Investigative Reporter Mike Mason

reportermikemason holding officials accountable, investigative journalism, investigative reports, news, toxic superfund sites , , , , , , , ,

cropped-mike-cts.jpgI’ve most currently worked as the lead investigative reporter at WLOS ABC News 13 in Asheville, North Carolina. Previously, I’ve worked as an investigative reporter for the following Florida stations: WFTS ABC Action News in Tampa, WFTX and WBBH, both in Fort Myers. I also worked as a freelance investigative reporter at WPIX in New York City.

Throughout my career, I’ve earned 30 First Place Awards including: Alfred I. duPont, Emmys, Local & National Murrows, IRE Certificate, RTDNAC, SPJ, AP among others.

My investigations have sparked new laws and regulations including:

  • Stricter building/fire codes and electrical standards for public schools
  • Bill making vicious crimes against animals/pets a felony in Florida
  • An investigation detailing a shoddy 6 mile expressway in Tampa. It actually collapsed 5 months later, our investigations led to many new engineering regulations.

In Cuba I negotiated the release of a terminally ill woman so she could permanently join her family in Tampa. I was also first to report the identities of the terrorists who hijacked planes and struck the World Trade Center Towers on 9-11.

The following is a link to our 68 minute documentary, “Buried Secrets”. We expose how EPA officials knew residents’ drinking water was contaminated for 23 years but failed to notify anyone.

My Reporting Reels and additional links are below:

CTS Protest
Residents living near the CTS Superfund site protest after levels of the toxic chemical TCE are found at levels 830,000 times state limits. We exposed how the EPA knew about TCE in drinking water for 23 years before they admitted it to us on-camera, never once telling the residents.

The St. Petersburg Times has written numerous articles about Mike Mason.

“Mike has been at the front of the pack” on the Crosstown story for more than a year. “He has made bold claims – bolstered by engineering reports and field notes – that Crosstown officials knew in advance of a sinkhole near a pier that collapsed in April. When WFTS hired Mason from WBBH-TV in Fort Myers in November 2001, he joined investigative reporter Robin Guess, making WFTS the only local station to have two full-time investigative reporters. A series on school safety violations in Lee County earned Mason the 2001 National Edward R. Murrow Award.”

Another St. Petersburg Times article commending Mike’s investigative reports.

Contact me: Email, Twitter, Facebook

Atlanta Police recruits fired for cheating speak out, claim it was politically motivated

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Atlanta Police recruits fired during cheating scandal speak exclusively to CBS46 Investigative Reporter Mike Mason. Ten of these recruits, who do not want to be identified, told us they did nothing wrong and feel they were the ones who were cheated out of a career.

RecruitsUnder the shadow of Atlanta’s skyline, 10 of the recruits recently fired reflected on how they got here. One fired recruit told us, “It was a ton of work. It was regular workouts, we were tazed, we were pepper sprayed.”

Another said, “We came with blood, sweat and tears. We worked.” When the recruits woke up Thursday, they found themselves without a job. Fired by the Atlanta Police Department, their dreams of becoming sworn officers were shattered. “It didn’t seem fair and it didn’t seem accurate,” one recruit contends. “We’re honest, good people.”

Earlier this week, 45 recruits were set to be sworn in. Atlanta police said 20 were denied badges pending an investigation. On Wednesday a dozen were dismissed. Now 10 of those fired recruits are speaking out, telling CBS46 they’re not cheaters.

One of the recruits said, “Everyone we’ve talked to at the department says this is silly and they can’t believe what’s happening to us. I wish that the command staff felt the same way.”

Investigators determined at least 12 recruits were not truthful during training.

Recruits said that in itself isn’t true. “These are good people, they’re not cheaters. We would make good officers that the city would be proud of. I know this because we’re honest, good people.”

The recruits said the investigation was based on a bio they were assigned to write a few days before training began. One recruit said, “Others that we talked to did the assignment the same exact way that we did. The only difference is that we came forward when they asked if we emailed or texted and they didn’t.” The recruits claim they were never instructed nRecruits3ot to email or text and they never meant to bend the rules.

