A security guard that found a bomb and saved many lives at Olympic Park in Atlanta during the Olympics in 1996. After an FBI leak, the media effectively claimed him as the culprit.

A Justice Department investigation of the FBI’s conduct found that the FBI had tried to cause Jewell to waive his constitutional rights by telling him he was participating with a training movie about bomb detection, although the report concluded “no intentional violation of Mr. Jewell’s civil rights and no criminal misconduct” had occurred.

At a press conference in July 1997, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno expressed personal regret concerning the leak that resulted in intense media scrutiny of Jewell. She said, "I’m very sorry it happened. I think we owe him an apology. I regret the leak.

It’s something we should be aware of due to current events and major newspapers owned by billionaires.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    That poor guy. I never thought he was guilty, but they dragged him through the mud. And that was before “Internet sleuths.” He seemed like a good guy who was trying to help.

      • andyburke@fedia.io
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        5 days ago

        Yes: that helping isn’t always easy or rewarded but that we do it anyway because it is what’s right.

        Jewell married Dana Jewell in 1998; they remained married until his death.[2] The couple relocated to a farm they bought together, south of Atlanta.[21] In 2001, Jewell was honored as the Grand Marshal of Carmel, Indiana’s Independence Day Parade. Jewell was chosen in keeping with the parade’s theme of “Unsung Heroes”.[22] On each anniversary of the bombing until his illness and eventual death, he privately placed a rose at the Centennial Olympic Park scene where spectator Alice Hawthorne died.[23]

        An example for others for sure.

  • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 days ago

    As much I’d like to stop terrorist attacks, I feel like the fear of becoming a scapegoat is enough to deter me from reporting suspicious activity, I’d just quickly walk away hoping its was just my paranoia and not an actual terrorist attack.

  • CuddlyCassowary@lemmy.world
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    I’m reading a book of short stories by Stephen King called “You Like it Darker.” There’s one called “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” and although it’s obviously fictional, it does a good job portraying how someone could easily get sucked into a situation like this just trying to do a good deed and end up with long-lasting and far-reaching ramifications. I liked how he had the protagonist handle it, but I’m not sure I’d be that strong and level headed. I hope I never have to find out.

    • stinky@redlemmy.com
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      another Redditor named Sunil as a plausible suspect after asserting a resemblance between the suspects in the FBI’s pictures and Sunil, who had gone missing a month before the bombings. Although this behavior violated the subreddit’s rule that prohibited naming suspects without evidence, the moderators did not delete the post.

  • Boozilla@lemmy.worldM
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    5 days ago

    Please edit the title of your post and add “YSK” to the beginning of the title. Rule 1 of the community. Thanks.

  • 1984
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    You guys saw the movie right? I’m surprised it’s not mentioned. I think it was good.