Who Watches the Watchers Who Watch the Watchers?
Keenan Alex, 28, allegedly found a Cadillac Escalade SUV sitting in Los Angeles, Calif., with the keys in the ignition — and the engine running. It was not only a “bait car” used by police to catch car thieves, there were cameras watching and recording the whole thing for a TruTV reality show. The resulting footage shows Alex being pulled over as soon as he took off, and his subsequent arrest. In court, Detective Anthony Shapiro testified that he read Alex his Miranda Rights before Alex made incriminating statements. But the TV show video only records Shapiro asking Alex, “You watch TV. You know your rights and all that?” Not good enough: prosecutors dropped the theft charges against Alex, and Shapiro has been placed on administrative leave pending a perjury investigation. (RC/KTLA Los Angeles) ...Jack Webb is spinning in his grave.Author’s Note: The District Attorney’s office concluded Shapiro “willfully, knowingly and intentionally” made false statements in his report and under oath, but the D.A. declined to file charges because the false statements “were not tantamount to perjury.” Interesting, since I thought “willfully, knowingly and intentionally” making false statements under oath was the definition of perjury. I was not able to discover whether Shapiro was the subject of any departmental action.
Original Publication Date: 03 June 2012
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.
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