UPDATE - Houston Police Brutality Reaches Green Bay

Not too long ago I wrote this post concerning the father of Green Bay Packer Donald Driver and his run-in with the Houston police.

UPDATE - Today the Houston Police Department cleared the involved police officers from any wrongdoing.  The HPD said:

In a one-page statement, the Houston Police Department said an internal investigation concluded they “could not prove or disprove” allegations that Marvin Driver Jr., 56, was severely beaten and injured before being taken to jail Nov. 17 for outstanding traffic warrants. Police said the claims have been ruled as “not sustained.”

Shocking.  The HPD does an internal investigation of its own officers accused of wrongdoing and couldnt substantiate the allegations of brutality.  I could have almost written today’s press release the day the alleged brutality occurred. 

Victims of perceived police brutalilty should not be deterred by these internal investigations. Instead, they should seek out an attorney to represent them in Section 1983 civil rights action to perform an ”external” investigation into the truth.  Through a lawsuit, subpoenas, depositions and other discovery methods become the true fact finding instruments.  Internal investigations tend to be police officer friendly and may not reveal the absolute truth.  Additionally, actions that do not violate police department standards may be found to violate an individual’s civil rights.  Such was the result in Frank Jude’s civil rights action against the Milwaukee police officers he accused of extreme brutality.  The officers were initially cleared by the MPD of any wrongdoing AND acquitted in state court before they were finally convicted in federal court.