A RUSH TO JUDGMENT BUT A HOPE THAT POLICE WILL LEARN TO WORK DIFFERENTLY WITH YOUTH TO AVOID FUTURE MISTAKES
When they first told me why they called me out of class, my heart froze. Honestly, I wasn’t really sure what to think.
I was being accused of taking part in an armed robbery of two cell phones. My advisor kept asking me if there was anything I wanted to tell him. My Principal asked me if I did it. I’ve been at the school for about three months now. I felt that the school should know my character inside and out because of the way I carried myself, as respectful, quiet and studious. I was furious and felt insulted. Something about the way my principle asked me made it sound to me that he really thought I either had something to do with it or did it myself.
When my mother found about it all she was so stunned, she broke down and cried. It broke my heart to see her like that. When I was interrogated by the police my first thought was: just tell the truth and this will all get sorted out. Even my honesty was misread. Apparently, I came off guilty to them. Guilty and angry are two distinctively different looks. I felt like I was treated like a common criminal, even though I didn’t even have a criminal record. One officer said that just the fact that my mother looked like she had been crying was a sign of guilt. I realize now how naïve I was thinking that telling the truth would lead to a positive outcome. It was an awful feeling thinking that it might not. My heart goes out to all of those people who have been, or are being charged, and are innocent. I now know in a very personal way, what they went through.
The detectives seemed intent on solving the crime. But their tactics made me feel that they didn’t care who they pinned it on, as long as they as they looked good. They were so sure that I was the one. One of them even called me a liar. The fact that he was wrong proves just how great a human lie detector he turned out to be. Even while my head was swimming with all of the possible negative outcomes of this situation, DYS, probation, etc., the thing that bothered me most was that I was worried about my mother crying her eyes out every night because of the multiple threats we received about search warrants and arrest warrants. If anyone deserves an apology, it is my mother. The police were so sure that I was guilty and the way they went about proving that they were right, put my family through outrageous and unnecessary pressure and stress.
Under normal circumstances I deal with more pressure than most teens, in part because of the work my father does. I was feeling so much stress that one Saturday, not knowing whether I would be arrested at any minute for something I didn’t do, I just collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital .Once out of the hospital I tried to pretend everything was normal while waiting to see which way this case would go. Going to school was the hardest and dealing with rumors and questions from the curious onlookers. I wondered: Who believed I was innocent and who behind my back was saying I probably did it? The day they picked up the true culprits, my parents had let me go to a Step Show with my school. While I was there I got a call from my parents. All I recall is the amount of joy in my mother’s voice. I’d never heard my mother so happy. The police had found the RIGHT person and I had been cleared.
I’m keeping my head and my grades up. I am relieved but most of all, I am hopeful that my situation will be a lesson because the police need to look at better ways to deal with young people if they want to be more effective at solving crime and most importantly getting the right person. If they approach situations with black teenagers like they are all guilty until proven innocent, instead of the other way around, they will never be trusted. I hope too that the media and the police stop rushing to judgment just to solve a case.
Jeremy Wall
Age 15
Son of Pastor Bruce H. Wall
Global Ministries Christian Church
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A RUSH TO JUDGMENT BUT A HOPE THAT POLICE WILL LEARN TO WORK DIFFERENTLY WITH YOUTH TO AVOID FUTURE MISTAKES
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Protecting the innocent is protecting the community
Protecting the innocent is protecting the community
We take strong exception to the Banner’s editorial that seemed to equate our taking a public and proactive stand in supporting our son’s innocence with parents who wrongfully protect and cover for their guilty kids (“Who protects the community?” Dec. 6, 2007). Nothing could be further from the truth in our case.
Your readers should know that there were some not-so-above-board tactics that went on out of public view that necessitated our decision to get “in front” of this story, rather than to continue to allow the solid case of misinformation that was in the process of being built to destroy an innocent young person’s life. We’ve seen that happen too many times in our ministry to youth.
We have a history of being out front and steadfast in supporting many young people who we knew to be innocent. Our unwavering support, involvement and active advocacy for Donnell Johnson led to his being exonerated despite police claims of an airtight case, as one example.
