Continuing to prove Prosay correct in our evaluation of how the politicians treat police officers, the Sunday (8/01) New York Post is reporting that the attorney for P.O. MICHAEL MEYER, accused of maliciously shooting a "squeegee man" at E. 138th St. and the Deegan Expwy,. states that his research shows at least six arrest for Antoine Reid, none of which were presented to the Grand Jury that indicted Meyer, nor to Meyer's lawyer himself.
"The DA, having access to these records, should have turned them over to the defense, and, at the minimum, presented it to the grand jury so that it could make a determination on the true facts," said lawyer Murry Richman. Meyer's statement to the units that showed up on the scene stated that he was defending himself from a robbery attempt by Reid. However, IAB showed up later on and arrested Meyer for Attempted Murder, dispite the fact that the precinct squads had interviewed witnesses who could give no definitive conclusions.
When Meyer was arrested, Safir was very quick to point out that Meyer had been taken off Patrol and put in the Property Clerks Office after several civilian complaints. Yet the record of the mope was only off-handedly mentioned by Safir, with a quick notation of having "some previous arrests..."
A lot of time has passed since that incident, yet Safir (or his non-communicating DCPI Mode) nor Bronx DA Johnson ever took the time out to show the other side of the coin---that Reid had a significant past history of robbery using the squeegee stick as a weapon. Certainly, in the "Court of Public Opinion," this would have made a difference. But the non-uniformed politicians live and breath on just what public opinion knows. Knowing the truth about the "victim" would have certainly changed or confirmed the opinions of many...maybe even a few grand jurors. But this was not allowed to be.
To those politicians that hold our fate in their hands, all this "anti-cop" rhetoric is music to their ears. It's like writing a book where you have the ending in your mind already, and it is being written with that particular ending in place. it is certainly MUCH easier to write a script when you already know that "the butler did it." No need to change things or, in the world of politics, to protect yourself from the barbs of "the community." When Safir, et al, get up there at a press conference to tell the lastest horror story, it is much easier to say, "Yes, this cop was bad, and the other guy, well, he isn't TOO bad..." rather than explain the lawful actions of an officer to people who do not, and can not, understand the laws that govern police work.
So, like Prosay has been saying all along...even when we're right, we're wrong!
