Reporting To You
No police department wants to be caught in the public spotlight amid scrutiny over a violent encounter with one of its police officers. For the Mesa Police Department in the suburban city of Mesa, Arizona, it's a troubling position in which it has repeatedly found itself.
In February, there was the 84-year-old grandmother, unarmed and tossed on the ground by a police officer when they responded to her home.
There was the 15-year-old boy who was handcuffed, screaming in pain as officers raised his arms behind his back toward his head, in May.
Days later, there was also Robert Johnson, who was unarmed and beaten after officers asked him to sit down.
Then late Wednesday, Mesa Police Chief Ramon Batista announced the FBI would be looking into two of the violent arrests — of Johnson and of the 15-year-old — involving his police officers.
For the suburban police force just east of Phoenix, it was just the latest inquiry into the actions of the sworn police force of about 750, including internal investigations and outside investigators looking into the culture, practices, and training of officers who have repeatedly found themselves in hot water over the past two years. . .
Benjamin Taylor, an attorney who is representing Johnson, said the decision not to charge the officers was disappointing but not surprising, and questioned the impartiality of Scottsdale police.
"We believe that Scottsdale had a hard time finding [Mesa police] officers guilty because they're a neighboring city," he told BuzzFeed News. "They work together, they talk to each other, and when you have two cities who work together, it's hard to find each other in violation."
He was, however, "ecstatic" that the FBI will be reviewing the case.
"Hopefully, they can come and conduct a true and independent investigation," he said.
Taylor added that the review will hopefully expand to include other incidents involving Mesa police.
> Another incident under review by the FBI involves officers responding to an armed robbery and taking a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl into custody on May 17.
> On Wednesday, Batista announced the FBI was not only doing an inquiry into the two incidents from this year but that the bureau had also contacted the department over two other fatal police shootings from 2016 and 2017._______________________________________________________________________
BLOGGER NOTE: Use the Search Box on this site to look up more information in posts about Daniel Shaver or Philip Brailsford that go back to January 2016.
There are a number of pending lawsuits against the City of Mesa that could add up to claims for over $150,000,000
One of the shootings involved Daniel Shaver, a 26-year-old who was shot while crawling to police, sobbing and begging officers, "Please don't shoot me."
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> The FBI is also looking into the deadly police shooting of Scott Farnsworth, a US Army veteran, after officers received a call of a man waving a gun near Skyline High School.
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This Police Department Has A History Of Violent Incidents Caught On Video. Now The FBI Is Reviewing It.
"I'm angry and I'm deeply disturbed by what I saw on those videos, and it needs to stop immediately."
In February, there was the 84-year-old grandmother, unarmed and tossed on the ground by a police officer when they responded to her home.
There was the 15-year-old boy who was handcuffed, screaming in pain as officers raised his arms behind his back toward his head, in May.
Days later, there was also Robert Johnson, who was unarmed and beaten after officers asked him to sit down.
Then late Wednesday, Mesa Police Chief Ramon Batista announced the FBI would be looking into two of the violent arrests — of Johnson and of the 15-year-old — involving his police officers.
For the suburban police force just east of Phoenix, it was just the latest inquiry into the actions of the sworn police force of about 750, including internal investigations and outside investigators looking into the culture, practices, and training of officers who have repeatedly found themselves in hot water over the past two years. . .
Benjamin Taylor, an attorney who is representing Johnson, said the decision not to charge the officers was disappointing but not surprising, and questioned the impartiality of Scottsdale police.
"We believe that Scottsdale had a hard time finding [Mesa police] officers guilty because they're a neighboring city," he told BuzzFeed News. "They work together, they talk to each other, and when you have two cities who work together, it's hard to find each other in violation."
He was, however, "ecstatic" that the FBI will be reviewing the case.
"Hopefully, they can come and conduct a true and independent investigation," he said.
Taylor added that the review will hopefully expand to include other incidents involving Mesa police.
> Another incident under review by the FBI involves officers responding to an armed robbery and taking a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl into custody on May 17.
> On Wednesday, Batista announced the FBI was not only doing an inquiry into the two incidents from this year but that the bureau had also contacted the department over two other fatal police shootings from 2016 and 2017._______________________________________________________________________
BLOGGER NOTE: Use the Search Box on this site to look up more information in posts about Daniel Shaver or Philip Brailsford that go back to January 2016.
There are a number of pending lawsuits against the City of Mesa that could add up to claims for over $150,000,000
________________________________________________________________________________
> The FBI is also looking into the deadly police shooting of Scott Farnsworth, a US Army veteran, after officers received a call of a man waving a gun near Skyline High School.
>
