"Contextually, based on 2023 campus crime data from the six largest public universities in Texas, UH has the second-lowest rate of reported forcible sex offenses, with 3.2 incidents per 10,000 students—significantly below the state average of 5.8 per 10,000 students," Lindsey said. "UH also had the lowest rate among these universities in 2022. The majority of reported cases involve known perpetrators, and these statistics reflect reports received, not necessarily confirmed incidents."
FAQs
Q: What happened during the alleged sexual assault?
A: According to the arrest affidavit, Eric Latroy Brown allegedly forced a UH student inside of her vehicle in a campus parking garage and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint for 15 minutes.
Q: What happened after the alleged assault?
A: Brown was found near the scene by university police officers and allegedly failed to follow their commands, striking one officer with his elbow before being subdued with a stun gun and arrested. He was released from police custody after initial charges were declined by prosecutors.
Q: Why were charges related to the alleged sexual assault not filed until five days later?
A: The district attorney’s office maintains that prosecutors in its intake division were not initially presented charges regarding the sexual assault by the university police department, leading to a delay in filing charges.
Q: What is the university doing to improve campus security?
A: The university is working on immediate solutions to improve the visibility of its security team by placing improved lighting systems on police bicycles and carts. More security officers are now stationed at all six parking garages and 10 surface lots.
