...and so it apparently should be in the case of Freddie Gray's death. I consider the injuries to and death of Mr. Gray as highly suspect at the hands of the 6 officers who have been charged so far, but they are innocent until proven guilty if ever so proven. Yet, to have charged all six of them, who were in some way involved, seems little more that a political hatchet job. Don't get me wrong, I think one or more likely guilty but all six? They have not been proven guilty although my guess is all six will be rail-roaded even if not guilty because of so called political correctness and any idea of them having a fair and just day in court has already all but been destroyed by the media hype, the riots and the obvious political agenda. Why do I think that way? Read more about that here and pay attention that not one of them has been accused of actually doing anything specific to Mr. Gray that would have caused his fatal injuries. It may come out later but it sure hasn't yet.
Anyway, the thing I want to know and that NOT ONE SOUL IN THE MEDIA OR BURAUCRACY (or even on the defense team) seems to have to wondered is what do the initial hospital reports have to say! If Mr. Gray came into the hospital with a severed spine - why have we not heard from the hospital on that or at least from investigators about it. As far fetched as it may seem - is it possible he arrived at the hospital in distress but without his cervical spine already having been partially severed and maybe an accident at the hospital caused such. I would like to at least hear that positively and absolutely ruled out before condemning the officers even though my bet right now is that at least one of them caused, directly or indirectly, the fatal injury to Mr. Gray.
However, it certainly would not be beyond the realm of possibility that the injury could have been sustained after he arrived at the hospital and then certainly would not be beyond imagining that hospital staff would try to cover it up. Note, I said not beyond the realm of possibility and made no mention of probability. Anyway, as I said - even cops so accused - whether guilty or not - get their day in court just like anyone accused of a heinous crime.
All the best,
Glenn B
In my 32 years as a law enforcement officer, I am proud to say that I never once took any actions like the cop discussed in the article and seen in the video that accompanies it. The cop apparently has a partner or another cop search a vehicle illegally after allegedly threatening and then slapping the owner or operator (source) to get the keys from him. More than once, during my career, I reported similar such behavior to my superiors. It was just intolerable from my view. As law enforcement officers we were not hired to harass the public nor to violate their rights. We were hired to enforce the law but only to do so in a legal manner. We were, at least on the jobs I held, sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. There was a great deal of trust with which we were endowed. Too bad that trust is not always upheld.
The officer in question, in my opinion, violates that trust badly and by my guess probably has done so before. The worst thing is that he reportedly stated, after his arrest, that he would never have done it had he known he was being video recorded but he would have done it just the same again in the absence of someone making a video (radio news think it was 10010WINS or 880WCBS)! My guess is that he has done it so many times before that he thinks, in some perverted and twisted Bizarro World sort of mentality, it was the right thing to do and that he has done it before. If my guess is correct, then he probably also has thought that perjuring himself was also the right thing to do because it seems almost certain to me he would not have admitted similar previous behavior in court but would have lied to cover his illegal treatment of the accused and his illegal search of a vehicle (or whatever other illegal actions he took).
The result of any such illegal actions in such hypothetical cases, should he have been believed over the accused in any criminal prosecution, could well have been that someone was convicted based on what may have been the officer's own violations of the law and regulations. That would not be the end result though. The end result will probably be multifaceted. Anyone who has ever been convicted upon his testimony and upon evidence he collected most likely will have a valid cause for appeal of their convictions if not for an outright overturning of their cases. It may be discovered that innocent people wound up in jail and they may be freed but it may also wind up that those actually guilty of crimes will walk because his actions have tainted his evidence and testimony both forward and backward in time. The officer also may wind up in jail, well that is if he is ever charged with higher crimes than official misconduct and harassment. How it is that he was only charged with those instead of with Civil Rights violations, assault (or similar charge for allegedly striking the man), illegal search and seizure (illegal seizure even if nothing taken from the car as he seized the keys)! It is all sickening.
The same will consequences may well befall his partner(s). In this alleged instance, it seems he threw the cars keys, that he seemingly had just illegally obtained, to his partner telling his partner to search the vehicle. I sure did not hear the partner protest in the audio to that video - did you? It is possible that the partner reported the incident but I have heard nothing about that, so it could be that his partner is just as guilty as is he may be should he be proven guilty of an criminal charges.
Yes, I am treading lightly here, I will not outright call him or his partner(s) guilty because I like to let even accused cops have their days in court just like with any offender I ever arrested. My opinion though is another thing. Right now, based on the reports and the video, I think he is guilty of more than one offens and the only word that his actions bring to my mind is the word pig. I don't mean that to stand for pride, integrity or guts, because in my esteem he has none of them.
Sadly, this type of incident seems to be becoming more and more prevalent among police departments and other law enforcement agencies throughout the United States (or maybe it is just that the video recording of them is more prevalent). It has got to stop. This is not like an officer violating some sort of victimless crime. He was not caught on video smoking joint nor having a cocktail on duty. He did not have sex with his girlfriend in his patrol car. He did not speed in his personal vehicle and have that overlooked by a brother officer. What he seemingly did was commit a blatant couple of crimes (quite possibly both felonies) in the performance of his official duties, one of them allegedly violent, that violated the rights of a citizen. The officer was arrested but reportedly before his arrest he resigned. It's not the old days when Officer Bubba Bodinkus could do something like that and then if caught just resign and forget about it because after his resignation it would be swept under the carpet. I believe that officers who commit such offenses need to be prosecuted to highest extent if the law and hopefully that will be done in this case if all of the evidence warrants it.
All the best,
Glenn B
