Local media presented thier case on Friday asking Superior Court Judge Brad Long on Friday to unseal the videos, which purportedly show the events surrounding the shooting of Courtland Smith, who was shot and killed by 29-year-old Archdale police officer Jeremy Paul Flinchum during a traffic stop August 23.
Assistant DA Andy Gregson argued that the video wasn't public record and should remain under seal, claiming that "releasing the video could taint a jury in a criminal trial" and could affect witness testimony.
CP will withhold the "I told you so" for now, but it sounds like officer Flinchum is in some deep shit, since I doubt anyone is thinking about charging Courtland Smith.
I'm still holding to the notion that Smith was unarmed and gunned down for no reason other than the Barney want to be, was amped up and on an adrenalin high, while making a felony traffic stop.
September 30, 2009
A Randolph County Judge has denied a motion made by media outlets to unseal the video of slain UNC student Courtland Smith’s shooting.
Amanda Martin, partner in the law firm Everett, Gaskins, Hancock, and Stevens LLP, and who represents WRAL News, The Associated Press and The Daily Tar Heel, says she was disappointed that the video was not released.
On Tuesday, Randolph County Superior Court Judge Brad Long said the police dashboard video from the night of Smith’s shooting did not show Smith being shot.
Last month Smith, a UNC junior, died at High Point Regional Medical Center. The Archdale police report says Officer Jeremy Paul Flinchum fired four shots in rapid succession after a “confrontation ensued.” Smith had been shot twice in the abdomen, and once each in the arm and leg.
Smith was shot less than a minute after being pulled over, and whether or not he did have a gun or whether a confrontation did ensue have not been made clear through the released audio tape.
Martin says there was not a precedent set regarding police dashboard video as public record.
No charges against the Flinchum have been filed, but both he and the other responding officer have been on paid leave since the August 23rd shooting. Should Gregson decide to not press charges against Flinchum, the video will be immediately released. Long ruled that releasing the video would jeopardize the investigation, an investigation that the SBI has not yet completed. Long has allowed the release of the unedited copy of the 911 call Smith made before being pulled over.
11 comments:
Cedar,
ONCE AGAIN, let's wait for the FACTS to come out.
I find your cavalier clairvoyance quite amazing....and really annoying.
It's like you want this Officer to be guilty of something, if not, why do you keep projecting his guilt??
It was a treacherous situation, fraught with so much room for error, ON BOTH SIDE, Cedar, on BOTH SIDES.
Once again, this young man was going 100 mph down a highway completely DRUNK, not inebriated, but DRUNK and claiming he had a gun, where was his judgment, from beginning to his very sad end??
Personal responsibility, which is one of the "rights" favorite buzzwords, where was it on HIS side, to put himself, by his own free will, in this cataclysmic turn of events????
"I told you so",....
Really, is that what this situation is all about for you?
Lame, really lame.
Let's talk about the real tragedy that has Rodney Monroe being proclaimed as a visionary by
"starting" a domestic violence unit.
HOW SHORT IS OUR MEMORY,
RODNEY MONROE systematically DISMANTLED THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT WHEN HE CAME INTO POWER AT CMPD. And every other specialized unit that was in place, that he has now found the need to "create" again. What a charlatan.
Where are you and the rest of the press on this issue.
There is a sound bite of him out there somewhere at a press conference acknowledging the dismantling of the Domestic Violence Unit.
AND NOW HE WANTS TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THE "NEW" DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT? PUULLEEEZE!
Does this guy have NO SHAME?
And as usual, the press, including you, Cedar, are giving him a pass on this blatant untruth...as with all the other utter crap he gets away with.
OR---It could be that the criminal charges will be brought against the people that got him so drunk that he was driving over 100 MPH telling the police dispatcher that he wanted to die!!!
I think this kid that was shot and killed is a moron. You can not blame this on drinking but more so on his dumb personal decisions that night. I doubt he was forced to drink and drive. Survival of the fittest. He lost. This blog has slowly lost credibility, even on the Rodney Monroe issue according to members of the cmpd and my personal opinion.
Cedar has only lost credibility on the rodney issue, because, like the mainstream media, he has backed completely off rodney. Something must have scared him really bad. It does make you wonder about whether or not he was sincere in pursuing the corruption at CMPD, or this is just another one of his manifestations of "not liking cops" things.
But to keep projecting the guilt of the officer on the Courtland Smith stop and ensuing tragedy is just stupid and mean spirited.
I heard that Courtland's parents met with the ADA this morning.
Everyone is very tight lipped about what was sad.
Y'all say what you like about Cedar but it seems he's dead on about what happened. Tragic but true there are no winners only victims.
I don't think he has an agenda, you can't say that about Glen Beck, Rush or anyone else who reports news.
As far as Rodney Monroe, I'm sure CP has his reasons for holding back. Maybe there's nothing new.
So some of you need to lighten up.
Anon 8:33
Au Contrare....Cedar seems to think there ARE losers, and that would be the Officer.
There are certainly no WINNERS in this case, but it seems Cedar wants to be "right" about this Officer's projected "guilt".
And as far as Rodney goes, what possible reason could he have for holding back?? Trust me, from what I am told, there is still PLENTY of crap going on at CMPD....PLENTY OF CRAP. There is plenty "new" and plenty "old" that is being ignored, by the mainstream press, and now, it seems, by Cedar.
I hope I am wrong on this.
I havent been here in a while, but it seems that talk about Monroe has all but dropped off the radar.
I think someone threatened/scared Cedar.
I really am appalled by the total bias of the author of this article. The job of the news is to report the facts!!! This officer has never been involved in any incidents requiring investigations before and has not any complaints in the past. To judge Officer Flinchum without having been there is absurd! Whether or not Courtland Smith had a gun is irrelevant. The fact is, Officer Flinchum arrived on a scene in the middle of the night, where a subject was incoherent and claimed to have a 9mm handgun....don't even begin to know what Officer Flinchum was thinking! He was there risking his life to answer a call. Officers risk their lives every day and they never know what situations they are going to face. Most officers never even have to use their duty weapon during the course of their career.
And, lets not forget the officers who responded to the incident at Bojangles recently. They also had to use their weapons and killed a suspect. One of those officers lost their lives. The suspect they killed, however, had a lengthy criminal history. Courtland Smith did not have such a history, is that why the reports are so different?!!?!
I feel for the family of Courtland Smith, and I am sorry for their loss. I also feel for Officer Flinchum and his family. Both families have suffered and will continue to do so, especially with such ignorant people writing ridiculous articles.
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