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RandySF

(58,899 posts)
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 04:45 PM Sep 2014

Ferguson’s massive cover-up: How police departments are protecting Michael Brown’s killer

But while Jackson’s high-profile statement may have been outrageously false and misleading, it’s the underlying actions of his department in the shadows that are downright criminal, part of a seemingly routine pattern of actual lawbreaking by the police themselves, both in Ferguson and St. Louis County—a persistent pattern that hasn’t stopped, according to emails provided to Salon even though the Department of Justice has announced it’s going to investigate both organizations.

In fact, police are now using the DOJ investigation itself as an excuse for further violations of the sunshine law, relating to arrests of protesters who continue demonstrating in Ferguson, according to emails provided to Salon (details below). The emails come from Charles Grapski, a legal and political theorist and political scientist, as well as an active citizen with decades of experience filing public records requests, including work with local activists and lawyers in different states across the nation.

“It’s made me public enemy number one in the state of Florida,” Grapski said. It was Florida that first enacted sunshine laws, giving them their name. But that doesn’t mean public officials love them any more there than they do elsewhere.

It was Grapski, who now blogs for Photography Is Not a Crime (PINAC), who aggressively pressed for the release of police documents after the ACLU and others had been stonewalled, and the ACLU had filed suit—a suit that is still pending.


http://www.salon.com/2014/09/14/fergusons_massive_cover_up_how_police_departments_are_protecting_michael_browns_killer/

22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Ferguson’s massive cover-up: How police departments are protecting Michael Brown’s killer (Original Post) RandySF Sep 2014 OP
K&R for more visibility. nt Mnemosyne Sep 2014 #1
Get thee to the greatest page malaise Sep 2014 #2
"quite quite suspicious" Yes. Quite. LiberalAndProud Sep 2014 #3
The cover is unabated tooeyeten Sep 2014 #4
K&R for exposure. nt avebury Sep 2014 #5
From your link. sheshe2 Sep 2014 #6
Correct malaise Sep 2014 #9
hi sheshe, have you seen this ---> napkinz Sep 2014 #13
I saw a short clip of it. sheshe2 Sep 2014 #14
Incredible doublespeak coming out of the FPD- bookmarking! bettyellen Sep 2014 #7
I'd certainly contribute: Live and Learn Sep 2014 #8
Help, Police father founding Sep 2014 #10
Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast Sep 2014 #11
Someone, maybe Grapski himself, needs to justiceischeap Sep 2014 #12
It's already happening sheshe2 Sep 2014 #15
And just where *is* Darren Wilson, anyway? starroute Sep 2014 #16
T'would be nice Plucketeer Sep 2014 #20
k and most assuredly R for this very necessary thread! niyad Sep 2014 #17
Obvious to me who has the power and it is oldandhappy Sep 2014 #18
It's interesting how brazen they are in the face of the DOJ investigation. We KNOW sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #19
Ugh! blkmusclmachine Sep 2014 #21
K&R secondwind Sep 2014 #22

LiberalAndProud

(12,799 posts)
3. "quite quite suspicious" Yes. Quite.
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 05:58 PM
Sep 2014

"quite, quite suspicious, not to take even an initial statement from someone who’s killed another person"

tooeyeten

(1,074 posts)
4. The cover is unabated
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 06:33 PM
Sep 2014

With the prosecutor, don't look for any semblance of justice out of there either.

sheshe2

(83,789 posts)
6. From your link.
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 07:01 PM
Sep 2014
Grapski comments, “At that point in time – the Police Department DID NOT produce the record because of the lawsuit – but was ready and willing to use that process of DELAY to keep denying production. This was soon to change.” It changed because Grapski became involved. On Sunday, Aug. 17, he submitted his own public records request, adopting a much more no-nonsense tone:

THIS IS NOT a request for records of the INVESTIGATION into this matter. Thus if you respond to this that these records are not available at this time because of an ongoing investigation — you will be VIOLATING THE LAW and as this is notice to you that there is no such exemption pertaining to INCIDENT REPORTS in Missouri law — if you make such a claim — your violation will be KNOWING and WILLFUL — and will constitute not only an offense under Missouri Law but will constitute a knowing and willful violation of your OATH OF OFFICE.


Okay so let me get this straight "law enforcement" are breaking the "law', while continuing to harass and arrest protesters, that are acting peacefully. Their response as we all well know was a militaristic shock and awe. At the same time they are doing all they can to harbor a criminal. They are protecting their own and have not a care for the citizens of Ferguson.

sheshe2

(83,789 posts)
14. I saw a short clip of it.
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 08:33 PM
Sep 2014

This is more detailed and so incredibly painful to watch. Sweet Michael, murdered and now they are protecting the officer that shot him in cold blood, napkinz.

Tears~

Live and Learn

(12,769 posts)
8. I'd certainly contribute:
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 07:06 PM
Sep 2014
Looking forward in Ferguson itself, Grapski has secured a lawyer to pursue legal action against police departments, with his sights set on going all the way to Missouri’s supreme court, if necessary. The law may be very good on paper, as the ACLU has said, but to give it teeth, the highest court in the state may well need to weigh in. The lawyer has offered to do most of the work pro bono, Grapski told Salon, but he’s opened a fundraising site to raise the initial $5,000 retainer. The continued shenanigans, trying to use the DOJ investigations as a shield, are just the latest indication of how deeply entrenched the resistance is, and how great the need is for a sweeping change.
 

father founding

(619 posts)
10. Help, Police
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 07:26 PM
Sep 2014

If the police leadership were only this vigorous in investigating white collar criminals, Oh wait they are in their employment.

justiceischeap

(14,040 posts)
12. Someone, maybe Grapski himself, needs to
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 08:05 PM
Sep 2014

inform the residents if Ferguson how to go about doing FOIA requests. For as many "incidents" that take place there if citizens started demanding documentation, they could show(prove) a wider pattern of abuse that we're all sure us going on.

It may also have the effect of slowing down the corruption if the PD is inundated with these types if requests on a regular basis.

sheshe2

(83,789 posts)
15. It's already happening
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 09:44 PM
Sep 2014

This and more from the link...

At the same time, Grapski told Salon, “I took a weekend to try something I’d never done before, but I’ve been planning on doing.” He reached out “to get a lot of people making the request, because it proves people are watching, and people are interested. It proves that this is an issue of great public importance, and it adds potentiality for multiple litigants, which puts them on guard.” First via PINAC, and then other channels, he spread the word, “and by Monday morning we had about 160 people making the request.”

starroute

(12,977 posts)
16. And just where *is* Darren Wilson, anyway?
Sun Sep 14, 2014, 09:47 PM
Sep 2014

It's been over a month. I haven't seen anything to indicate that he's back in Ferguson or has been spotted anywhere else. Is he holed up at a relative's house with orders not to show his face? Has he been laundered through a witness protection program? This is getting really weird.

oldandhappy

(6,719 posts)
18. Obvious to me who has the power and it is
Mon Sep 15, 2014, 12:22 PM
Sep 2014

not with justice or the people. We have photography and video and the perp walks. Not OK.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
19. It's interesting how brazen they are in the face of the DOJ investigation. We KNOW
Mon Sep 15, 2014, 12:31 PM
Sep 2014

now that the militarization of the police is approved on a Federal Level. Is that why they are not too concerned about a Federal Investigation? I wonder who is advising them.

They appear to be either arrogantly stupid, or secure in the knowledge that nothing will come of any Fed. investigation.

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