Why cops release police shooting video when they could keep it behind closed doors
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has not released all of the videos of an incident that led to officers to shoot the grandson of the woman who called authorities for help. News 8 Investigative reporter Richard Essex was told that a committee composed of several dozen people from all racial and gender backgrounds decides what video is released and how it is presented.
IMPD Public Information Officer Lieutenant Shane Foley, said, “It is important to provide context to what has happen the community group that we have worked with a group of 50 individuals approximately that have watched these videos and advised IMPD on what they expect to see.”
What the committee has chosen for you to see is intense. On the morning of New Year’s Eve, just a couple of weeks ago, Anthony Maclin was asleep in a rental car in the driveway at his grandmother’s house. His Grandmother called the police because she didn’t recognize the car in her driveway
The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Lucas Riley, Alexander Gregory and Carl Chandler. They are on paid administrative leave, a standard practice after a police shooting.
In the video released, you can hear one of the officers knocking on the window, yelling, “wake up” when Maclin starts to respond, the officers start yelling, “police, police, put your hands up.” Prior to the shooting, the three officers are seen on video shining their flashlights into the rental car driven by Maclin. One of the officers says Maclin has a gun.
“He has got a gun right on his lap, he has got a gun on his lap” said one of the officers.
IMPD provided three different angles of the shooting. Officer Gregory is standing to the left of the first officer. He taps the rear passenger side window, “Hands up, hands up hands up hands up.”
He backs away from the car as he fires his service weapon toward the car. The third perspective is from Officer Riley, standing well behind the car, and is heard telling the others what to do if Maclin reaches for the gun.
“Okay, let’s go ahead and wake him up; um, I’m going to stand right here, Chandler. If he draws on that gun or does anything yell … police department,” Officer Riley said.
The video continues with Maclin getting out of the car and three officers tending to his injuries. You can hear Maclin grandmother in background saying “that’s my grandson”. Maclin survived the shooting. He is pursuing legal action against the department and the offices involved, which is another reason not all of the video is released.
“And what we are trying to do is balance transparency with also protecting the rights of the individuals involved once the case has been disposed of and the prosecutor has made a determination whether charges will be filed or not we don’t see any reason why the entire video wouldn’t be released,” Foley said.
Once the prosecutor office has made a decision, the civilian majority use of force board will be the last internal portion of IMPD’s investigation to look at this case.