Columbia police discuss release of information practices

Police Chief Ken Burton explained some of the department’s practices on releasing information.

The Columbia Police Review Board heard from Burton and Sergeant Robert Dochler, the head of the department’s public relations unit. The two answered questions about how CPD releases information to the public.

The board asked specifically about CPD’s release of a body camera video in March, depicting part of a fight at the Eagle Stop gas station. Police arrested Spencer Ervin on suspicion of shooting at another man in the midst of a large fight. ABC 17 News obtained a cell phone video that showed a portion of the arrest, including an officer shoving a woman to the ground in order to arrest Ervin.

Burton said the department decided to release that clip after seeing social media posts regarding the cell phone video. He defended the officer’s actions, claiming Ervin had just shot at someone in front of officers, and the woman shoved was preventing the arrest by blocking Ervin from the officers.

“When we saw what was going on on social media, we recognized that we needed to get the other side of the story out there,” Burton said.

Typically, police body camera video remains closed to the public. The videos are often stored as evidence in a criminal case, and considered a closed record while the case is active.

Board members asked how the department knows what to include in public releases. Chairman Darryl Smith pointed out an incident in September 2016 when a police car hit a pedestrian at Paris Road and Brown Station Road. The department initially said in a news release that the pedestrian entered the crosswalk illegally. The pedestrian, Laura Harrison, spoke to both CPD and ABC 17 News about the incident, claiming that was untrue. The department issued a correction the next day, saying the first release contained preliminary information.

“We go back to the information that is provided initially to us through the reports that we have available,” Sgt. Dochler said. “We are cognizant. Just as we hold the media responsible, we are responsible as well. And if we put out information that turns out to be incorrect, through further investigation, than it is our responsibility to go back and redact that, or correct that as well.”

Smith, speaking just for himself, said he felt the department’s first release was premature. By just sticking to the who, what, when and where of a case, CPD could avoid hurting people’s reputation if preliminary information officers have doesn’t pan out.

Dochler said his office often struggles with what information it can and can’t release.

“I come to work everyday wondering who I’m going to make mad today,” Dochler said. “If I give out too much information, I’m making some people in our Criminal Investigations Division upset. If we don’t give out enough information, I’m making members of the media upset.”

Smith said getting context from the police department on its information, as well as its actions, can help better inform the public. He said the department could do a better job explaining to the public why it takes the actions it does, including use of force caught on video.

“It’s hard when you’re looking at a video, and you see someone being shoved without context,” Smith said. “Why did that happen? And I think that would go a long way towards understanding. I think a lot of times, when people understand why something happened, they look at it in a different light.”