Buffalo police threaten Bills RB with obstruction of justice

[YardRat]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2008/06/03/lynch-bills.html

Police spokesperson Mike DeGeorge said on Tuesday afternoon that Lynch's attorney had made contact the previous day but that a meeting had not been set up.

"Right now, the ball is in their court. The clock would be ticking," said DeGeorge. "Police have made it clear to Mr. Lynch's representative that they would like some answers, expect some answers, and if they don't start getting some answers then they could take some other action."

DeGeorge said Lynch could face an obstruction of justice charge if he doesn't co-operate.

[Romes]

****ing hell

[kernowboy]

idiot .. Lynch's character issues clearly include a lack of intelligence

[Mitchy moo]

He cannot be obstructing himself, can he?? The police are grasping at straws to try to figure out the story, that's getting more & more obvious.

[SabreEleven]

But if Lynch was innocent, he would have been calling the police to clear his name, not having the police wait on him. This doesn't look good.

[Mitchy moo]

But if Lynch was innocent, he would have been calling the police to clear his name, not having the police wait on him. This doesn't look good.

ML maybe protecting a friend.

[Buckets]

If he is represented by an attorney he does not have to say a word. Having been in law enforcement for 33 years I wouldn't say anything without my attorney present. Let the attorney earn his money.

[Jan Reimers]

If he is represented by an attorney he does not have to say a word. Having been in law enforcement for 33 years I wouldn't say anything without my attorney present. Let the attorney earn his money.
I agree, but this thing is beginning to smell like dead fish.

[Cntrygal]

If he is represented by an attorney he does not have to say a word. Having been in law enforcement for 33 years I wouldn't say anything without my attorney present. Let the attorney earn his money.

:up:

Although, if he loaned his car out to a friend - he needs to tell the friend to 'fess up IMEDIATELY, because he's on his way to the cops to tell them who had his car.

[Jan Reimers]

I may be naive - maybe because I've never been involved in this kind of thing - but I've always thought that when you're innocent, you just come forward and cooperate in any way possible.

Hiding behind your lawyer just doesn't seem like the way to do things if you don't have at least some culpability in the event.

[Philagape]

This is what I meant yesterday by making it worse

[Bone]

Time will tell...

[Patti120]

This has definitely been bizarre!

[Bill Brasky]

But if Lynch was innocent, he would have been calling the police to clear his name, not having the police wait on him. This doesn't look good.
his lawyer has advised him to keep shut. that's what he's doing.

i'll wait til the facts come out before i make a judgement.

there are obviously other situations at play here. any number of things could have happened.... teammate or family member at the wheel while he was in the car, car was stolen, marshawn behind the wheel, etc.

anyone had to deal with cops or lawyers before? it's best to keep your mouth shut and not give the po's any cheese to poke holes in because that's all they enjoy doing.

[Jan Reimers]

his lawyer has advised him to keep shut. that's what he's doing.

i'll wait til the facts come out before i make a judgement.
Absolutely. But the appearance of some kind of culpability on Marshawn's behalf becomes stronger every day that goes by.

[Bill Brasky]

i will admit it doesn't help his case so in that respect i don't disagree with you at all. in america i like to think that you're innocent until proven guilty. sadly that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. the cops seem to think they have this all figured out without even talking to him, and the public has made assumptions based on "reliable" media reports.

[eyedog]

The police obviously have no idea who was driving, if so that person would have already been arrested. And Marshawn is under no obligation to incriminate himself or anyone else.

[Bill Brasky]

The police obviously have no idea who was driving, if so that person would have already been arrested. And Marshawn is under no obligation to incriminate himself or anyone else.
nail on the head!

at the same time, if he was guilty, it'd be way easier on him to fess up and keep the media circuis to a minimum. it would be to his benefit.

at this point, i think he's doing the absolute right thing by keeping his mouth shut.

[Buckets]

I may be naive - maybe because I've never been involved in this kind of thing - but I've always thought that when you're innocent, you just come forward and cooperate in any way possible.

Hiding behind your lawyer just doesn't seem like the way to do things if you don't have at least some culpability in the event.

You are being naive. Believe me this is a big deal for Lynch, like the Miranda states "anything you say can be used against you" if you're not well versed in the law keep your mouth shut or at least keep what you say to a minimum and take the advice of your attorney if you are being investigated.

[Bill Brasky]

like the Miranda states "anything you say can be used against you" if you're not well versed in the law keep your mouth shut or at least keep what you say to a minimum and take the advice of your attorney if you are being investigated.
:bf1:

[TedMock]

I may be naive - maybe because I've never been involved in this kind of thing - but I've always thought that when you're innocent, you just come forward and cooperate in any way possible.

