THREAD: @raleighpolice, along with other area law enforcement agencies, launched tear gas and projectiles they have declined to identify at #blacklivesmatter protesters in late May. A @newsobserver journalist was among those hit. 1/
Police also hit Hunter Bradley while he was backing away from officers with his hands up. After a projectile hit him in the chest, he turned around to protect his face. He continued walking away and was shot in the back of the leg. Then he was tackled. 2/
In one video posted to Twitter, you can hear a woman yelling "hey, hey" as officers took Bradley to the ground. The footage has been watched more than 106,000 times. 3/
.@newsobserver visual journalists @juliawall_ @vizjourno and Robert Willett were also recording and noticed Bradley, pinned on his stomach in a haze of tear gas, telling officers, "I can't breathe." 4/
It took @raleighpolice more than a week to respond to my questions about the arrest. They confirmed the time/place and person involved and disclosed that the officers were with the Special Operations Division. But beyond that, they provided no information. 5/
A spokeswoman answered many questions by saying, "The matter is under review." Some questions got no answer at all. Among them: What type of weapon and munitions were used? 6/
I asked for related records. The response? "Use of force reports are not public record per NCGS 160A-168." This is a matter of legal interpretation. Not every law enforcement agency in NC takes this view, but many do. 7/ newsobserver.com/news/politics-…
.@raleighpolice could use what's called the "integrity exception." Government agencies just have to write a memo that explains why releasing the information is important to maintaining the integrity of the public agency. (See NC open gov't guide) 8/ ncdoj.gov/download/141/f…
So far, they haven't done that. Under the legal interpretation adopted by @raleighpolice, the public does not have a right to know what force was used, for what reason, by whom and whether the supervisors who review the use of force find it acceptable. 9/
Here's the story I wrote about this, which includes a must-watch video from my colleagues that shows the arrest, as well as what was happening before and after. 10/ newsobserver.com/news/local/art…
Please send along any tips, story ideas, video footage you would like us to see. Feel free to DM for more contact info. Snail mail to 421 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27516. Thank you for reading. 11/11
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