Lawyer: Ferguson Shooting Suspect Beaten In Custody
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“Completely false.”
That’s how police are responding to allegations that they beat the man arrested for shooting two police officers during protests in Ferguson, Missouri, last week.
Jeffrey Williams, 20, has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault, a count of firing a weapon from a vehicle and three counts of armed criminal activity.
Police have said he admitted to firing the shots that struck the officers. But Williams’ lawyer says he has little confidence in such statements.
“He’s scared. You know, this has been pretty traumatic for him,” attorney Jerryl Christmas said about his client on Monday.
“One thing that is clear is that he has a large amount of bruising on his body that I noticed that I’m very concerned about. It appears that whatever statements he made, he was without the advice of counsel, and when I look at the bruising, it’s hard for me assess if these were voluntary statements that he made.”
Christmas told CNN that Williams has bruising across his back, and a knot on his head.
“He said he was bruised by the police when he was taken into custody. And he was in a lot of pain when he was being questioned,” Christmas said. “They used a lot of force on him.”
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jybarz March 17th, 2015 at 10:26 am
I hope Christmas took Williams for a physical check stat.
Carla Akins March 17th, 2015 at 10:35 am
I don’t think they should be beating on him, and they have no goodwill/credibility with me but I’m not going to lose any sleep over this either. The man fired a gun into a crowd from a moving car.
anothertoothpick March 17th, 2015 at 11:02 am
Yeah! I guess he is lucky they didn’t lynch him.
The mindset of this police department is beyond appalling . And it seems not much has changed since Wilson murdered Brown. A few people moved on, quit or got fired, but the mindset has not changed. And never will.
I also hope the feds are still there in Ferguson. This demands a full investigation not done by the Ferguson police force.
Carla Akins March 17th, 2015 at 11:50 am
I wouldn’t trust anything done by this or even the state police at this point.
anothertoothpick March 17th, 2015 at 1:23 pm
Exactly! That is why this “alleged shooter” MUST be transferred to a neutral jail. Before any more false confessions get beat out of him, or worse yet he ends up dead.
trees March 17th, 2015 at 12:07 pm
How do you know that the police beat him? Do you think, in the light of all that’s transpired in Ferguson, that the cops beat a confession out of him? We know nothing of his arrest, whether he resisted, for example, or what his bodily condition was prior to his arrest. In this upside down world we are currently inhabiting, alleged gunmen are seen as “scared, traumatized kids”, and cops are seen as racist, civil rights violating, killer thugs….
Maybe the problem in Ferguson is the cops?
Should we “decop” Ferguson, you know, remove the police and allow the community to be self-policing?
arc99 March 17th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
At least one conservative concludes that yes the cops are the problem in Ferguson
http://www.redstate.com/2015/03/15/many-conservatives-blowing-it-ferguson-doj-report/
anothertoothpick March 17th, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Who is saying “decop” Ferguson besides you?
trees March 17th, 2015 at 6:13 pm
arc99 March 17th, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Schultz’s idea is at best naive and at worst insane but his comment in no way supports what you said previously.
“remove the police and allow the community to be self-policing”
trees March 17th, 2015 at 6:38 pm
It may be one step further, I’ll agree to that, but it’s not really too far removed from that scenario. You disarm the cops, you’ll find the cops not patrolling in areas where the criminals have guns. At that point the community is self-policing, as the residents have become a law unto themselves….
Carla Akins March 17th, 2015 at 1:35 pm
I don’t know that they did or didn’t beat him – I just said I wouldn’t believe anything they said. I understand he’s bruised up but I’m not seeing any obvious signs of a “beating”, and I would need more than the word of a jackass that shot a firearm from a moving car. There are no winners/sides in this mess.
Foundryman March 17th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
“In this upside down world we are currently inhabiting, alleged gunmen are seen as “scared, traumatized kids”, and cops are seen as racist, civil rights violating, killer thugs….”
