BACKGROUND:
https://examplepro.me/2019/04/23/will-it-be-as-atrocious-as-the-mcmurtrey-video-i-exposed/
https://examplepro.me/2019/04/24/story-correction/
https://examplepro.me/2019/05/03/here-we-go-again-3/
Even though a number of people have seen the BWC videos who would be witnesses to the existence and content including most recently OPO Bart Logue who has passed the information I provided to SPD for an IA Investigation, I still have a fear the video might mysteriously disappear for a number of reasons and I’ll mention a few. There is a good chance that if and when the BWC footage is turned over to me and made public it could easily go viral at the national level giving Mayor Condon, Teresa Sanders, Craig Meidl, Justin Lundgren, Jacqui MacConnell, and SPD a huge BLACK EYE because the video from the BWCs of SPD PACT members depicts Officers among other things threatening to kill and put a bullet in the head of Lucas S. Ellerman during his February 2019 arrest. It also shows SPD Officers breaking out a window in the vehicle Ellerman was in and releasing a K9 on Ellerman even though it appears he may have been trying to surrender. Witnesses at the scene of the Ellerman arrest told Officers at the time that arresting Officers threatened to kill Ellerman however that information wasn’t mentioned in any of the original reports concerning the arrest and it wasn’t until the following day that information was somewhat documented in reports.
Even though a mysterious disappearance of the video would very likely be a violation of State Law, and the City of Spokane Ethics Code, which cost me a lot of time and money to have included in the City Ethics Code as a result of my lawsuit , I’m still concerned.
Another concern is that the BWC footage may demonstrate that Officer Scott Lesser or other Officers lied under the penalty of perjury in reports or affidavits regarding the arrest of Lucas S. Ellerman so all of the BWC videos needs to be scrupulously analyzed as was done in this Motion to Suppress in a dismissed SPD PACT Federal Case Scott and Dan Lesser were involved in.
SPD as is the case with embarrassing information I come up with has made every effort to block and delay my access to the BWC videos using what I refer to as the “Fade and Forget Tactic” (memories will fade and the public will forget) most recently claiming the videos won’t be available for 85 days which is a real good indicator of how bad the videos are.
The truth is the BWC videos could be released today or tomorrow, all it would take is Mayor Condon, and his cohort Teresa Sanders to direct Chief Meidl to release them, however the likelihood of that happening is slim to none as the videos reflect directly on Condon’s tenure as Mayor and his supposed efforts to clean up SPD since the Otto Zehm case. Nothing has changed since Otto Zehm and things have actually gotten worse.
Yes, indeed Lucas S. Ellerman is a heroin addict and a bad guy, undoubtedly there will be some that say he got what he deserved, but the important thing to consider is did he deserve what the videos depict, did the SPD PACT stretch the limits of the law once again, and could the same thing happen to an innocent person, those are the issues not the character of Ellerman.
I get considerable reliable information from good, honest, hardworking cops and others who are appalled at what is going on at SPD some of whom believe that Scott and Dan Lesser should be fired based up their history including a number of Officer Involved Shootings they were involved in that were questioned by many, and Chief Meidl because of his attempts to cover up what really happened should receive serious discipline. SPD Brass know as well as I do that if and when the Ellerman videos are public questions regarding those OIS cases and other issues are likely to be regurgitated, as will their fitness for duty.
JUST SOME BACKGROUND:
“So would it be unusual for an officer to have shot four people in the line of duty, as Spokane police Officer Dan Lesser has? Three of them fatally?”
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/31/shawn-vestal-police-shooting-inquiries-must-be/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/mar/25/officers-involved-fatal-shooting-return-work/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/sep/30/officer-dan-lesser-fired-shots-that-killed-man-in/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/sep/27/standoff-ends-with-man-dead/
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/feb/07/spokane-settles-federal-lawsuit-with-family-of-man/
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/apr/24/spokane-police-officer-who-shot-machete-wielding-m/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/29/family-questions-death-investigation/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/feb/03/lawsuit-against-city-alleges-police-k-9-bite/
Buffalo Brian Breen 