A few months after he was wrongfully arrested, a TV and film producer has joined forces with the Beverly Hills Police Department to help change how officials review evidence that could help exonerate arrestees.
Charles Belk was held in jail for six hours back in August after police said he matched the description of a man — tall, bald and black — who was an accomplice to the "Purse Packing Bandit" bank robber who had just struck on Wilshire Boulevard. He had been dining with a friend and went out to feed the meter on La Cienaga Boulevard when he was cuffed on the curb, and missed an Emmy Award pre-party as a result.
He has said police did not review surveillance video in a timely manner that would’ve shown he was not involved in the heist, did not read him his Miranda rights and did not allow him a prompt phone call.
After Belk was released, he wrote about his experience on Facebook, accusing police of racial profiling and drawing widespread attention to the incident. The department later apologized to him and said an internal investigation would be conducted.
On Tuesday, Belk and Beverly Hills Police Chief Dave Snowden released a five-minute video, in which the chief said the investigation "identified areas that could and should have been handled differently."
Belk now says he will work with the department to produce a training video for police, and has started a nonprofit to advocate for people who are wrongfully detained or arrested.
A GoFundMe page called "Fitting the Description" is asking for donations to help establish the organization. It has raised $1,100 of an almost $50,000 goal as of Friday.
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He also launched a social media campaign called "Autoerase," to push for changes in the law that would allow those wrongfully arrested to more quickly expunge arrests from their records.
Belk said he hopes his experience will lead to positive changes.
"I was definitely upset but then that kind of got conquered by reason and what can I do, I just can't sit and pout about it," he told NBC4. "I won't ever get those six hours back but i want to honestly say it's a blessing in disguise."
