Tulsa County Sheriff shooting of Eric Harris

[Conan71]

The Frontier has done excellent coverage on this story due to sources inside TCSO. I've followed their Twitter feed for the latest: @readfrontier

As I understand The Frontier is a few ex-Tulsa World writers including Cary Aspenwall and Kevin Canfield.  They are totally fearless in their reporting.  Makes me wonder who underwrote the cost to lure some great writers away from the TW.

[cynical]

Bobby Lorton

As I understand The Frontier is a few ex-Tulsa World writers including Cary Aspenwall and Kevin Canfield.  They are totally fearless in their reporting.  Makes me wonder who underwrote the cost to lure some great writers away from the TW.

[Hoss]

Bobby Lorton

The two who initially were reporting on the TCSO story (Ziva Branstetter and Dylan Goforth) also have landed there.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Isn't the Goforth family the same that owned Fourth National years ago? I worked for a paint store back in 1981 that was owned by Conover and Sutton (Bob Sutton of Sutton Oil and the giving angel for Drillers stadium until he was found to be corrupt) and the person that signed the paychecks was Betty Goforth.

[Conan71]

Bobby Lorton

Thank you.  Doing some more digging it appears they will be subscription-only with no advertising.  Pretty good gamble but it makes them accountable to no one other than their subscribers.

[Vashta Nerada]

Former prosecutors have said insurance executive Robert Bates could have easily been charged with first degree manslaughter instead of 2nd degree.

Tulsa Sheriff Stanely Glanz should be charged with reckless endangerment for allowing his good friend, campaign contributor, and department sugar daddy, pay-to-play deputy sheriff and carry a gun and taser with fatal results.
http://www.cleveland.com/darcy/index.ssf/2015/04/police_shooting_videos_darcy_c.html



Prosecutors just cant take off the kid gloves?
Bail for Baltimore protestors is twice that of the bail for the officers charged in the murder that sparked the protests.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/teen-faces-higher-bail-baltimore-cops-accused-murder

[cannon_fodder]

This kind of thing, be it accidental or blatant misconduct, has been happening for decades. The only reason not punishing police for killing civilians is controversial now is because of video. When there is no video, there still is no charge.  Unless the Feds come in, life departments and officers will not get in trouble.

Hence, the fake outrage over body cameras.

Anyone recall a corrupt, violent, or murderous officer getting punished without video evidence that was leaked to the public first?

Anyone think departments don't know of police who are corrupt, violent, or murderous who deserve to be punished?

[Vashta Nerada]

This kind of thing, be it accidental or blatant misconduct, has been happening for decades. The only reason not punishing police for killing civilians is controversial now is because of video. When there is no video, there still is no charge.  Unless the Feds come in, life departments and officers will not get in trouble.

Hence, the fake outrage over body cameras.

Anyone recall a corrupt, violent, or murderous officer getting punished without video evidence that was leaked to the public first?

Anyone think departments don't know of police who are corrupt, violent, or murderous who deserve to be punished?

Lance LoRusso, an attorney who spent 12 years as an officer in Cobb County, Georgia, said he doesn't necessarily think police brutality is on the rise, but the use of technology — both by citizens and police officers — is.

"If you see a video of a convenience store robbery and an officer walks in and just shoots the suspect who is pointing a gun at the clerk, [people might ask], 'Don't you have to give warning first?' The answer is no," said LoRusso, the author of "When Cops Kill." "Not only can they [just take the shot], but in many situations, they must."

...but if the "suspect" is actually a Concealed Carry permit holder who, in the moments prior, just thwarted a robbery and saved the lives of the clerk and customers, the officers "shoot first and ask questions later" action fails to serve the public safety.

John Whitehead, a constitutional law and human rights attorney who founded the civil liberties nonprofit Rutherford Institute, says the inappropriate use of force by cops is not only on the rise, but it's a "huge crisis" that people are "starting to wake up to."

Whitehead, author of "Battlefield America: The War on the American People," said the tactics used by police today would not have been seen 30 years ago, arguing that training changed after 9/11 with the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security.

