Police Chief says newspaper was wrong to publish images while official decision still pending
By Maline Hazle, The Record-Searchlight (Redding, Calif.)
Redding, Calif. Police Chief Leonard Moty criticized the Record Searchlight on Friday for publishing a series of photographs taken during the March 18 police shooting of a suicidal man in south Redding.
“I think it’s inappropriate to have the photos shown to the public prior to the release of the district attorney’s decision” on whether the shooting was justified, Moty said.
“It shows only a partial picture, which taints the public’s perception.”
The 50 photos, some of them enlarged, were presented in sequence. The images began with the first picture taken by Record Searchlight photographer John Stubler when he arrived at the scene and continued until police handcuffed 40-year-old Tim Brandon.
They were published only on the newspaper’s Web site, redding.com.
The images show the shooting of Brandon, who was suicidal and who police say ignored orders to drop his gun. Instead, police have said, Brandon pointed the gun at officers.
Three Redding officers fired a total of eight shots at Brandon, police said. It is not known how many shots hit him. Brandon died at the scene.
The photographs were published without editorial comment. Each frame was labeled to show how much time had elapsed between it and the previous photo.
Most of the photos were about two seconds apart, but there were larger gaps, including one of 15 seconds.
What also is missing, Moty said, is the perspective of all the witnesses, those who heard and saw what happened outside the house on Sacramento Drive.
“It just gives you little snapshots — there are gaps,” Moty said. “There’s no narrative from all of the witnesses’ points of view.”
The three officers — Cpl. Walt Bullington, Cpl. Roger Moore and officer Eric Little — returned to duty several days ago after an internal investigation.
The case has been forwarded to Shasta County District Attorney Jerry Benito for review.
Benito said Friday that he had not yet studied the photos, which will be added to other evidence in the investigation.
“I am pleased that the Record Searchlight chose to make them public,” Benito said.
He said he is still waiting for other components of the investigation, including the autopsy report, which he said he has been told may be available as early as next week.