Big Brother is everywhere. Stoplights in the Weld County cities of Greeley, Erie, and Eaton are often equipped with cameras which may catch someone running a red light or speeding through an intersection. But, they also record the lawful conduct of everyone using an intersection. Recently, two big crime stories in Colorado and Boston have captured national attention and have been solved in part because of private and public cameras. The men caught by these cameras are facing serious criminal charges like First (1st) Degree Assault (CRS 18-3-202), Manslaughter (CRS 18-3-104), or Homicide / Murder in the First (1st) Degree (CRS 18-3-103).
At the 4/20 gathering at Civic Center Park, a gunman fired shots into the crowd injuring a handful of people. Thankfully, no one was killed, but police quickly began to investigate. They zeroed in on a suspect within a matter of hours after searching through hours of surveillance video from the park and nearby streets. Police also searched through homemade videos captured on cell phones to see if they could gather any clues. Within the night they had collected enough visual evidence to publicize a video via YouTube of someone they considered to be an accomplice in the shooting.
The Boston marathon bombings were also solved in part by surveillance and amateur videos. Police were able to pinpoint two suspects clearly depicted by the cameras and seen carrying bags identical in their composition as debris left over after the bombs detonated. We can almost glimpse a clear timeline of the suspects and their agenda over those videos. Crimes in Weld County and Greeley can benefit from these same law enforcement tools. Imagine a Robbery (CRS 18-4-302), where the getaway car needs to be identified by color, make, and license plate.
In these cases, we are very grateful for the presence of security and surveillance cameras. Many people’s lives are changed forever when random violence breaks out in public places in Hudson, Evans, and Kearsey. We are sad that this protection must come with a cost: innocent people may have every aspect of their lives watched by police and other law enforcement.
If police accuse you of a crime and present evidence in the form of a surveillance or amateur video, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent and contact the experienced criminal defense attorney at the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.