By: Wayne D. Ayers II
Los Angeles police launched an internal investigation Friday after an attorney released body camera video that appears to show an officer planting cocaine in his client’s wallet during an arrest.
The video was taken during an arrest in April when officers stopped Ronald Shields, 52, who they thought was a suspect that had been involved in a hit-and-run crash.
It appears to show an officer standing beside Shields, who is in handcuffs, as another officer leans down and picks up a small baggie filled with white powder off the ground, which later tested positive for cocaine. The officer who picked up the baggie then signals to the other officer, points to Shield’s wallet in his hand and appears to place the baggie in the wallet.
The officer then turns on his body camera, but the cameras automatically save the previous 30 seconds when they are switched on.
“The drugs were certainly planted,” Shields’ attorney, Steve Levine, said. “If not for the body cam video, my client would be convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.”
Los Angeles police said they opened an investigation after the body camera video was aired by KCBS-TV on Thursday.
“The LAPD takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and, as in all cases, will conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether the alleged actions are supported by reliable evidence,” police said in a statement.
Levine is asking a judge to suppress the evidence. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Discover more from Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
3 comments
I’ve got a fresh new list of free proxies. I hope you all can put them to good use.
I added a new list today. I’m going to try to find new sites in a slightly different way. Read all about it by clicking the link above.
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely comeback.