Thread of Pittsburgh-area police lying or sharing disputed info, especially in initial reports that press repeat
1. Police lying that May 30 protesters that damaged property in Pittsburgh were from out of area. All protesters arrested were from PGH area pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pro…
2. On June 1, police lie that protesters fired first at a riot-gear clad cops. Videos & accounts show police firing sponge rounds & tear gas first. Peduto backed police initially, then admitted later they lied pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pit…
3. Police arrest one after claiming protesters blocked traffic near PPG Paints arena. But videos and accounts show protesters occupying intersection as way to keep other marchers safe as some cars zoom past protesters pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/one…
4. Police claim protesters are refusing to communicate with them, but some protesters say they reached out to police and never received a response. Later protesters provide email evidence pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/you…
5. Police arrest a bike marshal in an unmarked van claiming he ignored requests to clear intersections. Bike marshal said he was giving directions to police when they arrested him pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pit…
6. Police claim that protesters blocked and locked in patrons and employees at a Downtown bar they were protesting. The demonstrators actually just taped posters to doors and windows AFTER bar security locked the doors. There was also likely a back exit pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pit…
7. Police lie about when Mellon Park in Shadyside was closed, and then used that lie to justify a disperse order and then used pepper spray and other less lethal weapons on protesters. pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pol…
8. In 2016, Mt. Lebanon police claimed undocumented immigrant Matin Esquivel-Hernandez didn’t yield for pedestrians, but only cited him w/ invalid driver’s license. Martin said he yielded. Mt. Lebo police tipped off ICE; Martin was eventually deported pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives…
9. Port Authority Police in 2015 arrest 2 teenagers and issue 3 citations all to Somali Bantu refugees. Police claim they threw rocks at officers, the teens arrested say this isn’t true. pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives…
Reporters really need to start thinking about how they report accounts from police, because police have a track record of lying, especially in situations where they could potential get in trouble. End/
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.