When I worked at the public defenders I was often asked to go to the jail to take pics of people beaten by the police. When I say often I mean at least once a week, often more. (1)

The injuries were often brutal. Lacerations, major bruises, broken teeth. As a public defense investigator I took pics and filed them into our computer system. The clients were advised they could file a complaint (2)

In over ten years I am not aware a single time one of these complaints resulted in discipline. We kept lists of officers known for brutally beating people. Nothing ever happened to them. (3)

The pics of brutality are often kept out of court because, believe it or not, judges don't see beatings during arrest as part of the case. The only recourse is to file a complaint, and as I've said, that usually goes nowhere. (4)

A common tactic of violent police is to claim the victim was resisting arrest. This ties the victim up in a court case and fabricates an excuse for their injuries. The victim ends up fighting a false charge rather than getting justice. (5)

Eventually the resist charge gets dropped. Nothing ever happens to the officer. Honestly there isn't any justice to be found. Our police union protects violent officers. Nothing will happen to them. (6)

I've seen children beaten by the police. One case that comes to mind is a little Black girl whose hair was torn out of her skull. Because of confidentiality laws protecting police most people never hear about these cases. (7)

Think about it. If police are willing to kneel on necks & shoot people while being recorded in public, what do you think they are doing when they no one is watching? The problem is far greater than many imagine. (8)

Sometimes I think about the thousands of pics of the brutality victims I've taken, locked in a public defense computer system. Testimonies to a broken, corrupt system and a legacy of cruelty and hate. (9)

I felt so helpless & angry. Then to have white people dismiss police brutality or continue to press for more laws, more police. Please, wake up. Defund. Justice is an illusion for so many. (10)

I'm humbled this has been so widely shared. If you can help, here is a local org that is making real change on issues of police brutality, civil rights, innocence and mass incarceration: https://ojrc.info/civilrightsproject

Here's an article from a person who investigates brutality complaints, on how her hands are tied with secrecy laws, immunity and police directives: https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2020/06/17/i-was-an-investigator-of-portland-police-conduct-heres-why-it-doesnt-work/