Wa-Post - 7 year old shot by cops was shot while cops were still outside

[Anti Federalist]

This update deserved it's own thread.

So now, it seems what happened is, the grenade gets chucked into the home and a split second later they open fire, killing the girl inside.



Aiyana Jones case, attorney says Video shows police fired into Detroit home

By COREY WILLIAMS and ED WHITE
The Associated Press
Monday, May 17, 2010; 8:05 PM

DETROIT -- Police who carried out a raid on a family home that left a 7-year-old girl dead over the weekend were accompanied by a camera crew for a reality television show, and an attorney says video of the siege contradicts the police account of what happened.

Geoffrey Fieger, an attorney for the family of young Aiyana Jones, said he has seen three or four minutes of video of the raid, although he declined to say whether it was shot by the crew for the A&E series "The First 48," which has been shadowing Detroit homicide detectives for months.

Police have said officers threw a flash grenade through the first-floor window of the two-family home, and that an officer's gun discharged, killing the girl, during a struggle or after colliding with the girl's grandmother inside the home.

But Fieger said the video shows an officer lobbing the grenade and then shooting into the home from the porch.

"There is no question about what happened because it's in the videotape," Fieger said. "It's not an accident. It's not a mistake. There was no altercation."

"Aiyana Jones was shot from outside on the porch. The videotape shows clearly the officer throwing through the window a stun grenade-type explosive and then within milliseconds of throwing that, firing a shot from outside the home," he said.

A&E spokesman Dan Silberman said neither he nor anyone else from the network would comment about the case, and he denied a request by The Associated Press for the footage.

Detroit police were trying to obtain the film crew's footage, Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said Monday.

Fieger said the investigation into what happened during the raid "needed to go no further than the videotape."

"The videotape shows clearly that the assistant police chief and the officers on the scene are engaging in an intentional cover up of the events," Fieger said. He said more than one camera was recording at the scene, and that the footage includes sound.

Police arrested the target of the raid, a 34-year-old man suspected of killing a 17-year-old boy, in the upstairs unit in the two-family home. Police had warrants to search both properties, and family members of the slain girl were seen going in and out of both on Monday. The suspect has not been charged, and it was not immediately clear what relationship he had to the slain girl.

The case has been handed over to the Michigan State Police to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Monday.

Some, including the slain girl's family and others, have questioned what effect the cameras may have had on the tactics used during raid on the home, which had toys strewn about the front lawn on Monday.

The police department is understaffed, and officers have said they feel vulnerable - especially after one patrolman was killed and four others were wounded during a gunfight with a suspect in a vacant home earlier this month.

Two prominent criminal defense attorneys said they were unaware of past instances when Detroit police used flash grenades in raids when children were possibly present.

"That's a new one," said Detroit lawyer Corbett Edge O'Meara. "That does seem to be a pretty extreme measure. It doesn't surprise me that the police had no concern whether they were endangering the lives of children when they made this raid."

Attorney Marvin Barnett was more blunt: "I've never heard that before in my entire career, that you've thrown a flash bomb in a house unless you've got an armed suspect and you know there is nobody else in the house."

"I'd like to know who gave the order to do that," Barnett said.

Godbee said the department was confident the film crew's presence had no effect on how the raid was conducted. He said the police department's use of flash grenades is decided on a "case by case" basis.

"It primarily goes to the severity of the crime and the potential of violence from the offender we're trying to get in custody," Godbee said.

He declined to comment on whether the officers involved in the raid were aware children were in the home.

"Our tactics absolutely will be addressed and assessed at the appropriate time," Godbee said.

The family was left searching for answers. They retained Fieger, a high-powered attorney who also represented assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian, but the girl's father said he wants to know what led to his daughter's death.

"They killed my baby, and I want someone to tell the truth," he said Sunday.

Police have not identified the officer whose gun fired the shot that killed Aiyana. Godbee said he is a 14-year veteran with six to seven years on the Special Response Team, and that he has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The officer was cleared following a nonfatal shooting last summer. Police were fired upon by someone barricaded in a house and returned fire, Godbee said.

The Detroit police department has been under two court-ordered consent decrees since 2003 aimed at, among other things, correcting how and when its officers use force on suspects.

The department declined to say whether it was being paid by the television show.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051700703_2.html?sub=AR&sid=ST2010051702823

[Anti Federalist]

I want to hear what Chucky Schumer has to say about this, after dismissing "flash bangs" as little more than big firecrackers, at least when used on Texas church members.

[jmdrake]

Loss for words....

[catdd]

"It's not an accident. It's not a mistake. There was no altercation."

So the cops clearly lied when they said there was an altercation inside the home and the gun went off accidentally. Was that the original police report?

[Anti Federalist]

"It's not an accident. It's not a mistake. There was no altercation."

So the cops clearly lied when they said there was an altercation inside the home and the gun went off accidentally. Was that the original police report?

According to the cops it is:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/16/michigan.police.child/

However, according to Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee, preliminary information indicates that members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team approached the house and announced themselves as police. Godbee cited the officers involved and at least one independent witness.

Godbee said officers used a "flash bang" device, entered the home and encountered a 46-year-old female inside the front room.

"Exactly what happened next is a matter still under investigation, but it appears the officer and the woman had some level of physical contact," Godbee said in a statement Sunday. "At about this time, the officer's weapon discharged one round which, tragically, struck 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley Jones in the neck/head area

[catdd]

That's what I thought.

[brandon]

I knew the cops were hiding the truth the first time I read this story. Hopefully if this cop doesn't get charged with murder there are some vigilantes out there that will settle the score.

[Reason]

YouTube - 7 Year Old Girl Shot & Killed By Detroit Cops (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jA6UGf54ms)

[TonySutton]

Lets see Martha Stewart got time for lying about nothing so the cops will get what for lying?

Paid vacation... :(

[tmosley]

So, where are the riots?

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

I hope they fry every mutherfucker involved who didn't immediately register an official protest of the conduct of the police involved. Since there was an attempted cover up, they need to charge them with RICO violations.

[Mach]

It's sick how they want to pump you up on how pumped and great they are at declaring war on U.S. citizens.... 3:40 flashbang grenade!

YouTube - Detroit Police Tech: SWAT Team (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWvgo17dHik)

I seen that video over at Mr.Griggs (http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/).

[Imperial]

They will investigate at the right time?

Isn't the right time when you just killed a seven-year-old girl?

[Anti Federalist]

Now some more news.

Seems the family is claiming that the flashbang set her on fire first.


The family says when police tossed a flashbang grenade through the window of the apartment where Jones was sleeping, the device ignited the blanket on her bed and set Jones on fire. The police initially claimed Jones was shot after her grandmother had an altercation with one of the officers.

http://reason.com/blog/2010/05/17/detroit-girl-7-killed-in-swat

This may turn out to be one of the most horrendous police murders in years.

I'm speculating the real version of the event is this:

Cops are on the porch, chuck a grenade through the front window, setting this poor kid on fire. Kid freaks out on the other side of her window or front wall and gets shot by the cops on the other side.

[Anti Federalist]

I seen that video over at Mr.Griggs (http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/).

Mr. Griggs makes an excellent point:

In other words, the decision-making process in this investigation was being distorted by the "COPS Effect." The department insists that this was a high-risk warrant enforcement operation, but it wasn't too dangerous to bring a camera crew along. Had the intent been simply to capture a murder suspect, the police could have sent a team of street officers and homicide detectives, rather than the paramilitary goon squad and their archivists.

ETA add: Two points...

The life of Aiyana Jones -- may she rest in God's peace -- ended violently in an act of homeland security agitprop. She wasn't the first to die that way, and won't be the last.

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

YouTube - Fuck Tha Police - N.W.A. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro08bILEvqc)

:mad:

[ammorris]

Damn. This is sick. Fuck cops.

[manny229]

I want to hear what Chucky Schumer has to say about this, after dismissing "flash bangs" as little more than big firecrackers, at least when used on Texas church members.

That's interesting since in NY (senator Chucky's home state) any type of firecracker is illegal to own. I guess only our "hero" cops are allowed to use these so called firecrackers.

[catdd]

Imagine all the innocent victims in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Pakistan. This type of thing has been a common occurrence there since 9-11. Imagine all of us finally fighting back and being called insurgents, domestic terrorists, and extremists rather than freedom fighters.

[Philhelm]

Hey, not all cops are bad. How about that cop who spoke up when the others had conspired to cover up the murder of a seven year old girl? Oh...wait, that didn't happen. Nevermind. Just think, if it weren't for the incident being recorded, they would have successfully gotten away with murder, and the girl's mother would have been put up on charges. But then, the sick fucking pig might walk in the end. I hate fucking pigs! When do citizens have the right to start shooting back at murderers?

[Anti Federalist]

That's interesting since in NY (senator Chucky's home state) any type of firecracker is illegal to own. I guess only our "hero" cops are allowed to use these so called firecrackers.

Of course they are.

I recall him dismissing the use of "flash bangs" at the Waco hearings in Congress and declaring them to be, for all intents and purposes, harmless.

Wish I could find a video clip of that.

[pcosmar]

The Shit Is Going To Hit The Fan Soon.
If you are not on our side,
Stay the hell out of the way.

The Resistance.

:mad:

[tropicangela]

I read yday the girl's dad said first they burned his baby up then shot and killed her.

[Mach]

Of course they are.

I recall him dismissing the use of "flash bangs" at the Waco hearings in Congress and declaring them to be, for all intents and purposes, harmless.

Wish I could find a video clip of that.

I can't stand Schumer! Flash-bang grenades...... 3:35

This turned out to be better than I thought, make sure to watch it all the way through, 7:00...... the ATF did it like that just for PUBLICITY, sounds familiar. :mad:


YouTube - Waco:Rules of Engagement Part 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MUqLSxKhRY#t=03m00s)

[squarepusher]

"It's not an accident. It's not a mistake. There was no altercation."

So the cops clearly lied when they said there was an altercation inside the home and the gun went off accidentally. Was that the original police report?

cops always lie

[Promontorium]

No surprise the father's version was more accurate than the police in the initial article.

It's interesting that the police are basically claiming they killed the girl because they don't have enough police. Like putting more cops at the scene would have resulted in fewer fuck ups. That's their version. On the other side, we see with more police, more intentional disregard for human life.

[youngbuck]

The murderers should be killed in prison, and those that helped with the coverup are raped for life in prison.

[GunnyFreedom]

I wonder if a State law that demands equal treatment for violence inflicted by officers would help. :mad: This is, at BEST "negligent homicide with reckless endangerment," which damn well should be enough to lock the ass clown away for 10 years and pin him with a felony for life. He deserves more than that, of course, second degree manslaughter comes to mind, with a "color of law" tossed in to bump his sentence by 15% to 25%.

[Anti Federalist]

I can't stand Schumer! Flash-bang grenades...... 3:35

This turned out to be better than I thought, make sure to watch it all the way through, 7:00...... the ATF did it like that just for PUBLICITY, sounds familiar. :mad:


YouTube - Waco:Rules of Engagement Part 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MUqLSxKhRY#t=03m00s)

Thanks for finding that, much appreciated.

[jmdrake]

It's sick how they want to pump you up on how pumped and great they are at declaring war on U.S. citizens.... 3:40 flashbang grenade!

YouTube - Detroit Police Tech: SWAT Team (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWvgo17dHik)

I seen that video over at Mr.Griggs (http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/).

So they roll in armored cars with fancy thermal imaging equipment yet they can't use it to look inside a house and see if there are any kids inside before they start shooting blind.

[catdd]

jmdrakeSo they roll in armored cars with fancy thermal imaging equipment yet they can't use it to look inside a house and see if there are any kids inside before they start shooting blind.[/QUOTE]

Body armor, armored vehicles, state of the art firearms, etc. and they still claim "I was in fear for my life" nearly every time they kill someone. It's nothing but an excuse in most of those cases. It's their mantra.

[tmosley]

Ok, so I watched that video, and the SWAT guy was showing off all his fancy fully-automatic weapons. Is it legal for police to have full-auto? They can have it, but we the people aren't allowed? What's going on here?

Does this mean that you could just incorporate a town, and then have full access to automatic rifles?

[Pericles]

Ok, so I watched that video, and the SWAT guy was showing off all his fancy fully-automatic weapons. Is it legal for police to have full-auto? They can have it, but we the people aren't allowed? What's going on here?

Does this mean that you could just incorporate a town, and then have full access to automatic rifles?

Almost that easy - at least in Texas you have to pass a written test to be a peace officer (which took Dallas County's lesbian sheriff at least 3 attempts to pass).

Then you get your M16s from the feds and you are in business.

BTW, thermal imagery is limited to line of sight - it can't see "through" anything - not even a window.

[HOLLYWOOD]

I can't stand Schumer! Flash-bang grenades...... 3:35

This turned out to be better than I thought, make sure to watch it all the way through, 7:00...... the ATF did it like that just for PUBLICITY, sounds familiar. :mad:


YouTube - Waco:Rules of Engagement Part 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MUqLSxKhRY#t=03m00s)

Chuck Schumer, again... that so-called US Senator should be in Prison.

well, well, I wonder what would happen if someone threw a Flash Bang Gernade at Chuckie... then what would Schumer say about them, I wonder how a person would be charged then? It's blatantly obvious that there is, two standards of law in this country... one for government and another for the citizens. Guess which group is protected more by the double standards?

[pcosmar]

From this morning,
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/05/attorney_geoffrey_fieger_alleg.html


Police knew there were children in the house:

Following the shooting, various outlets reported that neighbors told police there were children in the house and showed them toys in the front yard. At Monday's press conference, Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee refused to comment on those reports while the department moved forward with its investigation.

"It's worse than that," Fieger said. "It shows this in the video. There's a gentleman by the name of Mr. Robinson who lives in the home. He was out walking his dogs when they arrived. They took him and threw him to the ground and stood on his neck. He said, 'There are children living in the home. There are children in the home.' And just after that they walk up on the porch and throw an incendiary grenade into it. So it's worse than even you know."

Flash grenade landed on Aiyana as she slept:

Detroit police confirmed they threw a flash grenade into Aiyana's home as a diversionary tactic before ramming the door and entering, as is standard procedure when executing a high-risk, no-knock search warrant.

In the wake of the shooting, Aiyana's father told the Detroit Free Press the flash grenade landed on the couch where Aiyana was sleeping, possibly burning her before she was shot. Fieger, who has met with the family, suggested that account was accurate.

The fatal shot was fired from outside the house:

During Monday's press conference and subsequent interviews, Godbee has maintained that the department believes the fatal shot was fired by the first officer to enter the house after he had "some level of physical contact" with Aiyana's grandmother. But Fieger said the video proves the shot was fired from outside the home before police entered.

"The incendiary device goes in and less than a second, maybe half a second, the shot is taken" as the officer stood on the porch, he said. "There's two possibilities after viewing the video: I think that they were either shooting what they thought was a dog, because they had brought a lot of dogs with them, or they were shooting blindly into the house."

Police tried to blame the grandmother:

Hours after the shooting, The Detroit News quoted Godbee as saying that the officer encountered Aiyana's grandmother after entering the home, "and at some point a struggle ensued, and the officer's weapon discharged." Godbee said he was misquoted, and clarified at Monday's press conference that "some level of physical contact" took place but would not speculate on its nature.

