TWO King County deputies fired after body camera worn by bus driver catches them in a huge lie!

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Thu Aug 27, 2015, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/26/1415635/-Two-Seattle-police-officers-fired-after-body-camera-worn-by-bus-driver-catches-them-in-a-huge-lie?detail=email




Maybe we all need to be wearing body cameras



On November 14, 2014, Kelvin Kirkpatrick, an African-American Metro bus driver with over 20 years of experience in Seattle, requested that sheriff's officers remove sleeping homeless men from his bus, per company policy. The officers weren't helpful and even lied to Kirkpatrick about why they weren't being helpful. He got back on his bus and got back to work.

Little did he know that two of the officers involved would flat out lie about the entire encounter in a report that they completed, stating that he dropped f-bombs and berated them. The thing is, that never happened—and a body camera, worn by the bus driver himself, captured the entire ordeal as you can see below the fold.

FULL story at link.

Published on Aug 25, 2015
King County Sheriff John Urquhart has fired a second deputy over an incident in which a bus driver produced a video recorded on his personal body camera to refute allegations he used a profanity during an argument over bus security.

The video showed no profanity was used during the Nov. 14 argument between the King County Metro Transit driver, Kelvin Kirkpatrick, and the two deputies.

Urquhart sent a termination letter last week to Sgt. Lou Caballero, citing the video captured by Kirkpatrick as proof of misconduct that had cast the Sheriff’s Office in a “negative light” and undermined public trust.

Caballero’s firing was effective Aug. 20. Urquhart’s letter to Caballero was released to The Seattle Times on Monday under a public-disclosure request.

[/*][/list]Earlier this month, Urquhart fired deputy Amy Shoblom, who had alleged she witnessed the driver using the profanity.

Urquhart upheld recommendations to terminate Caballero, 50, and Shoblom, 34, concurring with internal findings that Shoblom and Caballero engaged in dishonesty and that Caballero also retaliated against Kirkpatrick.

[uponit7771]

1. Irony; Little Brother is watching "Big" brother now with cameras everywhere

[nichomachus]

2. I have a friend who refuses to serve on a jury

telling the judge that the police routinely lie -- and that he couldn't vote to convict someone based on police testimony.

[Skeeter Barnes]

3. I used to have a supervisor who was a cop at his previous job. He would

lie about *everything*. Didn't matter what it was, shit that didn't amount to anything, he'd lie about it. He was known for it among everybody that worked there.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

28. I used to work with a guy who worked part time as a cop. Mainly so he could carry a gun.

He used to brag about lying on reports - "I have the power of the pen. Whatever I write down is gospel"

[Rex]

5. Cop apologist says...don't care, cops are great and never do bad!

Just getting that out there before they show up and 'correct' why the bus driver is wrong and the cops are right.

[Ed Suspicious]

8. It's a dangerous job . . . confronting . . . bus drivers . . . awe, never mind.

[Rex]

10. Sure! Catching dangerous people selling cigs on a corner. Kids going to the local swimming hole.

Kids playing with toy guns! Gotta be careful, that bus driver could very well plan on talking to the cops! Talking! Cops hate that.

[beevul]

6. "Don't lie for the other guy" should be about more than gun sales. N/t

[lpbk2713]

7. We need protection from the people who are supposed to protect us.

It's plain to see.

[camelfan]

9. Bravo, Seattle! I hope your courageous action catches on.

[Matariki]

12. We got a new Chief of Police after the Feds stepped in

maybe she's helping clean up our less than stellar police force

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Police_Department

[Johnyawl]

15. see my post below. #14

[Matariki]

16. Ah. Thanks for clarifying that

I didn't read the story as closely as I could have. I was looking for Kathleen O'Toole's name in the article. I'm curious how a she's going to do cleaning up the rather ingrained police culture here.

[Johnyawl]

22. O'Toole has her work cut out for her.

The SPD rank and file does not like the Federal Mandates, they don't want civilian oversight and they're doing everything possible to delay, sabotage and derail reform. I don't think Mayor Murray is being enough of a hardass about dealing with them. It seems to me he has his sights set on becoming the first openly gay governor (which he has a shot at), and he's trying too hard not to offend anybody.

[Ikonoklast]

11. Reason #! LEO hate cameras.

Their lies get exposed.

