((IF THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS OF
IMPROPITIES OR IF AN OFFICER
BREAKS THE LAW, WE WILL
INVESTIGATE IT))
DID A BUFFALO POLICE OFFICER
KNOW AN ADDICT WAS USING HEROIN
DURING THE
SHOOT FOR A SHORT FILM ABOUT THE
OPIOID EPIDEMIC?
GOOD EVENING, JACQUIE IS OFF
TONIGHT.
ALLEGATIONS HAVE SURFACED THAT
THE OFFICER WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE
THE DOOR.
THE OFFICER IS NOW UNDER
INVESTIGATION.
THE FILM, "BLINK OF AN EYE" WAS
SHOT IN THE QUEEN CITY EARLIER
THIS YEAR.
NEWS FOUR'S DAVE GREBER HAS THE
LATEST ON THE CASE, DAVE.
THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION BEING
CONDUCTED BY POLICE IS STILL IN
ITS EARLY
STAGES, AND IT'S BEING WATCHED
CLOSELY BY THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY, JOHN
FLYLNN.
MEANWHILE, THE ATTORNEY FOR THE
MAN AT THE CENTER OF THIS CASE
WANTS
FLYNN TO DISMISS THE CHARGES
AGAINST HIS CLIENT BECAUSE OF
ALL THAT'S HAPPENED
SINCE HIS ARREST.
BUFFALO POLICE SAY THEY KNEW
NOTHING ABOUT ANY ILLEGAL
ACTIVITY -- AND
THEY'RE NOW CONCERNED THE
INTENTION OF THIS FILM IS BEING
OVERSHADOWED BY CONTROVERSY.
EARLY THIS YEAR, AS DIRECTOR
GREG ROBBINS WORKED THE EARLY
STAGES OF,
BLINK OF AN EYE, A SHORT FILM
ABOUT THE REGION'S OPIATE
EPIDEMIC, HE ASKED FOR THE HELP
OF BUFFALO POLICE.
((
RIGHT FROM THE GET GO THIS WAS A
SCRIPTED MOVIE. THIS
WAS A MOVIE USING ACTORS ... ))
BUT ROBBINS WANTED MORE. HE
WANTED REALITY.
AND HE FOUND IT IN THIS MAN,
ROBERT SAGLIANI, AN ADDICT WHO
AGREED TO BUY
AND USE DRUGS FOR THE FILM,
ACCORIDING TO SAGLIANI'S
ATTORNEY MARK SACHA.
SAGLIANI HAD JUST BEEN ARRESTED
FOR DRUG POSSESSION BY BPD
OFFICER, WHO WAS ALSO ASKED TO
HELP OUT ON THE FILM.
((
THEY NEEDED REALISM. THEY NEEDED
REAL ADDICTS. AND
SHE SAID THAT IF HE DID THAT,
SHE WOULD HELP HIM WITH HIS
CHARGES.))
BUFFALO POLICE SAY THE ONLY
PROMISE MADE WAS TO GET SAGLIANI
THE
TREATMENT HE NEEDED.
A FEW MONTHS LATER, FILM CREWS
SHOWED UP TO SHOOT THIS SCENE IN
A
RESTAURANT BATHROOM AT MAIN
STREET MALL. SACHA SAYS THOSE
ARE REAL DRUGS...
AND AT ONE POINT, THE FILM CREW
AND SAGLIANI'S MOTHER, WHO ARE
IN THE
BATHROOM WITH HIM, TELL HIM TO
STOP BEFORE HE JABS THE NEEDLE
IN HIS ARM.
PICTURES PROVIDED TO NEWS 4 SHOW
BAKER WAS AT THE RESTAURANT.
BUT BUFFALO POLICE DENY SHE WAS
PRESENT FOR ANYTHING ILLEGAL.
((SHE WAS ASKED TO FIND A
LOCATION FOR THEM TO SHOOT.
SHE TALKED TO THE PEOPLE AT THE
RESTAURANT, THEY AGREED TO HAVE
A BACK CORNER. LIZ WENT RIGHT
BACK
OUT ON MAIN STREET TO HER
PATROLLING. ))
THAT'S JUST WHAT ERIE COUNTY DA
JOHN FLYNN WANTS TO FIND OUT.
((IF THE ALLEGATIONS TURN OUT TO
BE TRUE THAT THERE WERE
MEMBERS OF THE BUFFALO POLICE
DEPARTMENT THAT WERE INVOLVED IN
THIS ALLEGED INCIDENT OF MAKING
THIS MOVIE, THAT WILL UPSET ME.
AND ONCE THAT UPSETS ME, THAT
WILL HAVE SOME BARING ON HOW I
TREAT THESE
DEFENDANTS. ))
((THEY SHOULD BE FIRED. IF THE
ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE THAT A
POLICE OFFICER KNEW THAT
SOMETHING WAS GOING ON THE
BATHROOM ... IF A POLICE OFFICER
KNEW THAT WAS
POLICE OFFICER KNEW THAT
SOMETHING WAS GOING ON THE
BATHROOM ... IF A POLICE OFFICER
KNEW THAT WAS
GOING ON, AND KNEW THAT THERE
WERE REAL DRUGS, REAL
PARAPHERNALIA THERE, AND THAT
POLICE OFFICER
TURNED A BLIND EYE TO IT, THAT
POLICE OFFICER, SHOULDN'T BE A
POLICE OFFICER. ))
FLYNN SAID TODAY HE HAS NO
INTENTION OF DISMISSING THE
CHARGES. BUFFALO POLICE ALSO
POINT OUT, THAT, IN THE FILM,
THERE'S A PART WHERE ROBERT
SAGLIANI IS TALKING TO THE
CAMERA, STANDING OUTSIDE THE
COURT BUILDING. HE'S
ACTUALLY THANKING POLICE FOR
THEIR HELP TO GET HIM INTO
TREATMENT, AND HE'S
BEEN CLEAN EVER SINCE.
POLICE SAY A MAN WHO WAS
COERCED, LIKELY WOULDN'T BE
THANKING ANYONE FOR
FORCING THEM INTO SOMETHING.
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