Did Lorrin Freeman Lose Her Voice?
Last week, Yolonda Irving and civil rights group Emancipate NC asked for public release of police body camera footage from May 2020, when a SWAT team raided Irving’s home by mistake. Wake County Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins refused.
Irving’s attorney, Abe Rubert-Schewel, pointed out that these types of events are the reason we have body cameras, in part so the public can evaluate whether this is the type of policing they want their tax dollars to support, and in particular, whether the use of “no-knock” raids should be more limited. The lawyer for the Raleigh Police Department opposed release because the confrontation wasn’t a “critical incident” (no one died or was seriously injured, although Irving and her family are lucky not to have lost life or limb. It’s also worth noting that there’s no legal requirement that someone has to die in order for bodycam footage to be released—this is a rule that RPD made up).
Where was Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman?
Just . . . sitting there.
Nearly 15 minutes into the hearing, Judge Collins double-checked with Ms. Freeman to ask if she wanted to weigh in. But no, nope, definitely not. She said the State had “no interest” in the case.
The State has no interest in the case. Really?
Let’s review what happened to Yolanda Irving.
In May 2020, Ms. Irving, who drives a Wake County bus for special needs and homeless kids, was at home with her three children when a SWAT team brandishing assault rifles suddenly stormed into her home. For nearly two hours, police officers terrorized the family, pointing guns at Ms. Irving and her kids, and searching her apartment for money and drugs. The police found nothing. They had the wrong house.
The no-knock warrant wasn’t defective just because it had the wrong address. The raid on Ms. Irving’s home is one of several error-plagued investigations involving a former RPD officer, Omar Abdullah, who has been accused of arresting over a dozen Black men on fake drug charges.
The State, the People of North Carolina, have . . . no interest? Except these events seem pretty interesting if you’re one of the thousands of residents who want to have confidence in Wake County policing. Doesn’t the community deserve to see what their police force looks like in action? To learn from and prevent future incidents like this? Shouldn’t the community be informed to make decisions about what practices make them feel safe?
More importantly, when an officer’s bad actions harm innocent people, why wouldn’t the District Attorney want to give that evidence a full airing?
Oh, right.
This is Lorrin Freeman. At the end of the day, she treats the police—not the public—as her constituency. She’s not only balked at bringing criminal charges against Abdullah, she’s said her office isn’t looking into Abdullah’s other cases.
That’s just one example of many. Raleigh Watch has previously reported on Freeman’s abysmal record of putting police above the law.
The fact is, when you’re one of the biggest voices in the room, neutrality is a gimmick. Of course the police department doesn’t want to release footage that might make it look bad. Part of the DA’s role is to offer objective input, to stand up for the citizens of Raleigh who deserve to see what the police department is doing in their name. As Carissa Hessick, a University of North Carolina Law Professor and an expert on prosecutorial ethics told Raleigh Watch, “As elected officials, district attorneys have the independence necessary to encourage other criminal justice actors to act in a transparent manner.” Of course, that independence only matters if prosecutors like Lorrin Freeman can be bothered to use it.
So why would a District Attorney—the elected official whose core mission is to serve justice—just sit there?
“Part of the responsibility of being district attorney is fervently upholding the law in a way that results in just and equitable outcomes. Lorrin Freeman has consistently proven that she simply does not have the stomach to protect the people from bad acts and harm caused by law enforcement,” said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.
“The failure of the Wake County District Attorney's Office to take any position on creating transparency and accountability for law enforcement is deeply problematic, but unfortunately not surprising. The district attorney is the most influential actor in the criminal justice system. Taking a pass on creating accountability and transparency for law enforcement is tantamount to an abdication of the power the people give to elected officials,” said Blagrove.
In some ways, Freeman’s silence is worse than opposition. If she had actively opposed release of the footage, her critics would have held her accountable for that decision. It would be another data point in her constellation of poor choices surrounding police misconduct. Wake County voters, who want more action from their DA on police accountability, would be disenchanted.
Given Freeman’s record, no one should be surprised that she’s not speaking up for transparent and accountable policing. But what if Wake County isn’t interested in prosecutors who sit on the sidelines and ignore harmful police practices? Doesn’t the Raleigh community want their DA to speak up for their concerns about police accountability?
“The people deserve real leaders who are using the power of the people to unflinchingly create equity and fairness in an unjust system,” said Blagrove.