For the record, we decided to do the press conference after the story of our son’s accusation had been leaked to a police reporter. The press conference also served the purpose of bringing the situation into public view. So in a very real sense, we feel the press conference, even though our son was not yet charged, helped to keep everything above board and everyone honest during the investigation, which eventually led to our son being proven innocent.
We take strong exception to the Banner’s editorial that seemed to equate our taking a public and proactive stand in supporting our son’s innocence with parents who wrongfully protect and cover for their guilty kids (“Who protects the community?” Dec. 6, 2007). Nothing could be further from the truth in our case.
Your readers should know that there were some not-so-above-board tactics that went on out of public view that necessitated our decision to get “in front” of this story, rather than to continue to allow the solid case of misinformation that was in the process of being built to destroy an innocent young person’s life. We’ve seen that happen too many times in our ministry to youth.
We have a history of being out front and steadfast in supporting many young people who we knew to be innocent. Our unwavering support, involvement and active advocacy for Donnell Johnson led to his being exonerated despite police claims of an airtight case, as one example.
For the record, we decided to do the press conference after the story of our son’s accusation had been leaked to a police reporter. The press conference also served the purpose of bringing the situation into public view. So in a very real sense, we feel the press conference, even though our son was not yet charged, helped to keep everything above board and everyone honest during the investigation, which eventually led to our son being proven innocent.
An avoidable crisis
A substantial reduction in the level of urban violence requires an effective police force. Close police-community relations would make it more difficult for miscreants to commit crimes without being apprehended. Unfortunately, while most police officers behave in a highly professional manner, there are some who cause considerable concern in the community.
It is bad enough that some police officers are involved in illegal drug trafficking or are guilty of using excessive force against citizens, but their misdeeds do not stop there. An unidentified police officer recently notified the Boston Herald that Rev. Bruce Wall’s 15-year-old son was a person of interest in a series of armed robberies. Every police officer worth his salt knows that an identification from a photo lineup is very weak evidence of involvement. In fact, it turns out that the identification was mistaken. The real suspect has been apprehended. But in the meantime, the Wall family has been forced to suffer the threat of their son’s arrest and the extensive search of their home. Such senseless acts by the police make the public leery of informing on their neighbors who may be involved in criminal activity.
It is bad enough that some police officers are involved in illegal drug trafficking or are guilty of using excessive force against citizens, but their misdeeds do not stop there. An unidentified police officer recently notified the Boston Herald that Rev. Bruce Wall’s 15-year-old son was a person of interest in a series of armed robberies. Every police officer worth his salt knows that an identification from a photo lineup is very weak evidence of involvement. In fact, it turns out that the identification was mistaken. The real suspect has been apprehended. But in the meantime, the Wall family has been forced to suffer the threat of their son’s arrest and the extensive search of their home. Such senseless acts by the police make the public leery of informing on their neighbors who may be involved in criminal activity.
Clearing a WallThe story behind the misidentification of Rev. Bruce Wall’s son by Howard Manly
Clearing a WallThe story behind the misidentification of Rev. Bruce Wall’s son
Howard Manly
As armed robberies go, this one was pretty tame.
On Nov. 9 at around 2:30 p.m., two young black men crossed paths with three other young black men on West Street near Cleary Square in the Hyde Park section of Boston.
A conversation started when one of the teens from the first group asked the teens of the second group for a cigarette. According to statements made later to police, the conversation took a different tact when instead of a cigarette, the questions — demands, really — turned to money, then marijuana.
All of sudden, a cell phone rang.
That is when someone flashed “a black colored firearm,” and said, “Empty your pockets.”
Two cell phones were quickly turned over, and for the next month, the life of 15-year-old Jeremy Wall, the son of longtime community activist Rev. Bruce Wall, became distorted, transforming like a Picasso painting from the age of innocence to the age of guilt.
The story has a good ending — at least for Wall, his son and his family.
