2 DEC 04: CAUGHT ON TAPE

When The Tape was released Wednesday afternoon, my car was in the shop for an oil change. At 3:00 p.m. ET, a father and a little boy were in the customer waiting area watching TV - but I decided it was better for them to keep watching Drew Carey on TBS, than a killing on local television.

The Tape many had waited 51 weeks to see came out Wednesday - the one showing the killing of Kenneth Walker. It seemed only fitting for Columbus that one of the two views was in black and white....

Thanks to local television, I looked at The Tape several times from 5:00 p.m. on - and I'm still not sure exactly what happened 358 days ago. Someone blocks a good view of Kenneth Walker. David Glisson does something near the Interstate 185 wall. And somehow, the temperature recorded on The Tape suddenly jumps five degrees.

Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson actually screened The Tape twice - first for invited residents of Columbus, then for reporters. He says Kenneth Walker's family was invited to the private screening, but did not come. Well, why should
they? Their attorneys had seen it already - or at least talked like they did.

Sheriff Ralph Johnson told reporters former Deputy David Glisson used improper law enforcement techniques last December. For one thing, he said Glisson put a gun barrel in Kenneth Walker's back. Yet Walker was shot in the HEAD?! Either Glisson slipped -- or these weapons need to be coated with maple syrup, so officers get a grip.

The Sheriff revealed David Glisson told an internal investigation at first he meant to shoot Kenneth Walker, then changed his story and denied it. So maybe there were multiple slips - first his feet, then his tongue....

Sheriff Ralph Johnson believes David Glisson made a "cognitive, intentional" move to shoot Kenneth Walker by putting his finger in the trigger mechanism. After all, upset drivers do cognitive and intentional things with fingers all the time.

Captain Jay McReaa told reporters Sheriff's officers had information the drug dealers they were after last December 10 were dangerous. Maybe one benefit of this case will be that dealers stay away -- because some deputies are even more
dangerous.

At a mid-afternoon news conference, Sheriff's officers said the "cop-cam" tape lacked audio because microphone cables had become twisted and snapped during months of use. I can relate to this a bit - only in my case, it's the bad habit of biting
caps of ink pens.

Reginald Pugh of the Urban League was one of the people invited to the Sheriff's early screening. He said releasing The Tape will NOT start a healing process, but instead "fan the flames." Now this is confusing - because didn't the
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition once say this would help?!

(C'mon now - did anyone REALLY think the release of The Tape would settle the Kenneth Walker controversy? Football fans can't agree on penalty calls, when they see an instant replay ten times.)

Reginald Pugh argues David Glisson was "hotdogging it" on the night of the shooting, and was too aggressive. This should be a lesson to many people - that civil rights activists sometimes DO believe in a conservative approach.

Reginald Pugh now admits given what's been released, the Muscogee County Sheriff's Department did "all it could have" in handling the Kenneth Walker case. At the speed of an old mule on a muddy farm, perhaps, but it did....

Reginald Pugh of the Urban League now focuses the fault on Special Prosecutor Ken Hodges of Albany. "He needs to be fired," Pugh said - showing Pugh apparently missed the Georgia Primary in July, when Hodges was re-elected easily, with no
Republican opponent.

Reginald Pugh declared Special Prosecutor Ken Hodges seemed to bring to the grand jury "his own agenda.... his own form of justice." And wasn't it refreshing? Hodges's form of justice seemed to match that of many callers to talk radio
stations.

So what did David Glisson's attorney have to say about The Tape? Richard Hagler again stated Kenneth Walker had no business being out with friends at 9:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night. Based on this logic, everyone attending Wednesday
night's Columbus State basketball game must have been substance-abusing criminals.

Can you imagine Richard Hagler becoming Mayor of Columbus? All the RiverCenter shows would have to start before 6:00 p.m. to end inside his 8:30 curfew. Waffle Houses would be open only 14 hours a day. And during the summer, crews on Broadway would roll up the sidewalks before sunset.

I received conflicting reports Wednesday night about whether the Justice Department has finished its investigation of the Kenneth Walker case. Imagine what outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft might have done, if there was evidence
Walker was out dancing.

Even if the Washington investigation is over, civil rights groups want Georgia's Attorney General to appoint a new prosecutor in the Kenneth Walker case. I thought Cooper Creek Park's tennis courts were the only place which allowed
"playing two...."

Civil rights groups disagree with Special Prosecutor Ken Hodges about whether the grand jury could hear unsworn testimony last week. Look for grand jury rules online, and you won't find much information - which I guess truly shows how secretive the process is.

It's clear in the wake of The Tape that the Kenneth Walker controversy will continue for awhile. In fact, it may have expanded now - as civil rights groups may be planning marches from Columbus to Albany.

BIG PREDICTION: Oprah Winfrey will do a show on The Tape and the Kenneth Walker case within 60 days. And since her "Wildest Dreams" tour is underway, I won't be surprised if she gives every civil rights leader in Columbus a car.

Let's take a break from the tension now for some Instant Messages:

+ To Atlanta Woman magazine: There is no "Channel 11 in Columbus." Really. Come on down sometime and we'll show you -- and bring Kathleen and Kimberly Kennedy with you, in case they've forgotten.

+ To WDAK Radio: I didn't realize so many of your listeners have incomes of $50,000 or more. So how many of your announcers do that well?

+ To Schlotzsky's Deli near Cross-Country Plaza: My apologies for writing here months ago that you'd gone out of business. I'm simply not used to a deli outside downtown keeping bankers' hours, of 11:00 - 3:00.

(Then again, maybe those are BAKER'S hours....)

+ To Fred's right down the road from there: Your sign near the front door IS correct, wasn't it? You're selling an "ETHIC Singin Santa?" Hopefully he has a lot of songs - about hard work, honesty, fair play and more....

COMING FRIDAY: The big question on many readers' minds.... is my computer working properly again?....

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