BRIAN:..FIRST UP AT ELEVEN--
CONTINUING COVERAGE OF OUR
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW... WITH
THE MAN AT THE CENTER OF
CONTROVERSY THAT'S EMBROILED
THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE
DEPARTMENT.MARLEE:..DAN EMPSON
WAS THE MAN INJURED--THE NIGHT
FORMER KENT COUNTY ASSISTANT
PROSECUTOR JOSH KUIPER CRASHED
HIS CAR... AFTER A NIGHT OF
DRINKING.
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MARLEE:..AT SIX--WE TOLD YOU
ABOUT THE NEW ACCUSATION
COMING FROM EMPSON'S
ATTORNEYS... THAT ONE OF THE
MEN INVOLVED IN TRYING TO
COVER-UP THAT CRASH LIED UNDER
OATH DURING A DEPOSITION
MONTHS
LATER.BRIAN:..WE NOW HAVE OUR
HANDS ON THOSE DOCUMENTS--THAT
SHOW OFFICER ADAM ICKES TOLD
JOHNSON LAW HAT KUIPER DIDN'T
SEEM OVERTLY INTOXICATED THAT
NIGHT... BUT THE SECRET
RECORDINGS SHOW ICKES PAINTED
A MUCH DIFFERENT PICTURE.
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24 HOUR NEWS 8'S LYNSEY
MUKOMEL BROKE THIS STORY AT 6--
AND SHE'S BACK TONIGHT AFTER
REVIEWING THAT DEPOSITION MORE.
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LYNSEY:..BRIAN AND MARLEE -
THERE ARE 73 PAGES TO THIS
DEPOSITION FROM ADAM ICKES
ABOUT BEING THE RESPONDING
OFFICER THAT NIGHT.BACK IN MAY
WHEN HE GAVE THIS DEPOSITION
-- WE ONLY HAD THE PUBLIC
RECORDING OF ICKES DESCRIBING
KUIPER AS HAMMERED BEFORE
BEING INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE
SECRET POLICE LINE.HE TOLD
ATTORNEY BRIAN MOLDE HE DIDN'T
KNOW WHY HE WOULD USE THAT
WORD THOUGH BECAUSE KUIPER
WASN'T OVERTLY DRUNK.BUT THEN
WITHIN THE FIRST á10 SECONDS
OF THAT FIRST SECRET PHONE
CALL -- HE TELLS HIS LT KUIPER
WAS VISIBLY INTOXICATED.
JOHNSON LAW IS NOW CALLING HIM
OUT ON THE LIE.
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((000104 WE HAVE NOTHING
AGAINST GRPD NOTHING AGAINST
THESE OFFICERS ))VEN JOHNSON
OF JOHNSON LAW SPOKE CANDIDLY
AFTER LISTENING TO CALL
RECORDINGS FROM THE NIGHT
FORMER ASSISTANT PROSCEUTOR
JOSH KUIPER HIT HIS CLIENT'S
PARKED CAR, WHICH DAN EMPSON
WAS STANDING NEXT TO DURING
THE CRASH.AFTER HEARING THE
RECORDINGS AND THEN REVIEWING
OFFICER ADAM ICKES' DEPOSITION
RECALLING THAT NIGHT -- HE
SAID ICKES LIED TO THEM ABOUT
KNOWING JUST HOW DRUNK KUIPER
WAS.
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((000251 YOU SAID IT TO YOU
OFFICER AND WHEN HE TOLD YOU
TO HANG UP THE PHONE AND CALL
BACK ON THE SUPER SECRET BAT
PHONE TO TRY TO HIDE THIS FROM
ALL OF US BECAUSE LET'S BE
HONEST ABOUT WHAT WAS
HAPPENING THEY WERE BREAKING
THEIR OWN POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES IN MY OPINION
BREAKING THE LAW ))IT'S THE
FIRST TIME DAN EMPSON HAS
TAKEN QUESTIONS ABOUT BEING
THE VICTIM IN THE
CASE.
3
((003209 THIS WASN'T WHAT I
INTENDED WHEN I WAS JUST GOING
TO GO FOR A WALK THAT NIGHT
I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH THE
SITUATION THAT IT HAD TO
HAPPEN BUT IF SOMETHING LIKE
THIS IS GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE
BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE 23 IF IT'S
GOING TO MAKE STUDENTS WHO ARE
IN CLASSES RIGHT NOW FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE LOOK AT A
SITUATION AND SAY HEY THIS IS
A BETTER WAY FOR US TO BEHAVE
3231 WE SHOULD BE DOING THINGS
FROM A MORAL STANDARD THAT
BENEFITS EVERYONE NOT JUST THE
PEOPLE WE KNOW ))ALL THREE MEN
ARE BAFFLED AND DISAPPOINTED
BY HEARING G-R-P-D DOWNPLAYING
EMPSON'S PONTENTIAL INJURIES.
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((BRIAN 001821 IT'S
OUTRAGEOUS IT'S NOT JUST THAT
IT'S THAT OTHER PARTS WHERE
JANISKEE IS SAYING DOES
ANYBODY SUSPECT ANYTHING
THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF
LANGUAGE YOU USE IF YOU'RE NOT
ATTEMPTED TO COVER UP AND
CONCEAL WHAT EVERYBODY KNEW
HERE WAS A CRIME ))LIKE THE
ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION FROM
THE POLICE CHIEF, JOHNSON
BELIEVES ALL THREE MEN SHOULD
HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS -- NOT
JUST LT MATTHEW
JANISKEE.((003738 I FIND THE
WHOLE SYSTEM HERE FAILED
FAILED ALL OF US AND I
APPRECIATE THAT MR EMPSON IS
TOUGH ENOUGH AND A FIGHTER
ENOUGH TO STAND UP AND SAY YOU
ENOUGH TO STAND AND A FIGHTER
IS TOUGH ENOUGH THAT MR EMPSON
AND I APPRECIATE FAILED ALL OF
US HERE FAILED FAILED ALL OF
US AND I APPRECIATE THAT MR
EMPSON IS TOUGH ENOUGH AND A
FIGHTER ENOUGH TO STAND UP AND
SAY YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME))
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LYNSEY:..WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE
TO GET IN CONTACT WITH OFFICER
ICKES OR THE POLICE UNION FOR
COMMENT ON THIS ACCUSATION --
BUT THE ATTORNEYS ADDED THEY
CAN'T HAVE ICKES CALLED TO ANY
FUTURE PROCEEDINGS FOR THEIR
TWO PENDING LAWSUITS BECAUSE
THEY NOW HAVE REASONABLE
ANTICIPATION HE WILL COMMIT
PERJURY -- OR ADMIT TO
COMITTING PERJURY IN THAT
DEPOSITION.
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++WRAP W/LYNSEY
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