On Dec. 1, one of the victims of the armed robbery was eating at Papa Gino’s on Hyde Park Avenue when he saw one of the teens who robbed him come into the fast-food restaurant. He called his father, who then called the police. Before long, a group of officers walked into Papa Gino’s and, after a brief struggle, made the arrest.
But this is a story about the process, and how an innocent kid could be named as a suspect in an armed robbery.
Mistakes were made along the way, the most important of which was the unintended consequence of a well-intentioned desire to help the police; the second was the leaking of police information involving a juvenile to the tabloid Boston Herald.
As descriptions go, this one at least narrowed the field. The group of three victims, one of whom is the 13-year-old son of a Boston police officer, told police that one of the assailants wore a black cap, khaki pants and a grey hooded sweatshirt. The second assailant wore black slacks, a blue dress shirt and a black jacket with what appeared to be Chinese symbols on both sides of the chest.
In addition, the victims told police, one of the assailants was light-skinned and had a scar on his right hand.
Armed with those descriptions, police officers visited the three or four charter and private schools in the Cleary Square area. One of those schools was Boston Trinity Academy. Founded in 2002, the small Boston charter school prides itself on its rigorous curriculum and Christian faith.
On Nov. 16, police talked with Headmaster Timothy P. Wiens, who, according to Rev. Wall, told them that he had a student who matched their description.
According to the Walls, his son was in class when he was told to go to the headmaster’s office. On this particular day, Rev. Wall was in Washington, D.C. Jeremy’s mother, Rev. Karin Wall, received a telephone call and was on her way to the school.
By the time she arrived, the police officers were sitting outside the headmaster’s office while her son was inside the office. When she heard the reason for the meeting, her eyes welled with tears.
She signed off on the Miranda rights and the police started asking Jeremy questions. School officials then searched his backpack and his school locker. For his part, Jeremy said he thought that if he told the truth, the meeting would only take a few more minutes.
He said he was innocent.
But the story was far from over. In fact, it had just begun.
The police obtained a photograph of Jeremy and included it in an array of photographs of possible suspects. One of the victims of the Nov. 9 robbery pointed to one photograph — the one of Jeremy Wall. The next thing anyone knew, the media was calling Rev. Wall.
Rev. Wall said the telephone call came from Michelle McPhee, the Herald’s police bureau chief and columnist. According to Wall, she left a voice mail saying that his son was identified as a suspect in at least one armed robbery, possibly three.
Wall was shocked and was faced with both a public and private dilemma. Of the two, the first was probably the easiest for him to resolve — either remain silent and allow the criminal justice system to get to the bottom of the situation, or go public and proclaim his son’s innocence.
Rightly or wrongly, he went public.
To take steam away from a Herald exclusive, Wall and his media advisers reached out to the Boston Globe. On Nov. 27, the same day that an article appeared in the Herald, a story written by one of the Globe’s police reporters appeared in that newspaper, as well as a column written by Adrian Walker. While all three stories named Rev. Wall and his son, none of the journalists claimed Wall’s son actually committed the crime. All of them did say, however, that he was a suspect.
The second problem was more personal. More than most, Wall knows what can happen to juveniles caught up in the system. For 24 years, he was first assistant clerk magistrate of the Boston Juvenile Court. He recently retired, but in his ministry, Rev. Wall — host of a Christian radio talk show and pastor of Global Ministries Christian Church in Dorchester — has counseled countless others, guilty and innocent.
But this conversation hurt. He sat his son down and told him the worst-case scenario. He talked about being arrested, and having the police take a photograph and fingerprints, as well as searching their home.
The reverend talked about an arraignment and posting bail money. He also talked about possible jail time and the potential that a district attorney could charge Jeremy as an adult. Given the fact that a gun was involved, prison time was all the more likely.
The pressure was taking a toll. Right before Thanksgiving, Rev. Wall said his son had collapsed and was taken to a hospital for observation.
Fortunately for the Walls, the worst-case never came to pass.
On Dec. 3, Rev. Wall sent out media advisories telling all that were interested that he was holding a press conference about the police clearing his son.
