In addition to the video and the officer’s name, where’s the coroner’s report?
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The portion of Philadelphia’s population yesterday that’s been following the story of Mr. Brandon Tate-Brown – as observed through social media and person-to-person conversations – were left stunned, dazed and confused when news broke that the officers involved in the December 15th shooting death of Mr. Brown had been cleared by the department and are back on the streets, though Mrs. Tanya Brown-Dickerson, the mother of the deceased, told Techbook Online exclusively that she was notified by her sources that those officers had returned to the job just days after the fatal incident.
That wouldn’t be hard to believe, considering Mr. Greg Brinkley, one half of the private investigating team working on behalf of Mrs. Brown-Dickerson, alleges Mr. John McNesby, President, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, declared “it was a clean shoot” before an investigation was even underway.
Mr. Brinkley, when contacted yesterday by Techbook Online to inquire whether the coroner’s report had been released, wasn’t in a good mood. In fact, he spoke in the angriest tone I’d ever heard him take.
“NOTHING… They’ve released nothing,” he yelled, referring to the coroner’s report or any other collateral material related to the case of Mr. Brown, whose been described by his family as the life of party.
Mr. Brinkley continued:
“When a cop is killed or injured, they always talk about their family and how much support the family needs. Well, they need to remember Brandon had a family and his mother deserves to at least know the official cause of death.”
Mrs. Brown-Dickerson – who’s getting desperate for answers, so much so that she’s considering reaching out to TD Bank , with whom her son had an account and whose branch was located in the proximity of the crime scene, to request their surveillance footage – also confirmed that she never received the coroner’s report.
Releasing the footage of the incident and the names of officers involved pose a potential safety risk, suggested Deputy Philadelphia Police Commissioner, Mr. Kevin Bethel, at last week’s Philly After Ferguson town hall.
And though I disagree with the reasoning, I understand why Deputy Police Commissioner Bethel thinks it’s the right preventive measure to take to protect his officers.
But who protects the community? To whose soul is the Philadelphia Police Department accountable to? And what exactly is the risk of releasing the coroner’s report?
Even in the cases of Mr. Michael Brown and Mr. Eric Garner, we had insight into the autopsy.
If the medical examiner ruled it a homicide that would change the dynamics of the conversation greatly, which could be why, though it’s not necessarily related to the police investigation into the officer’s use of force, it hasn’t been made public.
I mean, I know it’s not productive to speculate, but when you have more questions than answers and no way of getting truth, what’s the other option?
NOTE: A rally in support of Mr. Brandon Tate-Brown is scheduled at 2pm for this Saturday, March 21st, 2015, at 6600 Frankford Ave.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™