Cops hide bashing tapes
Sergeant fights release of cell assault case video
A police sergeant acquitted of assaulting a prisoner in a cell wants to block the release of video footage shown to the jury.
News media outlets are seeking more than eight hours of footage filmed at the Whakatane police station where Rawiri Falwasser, 20, was badly injured while in custody on Labour Day in 2006. Mr Falwasser has said he feared for his life after being struck with batons and pepper-sprayed. He suffered gashes in his head and arm over an eight-hour period. In June, closed-circuit television tapes of the incident were played to a Tauranga District Court jury that acquitted Sergeant Keith Parsons, 51; Sergeant Earle Busby, 46; Senior Constable Bruce Laing, 53; and Constable John Mills, 39, of nine charges of assaulting Mr Falwasser. His mother, Kihi Falwasser, was not at yesterday's court hearing but said the family wanted the tapes to be released to media: "People need to see it themselves to form their own opinion of what happened inside the cell."
Of all the things that have really surprised me this year one was the Jury letting these 4 cops walk after they bashed the living shit out of Rawiri Falwasser in a Police cell on tape, Christ knows how the Jury came to it’s conclusion but I want to see the tape, as a member of the public and as a taxpayer I want to see how our brave boys in blue deal with one man in the cells, don’t you want to see for yourself if their level of violence was acceptable, isn’t it important now that a benchmark for violence within holding cells has been established that the rest of the public should see what that level of violence is? Shouldn’t we all get to see what is the new standard of treatment cops dish out when it isn’t Police 10-7? The Police claim that it isn’t fair because the media wouldn’t play the full 8 hours before the final beat down by the 4 cops, Alt Tv has no problems playing all 8 hours, just give me the tape. Perhaps we could edit the tape as the basis of a new Police recruitment advert ‘get better work stories’?
posted by Bomber @ 6:59 am
6 comments
6 Comments:
Then we can how many times those cops went in and out of the cell to bash that guy. They should have just left him alone.
That sargeant must be so ashamed of himself, or else he would not be fighting the release of the tape.
Talking to a Coz, who is high up in police admin, she said these guys careers with the police are basically stuffed and they will be "encouraged" to pack their bags and leave. The sooner the better!
Bomber you seem to have problems in basic comprehension.
It is not the *Police* opposing release of the tapes. It is *one* soon to be ex cop.
Can you comprehend the difference?
The Police charged and prosecuted him, he was acquitted by a jury of citizens.
Its a painfully simple concept which you seem unable to grasp in your desperate desire to bash the Police.
You do a great disservice to your average copper who is working his/her arses kicking down doors and arresting wife beaters and the like and lets face it, doing a job you wouldn't have the balls to do.
Its a shame you still haven't managed to get over the rather juvenile instinctual hatred of authority most habitual lefties manage to leave behind when they reach adulthood.
Keep up the good work Bomber!
I would like to see that tape too, so I can judge for myself what is going on...
Show me the tape - all 8 hours! Expose the cops for what they are.
And who says the sergeant is 'soon to be an ex-cop'? Employment law means their acquital leaves them in their jobs. If the Police pressure their staff out of their jobs when out of favour, then chalk up another cop assault on human rights.
And if it were Joe Public, he would lose his job AND be in jail.
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