Justice

Read These Newly Released Police Emails About Ahmed Mohamed's Arrest

November 6th 2015

Internal emails exchanged within the Irving, Texas Police Department during the Ahmed Mohamed scandal shed light on just how hectic things got behind the scenes, after officers arrested the 14-year-old back in September for bringing a homemade clock to school.

The emails and memos were obtained via a public information request (through the Texas Public Information Act ) by Vice's Motherboard, and they show communications between department officials, legal counsel, journalists, as well as frustrated members of the public. The messages reveal assessments of consequences stemming from a questionable arrest, directives to maintain measured approaches to police duties, and in at least one instance, quips about the blow back and the Mohamed family's decision to move to Qatar.

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But perhaps the most interesting email was from one officer, Rodney Bergeron, who explained the need to objectively assess when an arrest should be made. "This is what happens when we screw something up," he wrote to other officers. "If you have to go to your Sgt., and the Sgt. has to go to the Lt., and the Lt. has to go to the Capt., and the Capt. has to go to the Assistant Chief to make a decision on whether to arrest or not, then you probably shouldn't make the arrest until more investigation is done."

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"That thing didn't even look like a bomb," Bergeron wrote in reference to Mohamed's clock that was assembled in a briefcase. "And now, the kid is being made into a hero. And, the city is going to pay big for this one. He won't need a scholarship to MIT."

Internal emails and memos from Irving PD after Mohamed scandalMotherboard - vice.com

Emails were also sent about Ahmed's decision to move to Qatar.

"I bet his lawyers aren't happy about that," the department's legal advisor, Les Moore, wrote to a city attorney who emailed him the news. The two joked about moving forward with a deposition in Qatar, since one never materialized, Motherboard notes. "Lets wait till winter when its below 120," Moore wrote.

"Meh—it's a dry heat," the attorney, Jason McClain replied.

Head over to Motherboard to read all 230 pages of emails and internal memos obtained via the information request.

288649806 IPD Employee Emails Redacted

h/t Motherboard

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