Evaluating case updates and the legal perspective behind these cases

July 1, 2020. Bob Bianchi discusses the many high-profile cases around the nation in this episode of Keeping the Peace on the Law & Crime Network. From the killing of Rayshard Brooks to the killing of a Tulsa police officer, we look into the legal intricacies of many of the country’s biggest legal battles.

To begin, the officer involved in the killing of Rayshard Brooks has posted bond. While many may consider this a controversial development, in this case, Bianchi brings in the panel of Dr. Cedric Alexander, retired Law Enforcement Executive & Public Safety Consultant and Chuck Marino, a former DHS Senior Advisor to discuss why this development is in line with how the law works. Dr. Alexander explains that due process and the restrictions the judge placed are in line with what you might expect in a case such as this. Marino agrees with Dr. Alexander that the officer has received a standard due process procedure here.

Moving into the developing case surrounding the killing of George Floyd, the panel discusses the likely defense tactics for officer Keung. Marino brings up the likelihood of using Graham v. Connor as a precedent for using reasonable force at the time of the incident. This, Marino says, is a stretch. Dr. Alexander agrees that the defense will be difficult and scrapping for any excuse that might hold weight.

After the break, we begin the discussion of the case around Robert Fuller, a man who was found hung from a tree in California. His death was initially ruled a suicide but many find this suspicious. Now the integrity of the investigation is being called into question. The panel discusses the necessity of transparency and trustworthiness of the police department.

Finally, we discuss the case in Tulsa, OK where a traffic stop resulted in the death of one officer and the injury of another. The driver of the vehicle overcame being tased and physically struggled with officers before pulling a gun and shooting both officers involved. Then the driver walked away, entered another vehicle that had arrived at the scene, and drove away.

The panel discusses this incident in the context of this country’s struggle with police reform. Not only do we have to better protect the public from bad police practices, but we also have to keep the safety of police officers in mind.