One recruit exceeded in his class. “We’re among the top in academics, we’re among the top in the shooting range, we are as qualified if not more qualified than the people who swore in.” When CBS46 Investigative Reporter Mike Mason asked the group how many of them felt emailing and texting was considered okay, each of them raised their hands.

Atlanta police officials haven’t told us if the cheating investigation is complete, leaving former recruits questioning both their futures and the merits of the investigation. One recruit told us, “We worked hard for what we should’ve been awarded.”

When asked how many of the fired recruits felt the investigation was not done properly, each of them again raised their hands. All but one told us they would still like to become sworn officers. Officials at the Atlanta Police Department said they won’t comment on this case Thursday and they can’t confirm whether the internal affairs investigation is near completion.

Copyright 2015 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Cop beating man caught on cam; Is this a case of police brutality?

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Police beating caught on cam; Is this really a case of police br – CBS46 News.

ATLANTA (CBS46) –

CBS46 obtained a video showing an Atlanta police officer beating a suspect repeatedly with his baton. Some are calling this police brutality, but CBS46 uncovers the rest of the story so you can decide for yourself.

The video was shot June 26 and since then it has gone viral. It has hundreds of people buzzing on social media sites. Most seem to agree this doesn’t look good for police, at least not the edited version of the video.

The images are hard to watch as Atlanta police officer Jamie Young strikes a man with his baton twice to the legs and once again to his lower back. When you watch it again you can actually hear each blow.

Since the incident went down outside Atlanta’s Metro Mall, this particular video has gone viral, getting over 10,000 re-tweets. We showed it to tourists and residents where it all happened, which is downtown close to Underground Atlanta and a MARTA station.

We asked Emma, a tourist from Chattanooga, Tennessee whether she’d consider it police brutality. She replied, “Yes, a lot of excessive force. Police brutality.”

One man from the area refused to give us his name but claims cops did the same thing to him. He tells us one police officer, “Took me down, slammed me down. Put his knee in my back and arrested me for disorderly conduct.”

But CBS46 found there’s more to this story. We obtained another person’s video showing how this all began before the officer struck Cannon. In Officer Young’s report, he states he busted 29-year-old Bobby Cannon for dealing drugs, but when he tried arresting him, Cannon pushed back.

This video shows Cannon shoving the officer into his own cruiser, the two then struggle and officer Young pulls out his baton to fight back.

A MARTA officer then rushes in to help. The longer version of the video gives people a different version of events. When Emma watched it she said, “Okay, well you see now that’s a different story.”

But Emma says she’s not impressed with Atlanta’s downtown area and doesn’t plan on visiting anytime soon.

Officials at the Atlanta Police Department tell us Young’s actions were justified and he was not investigated. In his report, Young states he struck Cannon’s legs but there’s no mention of striking his back. According to the report, Cannon refused to get any medical treatment.

DA refuses to drop murder charges against cop cleared by Grand Jury

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Officer Tommy Atzert
Officer Tommy Atzert charged with felony murder by the DA.

ATLANTA (CBS) – Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard is refusing to drop murder charges against Atlanta police officer Tommy Atzert, even though a grand jury cleared the officer. Some now worry the DA’s decision may be “race-related.” The District Attorney’s office sent CBS46 a letter stating the murder case against Officer Atzert is considered open and could still be prosecuted. That has some seriously questioning the DA’s motives.DATommyAtzert

Ken Allen is the president of Atlanta’s largest police union and tells us, “I don’t understand the rationale of why we have a target on this particular officer on this particular incident.”

For several years, Allen has been the president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO), which represents 1200 Atlanta police officers. He was outraged when we told him Howard refused to drop murder charges against Atzert. Allen is now skeptical about Howard’s motives for continuing the case, especially since the DA failed to convince a Grand Jury to indict Atzert on the felony murder charge last week.

“I think it sends an absolute terrible message to the officers, not only for the city of Atlanta, but for everyone that polices in Fulton County,” Allen said.

Allen is also concerned about how this case could play out in a courtroom of public opinion. When asked whether he thought the district attorney was making this case about race, Allen responded, “I don’t know that he’s making it a racial issue, but we’re certainly seeing a lot of the media release the fact that we have a white officer and a black suspect that was involved in this.” Allen and others have also questioned why Howard decided to wait four years before holding the Grand Jury hearings. The shooting occurred in June 2011. Allen says this could indicate the Howard is making this case something other than a standard investigation into an officer-involved shooting. “We are a core of what might need to be looked at across the nation,” Allen said. “What I don’t like seeing is someone continually trying to stir the pot.”