"The military trains a lot of the SWAT teams," he said. "When SWAT teams come in the door ... they're coming in as military now."

"The old view of a policeman was 'protect and serve;' you don't see that anymore. When a policeman looks at you now he looks at you differently,"

Whitehead added, noting that officers often refer to citizens as "civilians" now, something he think also speaks to the militarization of the force.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/04/24/is-police-brutality-really-on-the-rise/

[cannon_fodder]

"I'd known Tim for quite ahile and had a lot of trust in him. Maybe I had too much trust." - Sheriff Stanley Glanz, on former Undersheriff Tim Albin.  Front page, Tulsa World, 5/5/2015.

That noise you hear is a subordinate getting thrown under the bus. Hard.

Stanley Glanz was friends with the guy. Stanley went on trips with him and showed off pictures of the two fishing together. Appointed him the chair of his election campaign. Took money from him. Allowed the department to take gifts from him. Was the person that Bates name dropped when he was called out for crap. Stanely was the guy that stood up for Bates and said everything was fine, the training was up to date, and there had never been any problems. Stanely is the guy who appointed Albin and supervised him.

But this mess is Albin's fault?

Coward.

[Conan71]

"I'd known Tim for quite ahile and had a lot of trust in him. Maybe I had too much trust." - Sheriff Stanley Glanz, on former Undersheriff Tim Albin.  Front page, Tulsa World, 5/5/2015.

That noise you hear is a subordinate getting thrown under the bus. Hard.

Stanley Glanz was friends with the guy. Stanley went on trips with him and showed off pictures of the two fishing together. Appointed him the chair of his election campaign. Took money from him. Allowed the department to take gifts from him. Was the person that Bates name dropped when he was called out for crap. Stanely was the guy that stood up for Bates and said everything was fine, the training was up to date, and there had never been any problems. Stanely is the guy who appointed Albin and supervised him.

But this mess is Albin's fault?

Coward.

He didn't just throw him under it, he threw it in reverse and backed over him for good measure.

[swake]

He didn't just throw him under it, he threw it in reverse and backed over him for good measure.

Glanz is a d!ck.

[heironymouspasparagus]

For some reason, Julius' little march just seems so appropriate right here...right now....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0CyOAO8y0

[patric]

The Frontier is good work.  Going to be a PITA if/when they go subscription-only.



Protest group seeking grand jury on sheriff's office
By DYLAN GOFORTH and ZIVA BRANSTETTER

https://medium.com/@readfrontier/protest-group-seeking-grand-jury-on-sheriff-s-office-b1b324ebfe6b?source=latest


The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office has paid more than $700,000 from the jail tax fund during the past four years to outside law firms to defend an avalanche of civil rights lawsuits against the sheriff and his employees, an investigation by The Frontier has found.

https://medium.com/@readfrontier/frontier-exclusive-sheriff-paid-outside-attorneys-700-000-from-jail-fund-to-defend-civil-rights-81d4c0d33bfb?source=latest

[Townsend]

The Frontier is good work.  Going to be a PITA if/when they go subscription-only.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office has paid more than $700,000 from the jail tax fund during the past four years to outside law firms to defend an avalanche of civil rights lawsuits against the sheriff and his employees, an investigation by The Frontier has found.

https://medium.com/@readfrontier/frontier-exclusive-sheriff-paid-outside-attorneys-700-000-from-jail-fund-to-defend-civil-rights-81d4c0d33bfb?source=latest

Mayor Has Jail Questions



http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/mayor-has-jail-questions

Mayor Bartlett is raising questions regarding a $700,000 expenditure of Tulsa County Jail funding. A published report by the Frontier says the money was used to pay for legal representation in civil rights lawsuits.

Mayor Bartlett is not sure that is a wise use of jail funding, when the district attorney's office could represent the county. He also questions the legality of using jail funding for a purpose other than funding the operation of the jail.

This is all tied to the growing scandal involving the Tulsa County Sheriff's office following the death of suspect by a reserve deputy. The City and the County have been at odds over the jail operation for years.

[sauerkraut]

Yep, this is Pat Campbells favorite topic.