Mayor Whitmire at odds with council member over Beryl’s response

HOUSTON (KIAH) — Mayor John Whitmire is disputing a council member’s claim that the city may have played a role in the death of a Houston police officer.

Russell Richardson, an HPD computer security officer, drowned while wading through high water on his way to work during the storm.

Earlier this week, Councilmember Edward Pollard suggested that Richardson might still be alive if HPD had mobilized all its forces before the storm.

Whitmire insists the city was prepared and said Pollard’s attention should be focused on CenterPoint Energy, which was criticized for its slow response to restore power to the area after the storm.