A Wheat Ridge police officer held his gun against the head of a man already on the ground—and threatened to shoot him. Officer Carlos Bowdre was ultimately fired, but the bodycam remained outside public view for more than a year. When investigative journalist Andrew Fraieli requested the footage, police initially responded that there were “no responsive records.” 📄 Story tips, resources & support 👉 https://www.thinblueliesmedia.com Submit police accountability tips, bodycam footage, public records, court documents, and local story leads. Free Police Accountability Toolkit: https://www.thinblueliesmedia.com/resources 👕 Thin Blue Lies merch: https://www.youtube.com/@thinblueliesmedia/store The records fight exposed a conflict in Colorado law: statutes intended to protect someone whose criminal case has been sealed can collide with laws requiring disclosure of police bodycam and internal-affairs records. Wheat Ridge officers and supervisors reported Bowdre’s conduct, the department investigated him, and he was fired. Bowdre later voluntarily relinquished his Colorado peace-officer certification. According to Police Chief Chris Murtha, the district attorney also declined to prosecute the underlying case—in large part because of Bowdre’s actions. The department took internal action. The larger question is why the public needed a persistent investigative journalist, months of records work and a legal dispute to learn what happened. Should an accused person’s privacy be protected through redaction—or should sealing the criminal case also prevent the public from seeing evidence of police misconduct? SOURCES: Denver7: https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/transparency-vs-privacy-wheat-ridge-police-department-excessive-force-case-highlights-conflicting-laws Blue Surveillance: https://bluesurveillance.org/ Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training: https://post.colorado.gov/ This video contains news reporting, commentary, criticism and analysis concerning matters of public interest. #PoliceAccountability #Bodycam #WheatRidge

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