According to Jud Morris, the videographer who shot this footage, the Fox News affiliate refused to run this Police Brutality video in Seattle last month and then fired him.
Morris, 46, said he was working for Q13 Fox the night of April 16. When he was leaving a few minutes before 1 a.m. on April 17, he heard a heavy rescue call at Bridge Way North and Midvale Avenue North. "I start shooting video and within a couple of minutes, the incident that everybody is talking about breaks out," Morris recalled. "I see the Gang Unit guy in the kid's face screaming at him."
Early in the video, officer Cobane screams, "You got me? I'm gonna beat the f***ing Mexican piss out of you Homey! You Feel Me?!" Then proceeds to brutally kick the innocent young man in his face. Then, later in the video, a woman patrol officer forcefully stomps on the young man's leg. Morris said he exclaimed "Nice!" -- "out of shock and disbelief, not out of disapproval." After Morris' loud statement about the officer's action, he said police clearly noticed him and their demeanor changed. This is also clear on the video.
Morris said the next day, he took the footage to Q13 Fox."They told me they weren't going to run it," Morris said. “You guys are insane." Fox/Q13 not only did not run the video, they told Morris he might be sued if other stations ran the footage. Morris said the station didn't want to hurt their relationship with Seattle Police. They were influenced by "Washington's Most Wanted," a weekly show that details fugitives and highlights police work. He called the show "their moneymaker."
Morris said after Q13 Fox did not immediately air the footage, another producer suggested he put it on YouTube. It was posted to the site April 20 or 21. After the video was posted on YouTube, Morris said he was contacted by someone from the Seattle Police Office of Professional Accountability asking him about the video.
Morris worked out a deal to sell the footage to KIRO/7.
Then the call from Q13/Fox: "On Monday (May 2), I got a call saying 'We heard you put this up on YouTube. Don't bother coming in tonight!" Morris was fired.
After his video footage appeared on KIRO/7, Morris' video has gone viral. Additionally, several organizations have contacted Fox Q13 asking why they didn't initially run the footage. Many calls have gone unanswered. On Wednesday, Fox/Q13 fired their Senior assignment editor, Cheri Mossburg. She has retained a lawyer. Their News Director Steve Kraycik quit the same day.
Seattle Police are conducting an internal investigation. They have re-assigned both assaulting officers pending results of the investigation. Officer Shandy Cobane (kicker to the head), waited until after the media event to publicly apologize. The female officer, Mary Lynne Woollum, has not. Interim Chief John Diaz has promised to thoroughly investigate and has apologized for the officers' harsh words and poor behavior. "This entire incident is going to be torn apart," he said during a news briefing at police headquarters. "... As we speak, additional information is coming forward. Every officer who was there, their conduct is being reviewed," said Diaz, noting that a supervisor was on the scene that night. "There's a lot more to this incident that needs to be dealt with."
We agree with Diaz!
Posts
4 comments:
It doesn't surprise me that Fox News supressed the video, tried to hide it.
According to Interim Chief Diaz, Fox called their media contact and told them about the video they didn't air. That is why their media person was on alert to monitor youtube for the video.
It sounds like Chief Diaz is completing a thorough investigation, and this is good news. All that the Latino community is requesting is that Racial Profiling not happen again. If Diaz keeps to his word, he will do all in his power to make sure this type of incident doesn't happen again nor covered up with the Blue Wall of Silence.
This is a good start for Diaz. He sounds like a fair and honest man. Perhaps they will name him the permanent Chief of Police in Seattle.
Dee,
In regards to the Phoenix New Times story about the wounded deputy, when the local newspaper mentioned that a top law enforcement officer, familiar with the details, said that the evidence doesn’t support the deputy’s account, it reminded me of a 2006 story about a Michigan deputy who reported that a black man had shot him. He later confessed that he made up the story, and that he had shot himself. Here are the URLs:
X
http://badcopnews.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/former-eaton-county-deputy-sheriff-sgt-jeff-lutz-sentenced-to-just-60-days-in-jail-after-shooting-himself-blaming-imaginary-black-man-huge-manhunt-claims-ptsd-after-accidently-shooting-pregnant-waitre/
x
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1609735/posts
x
http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/docs/05-04-06lansing.htm
x
changing topics, here is a new cartoon from Tom Tomorrow:
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/comics/this_modern_world/2010/05/11/this_modern_world
x
Is Mexico's opposition to the law because they are afraid legal Mexican citizens will be harrased or because it might result in more illegal immigrants being caught and deported ??
