A GRAND JURY IS CONSIDERING WHETHER TO INDICT POLICE FOR FALSE ARRESTS during the notorious Houston “K-Mart sweep.”

A Harris County grand jury today will begin considering whether police handling of a mass arrest — which already has led to lawsuits against the city of Houston and the suspension of 13 police supervisors — also deserves criminal indictments.

Public outcry was swift and furious after more than 270 people were arrested Aug. 18 in a Kmart parking lot in the 8400 block of Westheimer on the west side. Many who were caught in the roundup said they were customers at the Kmart or a nearby Sonic drive-in restaurant.

City officials later dropped all trespassing and curfew charges resulting from the arrests.

The city still faces millions of dollars in potential damages from the incident, however. To date, two lawsuits and 89 claims for damages have been filed by people caught up in the raid, said Robert Cambrice, a senior assistant city attorney. . . .

The grand jury probe may take two to three weeks, Rosenthal estimated. He declined to say whether his office is recommending any charges.

“I have not seen all the evidence,” he said, “but from what I’ve seen, I would not be surprised if a grand jury indicted some people.”

Hmm. Maybe the police in Racine, Wisconsin, where something similar happened, should be worried.