Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Police Beat: Destroy the Evidence

Chris Sharp was enjoying a day at the Pimlico races, when he was confronted with the spectacle of a bleeding woman being arrested on the floor of the clubhouse by Baltimore police. Chris began video taping the shocking episode, however he was noticed by the cops who detained him and confiscated his cell phone without legal justification. Putting his trust in a sergeant who reassured him, he handed over his private property. The sergeant promptly erased all his phone videos. He is now represented by the ACLU in a lawsuit against the police. Here is his reaction to the incident:

In the case of the Fullerton, CA police beating so severe the mentally-ill victim never regained consciousness and later died of his injuries, videos of the night scene were too far away or dark to provide much objective detail, but a bus surveillance camera recorded eye-witness statements shortly afterwards. The bus driver, whether intentionally or not, does an adequate job of interviewing witnesses as they board his bus: