City of Fall River

Massachusetts
Police Department
Public Information Office
685 Pleasant Street
Fall River Massachusetts !"#"$
%5!8& 6#6'85$$ ()t* "$! an+ "#"
,t* Ronal+ Furta+o
Det* -* D* Costa
PR(SS R(,(.S(
For Imme+iate Release
,t* Ronal+ Furta+o / Police Spo0esman -une 6 "!$1
.ttache+ is the ori2inal press release that 3as issue+ on .pril $$ "!$1 re2ar+in2 the 4eor2e 5hompson
case alon2 3ith a supplemental press release an+ report*
Fall River Police Department %F*R*P*D& Chief of Police Daniel S* Racine states 67o3 that the criminal
case of 4eor2e 5hompson has been +ismisse+ the secon+ phase of the internal investi2ation can
commence in earnest*
.s 3e 0no3 the matter 3as bifurcate+8 the officers con+uct on the +etail an+ the arrest an+ vi+eo
evi+ence* 5he officer has been +iscipline+ for his con+uct on the +etail an+ has a+mitte+ his con+uct
3as belo3 professional stan+ar+s*
5he secon+ phase 3ill inclu+e an investi2ation by 9en :ell ; .ssociates8 a private an+ e)ternal
forensic investi2ation company that speciali<es in computer an+ cell phone forensic investi2ations*
=pon completion of their investi2ation as 3ell as the Office of Professional Stan+ar+s investi2ation
the fin+in2s 3ill be release+ to Mr* 5hompson an+ the me+ia*
5he F*R*P*D has reco2ni<e+ that openly au+io recor+in2 of public officials or any person is le2al* In
fact the 4lic0 case 3as +eci+e+ on .u2ust "6 "!$$ an+ the F*R*P*D +isseminate+ a trainin2 bulletin in
September of "!$$ clearly informin2 officers that au+io recor+in2 that is open an+ conspicuous is
le2al %See .ttache+ 5rainin2 :ulletin&*
Further the F*R*P*D has implemente+ a policy 3hereas all alle2e+ 3iretap %C"#"'S>>& violation
investi2ations re?uire supervisory involvement an+ the preferre+ response to an alle2e+ violation is
67O5@ to arrest*
Aatch comman+ers have been instructe+ that only in e)tra'or+inary circumstances 3ill an arrest be
permitte+ %See .ttache+ ChiefBs Or+er&*
5he F*R*P*D continues to a++ress this matter an+ 3ill release information 3hen facts an+ circumstances
are 0no3n*@
Supplemental Press Release an+ Report
In the 3a0e of receivin2 a compete+ in+epen+ent e)ternal e)amination report Chief Daniel Racine has
issue+ the follo3in2 statement8
6 I have revie3e+ the e)ternal forensic e)amination report complete+ by 9en :ell an+ .ssociates
%9:.& an+ accept their fin+in2s* It is apparent that the +ata on the iPhone 3as 63ipe+@ but the action
3as not malicious*
Or+inarily the +ata coul+ have been retrieve+ throu2h access to the 6clou+@ ho3ever the clou+ 3as not
operational on this phone*
Re2ar+less the officerBs actions concernin2 use of profanity an+ cell phone use 3hile assi2ne+ to the
traffic +etail 3as unprofessional an+ not at the level 3e e)pect an+ +eman+* 5he Officer has been
+iscipline+ an+ has a+mitte+ his miscon+uct* 5he purpose of +iscipline is to ensure the inappropriate
con+uct is not repeate+* I am confi+ent the officer accepts responsibility an+ 3ill not repeat the action*
.s previously state+ I have institute+ protocols that a++ a safe2uar+ proce+ure for alle2e+ 3iretap
violations* Mr* 5hompson has publicly state+ he inten+s to file civil action a2ainst the Fall River Police
Department8 as a result 3e 3ill limit further comment*@
.ttache+ is the follo3in28
$& Forensic ()amination Report %9en :ell an+ .ssociates!
"& 5rainin2 :ulletin %F*R*P*D $$'$5&
C& ChiefBs Or+er
5rainin2 :ulletin an+ ChiefDs Or+er 3ill be sent in secon+ email
(n+ of Release