Source: The Sikh Coalition
http://www.sikhcoalition.org/advisories/HoustonUpdate.htm
A Sikh family that was harassed by police officers at their Houston home over Thanksgiving weekend is still awaiting a decision about the case from Harris County's new sheriff.
In the meantime, in response to a letter from the Sikh Coalition, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has unilaterally opened a compliance investigation of the Sheriff's Department. The DoJ is looking into an alleged pattern of discriminatory behavior by Harris County police officers.
Under Attack in Their Own Home
At the beginning of the Thanksgiving weekend last year, the Tagore family came home to find their house burgled. When Harris County police officers were called in to investigate the crime, they instead handcuffed and held family members in patrol cars, ostensibly because of a kirpan worn by one of the women. Officers asked the family members whether they had "heard about the bombings in Bombay" and then told the family that they "knew about Muslims."
In the aftermath of the harassment, the Tagore family asked the Sikh Coalition to assist them with getting justice. They wanted to ensure that no other Sikh family would have to put up with this sort of behavior from the very agents who were meant to protect them. "Our family is still feeling the impact of what happened to us that day," said Kawaljeet Kaur Tagore. "With the help of the Sikh Coalition, we hope to change the way the Harris County Sheriff's Office treats its citizens."
Status Update
Since the incident last year, the Sikh Coalition has been actively working with the Tagore family to ensure that justice is done.