During that press conference, he singled out three police officers for what he described as their “resolute professionalism and integrity” — Superintendent Paul Joyce, Superintendent Bruce Holloway and Captain Frank Armstrong.
Rev. Wall said throughout the ordeal, he was assured on several occasions that the investigation would be handled thoroughly and fairly.
Wall’s attorney, Jill Klowden, particularly thanked Armstrong for knowing just how unreliable identifications can be.
“Thankfully,” she said in a statement, “[Armstrong] slowed this process, which easily could have turned into a witch hunt based on the word of one child … He was, in fact, a saving grace for this family, but too often, this is not done. Too often kids are overlooked in the system when there is no one able to speak up for them … I hope the young man who wrongly accused one of his peers and we, as a society, can learn a lesson because unfortunately wrongful accusations and wrongful convictions are an epidemic.”
Howard Manly
As armed robberies go, this one was pretty tame.
On Nov. 9 at around 2:30 p.m., two young black men crossed paths with three other young black men on West Street near Cleary Square in the Hyde Park section of Boston.
A conversation started when one of the teens from the first group asked the teens of the second group for a cigarette. According to statements made later to police, the conversation took a different tact when instead of a cigarette, the questions — demands, really — turned to money, then marijuana.
All of sudden, a cell phone rang.
That is when someone flashed “a black colored firearm,” and said, “Empty your pockets.”
Two cell phones were quickly turned over, and for the next month, the life of 15-year-old Jeremy Wall, the son of longtime community activist Rev. Bruce Wall, became distorted, transforming like a Picasso painting from the age of innocence to the age of guilt.
The story has a good ending — at least for Wall, his son and his family.
On Dec. 1, one of the victims of the armed robbery was eating at Papa Gino’s on Hyde Park Avenue when he saw one of the teens who robbed him come into the fast-food restaurant. He called his father, who then called the police. Before long, a group of officers walked into Papa Gino’s and, after a brief struggle, made the arrest.
But this is a story about the process, and how an innocent kid could be named as a suspect in an armed robbery.
Mistakes were made along the way, the most important of which was the unintended consequence of a well-intentioned desire to help the police; the second was the leaking of police information involving a juvenile to the tabloid Boston Herald.
As descriptions go, this one at least narrowed the field. The group of three victims, one of whom is the 13-year-old son of a Boston police officer, told police that one of the assailants wore a black cap, khaki pants and a grey hooded sweatshirt. The second assailant wore black slacks, a blue dress shirt and a black jacket with what appeared to be Chinese symbols on both sides of the chest.
In addition, the victims told police, one of the assailants was light-skinned and had a scar on his right hand.
Armed with those descriptions, police officers visited the three or four charter and private schools in the Cleary Square area. One of those schools was Boston Trinity Academy. Founded in 2002, the small Boston charter school prides itself on its rigorous curriculum and Christian faith.
On Nov. 16, police talked with Headmaster Timothy P. Wiens, who, according to Rev. Wall, told them that he had a student who matched their description.
According to the Walls, his son was in class when he was told to go to the headmaster’s office. On this particular day, Rev. Wall was in Washington, D.C. Jeremy’s mother, Rev. Karin Wall, received a telephone call and was on her way to the school.
By the time she arrived, the police officers were sitting outside the headmaster’s office while her son was inside the office. When she heard the reason for the meeting, her eyes welled with tears.
She signed off on the Miranda rights and the police started asking Jeremy questions. School officials then searched his backpack and his school locker. For his part, Jeremy said he thought that if he told the truth, the meeting would only take a few more minutes.
He said he was innocent.
But the story was far from over. In fact, it had just begun.
The police obtained a photograph of Jeremy and included it in an array of photographs of possible suspects. One of the victims of the Nov. 9 robbery pointed to one photograph — the one of Jeremy Wall. The next thing anyone knew, the media was calling Rev. Wall.
Rev. Wall said the telephone call came from Michelle McPhee, the Herald’s police bureau chief and columnist. According to Wall, she left a voice mail saying that his son was identified as a suspect in at least one armed robbery, possibly three.
