Wiretap case against Fall River resident dismissed after phone erased

http://www.tauntongazette.com/article/20140411/NEWS/140418964/1994/NEWS

Fall River police immediately issue statement that an outside company will investigate erasure.

Wiretap case against Fall River resident dismissed after phone erased

FALL RIVER — The illegal wiretap case against George Thompson was dismissed Friday after prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to proceed because someone erased Thompson’s iPhone while it was in police custody.

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Thompson’s case — he was arrested after recording a Fall River police officer with his iPhone — generated national media attention. Two representatives from copblock.org — a website that highlights abusive police practices — traveled from New Hampshire to attend Friday’s motion hearing. They were temporarily refused entry into the courthouse when security officers thought they were being disruptive.

“We’re here to support George and to help him hold officials accountable through the court of public opinion,” said Pete Eyre of copblock.org, who, along with other Thompson supporters, walked outside the courthouse recording court security personnel and police officers. They were allowed back inside the courthouse after about 15 minutes.

“This just shows the arbitrary nature of what they did,” Eyre said.