Vancouver police officers are set to begin using body-worn cameras this fall, following recommendations from a coroner’s inquest into the death of a man who was severely beaten by members of the force seven years ago.
The Vancouver Police Department has been exploring the possibility of cameras since 2009, but expedited the timeline of a pilot program after jurors at the inquest deemed Myles Gray’s death a homicide in May.
Gray was beaten by seven officers in August 2015, leaving him with injuries including hemorrhaging in his testicles and fractures in his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib. He died shortly afterward.
The homicide finding carries no legal responsibility, and none of the officers were charged.
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Tagging: @politicsofcanada
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The nation's top law enforcement officials appealed for calm Friday as authorities prepared for the scheduled released of a Memphis police traffic stop video leading to the death of a 29-year-old Black man.
Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray called for any demonstrations to be conducted peacefully in advance of the video's planned disclosure expected to show a violent encounter involving five Memphis police officers and Tyre Nichols.
“I will tell you I was appalled,” Wray said, describing his reaction after viewing the video.
The Justice Department has launched a separate civil rights investigation into Nichols' death, while state authorities have leveled murder charges against the five officers who have since been dismissed from the force.
Garland said he had not seen the video but had been briefed on its contents, calling them "deeply disturbing."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden also has been briefed on the video but not watched it.
Biden, who called for “peaceful protests” in a prepared statement Thursday, is scheduled to depart for the presidential retreat in Camp David about an hour and a half before the video’s scheduled release. Biden spoke to the parents of Nichols by phone Friday afternoon.
“It’s devastating,” Biden can be heard saying in a phone placed on speaker and held by the Nichols family’s attorney Ben Crump. “I know people will say that to you, but I do know.”
Nichols was pulled over Jan. 7, and later hospitalized in critical condition after what police initially described as "confrontations" with officers. He died three days later.
Nichols' family and their attorneys say video showed officers beating Nichols for several minutes.
Five former officers, who were fired last week, were charged Thursday with second-degree murder and other crimes in connection to Nichols' death.
Warning ⚠️ Graphic/Distressing Footage
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Under a new ordinance, the city has deemed it a criminal misdemeanor—punishable by fines and even imprisonment—to share prepared food in a public park “for charitable purposes.” As the city attorney clarified, people may freely share food in public parks at “social events, which would include a party.” But be sure your “party” doesn’t include any homeless people, or you might go to jail. https://ij.org/case/arizona-charitabl...
...For more than four years, Norma would regularly bring her food to the picnic tables there, sharing with anyone who asked. That all changed on March 8, 2022. Just as she was performing her usual cleanup of the area, Norma was arrested and criminally charged with violating the city’s ordinance. Norma refused to plead guilty as she felt she’d done nothing wrong; months later (after hearings in criminal court), the city dropped the charge—but only while clarifying that if Norma does it again, the city would throw her in jail. Now, Norma shares her food in a private alley—without shade in the scorching heat, without tables or a seating area, without a place for people to wash their hands, and out of sight of people who could use her help.
“I’m not on speakerphone right?” Policeman before he advises the guy on the scene to arrest, fingerprint, and drop off the old lady who dared to give food to homeless people in a public park.
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Ryan Gainer was a 15 year old Autistic Black boy who was shot and killed by police in California.
Ryan seemed to have been having a meltdown, he was holding a gardening tool, police were called to the house but they are refusing to release any body cam footage of the shooting and refusing to state how many times Ryan was shot, they failed to help him before the paramedics arrived.
After shooting him Ryan's family was then forced out of their home while the police rummaged through their house looking for any justifiable cause for shooting Ryan.
This is hardly the first time the San Bernardino police department has attacked or killed people having a mental health crisis.
Rest in Power Ryan.
STOP CALLING THE POLICE ON DISABLED AND MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE!
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Audio and video recordings from the night Paul Pelosi, the husband of Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, was violently assaulted were released on Friday.
The public release comes after multiple news organizations, including ABC News, filed a court motion arguing the footage should be made available to the public after it was presented as evidence in court.
A San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the outlets on Wednesday.
The materials released include body camera footage, the 911 call made by Paul Pelosi, Capitol Police surveillance video and the suspect's interview with the San Francisco Police Department.
The graphic body camera video shows officers arriving at the residence. When the door is opened, Paul Pelosi is seen standing next to the suspect, David DePape, and both are struggling over a hammer.
One of the officers says, "Drop the hammer."
DePape is seen gaining control of the hammer and swinging it at Paul Pelosi. The footage does not show the moment Paul Pelosi was struck. The officers then enter the home and work to restrain DePape as Paul Pelosi is seen lying on the ground.
Nancy Pelosi said Friday she hadn't seen the video or heard the 911 call and doesn't plan to review either.
"I have absolutely no intention of seeing the deadly assault on my husband's life," she told reporters at the Capitol.
"I won't be making any more statements about this case as it proceeds except to again thank people and inform them of Paul's progress," Pelosi added.
Paul Pelosi was hospitalized for several days after the Oct. 28 attack, which authorities described as politically motivated.
DePape faces federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping. DePape also faces a slew of state charges, including attempted murder, residential burglary and assault with a deadly weapon.
DePape has pleaded not guilty.
Paul Pelosi underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. He returned to the public eye in early December, joining his wife at the Kennedy Center Honors.
DePape is accused of breaking into Pelosi residence just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 28.
Authorities have said the assailant then went upstairs to where the 82-year-old Paul Pelosi was sleeping and woke him up, demanding to know "Where's Nancy?"
During a hearing in December, prosecutors presented new evidence -- including body camera footage and the 911 call Paul Pelosi made when he was attacked -- in their case against DePape.
"Are the Capitol police around? I got a problem. A gentleman just came into my house, waiting for my wife to come home," Paul Pelosi said on the 911 call.
According to the federal complaint, Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 after telling DePape he needed to use the bathroom. When officers arrived, they found the two men struggling over a hammer before Paul Pelosi was struck over the head, the complaint stated.
Officials said they discovered zip ties on the scene along with rope, tape and other things in DePape's backpack.
DePape told investigators he was "going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her," according to authorities. If she told the truth, he said he "would let her go, and if she 'lied,' he was going to break 'her kneecaps,'" the complaint said.
Nancy Pelosi has spoken about the "survivor's guilt" she felt after the attack and how it turned their San Fransisco home into a "crime scene."
"He's one good day after another, he's improving," Pelosi told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" in November. "It will take a little while. But we've been so comforted by the outpouring of so many prayers and good wishes."
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