Neither account is accurate, according to Fieger. "The little girl is taken out like a rag doll seconds afterward. They saw what they'd done. There's no confrontation with the grandmother. None. Zero. That's a complete and utter falshood." Instead, Fieger suggested officers tried to "falsely frame" the grandmother, who reportedly spent more than 12 hours in police custody. "This is a real serious problem. We had police officers willing to take a grandmother into custody after her granddaughter had been shot to death and they were going to try to blame it on her."

Department sought second warrant after arresting the murder suspect:

While Fieger had discussed the footage yesterday, he made a new claim today, suggesting that his case will include the assertion that Detroit police had a warrant for the wrong address of the split-level home and only obtained a warrant for the upstairs unit after arresting the suspect there.

"In the video they break into both the upstairs flat and the downstairs flat. The problem is they don't have a warrant for the upstairs. (Godbee) didn't tell you when he got the second search warrant. After Aiyana was killed and after he broke into the upstairs apartment and arrested (the suspect)."

Godbee, who appeared on WJR yesterday, said the department believed there was "some connection" between the murder suspect and Aiyana's family, but would not comment further while the department seeks charges against the suspect. "But suffice it to say that the scope of the search warrant covered both addresses within one location," he said. "4054 and 4056 Lillybridge. We operated within the scope of the search warrant. There are facts that have been speculated that I just can't speak to until we actually submit the warrant."

Aftermath and investigation:

Fieger is expected to announce the filing of the two wrongful death lawsuits later this morning at his Southfield office. The Detroit Police Department vowed an open and full investigation into the shooting, but Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said yesterday the Michigan State Police will take over to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.

[Krugerrand]

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said yesterday the Michigan State Police will take over to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.

From personal traffic stop experience, state police have always been more professional and without a chip on their shoulder as compared with local police.

[pcosmar]

From personal traffic stop experience, state police have always been more professional and without a chip on their shoulder as compared with local police.

As a general rule perhaps. But the pain in my back was inflicted by one of these jack boots.
Not on the Highway, but on my farm.
They are hardly impartial investigators.
With video tape evidence, there may be no hiding or covering up this mess. Yet to be seen.
Detroit is already tense. They need to diffuse this.
:(

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

From this morning

Ugh. They need to nail that Chief's ass to the floorboards for this. That and as I said, now that there appears to have been an attempted coverup, the State SHOULD being RICO charges against everyone involved.

[Anti Federalist]

From this morning,
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/05/attorney_geoffrey_fieger_alleg.html

FFS, this just gets "better" by the second.

[Reason]

YouTube - Cameraman Following Cop Who Shot 7 Year Old Girl Caught Whole Thing On Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7jLr76EdU)

[phill4paul]

I had been away from this for a few days. My rage meter was up from the get go. To revisit and see all this information come out is just about unbearable.
It's not like this shit doesn't happen every day across America in varying degrees. The smallest and largest in scope being the misdemeanor wherein thousands receive jail time and fines all on the accusation of an LE. Nothing more.
To this wherein a grandmother is set up to take the fall for her granddaughter.
Days like these it is just best to come home after work and stay here.
Because, honestly, I hate these fuckers in blue.

[Krugerrand]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100525/ap_on_re_us/us_detroit_police_reality_tv;_ylt=AkAX1FC2czcVDNxp HSUpuIKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQwbTE1ZTg1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIw MTAwNTI1L3VzX2RldHJvaXRfcG9saWNlX3JlYWxpdHlfdHYEY2 NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM2BHBvcwMzBHB0A2hvbWVf Y29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDZGV0cm9pdG 1heW9y


Detroit mayor bans TV crews from police raids
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has banned reality television crews from tagging along with police after TV cameras accompanied officers on a raid in which a 7-year-old girl was shot dead.

Bing says he also has chided Police Chief Warren Evans for not telling him that he was permitting TV cameras on raids.

The Detroit News reports Bing saying Monday that Deputy Mayor Saul Green is helping Evans to tone down his aggressive policing style, and that the police chief remains "part of the solution" to the city's crime problem. Evans reports to Green.

Evans declined comment. Green was not immediately available for comment.

Cameras from the reality crime show "The First 48" were present during the May 16 raid in which a police bullet killed Aiyana Stanley-Jones.

That TV crew is the only thing that will keep the police from framing the poor victim's grandmother. Obvious solution: ban the TV crews.

[angelatc]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100525/ap_on_re_us/us_detroit_police_reality_tv;_ylt=AkAX1FC2czcVDNxp HSUpuIKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQwbTE1ZTg1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIw MTAwNTI1L3VzX2RldHJvaXRfcG9saWNlX3JlYWxpdHlfdHYEY2 NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM2BHBvcwMzBHB0A2hvbWVf Y29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDZGV0cm9pdG 1heW9y



That TV crew is the only thing that will keep the police from framing the poor victim's grandmother. Obvious solution: ban the TV crews.

I like Dave Bing. I believe the logic here was that the cops used too much force specifically because they were showing off for the cameras.

He hasn't banned all filming - he's banned the reality shows. There's probably a "freedom of the press" issue, and I would side on the side of freedom, but I'm not sure the SCOTUS will.

[idirtify]

No surprise the father's version was more accurate than the police in the initial article.

It's interesting that the police are basically claiming they killed the girl because they don't have enough police. Like putting more cops at the scene would have resulted in fewer fuck ups. That's their version. On the other side, we see with more police, more intentional disregard for human life.

That seems to be the default response when gov gets busted for screwing up;
“It’s because we are not big enough. We need more money. We need more arms. We need more control. We need more power. We need more laws.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/opinion/17douthat.html
The Great Consolidation
By ROSS DOUTHAT

[squarepusher]

wow this new development is sickening

[Todd]

YouTube - Tribute to Aiyana Jones, R.I.P."Miss you - Aaliyah (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUtSX-a9dLk)

[misconstrued]

Sickening. More details: http://detnews.com/article/20100525/METRO01/5250369/Bing-bans-TV-crews-from-cop-raids

[Krugerrand]

I like Dave Bing. I believe the logic here was that the cops used too much force specifically because they were showing off for the cameras.

He hasn't banned all filming - he's banned the reality shows. There's probably a "freedom of the press" issue, and I would side on the side of freedom, but I'm not sure the SCOTUS will.

By the above link, you appear to be correct:

Bing spokeswoman Karen Dumas said having reality TV crews on hand during raids "gives the wrong appearance" to the public that police may be altering their normal procedures to make for more entertaining television.

"We don't want to convolute the process," Dumas said, adding that local media outlets will still be allowed to do "ride-alongs."

However, at the same time, it appears the initial intention was to rid future scene's of evidence:

Bing said he wasn't aware of the police department's policy of allowing film crews on raids until after Aiyana's death.

"When we found out (that a camera crew was on the scene), I immediately called Warren and Saul and (said), 'That's the end of that,' " Bing told The News.


I'd be curious to see what the policy is after 6-12 months.

[MelissaCato]

Here's a video with some of the hearing .. this was tragic and apparently there was a video of all this like with the RAID and dog killed.

YouTube - Police Brutality: Cop Kills 7yr.old Aiyana Jones - Cover Up! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZH7iYaQSAE)

[angelatc]

By the above link, you appear to be correct:


However, at the same time, it appears the initial intention was to rid future scene's of evidence:


I'd be curious to see what the policy is after 6-12 months.

I get this stuff on my evening news. The tone Bing is taking really isn't anti-media at all. He is ticked because they were pimping his department out without him knowing it.

I get the distinct impression that he'd like to fire the chief, but of course the unions won't have any of that. So he's making him take sensitivity training from other captains while they await the results of the State Police investigation.

Again, I like Dave Bing. I want him to hang these people from their toes for lying, but I think he does have a responsibility to wait until the evidence is in before taking that route.

He's just a methodical kind of guy. I guarantee that if Kwame were still around, the police wouldn't be at all afraid of getting reprimanded. Heck, they covered up a murder in the mansion for him - they had him by the balls.