[Peace-discuss] Mary Schenk on Sgt Myers

[Brian Dolinar]

Check out Mary Schenk's account of the Sgt. Myers case on Feb 27 - its
a real doozy.

It is a complete rationalization of Myers' abuses.
Again, the News-Gazette willingly participates in the cover up.

First, the claim that Ray Hsieh can't be found.
He is still on a conditional discharge and the County should know his
whereabouts.
Of course, they knew he was a homeless man and should have taken steps
to keep tabs on him.

Second, Schenk quotes at length from an interview with Myers conducted
by Sheriff's investigators.I do stand corrected. Schenk did look at
some of the testimony in the case file 05-CF-2105. But she only
presents Myers' side of the story.

What is especially heinous is that she trusts Myers' account of the
Hsieh incident without question, even though it has been proven that
Myers has falsified his story. Schenk uses Myers' own words to defend
his actions. In her account, Myers looks like a nice guy just trying
to do his job. She ends with the statement by Myers:

"I panicked. I tased this guy when I was by myself and I shouldn't
have and I panicked. I thought I could reason with the guy."

Schenk did not quote from other eye witnesses, whether from other
police who were interviewed, or other inmates who saw what happened.
She did not quote investigator Kris Bolt who himself told Myers:

"when someone does that, then they question the integrity of us all."

Schenk did not quote Sgt. Mennenga who heard Myers boasting about the
incident, saying "it seems like I am the only one with enough balls to
use the Taser."

She takes Myers' comments at face value. She reports that he told
investigators he had used a Taser on two other inmates. Schenk knows
that there were three other incidents: Michael Rich, Trina Fairley,
and Michael Alexander. Why does she not print their names?

Even Sky Opila, a student journalist, printed their names in his
article that appeared in the DI.

When we had a press conference with Michael Rich, one of Myers'
victims, the News-Gazette covered the event but did not even mention
that Rich was there.

How the News-Gazette can have any pretense of journalistic integrity
or claim that they are "objective" is beyond my comprehension.

Schenk should be fired.
And the NG should find a writer of color to replace her.

Insensitive cartoons are one thing.
But this significant breach of journalistic standards is too much to stomach.

BD
-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com