Wall was shocked and was faced with both a public and private dilemma. Of the two, the first was probably the easiest for him to resolve — either remain silent and allow the criminal justice system to get to the bottom of the situation, or go public and proclaim his son’s innocence.
Rightly or wrongly, he went public.
To take steam away from a Herald exclusive, Wall and his media advisers reached out to the Boston Globe. On Nov. 27, the same day that an article appeared in the Herald, a story written by one of the Globe’s police reporters appeared in that newspaper, as well as a column written by Adrian Walker. While all three stories named Rev. Wall and his son, none of the journalists claimed Wall’s son actually committed the crime. All of them did say, however, that he was a suspect.
The second problem was more personal. More than most, Wall knows what can happen to juveniles caught up in the system. For 24 years, he was first assistant clerk magistrate of the Boston Juvenile Court. He recently retired, but in his ministry, Rev. Wall — host of a Christian radio talk show and pastor of Global Ministries Christian Church in Dorchester — has counseled countless others, guilty and innocent.
But this conversation hurt. He sat his son down and told him the worst-case scenario. He talked about being arrested, and having the police take a photograph and fingerprints, as well as searching their home.
The reverend talked about an arraignment and posting bail money. He also talked about possible jail time and the potential that a district attorney could charge Jeremy as an adult. Given the fact that a gun was involved, prison time was all the more likely.
The pressure was taking a toll. Right before Thanksgiving, Rev. Wall said his son had collapsed and was taken to a hospital for observation.
Fortunately for the Walls, the worst-case never came to pass.
On Dec. 3, Rev. Wall sent out media advisories telling all that were interested that he was holding a press conference about the police clearing his son.
During that press conference, he singled out three police officers for what he described as their “resolute professionalism and integrity” — Superintendent Paul Joyce, Superintendent Bruce Holloway and Captain Frank Armstrong.
Rev. Wall said throughout the ordeal, he was assured on several occasions that the investigation would be handled thoroughly and fairly.
Wall’s attorney, Jill Klowden, particularly thanked Armstrong for knowing just how unreliable identifications can be.
“Thankfully,” she said in a statement, “[Armstrong] slowed this process, which easily could have turned into a witch hunt based on the word of one child … He was, in fact, a saving grace for this family, but too often, this is not done. Too often kids are overlooked in the system when there is no one able to speak up for them … I hope the young man who wrongly accused one of his peers and we, as a society, can learn a lesson because unfortunately wrongful accusations and wrongful convictions are an epidemic.”
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Statement by Pastors Bruce and Karin Wall
The Walls want to thank God for watching over their family during this trial. It was only by His Grace that we are out from under this pressure and pain...
On Saturday, December 1, 2007, I was called by a Captain Frank Armstrong Commander of Area E-18 in Hyde Park and told that there had been an arrest of one teenager, who allegedly robbed three teens in Hyde Park. The representative stated that my son is no longer a suspect in this crime.
This was great news, but the publicity and investigation of my son has had an enormous impact on him emotionally, physically and academically. It has even negatively affected everyone in my family.
Just two Saturdays ago my 15-year-old son, who was being accused of an armed robbery, collapsed under the weight of being accused of a crime that he did not commit.
We were told that my 15-year old son was to be arrested and my home searched.
I also was informed by my attorney that it was plausible that the Boston Police could indict my 15-year-old son and he could be sentenced to a correctional institution.
These powerfully negative developments created an atmosphere of incredible stress for me as well as all of the members of my family. Prior to this investigation going public, the matter was proceeding and the Boston Police were keeping my family updated of its progress. But when this matter became public it we decided that our focus had to be on supporting our son, who we knew did not commit this crime. We then held a press conference to demonstrate our unwavering support of him.
If it were not for the resolute professionalism and integrity of three Boston Police officers, my son could have been facing jail time.
My wife and family would like to thank Superintendent Paul Joyce for his support and direction of the investigation. Early on, he assured us that the truth would come out, and it did.
