Virginia Beach police used forged DNA reports during interrogations

[bobsguns]

Yes, I know it's not TN but I think it's still newsworthy.

The USSC has ruled the police have a right to lie to a suspect in order to solve a crime. However, should a suspect return the favor and lie to the cops, he/she will be prosecuted for doing so. I strongly feel this is both an unjust and horrible ruling, but the USSC didn't ask my opinion. 

While I'm sure we can all be in agreement to support the local police, I find it feeds the anti-police movement. It casts a bad light on all police when this sort of thing goes on, IMO. One case had a forged report entered in trial as evidence. Is this how honest cops believe they can earn the public's trust?

Regardless, one can make up their own mind on this sort of thing.

 

Story

 

Quote

Virginia Beach police used forged documents that linked people's DNA to a crime to get them to confess or cooperate with investigators, Virginia's outgoing attorney general announced Wednesday.

The city's police department has changed its policy in the wake of the state's probe, Attorney General Mark Herring said in a statement. In a separate statement, the city said it had ended the practice in May after conducting its own investigation, but called the tactic legal.

Officers used fake reports purporting to be from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science at least five times during interrogations between 2016 and 2020, Herring's office said.

In two instances, the documents included the signature of a fictitious employee from the department, and in at least one instance, a forged report was presented to a court as evidence, the AG's office said.

 

[deerslayer]

Have a link to USSC’s decision?  Also, how were the documents used?  Detectives telling a suspect “this document proves that you did XYZ?”  Pretty unethical. Throwing a fancy looking piece of paper on the table and vaguely implying it is evidence is another matter.  Police use all kinds of methods and theatrics to get info.  Presenting such a forged document as evidence in court is, I bet, already quite illegal.  

Edited January 14, 2022 by deerslayer

[Grunt67]

This is nothing new. Police have used this tactic forever. It is legal. In court as evidence,  not.

I've never been overly fond of the tactic , but if it gets a major felon off the streets, I can justify it. Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil,  so to speak. Just the way the system works.

[bobsguns]

2 hours ago, deerslayer said:

Have a link to USSC’s decision?  

Nah, but it's well known. Google it if you need to.

[Alleycat72]

As someone who has sat in an interrogation room across from a homicide detective, I will tell you that you do not have to speak to them. 

[bobsguns]

1 hour ago, Grunt67 said:

I've never been overly fond of the tactic , but if it gets a major felon off the streets, I can justify it. 

How is that different from the gun grabber's "if it saves just one life" BS????

Not to mention, shouldn't the public demand that cops be honest? In court: "Were you lying then or are you lying now, detective?" How would a jury know which part was/is the lie? 

To me, resorting to lying means someone is too GD lazy to do their job properly. 

[bobsguns]

4 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

As someone who has sat in an interrogation room across from a homicide detective, I will tell you that you do not have to speak to them. 

True, but they can talk to you & lie like a dog & NOTHING will come back on them for it. But not vice versa, which is BS.

 

[Alleycat72]

9 minutes ago, bobsguns said:

True, but they can talk to you & lie like a dog & NOTHING will come back on them for it. But not vice versa, which is BS.

 

Agreed, but that’s all to get you to talk. Most people think they are smarter than the police and they want to prove it. Cops know this and exploit it. 

[bobsguns]

2 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

Agreed, but that’s all to get you to talk. Most people think they are smarter than the police and they want to prove it. Cops know this and exploit it. 

Well, if they were smart they wouldn't be out breaking the law(s) now, would they?   

[Grunt67]

20 minutes ago, bobsguns said:

How is that different from the gun grabber's "if it saves just one life" BS????

Not to mention, shouldn't the public demand that cops be honest? In court: "Were you lying then or are you lying now, detective?" How would a jury know which part was/is the lie? 

To me, resorting to lying means someone is too GD lazy to do their job properly. 

Have you ever worked in law enforcement or the justice system? This is not TV drama.

[deerslayer]

22 minutes ago, bobsguns said:

How is that different from the gun grabber's "if it saves just one life" BS????

Not to mention, shouldn't the public demand that cops be honest? In court: "Were you lying then or are you lying now, detective?" How would a jury know which part was/is the lie? 

To me, resorting to lying means someone is too GD lazy to do their job properly. 

I didn’t see any mention of the cops lying to suspects in the article.  

Edited January 14, 2022 by deerslayer

[Chucktshoes]

While I have my own feelings on the matter (which anyone who has been here for a number of years can already guess) we have an even longer standing policy that stories of police malfeasance not occurring in TN are not a fit topic of discussion here. 
 

So as much as I’d love to jump headfirst into it, gonna have to lock this thread.