Hiding behind your lawyer just doesn't seem like the way to do things if you don't have at least some culpability in the event.

You're usually better off keeping quiet. I'm an investigator in a particular area, I call people in for interviews, take sworn testimony, etc. I work very closely with prosecuting attorneys. The main thing we do is NOT in a criminal arena, but many of our cases spill over to that side and we work with DOJ, FBI, etc.

Good lawyers and good investigators (or cops for that matter) are very crafty and I would never, ever, ever, ever talk to law enforcement or any regulatory authority without an attorney - even if I was 100% innocent (don't tell my boss I said that!). They will hang on every single word you say and have to put together sufficient evidence, so your words, though true, could be presented on paper to sound much more incriminating than they were meant. When I talk to people, I ask certain questions in different ways, over and over again. The witness answers a certain way early in the morning, but 6-8 hours later he is tired and frustrated and may start answering differently. Now credibility is in question and a new can of worms has been opened. I don't do that just to get "confessions" as I close more cases than I pursue. I do have a job to do though and I have to make sure that the person is indeed innocent. I always hope they are because that means no harm was done and that's a good thing.

I don't know for certain, but my guess is that local, Buffalo p.d. work in a similar fashion.

Full disclosure - after many years of this work, I'm leaving at the beginning of next month to take a different job in a similar industry.

[jamze132]

Any chance mybills ghost was driving the car and Lynch can't figure out a way to explain it to the PD?

[Bill Brasky]

They will hang on every single word you say and have to put together sufficient evidence, so your words, though true, could be presented on paper to sound much more incriminating than they were meant.

:bf1: :bf1:

[Ickybaluky]

There is some evidence (http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/362012.html):


Soon after Marshawn Lynch’s SUV struck a woman on a Chippewa Street corner early Saturday morning, police discovered the hit-and-run vehicle parked in his driveway, The Buffalo News learned Tuesday.

Law enforcement sources said Buffalo police, assisted by Hamburg police, found the black 2008 Porsche Cayenne in the driveway of the Buffalo Bills running back’s Hamburg home — just one to two hours after the accident.


The vehicle, which is registered to Lynch, had damage that linked it to the scene, sources said. But when investigators knocked on his door, no one answered, the sources added.

The sources also disclosed that Lynch had been spotted in the area of Chippewa Street not long before the incident.


Sources said one police officer, who is regularly assigned to the Chippewa detail, recognized the Cayenne as the SUV that Lynch previously has driven in the area. The officer was among the witnesses who identified Lynch’s SUV, placing it at the scene of the accident, sources said.


When officers recovered Lynch’s SUV at his Hamburg home, it had front-end damage on the passenger side and also had damage to the passenger-side door, the sources said.


The city’s surveillance camera system “caught something” at the crash site, police said, but officials are not releasing that tape because it is being held as evidence.

So, his car was involved in an accident, and damage to the car links it to the scene. Further, it was parked in his driveway shortly after the accident. There are reports of his being in the area at that time, and there is video that records the event to some degree.

That is some pretty significant evidence. Obviously, Lynch shouldn't incriminate himself, however there are questions that have to be answered and something will come of it.

IMO, if Lynch did it or knows who did it he should just tell what he knows. Worst case, it was him and he gets charged with the hit-and-run. That isn't as serious a charge as one might think, and (given he has no prior issues) in terms of the personal conduct policy would probably result in no suspension or a relatively minor one (1 to 2 games).

[The Spaz]

There is some evidence (http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/362012.html):











So, his car was involved in an accident, and damage to the car links it to the scene. Further, it was parked in his driveway shortly after the accident. There are reports of his being in the area at that time, and there is video that records the event to some degree.

That is some pretty significant evidence. Obviously, Lynch shouldn't incriminate himself, however there are questions that have to be answered and something will come of it.

IMO, if Lynch did it or knows who did it he should just tell what he knows. Worst case, it was him and he gets charged with the hit-and-run. That isn't as serious a charge as one might think, and (given he has no prior issues) in terms of the personal conduct policy would probably result in no suspension or a relatively minor one (1 to 2 games).

Call the Patriots I'm sure they have it on tape...

[Mitchy moo]

Parked in his driveway?? If I just hit somone and fled, I would bury the car far far away.



There is some evidence (http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/362012.html):











So, his car was involved in an accident, and damage to the car links it to the scene. Further, it was parked in his driveway shortly after the accident. There are reports of his being in the area at that time, and there is video that records the event to some degree.

That is some pretty significant evidence. Obviously, Lynch shouldn't incriminate himself, however there are questions that have to be answered and something will come of it.

IMO, if Lynch did it or knows who did it he should just tell what he knows. Worst case, it was him and he gets charged with the hit-and-run. That isn't as serious a charge as one might think, and (given he has no prior issues) in terms of the personal conduct policy would probably result in no suspension or a relatively minor one (1 to 2 games).

[Ickybaluky]

Call the Patriots I'm sure they have it on tape...

If they had taped it, not only would they have it on tape but it would be broken down to show the status of the traffic light at the time, the resulting assistance the women received and shown Lynch parking the car at his home afterward. Apparently, the Buffalo authorities are not as efficient.

That said...

This really isn't that big a deal. Stuff like this happens all the time, and it seems a routine hit-and-run. He is lucky the women wasn't more seriously injured. I don't even think he would get suspended.

Lynch should just deal with it and move on. I think he is making it worse by letting it drag on.

[colin]

the posts here talking about coming forward and so on show a real trust in the law and police.

if you rank the average cop in terms of smarts, education, how hard the industry is to get into, and compare them to bankers, lawyers, doctors, etc, you'll see they don't have the chops that these other professionals have (exceptions exist of course, but on average).

now we all know tons of stories of banks, lawyers, and doctors making mistakes, or being biases, or tending to have a gut impression and sort of fitting things to that impression (anyone have the dr who thinks that one special drug is perfect for nearly everything?).

well, putting these things together, you can't expect cops to be perfect, and you can always get a bad one, or one who just came off some crazy case and thinks the world is evil, or who knows what else. so even tho they have a ton of power and we often have to trust them, there is no need to expose yourself anymore than necessary.

that's what seperates america from many other first world nations, citizens have rights and they don't have to apologize to anyone when exercising them.

[Jan Reimers]

The most encouraging quote in this most recent Buffalo News article is, "Under terms of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, discipline by the NFL commissioner may be imposed for a criminal offense or for 'conduct that imposes an inherent danger to the safety and well-being of another person.' "

(But) "The policy states that 'unless the case involves significant bodily harm, a first offense will generally not result in discipline unless there has been a disposition of the proceeding.' "

This is all subject to interpretation, but it would seem to indicate that any punishment by the league might be relatively minor.

[justasportsfan]

ML maybe protecting a friend.
which could be obstructing justice.

[justasportsfan]

the cops seem to think they have this all figured out without even talking to him, .
All they want is for him to step up and clear things up. If they had it figured out then someone would've already been held accountable by now.

I think they are being lenient with this situation because of who he is. If it were you or any average Joe, you would have been already brought in for questioning the minute your car was impounded.

[Dozerdog]

The smart thing for Marshawn to do is to find someone to take the rap for this - not "protect" someone.

ML would be the cash cow for any entourage.

Sorry guys, but he looks guilty

[justasportsfan]

The police obviously have no idea who was driving, if so that person would have already been arrested. And Marshawn is under no obligation to incriminate himself or anyone else.
I disagree. It was his car that was involved. He would have to be brought in for questioning.

As an example ,My buddy's gun was involved in a situation. The feds traced the gun back to him and showed up in his house only to find out he had sold the gun years ago. He was cleared, end of story.

[Dozerdog]

You're usually better off keeping quiet. I'm an investigator in a particular area, I call people in for interviews, take sworn testimony, etc. I work very closely with prosecuting attorneys. The main thing we do is NOT in a criminal arena, but many of our cases spill over to that side and we work with DOJ, FBI, etc.

Good lawyers and good investigators (or cops for that matter) are very crafty and I would never, ever, ever, ever talk to law enforcement or any regulatory authority without an attorney - even if I was 100% innocent (don't tell my boss I said that!). They will hang on every single word you say and have to put together sufficient evidence, so your words, though true, could be presented on paper to sound much more incriminating than they were meant. When I talk to people, I ask certain questions in different ways, over and over again. The witness answers a certain way early in the morning, but 6-8 hours later he is tired and frustrated and may start answering differently. Now credibility is in question and a new can of worms has been opened. I don't do that just to get "confessions" as I close more cases than I pursue. I do have a job to do though and I have to make sure that the person is indeed innocent. I always hope they are because that means no harm was done and that's a good thing.

I don't know for certain, but my guess is that local, Buffalo p.d. work in a similar fashion.

Full disclosure - after many years of this work, I'm leaving at the beginning of next month to take a different job in a similar industry.


OK- but would you be going to the press or telling the press if they came to you that you are getting "frustrated" about a suspect's silence?

[TedMock]

OK- but would you be going to the press or telling the press if they came to you that you are getting "frustrated" about a suspect's silence?

