Update in Chesapeake
Quick update on the botched drug raid in Cheseapeake, Virginia in which 28-year-old Ryan Frederick shot and killed Chesapeake PD Det. Jarrod Shivers during a drug raid…
Chesapeake police have seized Ryan Frederick's phone records from the night of the raid. I can see several reasons for this, I guess. Did the informant call Frederick that night? Did Frederick talk to anyone the police suspect of being involved with drug distribution? I remember early on reading somewhere that Frederick dialed 911 at some point during the raid, but I can't remember where, and haven't seen anything about it since. Of course if he did, those records would be available through the 911 line. They wouldn't need to seize Frederick's phone records for that.
What's strange is that this was reported in a couple of local media outlets. Seems like this would be a pretty routine part of this kind of investigation. Perhaps it's an indication of just how secretive the police department has been in all of this. Maybe the local media is hungry for information, caught wind that something related to the case had just been filed in court, and felt the need to report it. But the mere fact that they're reviewing the phone records doesn't really indicate much of anything.
In related news, the Virginian-Pilot has published a new staff editorial that's pretty critical of the police department's secrecy in the case. The editorial notes that public opinion is growing skeptical of the way the raid and investigation were conducted, and growing particularly wary of the way Chesapeake officials have clammed up since the raid went down. They're calling for more disclosure.
Prior Chesapeake posts here.
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
Maybe they are going to try to "prove" that he is a big drug distributor?
Casey Serin is a gay man... not that there's anything wrong with that!!
I'm guessing they're desperate and grasping at staws.
Not sure if I'm just being optimistic, but it seems like Mr Frederick just might get a fairer shake than we could have expected. Not that that's any reason to let up the pressure on the PD. Assuming that's what's helping, Mr Balko and the local media need to keep up the coverage.
If the facts don't show that Frederick is a murderer, it means the police department got one of their own officers killed with their own foolish, irresponsible tactics.
So then the facts will be, ah, massaged, to ensure they show that Frederick is a murderer.
The editorial was encouraging.
Citizen Nothing, I think there's reason to be at least a little optimistic.
The police aren't loudly trumpeting how right they were. Compare their behavior lately to, say, Guiliani after one of the NYPD shootings.
The editorial notes that public opinion is growing skeptical of the way the raid and investigation were conducted, and growing particularly wary of the way Chesapeake officials have clammed up since the raid went down. They're calling for more disclosure.
The cops need to get their lies story straight. Many asses must be covered, bureaucrats must keep their tax funded jobs.
It's about time that the citizens demand full disclosure for cases like these and not accept the LEO's story as the gospel truth.
I don't know. A skeptical press is certainly encouraging, but I don't think it can stop the judicial railroad express.
It's about time that the citizens demand full disclosure for cases like these and not accept the LEO's story as the gospel truth.
Do you reall think a jury will believe some druggie over the sworn testomony of the police? They found a bag of the grass at his house, which just so happens to be a serious crime in the US, and by UN treaty, the world. Lets face it, he killed a cop, he is going to be executed to send a message.
If the facts don't show that Frederick is a murderer, it means the police department got one of their own officers killed with their own foolish, irresponsible tactics.
And how else do you suppose they should conduct drug raids? You do know that drugs are currently illegal, in case you didn't no.
So what do you suppose "Phil" is on?
Citizen Nothing,
Im going with stupidity.
It's about time that the citizens demand full disclosure for cases like these and not accept the LEO's story as the gospel truth.
You know, it would be great if there was some sort of organization that had the power to investigate cops. You know, one that would really do it. Maybe it could be composed of police officers, a sort of "internal" investigative group. Because, as we all know, they would be objective because they're cops, and all cops are honest. Which is why we need...
Ah, I can't even do the satire because it's so ridiculous. Who investigates the lies of cops? Cops. Who investigates local cops when their own internal people fail? Federal cops. Who investigates the federal cops? Other federal cops.
Anyone else see the problem here?
Ok, Ok, I won't feed the trolls... so I'll
just quote the sections to which I would respond, if I was a Troll feeder.
"...a serious crime in the US, and by UN treaty, the world."
"Lets face it, he killed a cop..."
"And how else do you suppose they should conduct drug raids?"
Ahh, fuck it:
point #1) citation please. Moreover, the fact that more and more states (and countries) have made marijuana possession a simple citation inherently proves it is a crime, but not serious.
point #2) yes, that message is: "Don't even THINK of defending yourself!... Now, DOWN ON THE FLOOR! NOW!"
point #3) Do you ever read this board? I'm pretty sure other avenues of arrest have already been suggested.
Thanks you for coming!
You know, it would be great if there was some sort of organization that had the power to investigate cops. You know, one that would really do it.
How about drawing from a pool of registered Libertarians for cop investigations. Or Reason subscribers. (It would up the number of paid subscriptions if nothing else.)
Kool,
Phil = Juanita. Pay it no heed.
wow, I actually kind of miss the old "phil" now.
The problem is that whoever does such a job is, by definition, a cop. No way around it unless investig'n be done by machine.
And what if the coppers are trying to use the phone records to "prove" Frederick was tipped off, and with malice aforethought ambushed the officers who came to his door and knocked politely?
somewhat off-topic, but, with regard to incarceration:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/28cnd-prison.html?hp
1/9 of state employees are in corrections?!? (same as the proportion of black men between 20 and 34 who are locked up according to the cited report.) WTF
Ok if he was tipped off why would he have left anything in his apartment even a small amount of weed? This is what it is, cop killed for being a door smashing dumbass. Where is the logic that he could have flushed a GROW OPERATION before they entered.
When the cops are silent that says it all. If ever a profession loved pats on the back and accolades while at the same time burying everything they do its the Law Enforcement Profession to be sure. Pictures and all sorts of info if they actually do something but let them fuck up and its quiet as a mouse.
I saw that 1 in 99 now in jail in the Land Of The Free!! Glad we have all those rights to protect us from wrongful inprisonment by our government.
Also I saw today yet another video from the same Tampa Jail of them tossing a guy out of a wheelchair! Cripples beware your not welcome in Tampa.
Sorry that is wrong. Let me fix it:
point #2) yes, that message is: "Don't even THINK of defending yourself!... Now, DOWN ON THE FLOOR! NOW! NOW, OR I'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT!!"
Shorter version of Epi's 11:15 post:
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (roughly, "Who shall watch the watchmen?") -Juvenal
Some jurisdictions have police review boards composed of "civilians" (non-LEOs), but these boards tend to be packed with ex-cops and others guaranteed to be sympathetic to the police. Not suggesting these boards be packed with those hostile to the police, but rather with those who have a neutral POV.
Frederick stated in his interviews that after his gun jammed, he retreated to his room to find his phone and call 911. In his prison interview he said he didn't call 911 because he couldn't find the phone.
Do a google news search for Chief Richard Justice in the Jan 2007 time frame. It seems the police chief for Chesapeake opposed a community effort to have a civilian oversight board established. Maybe if this board had gone forward in Jan 2007, Frederick wouldn't have been served a warrant on shoddy information in Jan 2008.