NEWS ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Scotty Boman, D.R.A.C.O. Founder
Phone: (313) 247-2052
scottyboman@hotmail.com
Other contact info may be available on request.
Time: 6:00 PM on Thursday January 9th 2020
Place: ACC Youth Center. 62 W Seven Mile Rd, Detroit, MI 48203
Community Activists Sound Off On New Developments in the Police Brutality Case of Dewayne Jones
Detroit, MI – Representatives of a variety of community organizations will be holding a news conference ahead of the Board of Police Commissioners meeting Thursday night. Activists include Scotty Boman, founder of Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight (DRACO), Lory Parks of the Michigan National Action Network (NAN), and Marilyn Jordan of Detroit People’s Task Force. Eric Blount will be commenting on his impressions of a body cam video that surfaced in August, which very few people have seen.
Activists will be asking the BOPC to open an investigation to find out how and why body cam video from the defendant’s partner remained secret until after the trial. “I want to know who was supposed to gather video evidence, and how he, she or they failed to disclose it.” Said Boman.
The Wayne County Circuit Court granted Corporal Dewayne Jone’s an appeal on November 1st, so the case has been sent back to the 36th District Court. The assigned appellate Judge was Cynthia Gray Hathaway, but Michael Hathaway filled in for her, in her absence.
Hathaway’s order called for the 36th District Court to hold a “Ginther Hearing” within 35 days. The 36th District Court has not received anything regarding this appeal and has not scheduled any new hearings. The only future hearing scheduled by them is a May 1st probation review.
DRACO founder Scotty Boman commented, “I don’t know, because I don’t have money to buy transcripts, but I have a feeling that mysterious video that inexplicably surfaced with the DPD in late August counted as “new evidence” which is a standard ground for appeal.” Boman said he left messages for prosecuting attorney David McCreedy for clarification, but did not hear back from him.
The beating victim, Sheldy Smith, was moved to an unknown mental health facility (without notifying family members). Reputed guardianship abuser Mary Rowen has been given control over Sheldy by the courts and has actively been denying family members access to her. Rowen also had custody at the time of the beating.
Keeping the victim hidden and silent works in the favor of Jones, and perhaps that works in favor of Rowan too.
“I see one common purpose behind all of this: The delayed discovery of the video, the delayed appeal process, the drawn out internal investigation, and the Shell game with Sheldy” said Boman, “…to guarantee a comfortable retirement for Corporal Dewayne Berran Jones. Once he retires they will just drop everything and call the case moot. Jones won’t be held accountable.”
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Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight 