Opinion ID: 199406
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Conley's Grand Jury Testimony

Text: 6 In April, 1997, a federal grand jury began investigating the beating to discover which officers attacked Cox, failed to prevent the assault, and failed to get him medical treatment. It subpoenaed Conley to testify pursuant to an immunity agreement. In Conley, 186 F.3d at 12-13, we summarized his testimony as follows: 7 Consistent with Cox's version of events, Conley testified that when he arrived at the dead end on Woodruff Way, his vehicle was about the fourth or fifth police car in line behind the suspects' gold Lexus, approximately forty feet away. Also consistent with Cox's account, Conley testified that once the Lexus skidded to a stop, a black male wearing a brown leather jacket exited from the passenger side of the Lexus and ran to the right, towards a fence. Conley exited his vehicle in pursuit. While in pursuit, Conley observed the suspect scale the fence, drop down on the other side, and start to run. Conley testified that he made all of these observations as he pursued the suspect, beginning from the time the suspect first exited the gold Lexus up to the time when the suspect landed on the other side of the fence and started to run. According to Cox's testimony, Conley made these observations at precisely the same time that Cox was chasing right behind the suspect. However, before the grand jury, Conley testified that during that time he did not observe anyone--either in plain clothes or in uniform--between him and the suspect. 8 (Internal record citations omitted.) 9 Conley then testified to facts directly contradicting Cox's version of events: 10 Q: All right. Now, officer Conley, when you were chasing the suspect as he went over to the fence, did you see another individual chasing him as well? 11 A: No, I did not. 12 Q: Did you see anyone else in plain clothes behind him as he went towards the fence? 13 A: No, I didn't. 14 Q: Did you see, as he went on top of the fence or climbed the fence, another individual in plain clothes standing there, trying to grab him? 15 A: No, I did not. 16 Q: When you saw the suspect get to the top of the fence, did you see another individual in plain clothes grabbing part of his clothing-- 17 A: No, I did not. 18 Q: --as he went over the fence? 19 A: No, I did not. 20 Q: So that didn't happen; is that correct? Because you saw the individual go over the fence? 21 A: Yes, I seen [sic] the individual go over the fence. 22 Q: And if these other things that I've been describing, a second--another plain clothes officer chasing him, and actually grabbing him as he went to the top of the fence, you would have seen that if it happened; is that your testimony? 23 A: I think I would have seen that. 24 Conley, 186 F.3d at 13. Conley further testified that when he got to the fence, he climbed over it in approximately the same location that he had observed the suspect go over the fence, and continued chasing him. Eventually, Conley caught up to the suspect and arrested him. Id.