Some other links about the van “sign” that may be of interest.
http://ht.ly/P6LSVhttp://www.wbaltv.com/news/sign-inside-baltimore-police-van-under-investigation/33964258http://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=d455ee7e1b04f58b396a70c0f20fdae8ac73d7d4.47251I found the last line in the WBAL article very curious. “It was not immediately known who posted the sign or when, or how it went undetected by police officials until now.” Most of the stories I’ve found at least mention the possibility that the photos may have been altered, but they keep coming back to the police are “investigating” and taking it “very seriously”.
For the record, IANAL. My opinion is that even if the story was true, it doesn’t affect the case. Since according to some reports, the DOJ/CRD has been investigating the Baltimore Police Department for several months, I find it hard to believe such a situation would exist currently.
First, the license plate (Maryland crest image BC2316) is not the same as “Freddy’s” van (LG Maryland crest image 93597), so at worst, a van unconnected with the case may have been tinkered with (assuming it’s “real”). They have a plate number, so obviously the police investigation should be able to take a look real fast, and know if such a sign exists.
Second, I can’t imagine a cop having access to a vehicle to install such a sign and it doesn’t look like a sticker (no sign of edges or raised contour). Who had the opportunity to paint it? And if someone did it, why didn’t some other officer and/or supervisor report it and get it removed?
Third, the doors shown on “Freddy’s” van in the arrest video don’t have an inside cover on either of the doors; they have open holes into the structure of the doors that are not covered at all.
Fourth, if this were real, the sign would not be visible to a person being transported because it would be hidden behind the inner door. Why put a sign on the inside of an exterior door where your “intended target” can’t see it as they ride? If someone actually tried to do this “for real”, why not put it on the inside of the inner door where your “victim” would have to see it?
Fifth, this van doesn’t have a unit number like “Freddy’s” van, nor does it have the light and bumper strip around the top back end of the vehicle. The van in the picture has a Ford logo where “Freddy’s” van has a unit number painted on it (119581). The blue and white stripes on the side of “Freddy’s” van end at an angle; the blue and white stripes on the side of the pictured van end evenly at the brake/tail lights.
A few final thoughts, since I seem to be on a rant.
(Sorry.)
The City Paper piece (first link above) refers to The Free Thought Project. It quotes the alleged photographer as saying, “I didn’t get a picture of the inside, but it was meant for those arrested”. The WBAL piece has four pictures at the bottom that are supposedly the images posted by the woman and two show the inner door open and part of the “inside” of the van. That doesn’t jibe.
If you actually go to The Free Thought Project, the title of their piece is, “The Last Words Freddie Gray Ever Read? Baltimore Cops Leave Sadistic Messages Inside Police Vans”. The last sentence in the piece is, “One has to wonder, were those the last words read by Freddie Gray on his own death ride?”
I have the answer for them: NO. They weren’t and one doesn’t have “to wonder”.
See the third point in my comments above, and the others.
The whole thing seems to be a matter of stirring the pot and keeping people angry and upset. It continues to feed the narrative that the police are vile and sadistic brutes who bully and attack without reason.
Happy Independence Day! Thinking of you all and praying for all the best!
Good Night, everyone.
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Lisa
Do not go gentle into that good night.
