Police Officers Who Sent Rihanna Photo To TMZ Will Not Face Charges
A little over three years is how long it took the Los Angeles Police Department to decide to not prosecute the two female police officers who had the guts to send the photo of Rihanna to TMZ. I am a big fan of privacy, but can you imagine how much of a pass Chris Brown would have got if no photo had been seen? That photo was everywhere and showed the world what Chris Brown was capable of if you decided to look at his cell phone. This story would have been over three years ago if there was no photo. That photo showed the results of domestic violence. It was a wake up call to the world. It was something that could not be ignored. The way it went down was the photo was sitting on a desk. One officer took a photo of the photo with her cell phone and the other officer who was her roommate called TMZ. One of the officers is still being fired, but neither is being prosecuted because no one could find they accepted any money. The two officers are Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes. I'm proud of them and it sucks that for doing what they did they were investigated for three years. Can you imagine if the police decided to put that much effort into every case?
48 comments:
Fivehead
I honestly feel like they shouldn't be fired. Celebrities get away with murder - LITERALLY - and this way there was no denying anything. Hopefully they're just being "fired" with a wink and a nod, and have a job lined up in another precinct. How anyone other than Chris Brown (and maybe Rihanna because she's nutso right now) could be mad at them for putting Brown on front street with this is beyond me.
You know it FSP. I wish Rihanna was made to view this photo on a daily basis..maybe she would rethink the company she keeps.
Are we to assume that these officers were selling the picture to show the how horrific the abuse was or is it truly a better assumption that they were looking for a huge payday?
^This
I was wondering if they released them for good or for gossip purposes.
hollywood dime, that's what I'm wondering too. Either way, they should both be fired.
It was two female officers - I believe they released the photos to show the public what can happen to you in abusive relationships.
Well, Enty, they did sell out their duty and their badge.
Enty said:
"That photo was everywhere and showed the world what Chris Brown was capable of if you decided to look at his cell phone."
WTF? They were EVIDENCE photos
Enty said:
"That photo showed the results of domestic violence. It was a wake up call to the world."
WTF?Not one thing has changed, the rich got richer (R&C), cops will get a free ride through a 3rd payer.
Enty,your "pride" in them is sorely misplaced.
Who is today's Enty? Geez.
and in spite of it all...rhi is back with that little shit.
I'm going to not be my usual cynical self and believe they did this for good. I'm going to believe they knew Chris Brown would face no consequences so they did this. I think I would do it.
If we could get some pics like that of Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson, hopefully we'd see the last of them.
Yeah, it felt like this one was written by an intern.
@ anita_mark , LOL, apparently I have enough cynicism for all of us today. I think I need to go read a WELL WRITTEN book:)
I think they did it because they thought the severity of the beating was going to be downplayed. In almost every case involving domestic violence, the abused woman will take back her abuser. Officers know this very well.
Remember the policeman who was pressured into withholding Mel Gibson's racist, misogynistic rant from the police report in order to protect him? Those women knew Chris Brown would get a slap in the hand - he still did, but the public scorn was much worse.
Firstly, it's as if it never happened with Rhianna, the fool, and the public who buy his music. I just don't get it with the public and as for her, she needs psychiatric help.
I think the officers did the right thing unfortunately in this case nobody, not even the victim, seem to care. sad.
I don't think they've done anything to be proud of, if Rihanna didn't want the picture sold. And unless they did this for free, I don't see the nobility in their motives.
You all might hate me for saying this but this photo proves once and again that Chris Brown did not beat Rhianna "within an inch of her life," as is often said on various blogs.
Not that he's not a woman-beating douche but it's not like her face is re-arranged like some domestic violence victims. I'll bet that shit gets really super bad and this is just the tip of the iceberg of what's possible.
@Agent**It
I believe Enty is referring to what Chris Brown did when Rihanna looked at his cell phone, not to what you would see on the phone if you looked at it. I misunderstood it the first time I read it too but remembering the story, he beat her because she was looking at texts from some other girl or something.
Agree @Amber. Also, women who've been abused don't want their abuse known. I give RiRi a lot of props for standing up, even if the officers did it for her. I even bought one of her albums. They shouldn't be fired
Thanks, Jenn. That helps clarify it.
They should be fired because they violated very basic privacy rules and mistreated evidence. It is good for me that I saw these pics because otherwise, I'd probably like Chris Brown. I was not owed the knowledge of these photos.
I can't imagine Chris Brown getting anymore of a free pass than what he's already gotten. And that's with world knowing about these pics.
Whatever their reason for releasing the photo, they had no right to do it.
Is it Frufra or Anita whose spouse is a police officer? I will be curious to get their take . (Can't remember which reader it is, sorry)
No matter their personal feelings, they swear an oath when they enter the force. Evidence photos are not for the general public. They can influence a trial. They can be inflammatory and misinterpreted. No matter how wonderful their motives, they can't break the law they have sworn to upheld, so it was right they were fired.
@Moonmaid
Thank you for making that well-made point. You have definitely swayed me. I was happy that photo had been made public because it put Chris Brown on blast for what he did to her. However I see now why these officers are being disciplined (interfering with a possible trial etc)
Look at the pain in her face, and she still talks to him. Or fucks him.
*throws hands in the air*
Coming from an abusive relationship, I dont think it was right for them to release this photos. I would've been mortified if my pictures we're released over the globe for everyone to see. I feel sad for Ri... This is something nobody will ever stop talking about.
The police are not judge and jury and had no right releasing that picture. I HATE the lack of confidentiality in today's world...at the doctor, hospital, bank, attorney's office, we really can't trust anybody. I know I'm a trusthworty and confidential person and I hear lots of stuff that really shouldn't be repeated to me or anyone. Sometimes I just say "I really didn't need to hear that", but most of us just can't keep a secret because it eats us up inside. Suck it up and keep it to yourself!
Enty, as an attorney I am really surprised at your stance here.
I've been a victim too and in no way am I condoning what Chris Brown did to Rhianna.
@Agent, it's Frufra. And my cynicism is back as I just ranted about my hatred of Jessica Simpson.
I'm still going to let the hyperbole of "beaten within an inch of her life." Maybe it wasn't to that level but she's a tiny woman and he punched her repeatedly and bit her. If you're going to take a punch, hope to take it in the body because you can absorb that but getting hit in the face? Brain damage can occur, a concussion could be suffered, so many awful things can happen after getting hit repeatedly in the face and head. So maybe she wasn't stabbed (I believe he did choke her though) and beaten as severely as others but the high risk was there. She's a lucky woman that she got out of that car.
Sorry, forgot to add, I'm going to let the hyperbole slide.
Thank you and Amen to All That, Califblondy. These officers should be fired. It's not for them to second-guess what's "best" for the victim or to teach society a lesson. Releasing this photo was a gross violation of privacy. Personal feelings about the victim and the aggressor are NOT relevant.
All I will say is that if I were the victim of a crime, I would not want the police releasing any image of me without my approval. Including my dead body.
I wish people would start tweeting this picture at Chris Brown. He deserves it every day, especially after he posted the picture of the cut he got during the fight with Drake.
Ok, consulted with my source - they should be fired. You just can't publicize evidence that may be used to prosecute someone - compromises the case to the max.
Also, the department probably investigated it for three years in an effort to make it go away/fade away. Also, based on incidents I know about with internal affairs, the process itself takes a hundred years, because there are reviews and appeals made all the way up the chain of command.
That being said, you could make the argument that what they did was morally right, while still being legally wrong. But we don't know their motives.
@Moonmaid - ITA. They grossly violated the ethics of their position, as well as the victim's right to privacy. they should be fired.
Addtionally, you say that you are glad it was released because Chris Brown would have gotten "a pass" otherwise? I say look at all of the victim shaming that RiRi has been subjected to because of these officers took it upon themselves to decide what was best for her. People wonder why she allegedly has a substance abuse issue and call her entitled and "messed up" among other things...sheesh.
second part directed at enty...just realized that wasnt clear
Enty, what is going on with you? I'm not sure what to think when you consider leaking these photos as having guts.
It disgusts me that the officers will face greater consequences for their actions than Chris Brown.
Rhianna is a "tiny" woman? She may be lean, but 5'9 isn't tiny by any stretch of the imagination.
And I think if anyone wanted to justify what these cops did as being morally right,thought legally wrong, it would have been a lot easier if they had done so with the LA Times, NY Times, AP, or Reuters. Releasing photos to TMZ isn't doing GODS work, it sounds like trying to pad your pockets, sorry.
This story would mean more if Rihanna herself felt the same way. I don't know that this story was a wake up call to the world and if it was, then somebody hit the snooze button because Chris Brown still has a career.
This story would mean more if Rihanna herself felt the same way. I don't know that this story was a wake up call to the world and if it was, then somebody hit the snooze button because Chris Brown still has a career.
What they did was wrong, plain and simple. They should be fired. Some people may be comfortable sharing every square inch of their life to God and anyone who is willing to listen but others are not. They want the privacy. Abuse is a private thing. It's horrifying to have to be abused twice: once by the abuser and again by the public.
Side note: CB got a lot of help from underground rumblings in the gossipsphere. That's how he bounced back so quickly. Every time her name was mentioned, 1/4 to 1/2 of the commentators were questioning her. Constantly suggesting that she had a role in that beating. They also questioned her integrity, free will, and mind as a woman. Every outfit and gesture was heavily scrutinized. Eventually, it was said so often that people started doubting her.
Also, the severity of the abuse shouldn't dictate how sorry we feel for the victim. Whether she was hit once or a hundred times, it's still abuse.
I think what they did was offensive. They took the rights away from Rhianna who had already been victimized when that prick took her right away to decide if she wanted him to put the beat down on her. Not to be inflammatory, but is she or any of us had been raped by a big named celebrity would you want pics of your vagina going viral? Im serious. Doesn't matter the details, it's still a privacy issue. I should have a say in whether or not my tragedy goes viral and whether I want to be made an altruistic victim for public awareness against my knowledge and will. Ask how you would feel. But we don't get to make those choices for others while living in America. People violate each other's rights all the time but law enforcement must be held to a higher standard, lest it's ok with you if your doctor is also on the take. It makes no difference to me what their motives were but Im positive sending your roommate photos of a battered celebrity was not an act of self sacrificial human rights. It was a capricious act of stupidity and insensitivity.
I feel badly for Rhianna. That event was obviously a pivotal moment in her hold on stability. It's not uncommon for battered women to go back to their abusers for a bunch of reasons whether we agree or not. She might have PTSD because apparently her beating was so bad it could have killed her. I don't know but it seems as if she's on a suicidal/self destructive spiral. It's sad. Let's all be glad it didn't happen to us and cut her some slack. He did get away scot free. prick.
Yeah sending the pics to tmz was very noble. Get the fuck out of here!
what these Two Hispanic Bitches did was as low as you can get. Almost ruined the girls life. Rihanna has done quite well for herself despite what these two Hispanic Dogs who called themaselves police offiers did.
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