Mayor Whitmire at odds with councilmember over Beryl response

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

Russell Richardson, an information security officer for HPD, drowned when he drove through high water on the way to work during the storm.

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

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