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11 years ago Charleston WV police shot and killed one of their own after a car chase. The person they were chasing rammed into a police car after they’d gotten out of their vehicles, and the officer was behind the truck when police opened fire and killed the man in the car. https://twitter.com/jkelly3rd/status/1306199384569380867
The initial story from a press release implied the man in the car killed the officer, but it didn’t say he had a gun. His only “weapon” appeared to be his car-police wouldn’t say whether he had a gun. I asked for more information but got nothing. It left a hole in the story.
Did the guy have a gun or not? I finally called an editor and explained that I was going to have to write into the story that police wouldn’t say whether he had a gun, that the situation wasn’t clear and that they might have shot one of their own. It was awful.
Then I called the mayor and explained the situation to him.
“I have to point out that no one will say whether the guy in the truck had a gun and the implications of that.
An hour or two later police called a press conference- they had accidentally shot their own officer.
“I have to point out that no one will say whether the guy in the truck had a gun and the implications of that.
An hour or two later police called a press conference- they had accidentally shot their own officer.
My point is this- the absence of information provided by official sources can mean much more than “it’s under investigation.”
Look at the information you usually get (slight as it is) and see if what they’re saying in a given situation deviates.
If so, why?
Look at the information you usually get (slight as it is) and see if what they’re saying in a given situation deviates.
If so, why?
And always point out what police won’t say if it seems important.
It’s not a failing of your reporting, it’s showing the public what is being withheld and how additional info could change the story.
It’s not a failing of your reporting, it’s showing the public what is being withheld and how additional info could change the story.
It insures the public knows you’re looking for the truth and if facts change later, you can point to that.
And, most importantly, it puts pressure on police to release information the public needs to know.
And, most importantly, it puts pressure on police to release information the public needs to know.
