INNOCENT: The Addison Opportunity (Post 2)

"... these three individuals [David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann,] are innocent of these charges."

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, Apr. 11, 2007
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Readers Note: If you’re already familiar with DPD Cpl. David Addison’s actions last March as DPD spokesperson and as Durham CrimeStoppers Coordinator and his just published letter in the Durham H-S, you may want to skip the following background and just scroll down to the star line.

John
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Yesterday, June 10, in a letter to the Durham Herald Sun, DPD Cpl. David Addison complained about those questioning how, during the frame-up period of the Duke Hoax, DPD arrested and charged three men for multiple felonies when the NC Attorney General later found there was no evidence of their quilt. This post contains Addison’s letter.

Addison claimed such questioning hurts DPD. In fact, a thorough and fair investigation into DPD’s Duke Hoax actions will help DPD by giving Durham City government and worthy police leaders the information they need to correct in DPD what needs correcting, including replacing those whose actions went counter to their oaths.

Addison’s letter did two good things. First, it gave the public an example of the “reasoning” of those such as Nifong supporter and City Councilwoman Diane Catotti, who have opposed an independent investigation.

And, second, it gave justice seekers a chance to respond and ask Addison, his DPD supervisors and Durham City Manager Patrick Baker why last March Addison, as DPD spokesperson, repeatedly told the public and the media a “brutal rape” had been committed when he knew it hadn’t; and why he composed and sent to DPD substations, the media and others the text of the false and libelous Durham CrimeStoppers Wanted poster which then appeared in the community under an official DPD header.

More information about all of this can be found in this post, which contains many links including one to a post at Liestoppers which contains a photo copy of the CS Wanted poster and another with a letter from an attorney, Alex Charns, who represents one of the unindicted lacrosse players and has asked for an official public inquiry into the production and distribution of the Wanted poster and a full, official apology by DPD and Durham City to the players.
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There have already been a lot of good results from The Addison Opportunity.

I’ve gotten copies on and off line of letters to the H-S responding to Addison. I’m sure there are already many more at the H-S.

That’s wonderful. Every time someone asks “Why did a DPD spokesperson ….?” and “Please tell us who authorized …..” questions it helps the public to understand what’s at stake here in Durham: proper police conduct and all that means for fair treatment of every citizen.

WRAL.Com has a news story on Addison’s letter. The story includes this:

City Councilman Eugene Brown said he was “shocked and disappointed by the letter.”

“Our job as a city council is to try to get to the truth, as painful as that may be,” Brown said. “I’m usually in support of what PBA supports. But in my judgment, this was definitely overboard and I was shocked.”

PBA is a reference to Police Benevolent Association. The H-S identified Addison as President of the Triangle Chapter of the PBA, but Addison did not claim in the letter to be writing on behalf of the Triangle Chapter.

The question of whether Addison was writing on behalf of and with the formal approval of PBA’s Triangle Chapter is important for many reasons, one being this: Addison’s DPD Supervisor, Maj. Lee Russ, has said Addison didn’t write and distribute the text of the CS Wanted poster at the behest of DPD. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Durham CS at the time of the poster’s production and distribution, Duke University Police Director Robert Dean, has said the CS board had delegated authority to Addison to produce CS Wanted posters and that the board, as a result, didn’t review the CS Duke lacrosse poster before it was distributed.

I plan to pursue the question of whether Addison was writing on behalf of the Triangle Chapter of PBA.

Be sure to read the readers comments at the WRAL story. A lot of the comments are helping to get the truth out there.

There will certainly be more that comes from Addison’s letter. I’ll keep you informed.