In the wake of the mass shooting of school children and teachers in Uvalde, Texas, authorities are using the “Dead Suspect Loophole” to prevent access to public records in search of the truth about police conduct. The suspect died in police custody so the police can claim that a criminal case is pending and deny access. Faced with stonewalling on the investigation, public trust is in jeopardy. (Houston Public Media, June 14, 2022, by David Martin Davies, Texas Public Radio)
In response to be public records request for police body cam footage, the Texas Department of Public Safety took steps to deny the request on the grounds that the footage could give other shooters information about weaknesses in police response. (Vice, June 13, 2022, by Jason Koebler)