Texas makes it nearly impossible to obtain records in police abuse cases
- Apr 17, 2024
- 1 min read
A couple in the town of Mesquite, [Texas] have spent the past several years trying to learn how and why their son died after being arrested by local police. [Kathy Dyer was told that her son] Graham had been out of his mind on LSD and had bitten one of the officers while they were taking him into custody, [and that] hed seriously injured himself inside the police cruiser as they drove to the jail. After the funeral, his parents noticed items in the hospital records that didnt match the police account the night he was arrested. So they asked police department for records. They were denied. Under state law, police agencies arent required to turn over records from investigations that dont result in a conviction. Because Graham is dead, there would be no conviction. Grahams parents did finally get ... videos [of the arrest]. They showed clear discrepancies between how her son died and how local police claim he died. He was Tasered repeatedly, including in the testicles, and put in a restraint chair. Even after Graham showed signs of distress, police waited more than two hours to call an ambulance. Before they had obtained the video, the Dyers had filed a complaint in federal court. It was quickly dismissed for being too vague. After the videos, a federal ... judge allowed the lawsuit to go forward. This problem isnt limited to Texas. Law enforcement agencies know that federal courts require specificity in these types of lawsuits. So theres a strong incentive to be as stingy with information as possible.
2017-04-25, Washington Post
