VICE Media Retracts Allegations That ShotSpotter Altered Evidence
VICE Media’s corrections settle matter at the heart of ShotSpotter’s 2021 defamation complaint
FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ShotSpotter, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSTI), a leader in precision policing technology solutions that enable law enforcement to more effectively respond to, investigate, and deter crime, announced today that VICE Media has retracted the core allegations in a misleading and inaccurate story that said the company alters evidence for law enforcement.
An Editor’s Note has now been included in the VICE article that states: “Following the publication of this article, VICE received copies of court documents from the Michael Williams case, which show that ShotSpotter did not change the location of the gunfire by a mile, but had identified the same intersection for the gunfire in both its initial and in its later . The article has also been updated to clarify that the original recording of the gunshots in the Silvon Simmons case were deleted, but that the jury heard a redacted copy of the recording with the five alleged gunshots.”
“While we were disappointed by the dismissal of our defamation lawsuit, we are pleased that VICE has now corrected the public record and vindicated the truth at the heart of our complaint,” said Ralph A. Clark, president and CEO of ShotSpotter. “As VICE recently acknowledged, court records prove that ShotSpotter did not change the location of the gunfire in the case against Michael Williams, but consistently identified the same intersection where Mr. Williams himself admitted the gunfire had occurred.”
In his decision to dismiss the case, Judge Sheldon Rennie of the Superior Court of Delaware wrote: “Sloppy reporting does not establish recklessness…Inaccuracy itself will not demonstrate actual malice in a libel case; ‘even a dozen errors’ in the article due to mistakes or bad judgment do not substitute for knowing falsehood or reckless disregard as to falsity.”
Clark continued: “The media and others had unfairly tarnished the integrity of our company and our partners in law enforcement. We are pleased to report that when presented with basic and knowable facts, many have now recanted their stories. We hope that other publishers who repeated these false accusations will read the court records and correct their reporting as VICE, the Associated Press and a half have now done. ShotSpotter is a purpose-based company whose goal is to improve public safety outcomes for the community. Now is the time to move on from these distractions and focus on the task at hand - helping our police partners save lives and make their communities safer at a time when crime is measurably on the rise and police staffing is limited.”
About ShotSpotter
ShotSpotter Inc. (Nasdaq: SSTI) brings the power of digital transformation to law enforcement. We are trusted by more than 200 customers and 2,500 agencies to drive more efficient, effective, and equitable public safety outcomes and help make communities safer and healthier. We are a leader in precision policing technology solutions and our platform includes the flagship product, ShotSpotter Respond™, the leading gunshot detection and alerting system; investigative tools that immediately generate leads and streamline case management to accelerate crime solving and improve clearance rates; and patrol management software that dynamically directs patrol resources to areas of greater risk to more effectively deter crime. ShotSpotter has been designated a Great Place to Work® Company.
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ShotSpotter, Inc.
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