First off let me say that, in regard to this post, I have some reason to be biased. I’ll just leave it at that. You can decide the rest for yourself.
Last week, the Akron Beacon Journal, among many other news media outlets, reported that officers of the Akron Police Department shot and killed 19-year-old Demetrus Vinson, who, officers say, pointed a firearm at one of them during a traffic stop.
Only that wasn’t exactly the case.
There was a gun in the car. Shots were fired by officers and Vinson. Shots from officers’ firearms did strike Vinson. The thing is, Vinson also shot himself. In doing so, he caused his own death.
The following Monday, the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a suicide. The ruling was made based on statements made by a witness and evidence from Vinson’s body.
By this time however, the angry mobs had already mobilized. Citizens concerned about “police misconduct” rather than adults driving around with juveniles at 3 a.m. with a gun and drugs in the car, descended upon Akron city hall the same night.
Oops, did I type all that out loud?
In addition, the Akron Beacon Journal, had already begun plans to call again for a police auditor.
While I’m on the subject of the Akron Beacon Journal, has ABJ’s TV critic, R.D. Heldenfels, always done major news, like this shooting, or is “Rich” Heldenfels a different person?
Sorry, I’ll get back to the topic at hand.
There were two forces in operation the days following the incident. One force wanted to distribute information to the media as soon as possible, because it was the right thing to do.
The other force also wanted to distribute information as soon as possible, to the public, because that’s their job, and that’s how you make money. This force was right there to get all the great sound bytes, and dramatic video and pictures of the folks down at city hall crying, “no justice, no peace,” after the autopsy report was released.
It was this force that printed the statements of Orlando Williams, the layer representing 15-year-old Chance Baker, the passenger with Vinson the night of the shooting. According to Williams, who was not at the scene, “the shooting was unjustified,” and the only reason officers stopped Vinson was because he was black.
Leave it to a lawyer to give you some great, sensational, quotes.
Finally, and thankfully, Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic entered the scene with some common sense. Recognizing the irrationality of the “concerned,” specifically attorney Orlando Williams, and the fluidity of the situation, Plusquellic cancelled a scheduled news conference that would have addressed the shooting.
Akron city spokesman Mark Williamson said the mayor was not going to comment until the police investigation was finished. Williams also indicated that he was “not interested one bit in giving (Williams) anything more that he can manipulate and pass off as the truth.”
The mayor’s response was right on. After days of speculation based on news reports and witness statements from a juvenile passenger whose changed his story, someone decided that accuracy should take priority over speed.
In the communications industry, you always hear media outlets brag about how they were the first to break the story. Rarely do you hear an outlet brag about their accuracy.
The Akron shooting clearly demonstrates why accuracy should always take place over speed. Distributing information quickly for the sake of distributing information quickly is useless. Distributing accurate information quickly is the admirable goal.
Strive for accuracy, not speed. Don’t be so quick to appease.
