Stop in the name of the law

Via Avedon, today's best example of police misconduct. Two brothers were wrongfully accused of drug dealing but managed to clear themselves because they were able to get a security video proving their innocence.

What the tape doesn't show is striking: At no point did the officers interact with the undercovers, nor did the brothers appear to be involved in a drug deal with anyone else. Adding insult to injury, an outside camera taped the undercovers literally dancing down the street.

The cops that arrested them were indicted six months later, for drug dealing and multiple other charges and the brothers are bringing a wrongful arrest suit against them that I hope they win.

Their lives were ruined by these two thugs. "They owned a successful convenience store in Jackson Heights, but lost their license to sell tobacco, alcohol and lottery tickets." It took so long to prove their innocence that the store was shuttered just a week before the charges were dismissed. They're now struggling to make a living and their reputations in the community are ruined, even though they never did anything wrong.

Meanwhile, Radley finds another instance where a police dog with alleged super powers, such as following a trail over six months old, even over water, was used to convict several people. Finally some judge insisted the dog prove his prowess. He, of course, failed the test but in the interim, innocent people have rotted in jail for years.

It's probably true these bad officers are the exception and not the rule, but every city seems to have a few and it's small comfort to the hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent victims who are wrongfully incarcerated by rogue cops who generally don't seem to pay much of a price for their criminality.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]