Acevedo calls out Cornyn, Cruz, McConnell after Houston sergeant fatally shot by 'domestic abuser'

Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo speaks to the media before officers from the Houston Police Department escort the body of Sgt. Christopher Brewster out of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences building to a funeral home in preparation for Wednesday's planned visitation and a funeral planned for Thursday, in Houston, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. less Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo speaks to the media before officers from the Houston Police Department escort the body of Sgt. Christopher Brewster out of the Harris County Institute of Forensic ... more Photo: Mark Mulligan/Staff Photographer Photo: Mark Mulligan/Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close Acevedo calls out Cornyn, Cruz, McConnell after Houston sergeant fatally shot by 'domestic abuser' 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

Just two days after a Houston police sergeant was fatally shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call, Chief Art Acevedo is once again challenging lawmakers to pass key legislation that would bar abusers from owning a firearm.

“I don’t want to hear about how much they support law enforcement,” Acevedo told reporters Monday morning outside the medical examiner’s office before police escorted Sgt. Christopher Brewster’s body. “I don’t want to hear about how much they care about the sanctity of lives,” Acevedo said.

He said legislators have failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which provides funding and grants for domestic abuse programs, due to pressure from the National Rifle Association, which “doesn’t like the fact that we want to take firearms out of the hands of boyfriends that abuse girlfriends.”

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“And who killed our sergeant? A boyfriend abusing his girlfriend,” Acevedo said. “So you’re either here for women and children and our daughters and our sisters and our aunts or you’re here for the NRA.”

“Make up your minds,” he added.

Acevedo called out by name Sens. Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn; the latter of which Acevedo jousted with last week on Twitter after a press conference about the Violence Against Women Act.

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“It’s time for the Senate to act,” Acevedo said during Thursday’s press conference.

Cornyn on Twitter blamed the Democrats and the “impeachment mania.”

In an emailed statement, Cornyn's office said the police chief's "got it backwards." The Violence Against Women Act is still fully funded despite what the Chief implied, a spokesman said.

"Democrats in DC walked away from negotiations and that’s when it fell apart," said Drew Brandewie, a spokesman for Cornyn.

On Monday, Acevedo repeated his call to legislators in a fiery statement.

“You are an American, and American blood is being shed every day in this community throughout this nation” he said. “Do something about it or retire.”

Michelle Iracheta is a digital reporter in Houston. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | michelle.iracheta@chron.com