No. If I'm not good at my job I may feel the urge to throw stuff like this out there in hopes of creating public concern and getting tips for the case, but I certainly wouldn't prefer this method. However, our investigations are confidential, so I say "no comment" when I get phone calls.

[Bill Brasky]

I think they are being lenient with this situation because of who he is. If it were you or any average Joe, you would have been already brought in for questioning the minute your car was impounded.

yeah, and i personally think that sucks.

however, i don't believe anything the cops say anymore. they are just as good at twisting their words as the crooks are.

[eyedog]

I disagree. It was his car that was involved. He would have to be brought in for questioning.

As an example ,My buddy's gun was involved in a situation. The feds traced the gun back to him and showed up in his house only to find out he had sold the gun years ago. He was cleared, end of story.

He doesn't have to talk to the police. I'm sure his lawyer has told him not to say anything at this point.

[justasportsfan]

He doesn't have to talk to the police..
well thats not what the cops are saying now are they? Fess up or we'll come after you. If he wasn't Lynch, he'd already been brought in.

[justasportsfan]

however, i don't believe anything the cops say anymore. they are just as good at twisting their words as the crooks are.
thats a personal preference. they're ok in my books.

[Bill Brasky]

well, obviously i don't speak for all of them. but they have gotten a lot worse as the years have gone on, especially in NY state.

[Philagape]

Two scenarios:
1. He was driving, in which case he has a Fifth Amendment right not to talk. But he still did it.
2. He wasn't driving, in which case he doesn't have a Fifth Amendment right to protect someone else and can be charged with obstruction.

Both bad.

[eyedog]

well thats not what the cops are saying now are they? Fess up or we'll come after you. If he wasn't Lynch, he'd already been brought in.
Come after him with what ?

His car doesn't mean he was driving it. Need proof. And they don't have it.

[Michael82]

The police obviously have no idea who was driving, if so that person would have already been arrested. And Marshawn is under no obligation to incriminate himself or anyone else.
EXACTLY! The cops just want to get someone for the accident, but they have no proof who was driving, who was in the car. So they don't have a leg to stand on, IMO. It's basically his word versus the dumb ***** that stood in the middle of the road at 3:30am.

[Philagape]

If there's any good news from a football perspective, Ray Lewis pleaded to obstruction in a much more serious case and wasn't suspended.

[justasportsfan]

Come after him with what ?

His car doesn't mean he was driving it. Need proof. And they don't have it.
bring him in for questioning and possibly obstruction of justice.

NO one has accused him of driving, but it's obviously his property that was involed in this. He has to face the music.



If it were anyones family member here that was ran over, we'd be screaming bloody hell for Lynch to answer questions.

[eyedog]

bring him in for questioning and possibly obstruction of justice.
He doesn't have to talk to them.

[Michael82]

Come after him with what ?

His car doesn't mean he was driving it. Need proof. And they don't have it.
I agree. They have his car and want to nail him for it, but they don't have the proof. If they did, they would have already forced him to come in for questioning.

[justasportsfan]

He doesn't have to talk to them.
I agree, but he should be brought in for questioning. The cops are being nice because he's lynch.

[Philagape]

I agree. They have his car and want to nail him for it, but they don't have the proof. If they did, they would have already forced him to come in for questioning.

Unless he was wearing gloves in June, the driver's prints should be on the wheel.

[justasportsfan]

I agree. They have his car and want to nail him for it, but they don't have the proof. If they did, they would have already forced him to come in for questioning.

no one is saying they have proof of him driving. But they have proof it was his car. His property is his responsibility.

What would you be doing if it was your mom that got ran over by Lynch's vehicle ?

I doubt you'd be saying, you don't have to talk to us or clear things up.

[Michael82]

Unless he was wearing gloves in June, the driver's prints should be on the wheel.
I don't know if they can get prints off the steering wheels. Depending on the car, the wheel doesn't have good material to get your fingerprint on.

[Michael82]

no one is saying they have proof of him driving. But they have proof it was his car. His property is his responsibility.

What would you be doing if it was your mom that got ran over by Lynch's vehicle ?

I doubt you'd be saying, you don't have to talk to us or clear things up.
If it was my mom, I would settle it behind the scenes and never would have let it get this far. I would have denied it all and just threatened Lynch and his insurance company, so we got paid! I'm sure he could give us $5 million with no problems. :up:

[mybills]

I can't go through this whole thread...does anybody know if she's pressing charges?
If not, the cops are just trying to followup/finish the report, right?

