The Bullets, They Are A Flyin’
The recent algorisms of Hillary Clinton are amusing. She claimed that she and her then teenage daughter had to dodge bullets during a 1996 visit to Bosnia.
The idea she was promoting was if a visit were too dangerous for the President, the First Lady and First Daughter were sent instead. I’m not sure what the Secret Service would have made of a truly dangerous situation, but Americans would have had a fit if Chelsea Clinton had been exposed to sniper fire or barrages.
Unfortunately for Ms. Clinton, her statements have made her a laughing stock.
Closer to home, I ran across a criminal complaint that makes similar claims. The complaint was made after Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Department officers stormed over a fence from a noisy Country USA performance onto the property of Lawrence Papenfuss. This was in response to reports of shots fired.
The PR from the Sheriff’s department was that Papenfuss had threatened an attack on the Country USA event. This is part of the undermining of the accused strategies that police departments employ (and news reporters happily regurgitate). It is true that Papenfuss, like his neighbors, didn’t want the loud and crowded festival in their neighborhood. The news people were happy to pass on police information that the Papenfuss group fired upon the music fest.
According to the complaint by Steven Verwiel, Captain of Detectives for the Sheriff’s Department, officers climbed the fence and proceeded through the woods rather than approach the scene by normal means. There was no explanation for this cowboy behavior.
But, some members of the team injured themselves and the Winnebago County Prosecutor wanted to back charge Papenfuss for the clumsiness of the invading party.
Winnebago County has a poor record for deputy safety. Several years ago, two deputies jumped over a railing while responding to an accident. They fell from the overpass they were on and were severely injured. Another deputy was killed when he ran into a construction barrier while driving at high speed. This is clearly a management problem.
According to the complaint, some members of this invasion force heard high powered rifles and claimed that bullets were hitting trees around them. After the invaders entered the Papenfuss yard, the deputies met fierce resistance from seventy‑four‑year old Lawrence Papenfuss.
As it turns out, some friends and relatives were target practicing with targets placed in a safe area. A statement that Papenfuss refused to disarm when ordered was false since Papenfuss was not carrying any weaponry.
The\is court complaint is another algorism, a fabrication to make the fabricator look braver or smarter. Such was Al Gore’s claim of inventing the internet.
At the end of the complaint, Verwiel added, “The statements of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department are truthful and reliable in that they are made by police officers acting in the official capacities.” Well that is not a truthful statement. The statements are presumed to be truthful. There are too many incidents of police being untruthful. This points out the need for defense attorneys to become more aggressive at the preliminary stages of the process. The false claims are entered as official documents and then used to undermine defendants before the proceedings begin.
Sergeant Joe Friday was famous for his dictum, “Just the Facts, ma’am.”
So Hillary Clinton would be well to take this advice. But, she does have an excuse for her creative history recreation. She is a candidate for public office.
The problem with police filing official reports and court documents that are false is serious. I have seen too many of these and the probability of one of the documents backfiring must be considered. Report writers must be trained in technical writing which stresses complete, factual and verifiable writing. The tasks of police and prosecutors are serious and carry substantial responsibilities. To fabricate for the intent of adding excitement or undermining the accused denigrates the truthful presumption of all police officers.
It is a prime responsibility of police heads and district attorneys to ensure good factual documentation. Presently the attitudes of the leaders encourage creative alterations and additions. But, the police officials and district attorneys are the ones responsible to maintain the integrity of the police forces.
by Brian McCorkle
in category Criminal Justice,Seeking Perspective
