ShotSpotter, Inc., has filed a complaint against VICE Media, LLC. According to the complaint, in a podcast, a series of tweets and an article published by VICE's "Motherboard", VICE deliberately misrepresented court records and falsely accused the company of illegal behavior. After VICE refused to issue a retraction or include the facts regarding this technology, ShotSpotter filed this complaint to recover damages in excess of $300 million.
[Editor's Note: You can read Forensic's coverage of the VICE article here. Additionally, a peer-reviewed study was published in June evaluating the ability of St. Louis' ShotSpotter to reduce gun violence.]
"VICE's reporting and related social media grossly misrepresented how ShotSpotter carefully and faithfully prepares court-admissible forensic evidence and expert witness testimony for criminal shooting proceedings," said Ralph Clark, President and CEO of ShotSpotter. "ShotSpotter's forensic evidence has been used in over 190 court cases across the country and no court has ever found that ShotSpotter altered or fabricated evidence. Our gunshot detection technology is trusted by more than 120 cities to help first responders get to crime scenes quickly, save lives, and collect critical evidence."
Clark continued, "We provided evidence and court records to VICE that debunked their false claims. We hoped that they would retract their false reporting, but they chose not to, and we are forced to set the record straight by filing this complaint."
"VICE knowingly created a fictional tale that ShotSpotter conspired with police to frame innocent people," said ShotSpotter legal counsel Tom Clare, Partner at Clare Locke LLP. "To spin its yarn, it knowingly misrepresented court records and concealed facts that rebutted its claims. They propagated these lies through social media, spreading harmful disinformation that undermined trust in ShotSpotter that has been built over the past 25 years with the criminal justice system and communities at large. We will hold them accountable."
The complaint can be found at shotspottercomplaint.com.
Republished courtesy of ShotSpotter. Photo credit: ShotSpotter.