PROGRESS
PROGRESS IN MISSISSIPPI. >>> NOW TO A STORY THAT REVEAL
INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN WORKING
ON FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS NOW.
WE HAVE FINALLY GOT HER HANDS
ON POLICE BODY CAMERA VIDEO OUT
OF THE CITY OF ROSWELL. IT HAS
BEEN KEPT SECRET NOW SINCE
2018.
2018.
2018. >>
2018. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
THE VIDEO ALONG WITH THE
DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN HIDDEN
UNTIL NOW, PROVIDING APPROVING
A ROSWELL POLICE OFFICER
PUNCHED AND TASED A HANDCUFFED
SUSPECT.
SUSPECT.
SUSPECT. 11 ALIVE CHIEF INVESTIGATOR
BRENDAN KEEFE DISCOVERED IT'S
JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A
WIDESPREAD PRACTICE IN GEORGIA
THAT KEEPS POLICE MISCONDUCT
HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC.
>> Reporter: ROSWELL POLICE RUN
DOWN A SUSPECTED PROWLER.
STOPPED WITH A SINGLE SHOT FROM
A TASER TO THE BACK.
THE SUSPECT IS PLACED UNDER
ARREST BY OFFICER DANIEL
McKENZIE.
McKENZIE.
McKENZIE. >> HEY. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST
ALL RIGHT BUDDY, HAVE A SEAT.
>> Reporter: BUT THIS RIDE TO
JAIL WILL END OFFICER
McKENZIE'S CAREER.
McKENZIE'S CAREER. >> HE STARTED KICKING THE
PARTITION.
PARTITION. HE STARTED KICKING THE WINDOWS.
HE STARTED KICKING THE DOORS AS
HARD AS HE COULD BOTH FEET.
>> Reporter: OFFICER McKENZIE
STOPS THE CAR AND CALLS FOR
BACKUP.
BACKUP.
BACKUP. >> YOU'RE GOING TO GET TASED
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >>
AGAIN. >> LAY DOWN.
>> I DEPLOYED MY TASER TO HIS
HIP THAT STOPPED MOMENTARILY.
DON'T DO IT.
I TOLD HIM, I SAID SURRENDER OR
I'M GOING TO BE VIOLENT CARE
COME ABOUT TO HURT YOU.
STOP.
STOP.
STOP. COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. STOP.
STOP.
STOP. STOP.
STOP.
STOP. COME HERE.
COME HERE. CALM DOWN.
CALM DOWN. CALM DOWN.
CALM DOWN. COME DOWN.
COME DOWN. I SAID CALM DOWN.
I QUICKLY DIVERTED HIM WITH A
PUNCH TO THE FACE.
I GRABBED HIM AND WE WERE ABLE
TO PULL HIM OUT.
>> Reporter: THIS IS ALL OF
ROSWELL GAVE US IN RESPONSE TO
AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST IN 2018
. A 6 PAGE POLICE INCIDENT
REPORT, INCLUDING THE DATES,
TIMES, NAMES, LOCATION, AND A
THREE SENTENCE NARRATIVE
WRITTEN BY THE OFFICER.
THERE IS NO SIGN OF ANYTHING
MISSING HERE IF WE DID NOT HAVE
AN INTERNAL SOURCE TELLING US
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
AND THIS IS THE REAL INCIDENT
REPORT THE OFFICER FILED WITH
THE CASE.
THE CASE.
THE CASE. EVERYTHING IS EXACTLY THE SAME,
EXCEPT THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY
PAGES.
PAGES.
PAGES. 12
PAGES. 12 VERSUS 6. INSTEAD
SENTENCE NARRATIVE, THE OFFICER
GOES ON FOR 6 EXTRA PAGES OF
NARRATIVE THAT ARE COMPLETELY
MISSING
MISSING
MISSING IN IT, HE ADMITS TO TASTING THE
HANDCUFFED SUSPECT, AND TO
PUNCHING HIM WITH A CLOSED
RIGHT FIST.
