Easy DPD questions; tough ones, too.

Readers' Caution: This blog names the False Accuser.

John
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KC Johnson at Durham-in-Wonderland posts yesterday on the cast of characters in the Hoax.

Naturally, Nifong stands alone as the Central Player.

KC then identifies a number of others in the cast including various Investigators, Heroes, etc.

WiC commenters are adding additions to KC’s cast.

I’ve got some questions about KC Heroes cast but I’ll get to them later.

In the meantime, this post responds to a commenter who suggested an addition to KC’s Heroes group and asked a question I can answer. I'll bet many of you can, too.

The WiC comment and question:

Sgt. Shelton of the DPD.

Sgt Shelton who was first on the scene at Kroger to me symbolized the majority of the DPD who knew or suspected this was a hoax from the start.

This is why the Duke PD told the Duke Administration this would blow over. This is why no search warrant was sought for the house until days later. This is why the DPD reports on the night tell all the contradictory statements that night. This is also why the tape of the DPD radio chatter of their disbelief of the hoax that night was destroyed.

Nifong eventually got his lackeys at the DPD on the case and began the railroad, but initial the vast majority of the DPD seemed to behave professionally.

[I have always wondered what they would testify to if this mess came to trial?]

Sgt. Shelton and other DPD officers who wrote reports that night will have no problem testifying to what’s in their reports during either criminal or civil proceedings; or as I hope happens, during an investigation by the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

Nor will they, IMO, have any problem testifying to their actions that night with regard to the False Accuser, Gail Crystal Mangum.

Sgt. Shelton, for instance, has no need to worry if he’s asked:

”Now that you’ve read the Raleigh News & Observer’s Mar. 25 report describing how Ms. Mangum was dragged into a bathroom and brutally beaten, raped and sodomized, are you still willing, Sgt. Shelton, to defend your decision not to call an ambulance that would have immediately taken Ms. Mangum to Duke Hospital?

Shelton will answer questions like that quicker than you can bang a pot.

He'll have no trouble explaining why he decided she should be taken by police car to a detox center, Durham Access, which is in the opposite direction from Duke Hospital.

Officer Barfield, who drove Mangum there will also, IMO, have no trouble explaining why he didn't question Shelton's decision. Neither will officer Stewart, who followed Barfield to Durham Access as backup.

If, as is very likely, those officers spoke with either or both Inv. Benjamin Himan and Sgt. Mark Gottlieb, they should have no problem testifying as to what they said.

Now we move to tough questions for certain DPD officers.

Himan and Gottlieb will have a great difficulty talking to investigators and testifying in criminal and civil procedures. So, I think, will Cpl. David Addison, who as DPD spokesperson made a number of statements on Mar. 24, 25, and 26 he surely knew were false; and who on Mar.27/28 authored and distributed the CrimeStoppers Wanted poster (third document in post) telling the community(excerpt):

The victim was paid to dance at the residence located at 610 Buchanan. The Duke Lacrosse Team was hosting a party at the residence. The victim was sodomized, raped, assaulted and robbed. This horrific crime sent shock waves throughout our community.

Unless their attorneys can cut deals, I'm sure Himan, Gottlieb and Addison will all be "reluctant witnesses." Come to think of it, make that "very reluctant witnesses."

If you visit JinC often you've noticed I always qualify when I'm talking about what Gottlieb and some others did ("certain Durham police officers"). Among DPD's 500+ sworn officers there are many fine ones. And the fine ones involved in the initial stages of the Hoax can't wait to tell their stories in the proper settings.

The WiC commenter was right about Shelton and some other DPD officers.

Special thanks to Johnsville News. I relied on its terrific Hoax timeline for background.