CONSIDERING BE A POLICE OFFICER
WHO CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
>> THANK YOU, GRIFF.
GRIFF: WE’RE JOINED BY RETIRED
N.Y.P.D. INSPECTOR AND ATTORNEY
PAUL MORROW.
YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB LAST
NIGHT ON AIR WITH OUR FRIEND
JESSE WATERS, IN REAL-TIME
REACTING TO THE VIDEO AS IT WAS
RELEASE LAST NIGHT ON WATERS
PRIME TIME.
NOW, YOU’VE HAD TIME TO
REFLECT.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS THIS
MORNING?
>> WELL, I THINK VERY CLEARLY
THE TACTICS WERE WAY OVER THE
TOP.
EVERYBODY IS IN AGREEMENT UPON
THAT.
I THINK WE’RE IN THE STAGE NOW
WE HAVE TO START TO ASSESS THE
REACTION AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I THINK WORTH BRINGING UP IS
THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK LARGER
THAN JUST THE FIVE OFFICERS
FIRED AND CHARGED.
YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE TOP.
AT THIS POINT YOU HAVE TO START
TO SAY, IS THERE SOMETHING
INTRINSIC TO THE MEMPHIS P.D.
AND THAT’S NOT AN ASPERSION ON
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF MEMPHIS
P.D. THAT ARE OUT THERE EVERY
DAY.
I’M TALKING MORE
BUREAUCRATICALLY.
BECAUSE POLICE DEPARTMENTS
GENERALLY TAKE ON THE PERSONA
AND ATMOSPHERICS OF THEIR
OVERHEAD, RIGHT UP TO THE TOP
OF THE CHAIN.
AND AT THIS POINT THE FACT THAT
THE POLICE CHIEF SEEMS TO BE
TRIANGULATING AGAINST THESE
FIVE OFFICERS WITHOUT EVER
TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY, BY
SAYING, LOOK, THE BUCK STOPS
WITH ME, WE HAVE TO DO AN
ASSESSMENT HERE, WE HAVE TO
LOOK AT THE SUPERVISION, OUR
TRAINING.
I’M NOT HEARING THAT AND MANY
OF US IN THE POLICE WORLD WOULD
LIKE TO HEAR SOMETHING MORE
THAN I’M VERY UPSET FROM THE
TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN IN
MEMPHIS P.D.
GRIFF: THAT’S AN INTERESTING
POINT YOU’RE MAKING, PAUL.
OF COURSE, WE’VE HEARD THAT IT
WAS A GOOD MOVE ON BEHALF OF
AUTHORITIES THERE FROM CHIEF
DAVIS, MAYOR STRICKLAND AND THE
D.A., TRYING TO GET OUT THERE
AND OFFICERS WERE FIRED AND
CHARGED WAY EARLIER IN PREVIOUS
CASES AS WE SAW WAS THE CASE IN
FERGUSON OR BALTIMORE OR IN
MINNEAPOLIS, BUT, SPECIFICALLY
TO YOUR POINT ABOUT GOING
LARGER THAN THESE FIVE
OFFICERS, IS IT YOUR VIEW THEN
THAT THIS WASN’T JUST FIVE
ROGUE OFFICERS, THIS IS PERHAPS
LARGER, MORE PATTERN OR
POLICY-BASED?
>> I MEAN, IT’S POSSIBLE AND
I’LL TELL YOU WHY I SORT OF
COME TO THAT IS THE FACT THAT
THERE ARE FIVE OF THEM
TOGETHER, RIGHT?
THIS IS A SPECIALIZED UNIT,
SCORPION UNIT.
GENERALLY THESE SPECIALIZED
UNITS ARE VERY HEAVILY
SUPERVISED BECAUSE IT’S
RECOGNIZED IN POLICE PRACTICE
THAT THEY’RE SORT OF THE POINT
OF THE SPEAR.
N.Y.P.D. HAS HAD UNITS LIKE
THIS AS WELL AND STILL DOES AND
THEY’RE VERY HEAVILY
SUPERVISED.
AND FIVE OF THEM TOGETHER, I
DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S THEIR
PRACTICE, BUT THAT’S A LOT OF
COPS IN ONE PLACE WITH A
SPECIALIZED UNIT WITHOUT A
SERGEANT NEARBY.
TAKES A WHILE FROM WHAT I SEE
FOR ANY SUPERVISION TO ARRIVE.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO SAY
THAT IT DOES SEEM LIKE THEY
FELT VERY FREE TO REACT THE WAY
THEY DID.
AND YOU HAVE TO SAY TO YOURSELF
HAS THIS HAPPENED IN THE PAST?
WHY DID IT GO THE WAY THEY
WENT?
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU HAVE
TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT LARGER.
GRIFF: THEY CLEARLY HAD LITTLE
REGARD FOR KNOWING THEY WERE ON
CAMERA, MULTIPLE CAMERAS THERE
IN THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT
THEY CROSSED THE LINE ON IN THE
VIDEO WE SEE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU THOUGH,
BEFORE I RUN OUT OF TIME.
SO WHERE DOES THIS GO?
WE KNOW THE DOJ IS LAUNCHING AN
INVESTIGATION.
WHERE ARE WE HEADED?
>> YEAH, SO, UNUSUALLY, DOJ HAS
ANNOUNCED, LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE
ANNOUNCING A PARALLEL
INVESTIGATION THAT IS GOING TO
RUN CONTEMPORANEOUS HERE WITH
THE INVESTIGATION GOING ON AT
THE STATE LEVEL.
I VIEW THAT AS A COMPLICATION
AT THIS POINT.
GENERALLY THE DOJ
INVESTIGATIONS COME ALONG AS A
FOLLOW-ON AND THE PROBLEM WITH
THAT IS THAT WHAT THE DOJ
INVESTIGATIONS GENERALLY
DEFAULT TO IS A FEDERAL
MONITORSHIP, WHICH MEANS THAT A
LAW FIRM IS PUT IN CHARGE OF
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND REFORMING IT AND
THOSE MONITORSHIPS NEVER GO
AWAY.
AND THE LAW FIRM GETS RICH.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE MUNICIPAL
MONEY, THOSE CHECKS COME IN
REGULARLY, THEY’LL CHARGE 5, 6,
$700 AN HOUR EVEN AFTER THEIR
JOB IS KIND OF DONE.
I’M NOT POINTING TO ANYBODY
SPECIFICALLY, BUT I JUST KNOW
HOW THIS GOES AND I’M NOT SURE
AT THIS POINT SO EARLY IN THE
GAME IT’S NECESSARILY HELPFUL
FOR THE DOJ WOULD BE POKING AT
THIS, PARTICULARLY CIVIL RIGHTS
DIVISION.
THEY HAVE AN INVESTIGATION
GOING ON, THESE GUYS ARE
CRIMINALLY CHARGED, LET IT PLAY
OUT.