Dashcam saves man from 5 years of prison. Cops get indicted.

[Chingylol]

WTF! If the guys lawyer never requested dash cam tapes, this guy would be in jail for nothing. Messed up how the cop says "Stop going for my gun" since he knows its being recorded, but not video recorded. Good job on the prosecutor pressing charges against the cops, since that rarely happens.

This is why I don't support the death penalty. Who knows how many innocent people land in jail for nothing.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...rs&id=9440401#

BLOOMFIELD, NJ (WABC) -- The tale of the police dashcam video has now helped clear a Bloomfield, New Jersey man who faced a multitude of criminal charges, including eluding police and assault.

Investigative Reporter Sarah Wallace obtained the dashcam tapes, and has spoken exclusively with the 30-year old DJ who was looking at years in prison.

It was quite a turnabout, all the criminal charges against Marcus Jeter have been dismissed, and two Bloomfield police officers have been indicted for falsifying reports, and one of them, for assault.

A third pleaded guilty early on to tampering. It's all thanks to those dashcam tapes. It's the video that prosecutors say they never saw when the pursued criminal charges against 30 year-old Marcus Jeter . In the video, his hands were in the air. He was charged with eluding police, resisting arrest and assault. One officer in the video can be seen throwing repeated punches.

Sarah Wallace: "It this tape hadn't surfaced?"
Marcus: "I'd be in jail."

This video was only turned over by Bloomfield police after Jeter's attorney filed a request for records; at the time prosecutors were insistent that Jeter do prison time.

"The first plea was 5 years," said Jeter.

The incident began when cops were called to the Bloomfield home Jeter shares with his girlfriend. No charges were filed and Jeter says he left after briefly talking to officers.

Sarah Wallace: "They say you eluded police."
Jeter: "When they got behind me, I pulled over."
Sarah: "So you weren't trying to escape."
"No." said Jeter.

You can clearly see Jeter pulling over and stopping on the side of the Garden State parkway. The cops pull out guns.

Sarah: "Why didn't you get out of the car?"
Jeter: "Because I was afraid."
Jeter: "There was a cop on my right with a gun, a cop on the other side with a shotgun."
Jeter:"I'm afraid I might get shot."
Sarah: "If you got out."

The tape not initially turned over shows a second police car coming from the opposite direction, crossing the median into ongoing traffic, and then striking Jeter's car. There is no mention of that in any police report. When Jeter first told his attorney that part of the story.

"It was incredible, I didn't believe it at that point in time," he said. He adds, "The next thing I know, one of them busts the door and there is glass all over my face."

SARAH: "Your hands are up."
Jeter: "My hands are up."
Jeter: "As soon as they opened the door, one officer reached in an punched me in my face." He adds, "As he's trying to take off my seatbelt, I'm thinking something is going to go wrong."

Jeter says the officers were hitting him and telling him not to resist arrest. "All I keep saying is I'm not doing anything," he adds. "They handcuffed me and one of them hits me in the back." The attorney for Jeter says while showing Eyewitness News the video, "Here a state trooper arrives on the scene and clearly wants no participation in it and that's where one of the officers punch Mr. Jeter in the head after he was clearly placed in handcuffs," said Steven Brown.

As soon as Prosecutors saw this video, they dismissed all of the charges against Jeter. Interesting to note, an investigation by Bloomfield PD's scandal plagued internal affairs division had found no wrongdoing by officers.

Brown says, "I believe the blame is with the Bloomfield police department for not providing that tape. If we hadn't had the tapes in this case, an innocent man would be in jail today."

[zito]

Illusion of power goes to peoples heads.

[Lightwysh]

Dash cams, best $30-40 you can spend on potentially saving your own ass.

[Deleted]

I like how they plead not guilty when there's a video of them doing it

[Culex]

The "black man" part in the title isn't needed, tired of people trying to bring race into everything.

[wowaccounttom]

this happens to white people for inventing technology.. it is now revolting and letting itself be used against them

[Cyberowl]

I'd sue everyone who I could sue for that... that's not police, that's scum.

[Zoranon]

As soon as Prosecutors saw this video, they dismissed all of the charges against Jeter. Interesting to note, an investigation by Bloomfield PD's scandal plagued internal affairs division had found no wrongdoing by officers.

While the entire thing is outrageous, this part is probably the saddest thing of it all.

[dashflash890]

The "black man" part in the title isn't needed, tired of people trying to bring race into everything.

Why does this happen to black guys more than whites than?

[Zoranon]

Why does this happen to black guys more than whites than?

And would there be any proof of this claim? And no, anecdotes are not proof.

[dashflash890]

And would there be any proof of this claim? And no, anecdotes are not proof.

For every article you post of this happening to a white man I can post 5 more of this happening to a black one.

[Zoranon]

For every article you post of this happening to a white man I can post 5 more of this happening to a black one.

You dont understand what proof not anecdotes means?

[dashflash890]

You dont understand what proof not anecdotes means?

I don't think you would even know what even goes on here since you don't even live in the U.S.

[Lord Pebbleton]

The "black man" part in the title isn't needed, tired of people trying to bring race into everything.

OP is just specifying that the man involved is black rather than white. YOU are bringing race here.

[Zoranon]

I don't think you would even know what even goes on here since you don't even live in the U.S.

Of course I do, the psychopathic police you have over there is pretty much the only reason I refused a job offer in the US.

[Deleted]

yes fuck the police, seriously I hate those bastards

[dashflash890]

And would there be any proof of this claim? And no, anecdotes are not proof.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issu...united-states/

[Zoranon]

http://www.americanprogress.org/issu...united-states/

Article on an incredibly biased website with no citations is not evidence, I am sorry to say.

[Barbariangreataxe]

For cases like this I'd love to see the laws in some states about not recording police challenged and struck down by the supreme court. Even though I don't think most cops do this type of thing. Having their actions on camera would certainly discourage the few.

[Zoranon]

For cases like this I'd love to see the laws in some states about not recording police challenged and struck down by the supreme court. Even though I don't think most cops do this type of thing. Having their actions on camera would certainly discourage the few.

I agree, having mandatory cameras recording everything the police does would be good for both the public and the police. Of course with immediate dismissal for any policeman/woman who shut their camera off.