No other reason.

[SheilaT]

13. Not related to police, but I have a son who

makes his living delivering pizza. A year or so ago he got a dashboard camera because of all the crazy pedestrians and bicyclists. Somewhat of a different issue, but maybe more of us should have one.

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. If you look at YouTube with any regularity, it seems most Russians have them!

The amount of in-car YouTube footage from Russia is staggering.

[SheilaT]

23. I've seen some of it.

All that in car footage was incredibly valuable in tracking that meteor over Russia nearly three years ago.

[A HERETIC I AM]

24. Yes it was!

Fact is, when an event like that happens in the US or Canada, it is mostly cop car cameras that do all the recording.

It's my understanding that the reason so many Russians have cameras in their cars is because of the crappy car insurance industry in their countries and bullshit ways of getting paid to fix your car if someone else fucks it up.

Not to mention virtually anyone can get a license to drive, regardless of competency.

[Art_from_Ark]

29. My impression from looking at YouTube dashcam videos from Russia

is that Russia has some of the craziest drivers in the world

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. No kidding!

Seems to me, the slicker the road is, the faster they drive!

[Art_from_Ark]

31. Another common theme in those videos is

"Brakes? What are brakes?"

[A HERETIC I AM]

32. Or turn signals....

or making a left from the left lane!

I wonder if they get any training at all, sometimes. Don't bother making sure the road is clear, just pull out!

They are kinda fun to watch.

[Art_from_Ark]

33. And then there are the ones who think

"Let's do some serious drifting on this busy expressway!"

or

"I've just got to pass this line of 20 slowpokes on this icy, narrow road!"

or

"Hey, you *bleep*! I'll be *bleeped* if I let you merge into traffic!"

or

"Get out of that crosswalk, you *bleeping* pedestrian!"

[Johnyawl]

14. The title is all wrong....

...and I know that is the fault of DailyKos, NOT Omaha Steve.

This wasn't SPD firing two Seattle Policeman, this was the King County Sheriff firing two of the King County Deputies. (For those that don't know, Seattle is in King County)

This is a REALLY big difference as the SPD is dragging their feet in complying with the Federal Reforms being forced on them, and are doing everything they can to prevent any real "civilian" oversight.

Over at the King County Sheriff's office we have a completely different situation. Sheriff John Urquhart has been hardass about dealing with bad cops, getting rid of deputies that have a history of violence and dishonesty.

[Omaha Steve]

17. Title now fixed

Thanks.

[Johnyawl]

18. Thanks Steve!

Sheriff John Urquhart Deserves all the recognition he can get. He has pretty much cleaned out the culture of arrogance and violence that Dave Reichert left there when he went to congress.

[frylock]

20. fuck tha police..

there's your profanity, lying-ass fucking pigs.

[MADem]

21. I say it's past time for Body Cameras as FASHION statements!!!

Body camera hats, body camera ties, body camera necklaces, body camera pocket squares, body camera suit buttons, body cameras that cops can't see them and modify their behavior.

Seattle, huh? That "liberal bastion...?"

Yeah, whatever....

[demosincebirth]

25. An old lawyer friend of mine used to day that only two people lie in court -- criminals and cops.

[HassleCat]

26. I just don't know about the cops

They wouldn't even help a fellow public servant. What's it going to take to make police officers recognize they're supposed to help their fellow citizens?

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. cameras are not a cop's friend

[Dan de Lyons]

34. Eyeglass body cams cost $14.50 on big A

The bus driver was wearing an eyeglass body cam. It records for 80 minutes. $14.50 on Amaz, marked down from $65. Four left after I got mine. There's also a 1" square cam for $10.

Police should be warned and be ready to respond. In nice polite tones, dulcet, dare we say.

[Live and Learn]

35. I fail to see how even if the driver used profanity it would be any excuse.

Especially in light of the fact the the officers use it all the time and are encouraged to so.

[WI_DEM]

36. have to wonder how many cops have lied about things big or small

over the years. Given all the things we are finding out these days I'd say it is not a pretty picture.

[One_Life_To_Give]

37. Becasue apparently you can be too smart to be a cop

Court OKs Barring High IQs for Cops

http://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/story?id=95836

Guess they want them Young, Dumb and Full of Shit