Virginia State Police officer ordered BBC reporter to delete video of Vester Flanagan crash scene

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | August 28, 2015 | Patrick Wilson

[csvset]

BBC journalist Franz Strasser, shown here on assignment in Brazil in 2014, shot video footage of the scene on Interstate 66 where shooting suspect Vester Flanagan crashed a car on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. A trooper told him they needed to seize his camera because the footage could be evidence, but then ordered him to delete the video footage, he said. State Police are investigating. (Courtesy photo)

Read a BBC reporter's tweets after he was asked to delete video of the Vester Flanagan crash scene

The Virginian-Pilot
© August 28, 2015

BBC journalist Franz Strasser was ordered to delete footage Wednesday after he and a fellow journalist came upon the scene on Interstate 66 where Vester Lee Flanagan crashed a car following a pursuit by Virginia State Police.

A trooper told Strasser that police would need to seize his camera because his footage could be evidence, but then ordered him to delete the footage. The trooper watched as the journalist deleted it, Strasser said in an interview Friday.

Strasser tweeted about the incident Wednesday. Corinne Geller, the State Police spokeswoman, tweeted back that police would look into it because such actions would violate police policy. Geller said Friday that after seeing tweets about the incident State Police began an administrative investigation by its Professional Standards Unit that is ongoing.

Read Strasser's tweets, and Geller's response:

Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose camera.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Saw about 20 police cars in the middle of I-66 E, the silver suspect car and what appeared to be a coffin.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Was too far away to get any good footage. One officer threatened to tow my car and take my camera.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Watched me delete my one file, and let me go. Other officer apologized and said we have to understand.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Colleague @Tara_Mckelvey filmed the encounter on her phone. Will review that in a bit.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

That iPhone footage is unusable. All we have is what we saw and heard. They can't delete that!

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

It was either not being able to work for the rest of the day, w/o camera and car, or delete crappy footage from far away. Chose the latter.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Reason for confiscating camera was that it was evidence. Threatened to tow the car because it was illegally parked.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

But why they are then okay with deleting 'evidence' makes one question their reasoning.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

We were able to recover photos from the moment police asked us to delete crime scene footage #WDBJ pic.twitter.com/p1jzJkgJmv

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Neither of these VA state police officers were the one asking us to delete footage. It was mainly one officer. pic.twitter.com/6L0JhTBWPm

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

We are working on recovering the video file. Haven't touched SD card so there's a small chance.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

Not so much for crime scene footage but to hear the exchange. I recorded until the very end when they took over the camera.

— Franz Strasser (@franzstrasser) August 26, 2015

@franzstrasser VSP is aware of this incident and we are looking into it, as such actions violate VSP policy.

— Corinne Geller (@VSPPIO) August 27, 2015

[seacapn]

This is why it’s not good enough to merely record things; the recordings need to be sent continuously to an offshore server for safekeeping as well.

[UCANSEE2]

“Saw about 20 police cars in the middle of I-66 E, the silver suspect car and what appeared to be a coffin.”

Does anyone find this to be totally unusual ?

[lee martell]

“Now push it!, Push it real good!”

[Edgar3]

WTH?!?

[csvset]

Would have been nice to see the video. D’oh ! Guess we’ll never know.

[COBOL2Java]

This is why it’s not good enough to merely record things; the recordings need to be sent continuously to an offshore server for safekeeping as well.

Just so. The jackbooted thugs are in a losing battle with technology. Eventually there will be no such thing as "Delete that footage."

"Sorry, officer, there is no footage stored in this [camera / smart phone]."

[ladyjane]

I wonder if the guy really did shoot himself. Maybe he had some help from the police?

[ballearthout]

There’s a few strange things around this shooting. The biggest question I have is:

How did the shooter know Alison and Adam were going to be there? Was he tipped off? If so, by who? It was an out of the way location at 6:45 am. How in the world did he know they were there?

If anyone knows the answer to this, I’d be very interested to know.

[sergeantdave]

“Virginia State Police officer ordered BBC reporter to delete video of Vester Flanagan crash scene”

He should have called the local county Constitutional sheriff for an escort. That way, when the Virginia state police Nazi told him to delete the video, the deputy would have told the prick cop to go F himself, and if he interfered further, the sheriff’s department would have showed up with a SWAT team.

[ifinnegan]

If he doesn’t use the camera after the deletion, the full file should be recoverable.

[csvset]

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

[Lurker]

The correct answer is “You’ll have to shoot me, officer. And that’ll be recorded as well. “

L

[MeganC]

How did the shooter know Alison and Adam were going to be there? Was he tipped off?

Uh, yeah. THEY tipped him off...kind of the point since they were promoting the resort where they were broadcasting from. They were doing an ongoing live shot from the location and they'd been on the air for about 30-40 minutes before the murderer showed up...he had plenty of time to drive there from his apartment.

[Secret Agent Man]

Or have a second card to swap in quick and ‘erase’.

[Hawthorn]

>> How did the shooter know Alison and Adam were going to be there? <<

Probably just saw a “tease” or “promo” about the interview, either the day before or very early on the same morning.

[House Atreides]

“...How did the shooter know Alison and Adam were going to be there? Was he tipped off? If so, by who? It was an out of the way location at 6:45 am. How in the world did he know they were there?

If anyone knows the answer to this, I’d be very interested to know.”
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I’m sure this is being thoroughly investigated. Records of which cell phone towers the perp’s phone was pinging off of (and the associated times of the pings) will have a story to tell. It could well be that he simply was surveilling the studio and, having spotted them, headed on out to follow them.

But, who knows, it could turn out to be something different.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

THE very question I was asking when this story broke. And this was early in the morning. How did he get access to her schedule? Did he still have access to the stations computers?

[Don Corleone]

How did the shooter know Alison and Adam were going to be there? Was he tipped off? If so, by who? It was an out of the way location at 6:45 am. How in the world did he know they were there? If anyone knows the answer to this, I’d be very interested to know.

Stations typically do promos or teases about their upcoming programming. Its not unusual. Probably the case here.