[Bill Brasky]

i think it would be ridic to believe anything at this point. all the facts are getting misconstrued. first he ran and left the vehicle, now they say he sped off. first the lady wasn't hurt, now she has 7 stiches. let's just wait to see how it plays out. the news is unreliable and the fact that people are making assumptions based on news reports is downright comical.

[justasportsfan]

and never would have let it get this far. Bingo!!!



I would settle it behind the scenes : the media would have something to say about that. I doubt you'd be able to keep it from us here on BZ anyways.



I would have denied it all and just threatened Lynch and his insurance company, so we got paid! I'm sure he could give us $5 million with no problems. :up:meh, as if his lawyer won't have anything to say to that.

[Cntrygal]

You are being naive. Believe me this is a big deal for Lynch, like the Miranda states "anything you say can be used against you" if you're not well versed in the law keep your mouth shut or at least keep what you say to a minimum and take the advice of your attorney if you are being investigated.


You're usually better off keeping quiet. I'm an investigator in a particular area, I call people in for interviews, take sworn testimony, etc. I work very closely with prosecuting attorneys. The main thing we do is NOT in a criminal arena, but many of our cases spill over to that side and we work with DOJ, FBI, etc.

Good lawyers and good investigators (or cops for that matter) are very crafty and I would never, ever, ever, ever talk to law enforcement or any regulatory authority without an attorney - even if I was 100% innocent (don't tell my boss I said that!). They will hang on every single word you say and have to put together sufficient evidence, so your words, though true, could be presented on paper to sound much more incriminating than they were meant. When I talk to people, I ask certain questions in different ways, over and over again. The witness answers a certain way early in the morning, but 6-8 hours later he is tired and frustrated and may start answering differently. Now credibility is in question and a new can of worms has been opened. I don't do that just to get "confessions" as I close more cases than I pursue. I do have a job to do though and I have to make sure that the person is indeed innocent. I always hope they are because that means no harm was done and that's a good thing.

I don't know for certain, but my guess is that local, Buffalo p.d. work in a similar fashion.

Full disclosure - after many years of this work, I'm leaving at the beginning of next month to take a different job in a similar industry.


Thanks for the insight... I understand what you both are saying, it's tough to wrap my mind around it though - it's against how I was raised.... :sigh:

[TigerJ]

But if Lynch was innocent, he would have been calling the police to clear his name, not having the police wait on him. This doesn't look good. Not necessarily, if it was a friend or family member who was driving. If the police can't finger anyone as the driver, then the driver can never be prosecuted. If he's the driver, his layer may have told him he's better off not volunteering a thing and if someone close to him was the driver, to keep quiet is his best choice for protecting them. I don't like that it's starting to look like no one will ever be charged as the driver, but the woman can probably make a nice tidy sum by suing Lynch as the owner of the vehicle. I probably wouldn't mind seven stitches and a badly bruised thigh for a few hundred thousand dollars or more in a settlement.

[TigerJ]

If there's any good news from a football perspective, Ray Lewis pleaded to obstruction in a much more serious case and wasn't suspended.

Goodell wasn't commissioner then either.

[LVGrown]

Unless he was wearing gloves in June, the driver's prints should be on the wheel.


I feel its only being made into a big deal because it is "Marshawn Lynch" an NFL football player. Think the police would be talking to the media if it was me in my 2003 Mazda Protege?? I highly doubt it ...

I normally agree with most the things you post, but Ive personally witnessed some pretty wild tactics used by those men and women sworn to uphold the law and if you honestly believe the police are innocent and do everything by the book you need to get out and explore your surroundings.

[Philagape]

I feel its only being made into a big deal because it is "Marshawn Lynch" an NFL football player. Think the police would be talking to the media if it was me in my 2003 Mazda Protege?? I highly doubt it ...

I normally agree with most the things you post, but Ive personally witnessed some pretty wild tactics used by those men and women sworn to uphold the law and if you honestly believe the police are innocent and do everything by the book you need to get out and explore your surroundings.

:huh:

How did you get all that from what I said?

If it were you in your 2003 Mazda Protege, I highly doubt the media would care.

[LVGrown]

thats a personal preference. they're ok in my books.


this is what i meant to quote in my last response, not Phil ... my bad!

[feldspar]

If he is represented by an attorney he does not have to say a word. Having been in law enforcement for 33 years I wouldn't say anything without my attorney present. Let the attorney earn his money.

Right.

With a good attorney, you don't have to be innocent.

[justasportsfan]

this is what i meant to quote in my last response, not Phil ... my bad!
Erin, I never said all cops were clean or perfect. I said they're OK . They aren't as bad as some people make them out to be either.

I disagree with their moving slow with this because it's Lynch. They aren't doing things by the book.