Mesa, Arizona - Video evidence captures Mesa Police Officer Shawn Freeman shooting Shawn Gagne in the face through a window and continuing to fire while Gagne remains on the phone with negotiators.

The Mesa Police Department defended the officers involved in the shooting, promoting their use of deadly force based on misleading and false information. They released statements suggesting that Gagne had engaged in an exchange of gunfire with the police, claiming he shot at them before Freeman shot him in the face.

However, this narrative is not supported by the facts. No physical evidence was found to indicate that Gagne fired at the officers, and the only gunfire came from the police. The fabricated narrative of Mesa PD was further propagated through media coverage based on false information intended to protect the police department's image. The discrepancies are being highlighted in a lawsuit filed by Gagne's family in Federal Court, challenging the accuracy of the police's account and the subsequent media portrayal.

The Mesa Police Department has been repeatedly accused of engaging in a practice known as "double murder," where they not only kill the body but also assassinate the character of the deceased. This is done through edited videos and misrepresented statements to shift blame onto the victims themselves. While the department is quick to release videos of select critical incidents, these are often edited to support law enforcement's narrative. This selective editing serves to reinforce a narrative that may not reflect the full truth, undermining the public's right to an accurate understanding of events. Instead of providing accurate context, the department intentionally releases malicious information that stirs negative sentiments towards the victims.

Over a year after the murder of Shawn Gagne, only a few media outlets have made slight corrections to the inaccuracies propagated by the Mesa Police Department. However, none have explicitly labeled the actions of Mesa PD as spreading misinformation. While politicians are increasingly being called out for lying, police chiefs, departments, and union officials seem to escape scrutiny from reporters. There appears to be no repercussions for law enforcement officials who lie to protect themselves or cover up the truth.

The culture of dishonesty within the Mesa Police Department

Mesa Police Chief Ken Cost and Public Information Officers are actively using social media and press releases to spread deliberate misinformation. The dissemination of misleading information by police spokespersons constitutes a harmful form of police misconduct. They are able to deceive the public without being held accountable for their dishonesty. They are getting away with spreading lies to protect themselves and their officers from allegations of misconduct. Despite the potential for video evidence to contradict their false claims, Mesa Police officials continue to lie without facing consequences. Despite the importance of truth and transparency in law enforcement, Mesa PD seems to prioritize deception over accountability.

Mesa Police Chief Ken Cost has somehow managed to escape scrutiny as the department continues to regularly and intentionally disseminate false information. Officers often fabricate narratives about incidents in written reports and under oath, even when they were aware the incident was recorded. Supervisors responsible for reviewing body camera footage frequently overlook instances of unjustified excessive force, and when investigations are initiated, Internal Affairs officers fail to ensure accountability for the officers involved. This reveals significant shortcomings at every level of the accountability framework. There are no apparent consequences for Mesa Police Officers when they cover up the truth, fueling the culture of dishonesty within the Mesa Police Department.

The ongoing issues within the Mesa Police Department reflect a broader systemic problem regarding accountability and transparency. The failure to address misconduct not only erodes public confidence but also perpetuates a culture where officers feel emboldened to act without fear of repercussions.

Mesa Police Chief Ken Cost needs to set standards around the use of force, de-escalation and report falsification, and hold his officers accountable when they violate those standards. If the culture within the Mesa Police Department doesn't change, we will continue to have these problems.

To rebuild trust with the community, the Mesa Police Department must take responsibility for their actions and be transparent with the public. Media outlets have failed to hold Mesa PD public information officers accountable for spreading misinformation, allowing them to continue lying without consequences which is landing broadcasters in hot water with the FCC.

The repeated absence of corrections to press releases after the truth emerges suggests a troubling intent to mislead the public.

Read more about the murder of Shawn Gagne by Mesa Police.  

Follow along as we continue to uncover the coverups at the Mesa Police Department and debunk the lies presented to us by Mesa PD and their new Public Information Officer Lisa Berry!