Family and supporters of Brandon Tate Brown want evidence made public, a demand echoed by civilian oversight board.
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He was hesitant to give the investigation into the officer-involved shooting death of Mr. Brandon Tate-Brown a letter grade in the same manner in which he judged the recommendations from the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. But what Mr. Kelvyn Anderson would offer is a suggestion for the future: use video forensic experts in all officer-involved shooting investigations wherein video is available.
Mr. Anderson, Executive Director, Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission, said it still may be possible to submit the ambiguous video of Mr. Tate-Brown’s fatal encounter with Philadelphia police officers to an expert in order to bring closure to the public, which has many questions left unanswered. Though not deemed a video expert in any area of society,
Mr. Anderson, however, is a tech and data savvy individual who, like he did in the police brutality case of Lt. Johnathan Josey, wanted to “tear apart the video frame by frame.”
Looking at this piece-by-piece, without being allowed to take notes, said Mr. Anderson, just created more confusion. Now that the District Attorney has concluded his criminal investigation, Mr. Anderson wants the “video, witness statements” and other findings to be made public so that Philadelphians can “make a reasonably informed decision.”
“We need a better post-investigation procedure to make this information public,” suggested Mr. Anderson, who said he will “continue to press for transparency.”
Transparency was the buzzword at an afternoon press conference held in response to the District Attorney’s announcement that he would not file criminal charges against the officer who discharged his weapon and ended Mr. Brown’s life on December 15th, 2014.
“I want the public to see the video I saw… I want transparency… I still have no names,” stated Mrs. Brown-Dickerson, whose cousin, Mr. Asa Khalif, joined her in an exclusive interview with Techbook Online moments before the press conference and said he will offer $5,000 to whoever gives up the officer’s name, “no questions asked.”
According to Mr. Khalif, who serves as the President of Racial Unity, “it’s always about race” when black and brown people are behind the wheel and stopped by police.
Whether Mr. Tate-Brown was stopped as a result of racial profiling, his headlights being off, or the car he was driving matching the description of one reported stolen are all still questions left unanswered, asserted Mr. Brian Mildenburg, attorney for the Tate-Brown family.
The bigger question, which encapsulates them all, is were the civil rights of Mr. Brandon Tate-Brown violated? That will be the grounds of the impending civil suit being bought forth by Mr. Mildenburg.
“We now have the ability to go to court, and when we file for discovery, they won’t be able to squash it based on an open investigation,” said Mr. Mildenburg, who refrained from criticizing District Attorney, Mr. Seth Williams, but did mention that “the Philadelphia Police Department has made statements about this case that turned out not to be true. Tell us the truth about what happened,” he shouted, shortly before turning over the microphone to Mr. Greg Brinkley, a private investigator.
Mr. Brinkley, without fear of contradiction, shouted “THIS IS A COVER UP!” The former correctional officer cites the crime scene being altered as the foundation for his cynicism. He also, more importantly, points out that “if you’re asking the question ‘where’s the gun, than it contradicts the police’s statement of seeing a gun… and if you saw a gun, why didn’t you retrieve it?”
Mr. Brinkley questioned how the investigation could’ve closed without at least a departmental violation.
“The gun should have been secured,” he said, referring to the fact that two officers were on the scene that morning and neither one, according to their own testimony, attempted to remove the gun when it was discovered.
Mr. Mildenburg confirmed that no one saw Mr. Tate-Brown with the gun that was reported stolen in 2013 in South Carolina. The story is far from over, however. According to Mr. Anderson, this case will now be turned back over to the Philadelphia Police Department, where the officer who did the shooting will finally give his statement. And according to Mr. Khalif, he will continue to align himself with activist and continue to call for transparency and justice for Brandon Tate Brown.
As for Mr. Brinkley, he’s heading to Philadelphia City Council next week to inquire where everyone stands on police and criminal justice reform.
“It’s election season,” he says to me, before walking off.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
I just don’t understand why so many blacks insist upon making heroes out of burglars, drug dealers, robbers, felons and thugs instead of black people who are WORTHY of being heroes. From Mumia abu Jamal to Michael Brown, they are all felons and dirtbags. If the cops shoot a white criminal, the white community pins a medal on the cop for making the community safer. But when they shoot a black criminal the black community riots and demands that the cop go to prison. It’s as if they want to make it illegal for a white person to shoot a… Read more »