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Posted on 05/14/2010 7:40:32 AM PDT by Rebelbase
Heads Roll at Station That Failed to Air Video
The Seattle news director whose station turned down the video of a police beating resigned, and an assignment manager has been fired, Seattle news organizations reported on Thursday.
“I want to let you all know today is my last day here at Q13 FOX. As the leader of this newsroom, I feel that under the circumstances it’s best for me to step aside. I don’t want to allow the issues of the past week to be a distraction to the news staff,” News Director Steve Kraycik wrote in his resignation letter, according to Linda Thomas of KIRO Radio.
Thomas said she was given the letter by General Manager Pam Pearson.
Senior assignment editor Cheri Mossburg was fired. Mossburg said she is consulting with a lawyer, Maureen O’Hagan reported in the Seattle Times.
As reported on Wednesday, Kraycik apologized for not airing footage that shows Seattle police officers stomping on a man's head and body. At one point, an officer can be heard saying: “You got me? I'm going to beat the [expletive] Mexican piss out of you, homey. You feel me?”
After KCPQ-TV, known as Q13, did not air the footage of the incident he offered the station, freelance photographer Jud Morris posted a video of the beating on YouTube and sold the footage to competitor KIRO-TV for $100.
Morris said KCPQ-TV then fired him. KCPQ is challenging KIRO over rights to the footage.
“The NAACP on Tuesday said Q-13 ‘seems to have played a substantial role in delaying and actively suppressing the release of the video in this case,’ and one civil rights leader accused the station of obstruction of justice,” KIRO reported Thursday, noting that the Fox affiliate waited nearly three weeks to air the video.
On the night of the beating, Dominic Holden of the blog the Slog reported last Friday, Morris “saw a bunch of cop cars take off and he filmed the incident.
“But when he tried to sell the footage to Q-13 the next day, he says, they refused to air it.
” ‘I was told flat out . . . that this video will not go to air — we will not air it,’ Morris says. ‘They said it is not that egregious. Those were the exact words.’ “
The freelancer said he suspected the station wanted to protect its relationship with police. It airs “Washington's Most Wanted,” a weekly show that details fugitives and highlights police work. The station has denied that was its motivation, saying it was seeking more information.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists Wednesday night said, “Q13 has done a disservice to Latinos, to journalism and to its audience.”
“The Seattle FBI office has started a routine investigation of the incident, and the findings are expected to be forwarded to the Civil Rights Section of the Department of Justice, Special Agent Fred Gutt said,” according to Casey McNerthney of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the former newspaper that is now a Web-only operation.
Meanwhile, the family of the Latino man seen being stomped on and yelled at with profanities said they were “disappointed” with the officers’ conduct.
Martin Monetti
Martin Monetti
In a statement on behalf of Martin Monetti, the firm Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender described the April 17 incident as “an unprovoked and illegal physical assault by two Seattle officers, one of whom used racist language.”
The statement said the “media firestorm” surrounding the event has overwhelmed the family, and said no press conference with Monetti is planned, according to KIRO-TV.
“Meanwhile, Morris, the videographer, has come up with a side project: selling T-shirts that capitalize on the uproar,” O’Hagan reported in the Seattle Times. “’Get your Seattle Police beating T-shirts,’ he posted on Twitter.
“One has the Q13 logo and disparages the station.
“The other has a still shot from the video and references the officer's words.”
Funny. I don’t recall the MSM uproar about ABC sitting on the Clinton/Lewinsky story??!!!
Oh but our NY media was so quick to run with Dan Rather’s fake but accurate TANG records for President Bush.
But, but, it’s their duty to run race-baiting stories.
Yes, this was a big story. But I don’t think we need to stir up any more racial hatreds. Evidently someone up the ladder at Fox thinks that they do. Enough just to report the story, not to show that kind of pictures.
Two of the men detained were arrested because they fit description of machete welding robbers, and the one in in the video was let go. All were illegals.
“Two of the men detained were arrested because they fit description of machete welding robbers, and the one in in the video was let go. All were illegals.”
Illegals? So IOW if they had stayed in their own damned countries, this would not have happened.
Say WA? Evergreen State ping You display common sense. Off to the Sensitivity Camps for you!
I don’t get it...why would a News Director turn down an opportunity to break the next Rodney King story?
Oh...I get it...because the Police Chief, the Mayor, the City Council, the Governor, all are LIBERAL DEMOCRATS!
(don’t have Daryl Gates to kick around...)
Where did you pick up that they were illegals?
Martin Moretti (the guy on the ground) is a Seattle
native.
It was KOMO or KIRO who said both robbery and immigration violation charges were being filed against those arrested. Put 2 and 2 together and it says they were illegal. The guy on the ground I don't know about, but Police had reason enough to detain him until cleared. If they were too rough on him that's up to interpretation, and a review by superiors, and I didn't see anything worth the attention being paid to this story.
The robbers arrested have been robbing people from Federal way to Seattle while brandishing machetes. The police have a right to be very cautious while making the arrest and suspect anyone in the vicinity who fit the description. You ever see a bank robbery live on TV? All in the bank are suspects until the Police clear them.
Putting 2 and 2 togther doesn’t condone how the cops
behaved. They acted more like a bunch of FR vigilantes
than professionals. Now the robbery case is likely
fatally compromised, Seattle will have to pay this kid,
probably a nice payday for him.
Are you watching the same video I am? I see trailer trash in their underwear getting treated more harshly on any COPS program. I have seen some valid Police abuse videos and this aint one.
Your mileage and juries may vary. That wasn’t a fit way for
police to behave here.
For those who criticize policemen/-women for just trying to do their jobs, please become a law enforcement officer yourself. See how you respond when the adrenaline and fear hit you while trying to make an arrest. Sure, there are bad cops, but it is one thing to sit in your front room and watch the news in your PJs. It is completely different to be on the street making split-second decisions while trying to get criminals off the street.
“
Funny. I don’t recall the MSM uproar about ABC sitting on the Clinton/Lewinsky story??!!!
“
Or Secretary Sebelius refusing to read the government analysis showing
Obamacare is going to COST more than current healthcare.
Even though it was received a week before the voting on the bill.
Let’s just say that the MSM is HYPER-selective in their reporting.
Regarding Democrats/Socialists/Perverts/etc.
I would be totally up for it. Too bad I’m already beyond
retirement age for most cops (they retire at 55 and rake in a fat pension around here).
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