The MUST-READ story that the Daily News bizarrely buried on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend
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The MUST-READ story that the Daily News bizarrely buried on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend
My colleague Jan Ransom published an article in the Daily News over the weekend that I thought that was both the best and maybe the most important article that's run in the paper this year. The subject was an ongoing pattern of outrageous and unconstitutional behavior by the Philadelphia cops -- confiscating and destroying videos that might (or might not) show police misconduct. During my occasional editing shifts here, I've read several articles in which the police have done this, and I wondered how they get away with iit. The bottom line: They shouldn't.
One other quick note: I can't fathom for the life of me why the Daily News -- the newspaper that won a Pulitzer just last year for its courage in exposing police misconduct -- all but buried this article by publishing it on possibly the lowest circulation day of the entire year, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. I'm not casting aspersions towards anyone -- I've worked here long enough to know that usuallly when things happen here...it's usually just one of those things. That said, it was a big mistake not getting this article to a wider audience, which I hope to do my small part in rectifying.
Here's the story:
TAMERA MEDLEY begged the police officer to stop slamming her head - over and over - into the hood of a police cruiser.
Thinking they were helping, passers-by Shakir Riley and Melissa Hurling both turned their cellphone video cameras toward the melee that had erupted on Jefferson Street in Wynnefield, they said.
But then the cops turned on them.
Riley had started to walk away when at least five baton-wielding cops followed him, he said, and they beat him, poured a soda on his face and stomped on his phone, destroying the video he had just taken.
Please read the whole thing -- and if you have a blog or are on Twitter or Facebook, please get the word out, now that folks are back to work, etc.
Just one added bit of commentary: John McNesby of the FOP claims in the article that citizens exercising their legal right to film arrests are "a recipe for disaster." That's more BS from the guy whose credibility was ripped to shreds in the "Tainted Justice" series. For the most part, the people making these films are on public property and a reasonable distance from the events they are videotaping; the "problem" is not that they are interfering with officers making an arrest, but their film could interfere with officers trying to make an arrest improperl,y with excessive force. In other words, they are not crimninals -- but performing a valuable public service.
Funny. Nobody seems to take even a passing photo of the daily fatal shootings happening in the 'hood, but if a cop shows any behavior that Miss Manners would dislike, out come the cameras, "lights, action, roll film!"
Will, you and your collague may have hit on a couple of instances of cops behaving badly. Are you saying we should throw away the whole jug of milk because a bit of straw fell in it?— DonQ- If the government has a right to film us in just about any public space there is, then I would think we as citizens have the right to film the government performing (or not performing) their duties.— General Turgidson
Comment removed.- This is the same Will Bunch who says we don't need guns because if some bad person comes at us, all we need is dial 911 and a "good cop" will materialize in an instant to protect us from evil. I wonder which side of his mouth to believe, if any. — DonQ
- Will, Bravo!! this is an issue that liberals and conservatives alike can champion. I disagree with your reporting,and lack there of, 95% of the time, but this one hits the nail right on the head. If the police and other public employees are doing there job properly, there should be no fear of cameras whatsoever.— Tom813
- Comment removed.
- The cops want every square inch of this city on camera anyway, they just want to control the cameras.
— dartvader - Philly PD is nothing but uneducated thugs/criminals with uniforms and guns. They are the worst trained dept in the country, and most of them are violence prone pigs. It is a citizens right to film, and I can't wait til someone wins a huge settlement from the Philly PD— intelliwoman
- Bill.Atkins the Philly PD is a bunch of lowlife proorly trained rapists, thieves, wifebeaters, etc., which is what happens when you hire 18 year olds with no HS diploma, no background check and no psychological profile, and then make them live in crapadelphia. It is by far the worst dept in the country with the lowest recruiting standards, and they deserve no respect. I just thank God every day I don't live in the city, and I would never speak to a Philly pigcop without an attorney present and a camera running.— intelliwoman
- I visit this site about once every 6 months, but I have never read an article where the comment section wasn't filled with angry and delusional comments from bill,atkins. Do you spend your entire life angrily writing comments to Will's articles? Maybe its time for you to start reading someone that doesn't make you constantly angry. Or better yet, get a job so you have something else to occupy your time.— linusbern
- "that was both the best and maybe the most important article that's run in the paper this year". Kinda says it all about your product doesn't it?— jimmymack
- Liberals- "Wher were the cops when we needed them during the riot?"— Manny Trillo
- I understand that there are bad cops out there, but why does the DN portray victims like they're coming or going to Sunday school? I mean, the victim "mumbled" something and the cop(s) ran across the street to confront her? Really? DN and Inqy articles like this always seem to have an agenda. Having said that, ANYONE should have the right to videoptape a police officer in public at ANYTIME!— A Friend
- Comment removed.
- Why is this amust-read? How about that kid who shot back down around Temple U?— AngryWhiteMale
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