Jones supporters claim bias in FBI investigation

By Emily Liebert

Malik Jones, a 21-year-old African American New Haven resident, was fatally shot in a parking lot following a high speed chase from East Haven by Flodquist, who is white, on the night of Mon., Apr. 14, 1997. In response to allegations of police discrimination against minorities, Emma Jones, along with local clergy and aldermen, revealed an "action plan" on the steps of the Superior Court on Thurs., Feb. 19 and presented it to the State Legislature last week. The plan was drawn up by Jones and approximately 100 community members at the "MALIK conference" on Thurs., Feb. 13 and Fri., Feb. 14. It includes 35 proposed changes to current laws involving investigations of police shootings, police racism, high-speed chases, arrest, use of deadly force, and accountability. The plan comes after recent charges the New Haven FBI investigation was biased.

After Dearington cleared Flodquist of any wrongdoing in September, the New Haven FBI continued to investigate the case and sent a series of reports to the Justice Department's criminal division in Washington, D.C.

But the New Haven FBI's last reports were filed last week, and according to David Rhieu, a spokesperson for Merrill Parks, special agent in charge of the New Haven FBI, "There will be no further outstanding investigation unless the Department of Justice requests more investigation."

Jones supporters claim that the New Haven FBI's investigation was biased since the office of the investigators in charge of the case is located within one block of Dearington's office. "The investigators who are now involved in the case have a relationship with the people in the State Attorney's office who found Flodquist innocent in the original investigation. All of these guys depend on each other to get their work done. It's a conflict of interest," Jones said.

As a result, Jones brought the issue of FBI bias to the State Assembly's attention. The Assembly's Black and Hispanic Caucus then wrote to the Justice Department, requesting that the case be transferred to another branch of the FBI.

Rhieu denied Jones's charges. "I don't believe the New Haven FBI had anything to do with Dearington. We're completely independent of anything Dearington has done," he said. East Haven officials also denied the charges. "[Jones and company] are the ones who asked for the probe, and before it was even over they were criticizing it," Hugh Keefe, East Haven Police Department trial lawyer, said.

Community leaders hope that by making their voices heard they will be able to change police conduct as well as the manner in which claims of unreasonable force are investigated. Reverend Eric Smith of the Community Baptist Church, where the MALIK conference was held, is optimistic about the impact of the proposals. "I think the action plan will definitely be heard," he said. "The question is what scope can be enacted in the short term and what will be enacted in the long term...[but] if the MALIK organization remains diligent, then the legislature will have to address the issue."

One of the conference's most controversial proposals is to enact a statewide no-chase policy. The action plan also calls upon the state legislature to enact a policy stipulating that "the threat of physical harm must be immediate and real in order to justify the use of deadly force."

Jones also proposed the installation of monitoring devices in police cars. "I think this will take a lot of the fear out of black and Latino citizens that when they are stopped, it's all on tape," she said. The plan also calls for education to prevent racism in the police force, and increased police accountability.

"We're the ones who are always the victims. We are always the criminals," Emma Jones said.

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