The Houston Police Boxing Association went undefeated in its first series of boxing rounds against Precinct 6 constables on Feb. 10 at the Knockout Factory, 5601 Navigation.
Net proceeds of $3,000 was provided to the Assist the Officer Foundation. The check was accepted by ATO Chairman Tom Hayes.
The brainchild of Officer Mike Agee of the Tact team of South Central Division, the association so far consists of 30 HPD officers who dedicate their free time to work out under Agee’s supervision three times a week.
Some members choose to use their boxing skills to compete against boxers from other Houston area law enforcement agencies.
Agee, the nephew of Officer Elston Howard, killed in the line of duty on July 19, 1988, got the idea when he observed that HPD had no ongoing sports program that not only keeps officers in shape but served as an enhanced physical attribute should they get into fisticuffs with crooks.
The 13-year veteran also had a special reason for developing the training program.
“My uncle was an officer killed in the line of duty, Elston Howard, who was doing a license check for Vice. When I became an officer I promised my family that I would do everything I could to come home at night so we wouldn’t have to go through the trauma again.”
(Agee was 11 years old when Howard was murdered. His killer is still on Death Row, getting a seemingly endless number of appeals. Born in Houston and a Nimitz High School graduate, Agee holds a Texas Southern University degree in Psychology and is currently seeking a doctorate in General Psychology).
“It’s a physical activity that relieves a lot of mental stress,” Agee said. “We go to work happy, the guys are looking better and their wives are happy with their new appearance. The benefits are astounded. I never thought it would be this successful for officers.”
Of course, it’s for both male and female officers.
The first series of matches each consisted of three one-minute rounds. And HPD boxers prevailed in all six of their matches.
The results:
- Amber Khan defeated Martha Calderon by unanimous decision
- Joseph Cantu defeated Juan Monterroza by unanimous decision
- Rick Perez defeated Fernando Esqueda by unanimous decision
- Armand Schattle defeated Jermaine Bluford by Knockout
- The Juan Martinez and Roland Benavidez (both HPD) bout ended in a draw.
- Luke Crawford defeated Ramon Martinez by Knockout
Over the past few years Agee noticed that there was no department-wide sports program geared toward bonding and getting into better physical shape. His prime example of such a program was the old Houston Gunners football team. He suggested the boxing association in May of last year and the proposal “went up the chain of command” and was given the go-ahead.
Agee said the six-month training program consists of both night and day Knockout Factory gym sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The next scheduled matches by the association will be on Sept. 15.
Currently there are 30 participants, including five policewomen. Agee is looking to expand the Houston Police Boxing Association and urges any interested officers to contact him at either of these emails:
Michael.agee@houstonpolice.org
The post Newly formed Houston Police Boxing Association scores ‘a knock-out’ success in its first bouts held in February appeared first on Houston Police Officers Union.