HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man was left shocked to hear from the Houston Police Department regarding his case, where he says his boss assaulted him with a beer bottle in 2021. He was even more surprised that it led to an arrest nearly three years later.
In March, Joshua Naras was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before being arrested in April, police said.
“It was like, ‘Oh, wow. I finally have the opportunity to get justice,'” Grant Farley, the victim, told ABC13. “I’m very happy my case was finally picked up and investigated, and the ball is finally moving.”
Farley said he suffered deep cuts to his hand when Naras allegedly lunged at him with a broken beer bottle in Dec. 2021. According to Farley, he had told Naras, who was also his childhood friend, that he was quitting just moments before.
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Farley sought treatment at a local emergency room before heading to the police station to report it. He says he thought it was a “slam-dunk” case/
“This was not a random attack. I knew where he lived. I had his birthdate,” he said.
However, Farley’s report ended up in the pile of 260,000 HPD incident reports that were suspended due to the “lack of personnel,” revealed by Chief Troy Finner back in February.
One month later, Houston police contacted Farley and asked if he still wished for his case to be investigated.
On Wednesday, HPD released the names of 22 people who were arrested following an independent review of the suspended cases. Officials say that 50 people, including Naras, were charged out of that review.
“This is what this review process is all about: following up, filing charges, and making arrests in those incident reports that should’ve initially worked,” HPD said in a statement to ABC13. “We will continue to update our community on the numbers of arrests and charges we have filed throughout this extensive review.”
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13 Investigates has obtained a letter detailing how the Houston Police Department started using the code suspending cases for lack of personnel.
Naras has since been released from jail on a $10,000 bond.
“Mr. Naras did not assault this man, who is a disgruntled former employee. We expect this case to (be) dismissed,” Naras’ defense attorney, Kent Schaffer, told ABC13.
Out of the 22 people who were arrested, three people had their cases dismissed due to insufficient evidence or no probable cause.
Farley hopes his case meets a different fate. “It would be very disheartening,” he said.
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