This episode offers more proof that video cameras won't deter police brutality because the police can always suppress the video footage for years. In this case, it took hard-fought lawsuits by media and civil rights organizations to make the video public.
 |
| Ricardo Diaz-Zeferino is on the left in the white shirt with his hands on his head - just moments before he was shot dead. |
The families of Ricardo Diaz-Zeferino and Eutiquio Acevedo Mendez were paid $4.7 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit over the shooting. The unarmed Diaz-Zeferino was killed by eight police bullets and the unarmed Mendez took a bullet to the back near his spine, critically injuring him. The Los Angeles County Police Chief’s Assn., California Police Chiefs’ Assn., California State Sheriffs’ Assn. and California Peace Officers' Assn are among the police organizations that fought against the release of the video footage. They claimed the disclosure of the video would "discourage the use of cameras by police agencies" and could "undermine trust in the police" (ya think?). The execution took place in Gardena, CA. on June 2, 2013.
RELATED STORY: Why Body Cameras Won't Stop Police Brutality — Cops Turn Off, Hide, 'Lose' or 'Classify' Video Whenever It Suits Them
________________
No comments:
Post a Comment