No Professional Courtesy

The Riverside County, California, government has paid Salvador Pina, a retired sheriff's deputy, $125,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit. Pina claimed that sheriff's deputies illegally beat and detained him at his home, even after former colleagues recognized him and a sheriff's technician told them they were at the wrong address. The incident was filmed by the TV show "COPS," but producers told the court that they had destroyed the footage.

Comments

[Stretchy]

They destroyed footage of police beating a fellow cop when they went to the wrong address. What a load of shit.

[dave]

So...where's the prosecution on this one? I mean, the guys destroyed evidence of a crime, right?

[miklen]

Call me cynical, but the prosecutor is probably at the local police station, collecting "campaign contributions".

[toxic]

Well you know the COPS staff are so in the police pockets. I mean shit, can you imagine the stuff they've got in the archive (or destroyed outright?).

On COPS, the cops never lose their man, never use excess force, and never get seriously hurt.

The COPS staff knows they need access, and the only way to get it is the implicit promise to deep six any embarrassing footage.

[Mango Punch]

Astute. Still with a case this severe I wouldn't be surprised if the police 'sugested' that this particular footage be lost or destroyed.

[Michael Price]

Any producer stupid enough to need such a suggestion would be fired immediately. The tape was wiped well before the police even had a chance to ask.

[Some Guy]

I'm shocked that they actually admitted to destroying evidence. I would have thought, "we can't find it" was much more likely.