Arizona Boycott and the Mexican Soul :
That question was made in a page by Juan J Martinez - A friend and participant in the Gather.com Forums.
My answer :
These Mexicans that appear in my videos are thinking of Human Worth and Human Dignity. Of not being treated like dogs if they go to any other country.
The King of Hawaii ( when Hawaii was a free independent nation ) was treated worse than a dog when he was a tourist in the USA :
From Wikipedia :
By the time of King Kamehameha IV the Missionary Party began to undermine the monarchy. Prior to his coming to power on 11 January 1855, Kamehameha IV went on a world tour to make diplomatic alliances with European and other powers. On his return trip to Hawaii, he traveled by train across the United States. During this trip Kamehameha IV was mistaken as a servant by a conductor, called a “nigger” and nearly kicked off the train. This brush with America Racism would shape his views of America and Americans during his rule. He remarked about the incident as “The first time that I have ever received such treatment, not in England or France or anywhere else.” He began his reign distrusting the ethnically Euro-American Missionary Party and began a Pro-British trend to fight Americanization, both movements were carried out by him and his successors until the end of the monarchy.
The Mexicans do not want to suffer the lot of King Kamehameha IV - That is so simple and plain !
Raciality.com
Vicente Duque
San Fernando Valley Sun : There are no passengers for Buses and Vans, as Fear Takes Hold of Arizona - Drop in transportation - "There won't be anybody left in Arizona,"
San Fernando Valley Sun
Urbanized valley located in Southern California
Fear Takes Hold of Arizona
by Alex Garcia, Sun Contributing Writer
May 6, 2010
Fear Takes Hold of Arizona
http://www.sanfernandosun.com/sanfernsun/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5195&Itemid=2
Some excerpts :
For years, Maria Hernandez has visited her daughter in Tucson, Arizona. But the Nogales, Sonora resident doubted whether to go ahead with a visit scheduled for this past weekend.
"I was afraid," conceded the 58- year-old. "I didn't want to come because I didn't know what was going to happen".
...............
Like Hernandez, many people from Mexico are unsure of what the law means and are deciding instead to stay put, negatively impacting the economy of places like Nogales, Ariz., where business is definitely down, agreed residents and business owners.
"The business community is very concerned that the law will drive away visitors to Nogales. The Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce is exploring ways to distance itself from the law and show its appreciation to tourists, visitors and Sonoran shoppers," said Olivia Ainza- Kramer, No gales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce President. "Sonoran shoppers contribute nearly two-thirds of the city's sales tax revenue.
.............
"A lot of people are not coming to shop," he said. "We usually have long lines to come into the United States and we didn't have that and stores like Walmart didn't have a lot of clients". According to a survey conducted by the Mexican Consulate in Tucson in 2008, Mexican visitors dropped nearly $2.7 billion annually in Arizona.
One of the businesses that feels the impact of lack of Mexicans crossing into the United States to shop and visit family members are shuttle companies that transport people from Nogales, Ariz. to other cities in the state like Phoenix and Tucson.
"We used to have packed vans, now sometimes we leave with five people aboard," said Osvaldo Cota, a driver for Premier Shuttle which makes about 10 trips daily between Nogales and Tucson. "From Fridays through Sundays each driver would make three daily round trips. Now we make one," he added.
"Even though the law hasn't started, the word spreads from mouth to mouth and each person adds rumors and people start to fear coming here," said Cota. And what if the law does become a reality, as it's supposed to do in 90 days unless court challenges stop it? "There won't be anybody left in Arizona," said Cota.
Nogales, Sonora radio stations are heavily pushing for a boycott against Arizona on May 14-15, asking people not to cross to shop or visit the state, as a way to exert pressure to rescind the law. Some Nogales, Ariz. residents say they approve of the boycott, but also worry about the impact this will have on the local economy.
Raciality.com
Vicente Duque
Post a Comment