Posted on 08/12/2011 6:18:13 AM PDT by truthkeeper
Fullerton's acting police chief acknowledged Thursday that the department had allowed police officers involved in a deadly encounter with a homeless man to watch a video that captures the incident before writing their reports about it.
Acting Chief Kevin Hamilton said supervisors allowed the review so that the officers would have a chance to refresh their memory and write an accurate account of the incident involving Kelly Thomas.
But the practice is at odds with the way many other police departments deal with serious use-of-force cases. The LAPD's former inspector general, Jeffrey Eglash, said that allowing police to look at video before giving evidence is a "bad practice."
"You want each person's recollection. I would look at the videotape like another witness," he said. "It allows the officers to conform their statements to other evidence rather than getting their independent witness recollection. It is not a practice that advances the truth-seeking."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
No. That's not the way it works. The perps don't get that advantage. They probably should've thought of that before hitting the bank.
Here is the youtube video clip of the entire informant's statement. They incorporated two parts into one, so in the first half you will hear his real voice and after the commercial break his voice has been disguised. If the things he says are true, it's pretty chilling.
Sorry this isn't a link, you'll have to cut and paste:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxMqlRgGAno
If the police reports match video evidence, it doesn't get much better than that. If the reports and video conflict, that's a problem.
Ditto for the cops. They shouldn't have the advantage of being able to adjust their testimony to match each others' stories and the physical evidence. They should have thought of that before hitting Mr. Thomas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yo4iOWDZ9o&feature=related
“No. That’s not the way it works. The perps don’t get that advantage.”
Ah, I get it. When police officers are suspected of a crime, they get special rules and privileges. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others?
But they do.
Nope. Nothing special about it. They have evidence. The more, the better. They file reports based on that evidence. If something went wrong, I'm sure some lawyer will produce that evidence while in court.
Because the Orange County district attorney's office, which is investigating Thomas' death along with the FBI, has refused to release the tape publicly, saying investigators believe it could influence witness recollections. The Fullerton police have also rejected requests to make the tape public.
So which is it reviewing is good or only good for the police cover up.
Hi gal - Thanks for posting this. I had seen the articles regarding this just last week. I think I got an OC ping on it. It probably had been on TV here but I don’t watch much news. Incredibly sad and pretty darned stupid on the part of law enforcement. I am glad it’s not going to be swept under a rug. The young man and his family deserve justice.
That's the best thing to happen - if your goal is to bust a few cops.
...even if the video was viewed by the LEOs before and/or during the time those reports were written?
It sure as hell is. It's a strategy designed to protect the wrong doers as opposed to arriving at the truth and the facts.
This goes counter to their stated reason for not showing the videos to the public. They have said they won't release them until the investigation is over because they don't want the video to bias witness statements...
The videotapes were not shown to the officers in an effort to flavor anything.
Well, of course not. </sarcasm>
The only time that has any value at all is when you are on a jury. Other than that, the system is designed to overwhelm you into submission, with deadly force if that is what it takes.
That is correct. Unbiased moving pictures of the scene are awfully hard to refute. What the video DOES NOT display is motive. That will be determined at a later date.
from what i’ve heard on kfi am 640 i doubt that the public will ever see that video.
the murder was so violent that the public will be outraged.
i heard the tape of the witnesses on the bus that saw the murder. unbelievable.
Not a review but the subjects of the investigation. Seriously now.
The truth and facts will come out in court - not in your living room.
So, basically a report on what they watched on television last night. Not an honest recollection of events.
No thanks.
The fix is in.
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