A Look Behind the Scenes

By Christine Insinga

The story goes like this: A 26 year old man is pulled over by police for allegedly selling drugs and then dies while in police custody. Police say the man tried to get away and put up a 'violent struggle. His family believes police beat him to death. The man's name is Kenny Lazo and we've been reporting on this since late April. I recently went to a news conference that was held by Lazo's family's attorney, Fred Brewington. Seated next to Brewington was the victim's mother who began to sob almost the minute she took her seat. The mother of Lazo's baby son was also at the table and other young family members stood among the press. Brewington says he had an independent Medical Examiner conduct an autopsy on Lazo because the county had not yet released the results of THEIR autopsy.  We were all there to hear the findings of Brewington's exam.  Keep in mind- the young man's mother is already in clear distress.  Trying so hard to keep it together to honor her son- but she can't and she continues to sob.  And why shouldn't she. Now- here's the part that made many of us in the room go 'huh?' A news microphone placed right in front of the mother and Brewington, he turns to the rolling cameras and tells us not only is he about to reveal his autopsy findings to us -- but this is the first time Lazo's family will be getting the GRAPHIC information as well...and it was graphic. Why would he do that?  I don't know.  I called him this morning to talk about it but my call wasn't returned. You don't have to be a media saavy attorney to know what type of reaction that information will get...and it did.  The heartbreaking cries of a greiving mother filled the room and anyone there who knew him showed stinging tears.  Yes- the cameras caught it all .  It was real, raw emotion happening right there and now it was part of the story and now it couldn't be left out. I reported the grueling details of the exam once and don't find it necessary to do it again.  Maybe that's the reason the attorney chose to tell everyone (family and press) at the same time.  Maybe he knew the man's mother wouldn't be able to bare hearing it twice: once in private & then at the news conference.  Maybe that's why he did.  I hope it is.