Title: Cops Didn’t Know this Camera Caught them Deleting Video of the Murder of Laquan McDonald Source:
Counter Current News URL Source:http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/ ... ra-caught-them-deleting-video/ Published:Dec 1, 2015 Author:Andrew Emett Post Date:2015-12-01 18:35:26 by Deckard Keywords:None Views:1565 Comments:20
Chicago, IL — Accused of deleting the surveillance video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald’s death, several officers appeared in recently released screenshots tampering with Burger King’s computers before the footage mysteriously disappeared. Although 86 minutes of the surveillance video have gone missing, including the moment that McDonald was gunned down, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez claims no one tampered with the footage.
Surrounded by officers and suspected of breaking into cars on October 20, 2014, Laquan McDonald, 17, was attempting to walk away from a group of Chicago cops when Officer Jason Van Dyke exited his patrol car. According to initial reports, McDonald was armed with a knife and lunged at Officer Van Dyke. Fearing for his life and the lives of his fellow officers, Van Dyke shot the teen in the chest out of self-defense.
But according to witness statements and police dashcam video, McDonald was walking away when Van Dyke opened fire. After McDonald had collapsed to the ground in a near-fetal position, Van Dyke continued firing his weapon until emptying his clip. As Van Dyke began reloading his gun, a fellow officer had to order him to cease firing at the dying teen.
McDonald’s autopsy revealed that Van Dyke shot him 16 times, including two bullets in the back, seven in his arms, two in his right leg, once on each side of his chest, and single bullets wounds to his right hand, scalp, and neck. Nine of the 16 entrance wounds had a downward trajectory. None of the five other officers at the scene fired their weapons.
Before McDonald’s family could even file a lawsuit, the city gave them a $5 million settlement on the condition that the family agreed not to publicly release the dashcam footage of the teen’s death. After suppressing the video for 13 months, the city received a court order to release the footage. The city released the dashcam video last week, which clearly shows McDonald did not lunge at the officers before the fatal shooting.
In May, Burger King district manager Jay Darshane accused officers of deleting the security footage after spending over three hours in the fast food restaurant on the night of the shooting. According to Darshane, the video equipment was working properly, but 86 minutes of footage, from 9:13 p.m. to 10:39 p.m., disappeared after the officers left.
Charged with first-degree murder, Van Dyke fired his first shot at 9:57 p.m. When asked if he was certain that the officers deleted the footage of the killing, Darshane answered, “Yes.”
“We had no idea they were going to sit there and delete files,” Darshane said. “I mean we were just trying to help the police officers.”
Unable to clearly explain why the 86 minutes disappeared, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy blamed the missing files on technical difficulties. At a press conference last week, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez asserted that no one had tampered with the Burger King surveillance video. When asked who conducted the forensic testing, Alvarez did not appear to know the answer.
Alvarez responded, “That’s all I’m going to say on this.”
On Monday, NBC5 obtained screenshots taken from a surveillance video inside Burger King on the night of McDonald’s death. The photos appear to show officers using the computer console that recorded the fatal shooting. Although the police department and state’s attorney claim the officers did not delete those 86 missing minutes, remember that this information is coming from the same cops who initially lied about the shooting and the same officials who suppressed the police dashcam video for 13 months.
Well, I think we can safely assume the officers looked at the video before they "deleted" the relevant portion, right?
If that's true, then they would have seen that the cameras were not pointing at the scene of the shooting and that they recorded nothing of interest whatsoever.
But they said, "What the heck. Let's risk ending our careers and possible jail time by tampering with the evidence and deleting the video."
"They found the incriminating portion of the recording and then deleted 86 minutes of video."
There WAS no "incriminating portion of the recording". The cameras weren't pointing in the direction of the shooting.
"Oh, so it's your contention that there was nothing incriminating on the recording but they deleted it anyways?"
There was nothing on the recording WORTH deleting ... or saving for that matter. You're the one telling me that the cops reviewed a recording showing an empty parking lot and decided to tamper with evidence in a murder investigation by erasing it.
There was nothing on the recording WORTH deleting ... or saving for that matter. You're the one telling me that the cops reviewed a recording showing an empty parking lot and decided to tamper with evidence in a murder investigation by erasing it.
Who says the parking lot was empty?
In May, Burger King district manager Jay Darshane accused officers of deleting the security footage after spending over three hours in the fast food restaurant on the night of the shooting. According to Darshane, the video equipment was working properly, but 86 minutes of footage, from 9:13 p.m. to 10:39 p.m., disappeared after the officers left.
Oh, I see what you are getting at - you think that the BK manager is lying, the cops are not.
Good grief man, you are such a submissive little cop tool.
...tamper with evidence in a murder investigation...
