the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Aug 21, 2017
Maryland state attorneys are dismissing dozens of cases in Baltimore after reviewing a video that shows a Baltimore city cop planting evidence at a crime scene. The video shows a cop who places a bag of white capsules in an alleyway before walking toward the street, as two other cops look on. He then turns on his body camera and returns to the alley to retrieve the capsules.
The body cameras used by Baltimore city police retain footage of the 30 seconds prior to police activating the cameras. So the cameras are continuously running, but not saved until the unit is turned on. It is possible the cops were not aware of this feature.
At a news conference, Baltimore’s police commissioner, Kevin Davis, said the idea that officers might plant evidence at a crime scene was “as serious as it gets.” Yes, it is serious–and everyone knows that it happens all the time.
Another video surfaced that shows a different set of officers “working together to manufacture evidence,” according to an emailed statement from the state’s attorney’s office.
Body cameras were deployed in Baltimore in 2016 after the killing of Freddie Gray. “This is kind of a learning and a trial period, right?” explained Marilyn Mosby, the state’s attorney for Baltimore. “I think we are going through growing pains.” Yes. From the point of view of the police and the state’s attorney, Baltimore cops need to learn what the Minneapolis, Minnesota cops who killed Justine Damond already know: If they want to get away with a crime, they don’t turn the cameras on!