RIGHT FIST. ALL OF THAT IS IN THIS SECRET
NARRATIVE, BUT MISSING FROM THE
PUBLIC REPORT OF THE VERY SAME
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT. THIS IS TWO SETS OF BOOKS.
A REAL INCIDENT REPORT, AND
THEN THE ONE WEEK OF THE PRESS
AND THE PUBLIC.
>> IT'S STARTLING.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE ENTIRE
PARAGRAPHS ON PAGES OF
INFORMATION MISSING FROM ONE
REPORT TO ANOTHER.
>> Reporter: HANS ABBOTT IS THE
PUBLISHER OF THE ROSWELL HERALD
AND SEVERAL OTHER
NEWSPAPERS.
NEWSPAPERS. >> YOU HAVE PAGES 1 TO 6 WITH
NO INDICATION THAT 6 PAGES HAVE
BEEN LEFT OUT.
THAT IN THE REAL REPORT YOU
HAVE PAGES 1 TO 12.
EVEN THE PAGINATION OF THE
PUBLIC REPORT IS DIFFERENT THAN
THE REAL REPORT.
>> IT'S HARD TO GIVE SOMEONE
THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT FOR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU HAVE TO BE INTENTIONALLY
WANTING TO WITHHOLD INFORMATION
TO MISS SOMETHING AS SIMPLE
YOU KNOW, ENTIRE PAGES BEING
LEFT OUT.
LEFT OUT.
LEFT OUT. >> IS BRAZEN, ISN'T IT?
>> IT'S A VERY BRAZEN.
>> Reporter: AFTER MEETING, THE
GROUP SUED THE CITY OF ROSWELL
FOR ROUTINELY WITHHOLDING
PUBLIC INFORMATION FROM POLICE
INCIDENT REPORTS.
INCIDENT REPORTS. >> WE BUDGETED ABOUT $3000 FOR
THIS LAWSUIT, AND WE BLEW
THROUGH THAT IN ABOUT THE FIRST
WEEK AFTER WE FILED THAT
LAWSUIT.
LAWSUIT.
LAWSUIT. >> Reporter: HOW MUCH DID IT
COST AT THE END?
>> WE WERE A LITTLE OVER
$20,000.
$20,000.
$20,000. >> Reporter: ROSWELL SETTLED,
CUTTING THEM A $10,000 CHECK
FOR LEGAL FEES HAD TO CHANGE IN
POLICY.
POLICY.
POLICY. THE ROSWELL POLICE DEPARTMENT
NOW RELEASES FULL INCIDENT
REPORTS AND OFFICER NARRATIVES,
BUT OTHER GEORGIA CITIES AND
COUNTIES USE THE VERY SAME
INCIDENT REPORTING SOFTWARE,
ALLOWING THEM TO CREATE
ALTERNATE, PUBLIC VERSIONS OF
POLICE REPORTS, IN VIOLATION OF
STATE LAW.'S
STATE LAW.'S >> Reporter: WHEN IS A POLICE
INCIDENT REPORT PUBLIC RECORD?
>> ALWAYS.
>> ALWAYS. B. MAC COME HERE.
COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. COME HERE.
COME HERE. STOP.
STOP.
STOP. >>
STOP. >> Reporter: THIS OFFICER IS
UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION,
STILL UNDER CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION FOR SOMETHING
THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2018.
WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG?
>> THIS OFFICER McKENZIE
ACTUALLY RESIGNED WELL UNDER
INTERNAL INVESTIGATION 2 YEARS
AGO, AND HIS POLICE
CERTIFICATION WAS REVOKED BY
THE STATE, BUT IT TAKES
LITERALLY
LITERALLY
LITERALLY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE TO EITHER CLEAR A GOOD
OFFICER OR PROSECUTE A BAD ONE.
THE NEW DA, FANI WILLIS,
PROMISES TO MAKE THAT PROCESS
MUCH FASTER, CLEARING THE
BACKLOG IN THE PUBLIC
INTEGRITY UNIT, ACTUALLY
RENAMING AT THE ANTICORRUPTION
DIVISION, ALSO PROMISING