• shalafi@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Court documents show the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

    So… These things are not often as clear as we think, given what the media presents us. What comes out in court often doesn’t make it to our eyes and ears. But read on…

    Although I can’t find the video, after following several links through the website, I’m going to assume it worked out as stated given that the police recanted their original story, i.e., that he was out of the car. If nothing else, changing the story that radically should be a firing offence. This isn’t some small detail, forgotten in the heat of the moment.

    He was supposedly seen driving erratically and was pulled over. Two cops approached, weapons drawn. Red flag right fucking there. Nothing indicates this was anything more than a routine traffic stop. Another firing offence in my opinion.

    “One is heard shouting “show me your hands” and “He’s got a fucking knife” in the new video. Also heard on the video were “don’t move” and “I’ll fucking shoot you” as Dial is seen running up to the driver’s side window.”

    Hold up. First off, guns are not the magic kill machines Hollywood makes them out. Second, a man with a knife can be on you hella fast. (Try it with a friend from 30’ away if you don’t believe me.) I get this.

    Anyone cops want to explain how that’s relevant to a man, sitting in his fucking car?

    But it was Judge Wendy L. Pew who Tuesday morning dropped all charges.

    The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said it will move to have the charges reinstated.

    And now the DA is going heads up against the judge? How often you hear that?! This stinks to high heaven.

    • thecodemonk@programming.dev
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      1 year ago

      I read the news articles yesterday about this as it was really my first time hearing about this situation. They way it was explained really made me gravitate towards “he had a knife. The other officer shouted it was a gun, so when it was pointed he just shot before being shot…”

      Then I looked up the body cam… holy shit did my opinion change in a hurry. The officer that said he had a weapon pulled up right next to the car. Like so close he had to squeeze between the vehicles. What cop does that?! The cop that shot him ran right up to the driver’s side of the car. Like right up on him. If you have your gun out and you are afraid of the dude, why would you do that?! There were lots of opportunities to take up a defensive position and start talking… you could see into the car on the cops body cam at shit quality. You’re telling me he couldn’t tell the difference between a gun and knife?!

  • FnordPrefect [comrade/them, he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    Court documents show the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

    At least three sources of video of him committing murder, six shots worth of ballistics used to commit murder, and the body of the man he just murdered is a lack of evidence?!

    • MDKAOD@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      I’m with you on this. I’ve seen the videos and Officer Numbnuts was nervous before getting out of the car. That’s what happens when you follow someone for blocks and hype yourself up for a problem.

    • Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz
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      1 year ago

      “The suspect obviously killed themself with the officer’s gun, before the officer arrived.”

    • NutWrench@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      There’s also no mention whether the victim’s fingerprints were on the two knives that the cops “found” in his vehicle. I going to bet there are NO fingerprints on either knife.

      • prole@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Not sure it matters if the guy held a knife before or not. Doesn’t justify what they did even if he was brandishing it.

        • NutWrench@lemmy.zip
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          1 year ago

          That’s not what I mean. There’s a good chance the cops planted knives in the victim’s car to justify their use of deadly force. They already lied about basic stuff that happened during the traffic stop, so it would be foolish to take their word about any evidence they “found.”

          • prole@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Gotcha… point was that even if they try that shit, it still shouldn’t be enough to let the cop go free

  • davi [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    i was considering moving to philadelphia and now i’m glad i didn’t and i understand that the corrupt police and courts are everywhere; i’m just glad i got to dodge this one bullet out of many.

    • MDKAOD@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      I’m from the Philly region. While I have zero love for the PPD, we are lower on the injustice scale than most. The PPD commissioner response and prosecutorial response have been appropriate once the information came out. There hasn’t been this overwhelming denial of justice that can be seen elsewhere.

      And the killing of minorities is a systemic problem. Try not to judge the city based on a single incident by a scared white man.

        • MDKAOD@lemmy.mlOP
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          1 year ago

          We’re not LA or Chicago, to be sure. There is a distinction. All police violence is a problem and it’s endemic to policing with the current policies. It’s unacceptable and unsustainable, but you nor I can do anything about it directly or alone.

      • davi [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        Try not to judge the city based on a single incident by a scared white man.

        a scared white man; plus hundreds to thousands of people in an entire organization of people tasked with safety of the public protecting that white man; plus the hundreds to thousands of people in a judicial system that can openly sweep it under the run to protect that white man; plus the hundreds of thousands to millions of people that make up the plebiscite that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about it effectively protecting that white man.

        yes, it happens anywhere else in the world too and the only indictment that matter is if any of philadelphia’s organizations with clout doesn’t at lest try to do something about it; lip service and/or promises don’t count, that shit just for the dumbasses and texans who accept eating shit like democrats do and why i moved away.

        • MDKAOD@lemmy.mlOP
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          1 year ago

          I’m not going to argue your merit, but the argument in this case is just wrong and you clearly didn’t read the article. The charges were dropped by the Judge alone and the prosecution is planning to refile. The commissioner has also spoken publicly and placed the officer on leave with intent to release (fire) after the 30 day union required suspension.

          Yes, be frustrated. Yes be angry. But acknowledge good movements, no matter how small. Sometimes it takes a lot of grease and a lot of small movements to turn the gears.