Q&A

This post will be dedicated solely to transcribing parts of a sworrn statement that was faxed to me from the detective working the case of Officer Greg Tasker’s murder. As usual, I have sanitized the names of those involved, for obvious legal reasons. I think you will find this very interesting reading:

Detective (D): You understand that you have the right to remain silent?

Suspect (S): Yeah.

D: You also understand that you can have an attorney present during your questioning, and that if you can’t afford one, an attorney will be provided to you at no cost?

S: I know my rights. Let’s get on with this shit.

D: Hey, you know I have to follow procedure. Just to be clear, this session is being filmed, and anything you say now can and will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you? If you do, please state so for the record and initial this card right here. (Showed suspect the Miranda waiver card.)

S: Yeah. (Suspect signed card.)

D: So you’ve been arrested before, right?

S: You got my sheet in front of you, you know I have been.

D: Yes, I have your RAP sheet in front of me here. It says right here though that you were convicted of Assault on Peace Officer, and Narcotics Possession with Intent to Sell in December 1999, and that you were convicted to serve 10 years in the Big House. You shouldn’t be sitting here in this precint, why aren’t you in prison right now?

S: Hey man, what can I say, the System sucks sometimes, don’t it?

D: Seriously, you shouldn’t even be up for parole for another two years. Am I going to be getting an Alert on your escape from the penitentiary when we run your prints?

S: I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me? Maybe the governor wanted to ease that overcrowding problem.

D: Oh, I have already called up the Corrections Dept. I have requested your file to be delivered here by express courier. I should have it soon after we finish here.

S: So why you sweating me then? Read it your own damn self.

D: I need to know why you went after that police officer. I’ve got good statements from those two other thugs, they ratted you out man. Why did you wait outside that store?

S: Look man, its personal.

D: What do you mean, it’s personal? Did you know this officer?

S: Yeah, I knew Tasker.

D: How did you know him?

S: You’ll see when you read my file.

D: Can’t you help me out here? I need to understand this. You’re accused of killing a police officer, that’s a capital offense now.

S: I know. But it’s personal between me and him. Real personal.

D: How? What’s he ever done to you?

S: Man, that punk assed cop stopped me back in ‘99 when I was driving my brother’s car. I was on my way home from work, and it was late, I was in a hurry. Anyways, he profiled my ass. I was just minding my business when he stopped me and made up a pretext to search the car. How was I to know that my brother had some of his shit in the trunk. He didn‘t say anything ‘bout it when I asked to borrow the thing.

D: So you were caught with your brother’s drugs? You didn’t know he was dealing?

S: Naw man, it ain’t like that. I think he was just moving the stuff for a friend of his. But yeah, I had to get back and forth to work, and I didn’t have a car yet, I was just out of the joint from some petty theft charge. But see, he just saw another black man driving a nice car. He stopped me, found out that I was just out on probation, and used that to search the car. He was smiling, thought he’d caught himself a gangsta.

D: Ok, so he searched the car and found the drugs you say your brother was moving. What happened next?

S: He wouldn’t listen to me. I had to get home to pick up my baby girl. I didn’t have time to mess around explaining things to some racist cop.

D: So you tried to leave?

S: Yeah. I told him to keep the drugs and let my ass go. I tried to tell him I was trying to stay straight. I had a daughter, a job, I just needed a chance. But he wouldn’t listen. When I tried to walk away, he tackled my ass. We tussled a bit, but he was bigger and stronger. He cuffed me and took my ass to jail.

D: He was just doing his job, how was he to know that those drugs weren’t yours? You were a convicted felon.

S: Yeah. But later that week, when I was sitting in jail on those bogus charges, the guy who’s shit was taken came and shot up my brother’s house. (Suspect breaks down sobbing)

D: Here’s a tissue. So who got hurt in the driveby?

S: Oh this wasn’t any damn driveby man, these cats were serious. They busted in an shot everydamnbody...my brother, his shorty, my moms, and my baby girl. All dead! For what, 2 bags of shit and a bored assed cop profiling me! I got nobody now.

D: OK. I can see why you were angry, but why not take it out on the men who killed your family?

S: Oh, don’t worry about that, I got that bastard already. But Tasker was something I needed to do.

(Break in interview for soft drinks.)

D: So how did you get out of the Big House this soon?

S: Man, it was weird. I was approached in the joint by another prisoner, some aryan mother-fucker. He asked if I wanted to get back at the cop who put me in there. ‘Course I said yes. This was about 3 months ago. But I asked this guy, what could I do? I was locked up with no parole for another 2 years plus. He looks at me with his tattoed grill and just said “Don’t worry Darkie, soemobody wants him bad too. Just be ready when the warden calls you to his office.”

D: How soon did the warden contact you?

S: It was quick as hell man. I was brought in the next damn morning. There was the warden, and some pasty white, and I mean PASTY mf-er, stasnding there with him. The warden just walked out and left me this guy, he made my hair stand on end. He was freaky.

D: Did he give his name?

S: Naw, he said that wouldn’t be important. This guy, see he talks in this really low voice, and he smiles a lot, this cold kind of smile that made me sick. Anyways, he says he knows about my case and what happened to my family. He offers me this deal. He says he needs Tasker to be killed while on duty. He says he will get me a good conduct parole and give me all the tools and info I will need.

D: And you agreed to do this?

S: Man, what you think? I blamed Tasker for everything. If his fat ass had been eating donuts and not stopped me for mothing that night, I would’ve had my whole family still. Yeah, I took the deal. But only after he promised to track down that dealer and deliver him to me for me to deal with, alone.

D: How long did it take to get your parole?

S: Aw, I was out on the street in a week flat, faster’n you can say shit! It was good while it lasted too. Got my freak on, killed that dopehead. I lived fast and hard, cause I know I ain’t EVER gonna see the light of day again.

D: Did he promise you an\y more help?

S: Naw, he told me I’d probably get caught. But see, I ain’t got nothing and nobody now. I might as well live out what time I have on Death Row. I don’t need anythig else. I got Tasker and you can put it right there on paper and show your damn tapes to whoever you want. Fry my ass. I won’t be the first or the last. But my people are avenged now. I can die in peace.

D: So do you want to tell me about the dealer, and where I might his body too?

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