A swaggering police photo taken with newly recaptured killer Danelo Cavalcante on Wednesday caught the attention of law enforcement experts — with one retired captain calling it “absolutely inhumane.”
More than 30 officers and federal agents – including K-9 heroes – gathered around a handcuffed Cavalcante moments after he was arrested early Wednesday, ending a two-week manhunt for the “armed and dangerous” killer.
Helicopter footage captured a colleague holding a phone camera as the group took pictures, some even kneeling as Cavalcante stood in the middle.
“They take pride in their work,” said Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens in defense of the picture.
“I’m not bothered at all by the fact that they took pictures with him in custody.”
Some policing experts, however, disagree.
“It’s not appropriate. It is unethical. It’s really inhumane,” said Niles Wilson, a retired Newark, NJ, police captain who is now senior director of law enforcement initiatives at the Center for Policing Equity.
Experts say they understand officers want to celebrate the arrest of Danelo Cavalcante, but the act is inhumane. twitter
“In my law enforcement experience, I know how tough the police can be, but that’s no excuse to mistreat someone.”
Although taking pictures, especially after a successful arrest, has become more prevalent with smartphones, many law enforcement agencies have social media guidelines that prevent such postings to officers’ personal pages.
However, experts say the rules are inconsistent and have not been implemented by every agency across the board.
Some policing experts say photos of the group are inappropriate for officers to take. AP
“There is no standard or uniformity in the policy,” said Adam Scott Wandt, an associate professor of public policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“From the point of view of policing ethics, a police officer taking a picture on the street and putting it on social media or doing it as a celebration or an act of revenge is not OK,” Wandt said.
Everything you need to know about the hunt for prison escapee Danelo Cavalcante
Convicted killer and fugitive Danelo Cavalcante was caught when a K9 officer sniffed him out in the woods of Pennsylvania
Cavalcante, 34, of crab fame climbed two walls at the Chester County Jail to escape on August 31.
The 5-foot-tall killer was originally in prison in the US for fatally stabbing his girlfriend in 2021.
Previously, in November 2017, Cavalcante allegedly confronted his friend in the middle of a city in Brazil over money and shot him dead.
Cavalcante circled Pennsylvania after his daring escape.
He eventually traveled to the US using a false identity, killing his partner four years later in front of his son and daughter.
A week after being sentenced to life in prison in August, Cavalcante escaped.
Police say the little man is “armed and very dangerous” after he was spotted stealing a rifle from a Pennsylvania homeowner’s garage.
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“As a lawyer, it is a problem of proof that is created here as well. It is a dangerous practice for a police officer to create evidence at the scene and not hand it over to the prosecutor properly.”
While the Pennsylvania State Police has a conduct policy that prohibits posting or forwarding investigative or operational images — as well as content depicting the agency’s uniforms, badges or other official equipment without permission — it’s unclear whether Wednesday’s photo would fall under that policy.
Leonard Sipes, a former officer who has worked for 35 years in public affairs and communications for federal and state law enforcement agencies, said he would have advised the officer not to take the photo.
Cavalcante was captured after being on the run for two weeks. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections via Getty Images
“The police had nothing to do with the production of the picture. It was provided by a news source,” said Sipes.
“But taking a picture with the suspect, that can be questioned. If I were on the scene as a public affairs officer representing a law enforcement agency, I would discourage it.”
Various photos of Cavalcante shortly after his arrest have circulated, including shots of police dog Yoda pinning him down and him covered in blood after a K-9 bit his scalp.
Cavalcante, 34, who escaped from the Chester County Jail on Aug. 31, had just been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in front of their two young children in 2021.
Other photos of Cavalcante covered in blood following his arrest have also circulated online. @policyscoop
Prosecutors are expected to bring additional charges for the crimes he committed during his 14 days on the run.
In addition to the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Cavalcante is suspected of fatally shooting a friend six times in 2017 during a dispute over car repair payments in his hometown in Brazil.
After the murder, he hid in a Brazilian ranch for several weeks before heading north and illegally entering the US.
Police dog Yoda was responsible for tracking down Cavalcante on Wednesday in rural Pennsylvania.
A preliminary hearing for Cavalcante was set for Sept. 27, according to court documents, which state he was denied bail.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