We also want to thank Superintendent Bruce Holloway, the chief of detectives, for his role in overseeing and moving forward a thorough investigation.
Finally, I want to specially thank Captain Frank Armstrong for his willingness to speak to my wife, attorney and me to explain the different facets of the investigation as it progressed.
All three of these Boston Police officials should be commended for their work in this intense and very public investigation. The positive outcome of this case is completely due to their willingness to not rush to judgment and to their commitment to leave no stone unturned to uncover the truth.
I want to thank our capable Attorney, Jill Klowden. She never wavered or gave up on proving my son's innocence. She patiently and methodically guided my family through every aspect of this entire ordeal.
A long time friend, Joyce Ferriabough, came to my family’s aid and offered her expertise as a media consultant. She helped to guide us through the process of sharing our side of the story in the media, with details changing every day, during a highly emotional time for my family.
Overall, the Boston Police officials that I cited, together with our attorney and our friend and media consultant, made a formidable team which helped to bring justice in this case.
Additionally, thanks to the hundreds of people who sent notes or called to offer their support. A special thank you goes to my church community, who were with me from day one providing support and encouragement to me and my family, which helped give us the strength to persevere.
In the end, I am hopeful that there are lessons to be learned from this situation that will further improve police and community relations, especially in Boston. You will be hearing more from me on this topic on my radio and cable-TV shows in the coming week.
On Saturday, December 1, 2007, I was called by a Captain Frank Armstrong Commander of Area E-18 in Hyde Park and told that there had been an arrest of one teenager, who allegedly robbed three teens in Hyde Park. The representative stated that my son is no longer a suspect in this crime.
This was great news, but the publicity and investigation of my son has had an enormous impact on him emotionally, physically and academically. It has even negatively affected everyone in my family.
Just two Saturdays ago my 15-year-old son, who was being accused of an armed robbery, collapsed under the weight of being accused of a crime that he did not commit.
We were told that my 15-year old son was to be arrested and my home searched.
I also was informed by my attorney that it was plausible that the Boston Police could indict my 15-year-old son and he could be sentenced to a correctional institution.
These powerfully negative developments created an atmosphere of incredible stress for me as well as all of the members of my family. Prior to this investigation going public, the matter was proceeding and the Boston Police were keeping my family updated of its progress. But when this matter became public it we decided that our focus had to be on supporting our son, who we knew did not commit this crime. We then held a press conference to demonstrate our unwavering support of him.
If it were not for the resolute professionalism and integrity of three Boston Police officers, my son could have been facing jail time.
My wife and family would like to thank Superintendent Paul Joyce for his support and direction of the investigation. Early on, he assured us that the truth would come out, and it did.
We also want to thank Superintendent Bruce Holloway, the chief of detectives, for his role in overseeing and moving forward a thorough investigation.
Finally, I want to specially thank Captain Frank Armstrong for his willingness to speak to my wife, attorney and me to explain the different facets of the investigation as it progressed.
All three of these Boston Police officials should be commended for their work in this intense and very public investigation. The positive outcome of this case is completely due to their willingness to not rush to judgment and to their commitment to leave no stone unturned to uncover the truth.
I want to thank our capable Attorney, Jill Klowden. She never wavered or gave up on proving my son's innocence. She patiently and methodically guided my family through every aspect of this entire ordeal.
A long time friend, Joyce Ferriabough, came to my family’s aid and offered her expertise as a media consultant. She helped to guide us through the process of sharing our side of the story in the media, with details changing every day, during a highly emotional time for my family.
Overall, the Boston Police officials that I cited, together with our attorney and our friend and media consultant, made a formidable team which helped to bring justice in this case.
Additionally, thanks to the hundreds of people who sent notes or called to offer their support. A special thank you goes to my church community, who were with me from day one providing support and encouragement to me and my family, which helped give us the strength to persevere.
In the end, I am hopeful that there are lessons to be learned from this situation that will further improve police and community relations, especially in Boston. You will be hearing more from me on this topic on my radio and cable-TV shows in the coming week.
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