From the TAB article:
- Duncan, 50, stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall.
- Yaliek Allah-Barnes, is 37. Newton Police said Allah-Barnes’ license said he is 6 feet, 3 inches tall. However, the Newton Police also stated that according to other police agency information, Allah-Barnes “listed his height as ranging from 6′01″ to 6′08.”
Before the description and photo were released, Duncan said he would be disappointed if the suspect was described as being less than 6 feet, 4 inches tall.
…[Duncan said he] was very impressed with [Mayor] Fuller, [Chief] MacDonald and (Lt.] Apotheker, he said “I really respect the self reflection that all of them showed. That, to me, is a sign of people wanting to get better.”
I’m very glad to read that Duncan was reached out to by both the mayor and police (per the Tab article) and felt taken seriously. I also appreciate seeing the pictures and description, which make it clear that there was resemblance beyond both being black males.
Why don’t Newton police have body cameras? Why not get them? A few years ago I saw a very weak city councilor half ask the question and then add in “Just Wondering?” while smiling at the police chief, who quickly shut down the question.
1. Perceived “Resemblance” can be highly biased by the identify of the viewer. Many of us have heard the reductive trope “they all look the same”. As a person of Asian descent, I’ve heard it. The more I look at the two pictures, the less resemblance I perceive.
2. Why wasn’t the height information known better? The 6’1″-6’8″ uncertainty comes from “other police agency” information. Were these from prior bookings? If so, was there no prior booking photo to ascertain height accurately? We’re talking about more than a half a foot.
3. This was based on a stake-out of a house commencing 2 days prior to the incident. Out of an abundance of caution, why wouldn’t police make certain that a suspect (walking presumably casually with his spouse) was confirmed to have entered or departed from the property under surveillance? Was someone asleep on the job?
We don’t have answers to these basic questions. Maybe there are good answers which can put many of us more to ease. This is why an independent investigation is necessary.
It would be interesting to know the estimated weight of the suspect.
That said, I am a layperson with incomplete data. An investigation and re-assessment of procedures helps everyone.
Would they have still pulled guns on him if he was white, though? Even if they were the same height, had the same color hair, and facial hair? I seriously don’t think so.
It’s extremely convenient that even though the police had the suspect’s driver’s license photo with his listed height of 6’3″, some mysterious and surely unverifiable “other police agency information” ranged all the way up to Mr. Duncan’s 6-foot-8 inch height in the upper reaches of the 99th percentile.
Maybe tall people all look alike to short people?
Anyway, what’s important is that the NPD apologize for this, rather than their original MO of trying to defend their actions with only lip service to Mr. Duncan. The NPD made a mistake that could have very easily been lethal. The NPD and the city need to do everything they can to ensure that it never happen again.
@Nathan Phillips-
CORI (criminal offender record information) is not available to the public so don’t expect an answer to your question as to what information was or was not available to Newton police concerning the individual wanted for homicide. As to details of the stakeout, I expect that the murder investigation is ongoing and that will not be disclosed to the public before trial, if at all. Prosecutors and police are entitled to investigative privilege to, in theory at least, ensure a fair trial.
If police are seeking a murder suspect they believe to be armed and dangerous, which I would anticipate was the case here, I would expect them to approach with the expectation that the situation can turn very bad, very fast. When there is another person with an individual being sought in connection with a homicide there is the possibility of a hostage situation hence I would expect significant back up with additional officers. From the scant reports it sounds like there was unconfirmed information that the individual may have been in Newton, but they did not have sufficient information to obtain a search warrant at the time the Newton officers made the stop.
Hindsight makes everyone an arm chair procedural expert. The police acted on the information they had, and (in hindsight) drew their guns too quickly. Give Mr. Duncan his owed apology and move on.
Longer term, instead of looking to defund the police as a knee jerk punishment (which would also pay for the body cams, BTW – they don’t come free), perhaps how they are trained should be revised. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
https://youtu.be/km4uCOAzrbM
@Matt,
You might be an “arm chair procedural expert” but I actually deal with police, police procedures and training, criminal law and procedures and constitutional law in my day job. But I will agree – time to move on.
Nathan makes good points-seems like a shoddy investigation to stop Duncan when he appears to have no connection to the house in question. Plus, what was the rush to approach him when they did. Would have been better to follow Duncan to see if he was connected to the house.
Also, there’s appears to be a conflict in the statement from the Newton Police. They claim the suspect was arrested later near the house. The Boston Police claim he was arrested in Boston. Which one is true?
There should be an independent investigation and retraining for the Newton Police.
However defunding the police is not the answer.