Given what we have seen, from stun grenades being thrown in babies cribs to choking unarmed people to death on the street, the only upside down world I can see is it’s amazing there are those who still won’t see a problem with police tactics and a real need for reform.
bluejayray March 17th, 2015 at 8:26 pm
They could learn a lot from the UK police. Of course in most civilized countries, the populace isn’t armed to the teeth, either.
evan gore March 17th, 2015 at 9:37 pm
Where do you think Police tactics come from? Have you been to Chicago or Detroit or Oakland or Philly? Have you seen what goes on in the streets? It isn’t very nice. A lot of mayhem is going on. Yes, police do sometimes go overboard. But it is often the result of the conditions they face. Go ahead…take a walk around Ferguson at night. See how quickly you hope for police to show up.
craig7120 March 17th, 2015 at 5:25 pm
Agreed
Oh, make no mistake, it was no random act. Of course he says he didn’t mean it, he’s not going to confess to shooting cops. I don’t doubt for a minute the cops might of lumped him up, I have no sympathy for perpetrators of acts of violence. Law enforcement has 3,4,5 deployed, seasoned, war veterans coming to the streets of america, mix that with career criminals and what we have is a volatile package.
I’ve commented on this drama twice, I’m ground zero. I might have some of the insight that others don’t, same time, I can be to close to not be biased.
Bottom line, I don’t drive through certain counties, that includes Ferguson, because I feared the law, trumped up dwi’s, bogus speeding tickets all business as usual in St Louis County. Law enforcement & local government created this utopia, the chickens have come home to roost.
St George* disincorporated, guess why
Charlack
Arnold
Normandy
Bridgeton
Overland
Shrewsbury
Kirkwood
Just to name a few areas I avoid after 8pm, if I’m out with friends and want to avoid check points.
OldLefty March 17th, 2015 at 12:24 pm
That’s why video protects everybody.
trees March 17th, 2015 at 6:15 pm
I like the idea of bodycams on cops, it’s an excellent idea.
OldLefty March 17th, 2015 at 6:32 pm
I agree.
And in the interrogation rooms.
trees March 17th, 2015 at 6:34 pm
I don’t think cops beat on people to force confessions, confessions are taped, and having the suspect confess through gasps of pain, and having big breaks in the taping sequence is not going to fly. I do think cops will scare the hell out of you, but I don’t think they use torture as an operating practice. The TV shows like to portray policing in this light, you know, a cop slapping his suspect around in a dimly lit room, while smoking a cigarette, but in reality that’s really shabby police work to do so, and in poor form. It’s very unprofessional. Real police work is boring compared to the cop shows on TV. Now, what they will do is lie to you, and that’s fair game in an interrogation. Telling you that they have someone in custody who is telling them that you’re guilty as hell is a pretty good technique. If you’re guilty, nothing is more terrifying to you than hearing that someone who saw you do it is telling everybody all about it….. It sucks when you find out that what happened in Vegas is making the news, and that they, the cops, have someone who is saying that they saw you do it…..
OldLefty March 17th, 2015 at 6:50 pm
I don’t know.
We had Jordan Miles and Johny Gammage.
It wasn’t for confessions, but for the heck of it??
Best to have the cameras to protect everyone, and let everyone know they are on tape.
trees March 17th, 2015 at 6:59 pm
Agreed
OldLefty March 17th, 2015 at 7:12 pm
Okaley Dokely.
Roctuna March 18th, 2015 at 8:02 am
You do realize we’re talking about the Ferguson PD here, and you use the word professional?
bluejayray March 17th, 2015 at 8:21 pm
unless of course they turn them off when they feel like cutting loose.
rg9rts March 17th, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Those stupid bastards still didn’t learn a damn thing
EthanPow March 17th, 2015 at 3:39 pm
To be honest ferguson is getting WAY outta hand….
Warman1138 March 18th, 2015 at 7:25 am
It’s like a never ending storm.