PaulHoward Howard denied a CBS46 request for information about Atzert’s case. In a letter from Assistant District Attorney Arthur Walton, it states, “Public disclosure is not required in any pending investigation or prosecution of criminal unlawful activity.” It goes on to say Atzert’s file “is related to a continuing investigation and possible prosecution.”

“It’s disappointing that after providing all of that information to a Grand Jury of about twenty people, the DA still considers the matter open,” said Lance LaRusso, who is Atzert’s attorney. LaRusso says Atzert was already cleared by Atlanta police, the FBI and a judge who presided over a civil lawsuit filed by the suspect’s family. LaRusso says Atzert is a father, husband, son and a great officer. He hopes the Howard will drop the case, adding Atzert is a good officer and deserves to move forward. “He wanted to serve his community and he’s looking forward to getting back to serving his community,” LaRusso said.

Howard refused our requests for on-camera interview Friday. There is no word on what he plans to do with this case moving forward. Georgia state law allows district attorneys to present murder cases to a Grand Jury two separate times. Atzert’s attorney says this has only happened once in the past decade after the jurors requested a new hearing. Nearly a dozen additional felony charges the District Attorney filed against Atzert will expire on June 30 due to the state’s four year statute of limitations.

#CBS46

Copyright 2015 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Link to Report: DA refuses to drop murder charges against cop cleared by grand j – CBS46 News.

Investigative Reporter Mike Mason’s Bio for CBS46 Atlanta

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Mike Mason

Mike Mason’s Bio

Posted: Jun 12, 2015 8:54 AM EDT Updated: Jun 15, 2015 7:45 AM EDT

Mike Mason is an investigative reporter at CBS46.

Mike began his television career in 1996 and has worked at stations in Florida, North Carolina and New York City.

Mike has been recognized with dozens of the most prestigious awards in the television industry, including Columbia University’s Alfred I. DuPont Award in 2005. His accolades also include Emmys, National and Regional Edward R. Murrows, the Investigative Reporters & Editors Certificate, Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.

He’s passionate about going in-depth to get to the bottom of an issue and finding a resolution. He has a proven track record of being an advocate for viewers. His investigations have have sparked new laws and regulations.

In his spare time, Mike enjoys photography, outdoor activities, art, bike riding and writing children’s books.

Copyright 2015 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Read more: http://www.cbs46.com/story/29304883/mike-mason#ixzz3dAYQYp3mCTS Protest

Mike Mason exposes asbestos issues at Asheville's VA Medical Center.
Mike Mason exposes asbestos issues at Asheville’s VA Medical Center.
2 Congressmen and 1 State Representative react to our investigation.
2 Congressmen and 1 State Representative react to our investigation.

Mike CTS awards2014

Atlanta Police Officer cleared of murder charges by grand jury, now points finger at District Attorney. CBS46 News

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Atlanta officer Tommy Atzert

ATLANTA (CBS46) 

A police officer who was facing felony murder charges in the death of a man during a traffic stop in 2011 has been cleared of those charges.

Officer Tommy Atzert was cleared of charges in the death of Maurice Hampton by a grand jury in Fulton County on Friday.

For the past four years, Atlanta police officer Tommy Atzert didn’t know if he’d be considered a cop or a criminal. At around 2pm Friday afternoon, Atzert was cleared of charges that some say never should’ve been filed to begin with.

When Tommy Atzert joined the Atlanta Police Department in 2007, he never thought he’d end up killing someone. But a few years later, on June 30th, 2011, he shot 37 year old Maurice Hampton dead after the two scuffled.

It began when Atzert pulled Hampton over for running a stop sign. Hampton was a parolee and didn’t have a valid driver’s license at the time. When Hampton stopped his car he got out and ran away. When Atzert caught up with him, the officer claims Hampton struggled with him, grabbed the police baton and ran off again. That’s when the officer shot Hampton in the back, killing him.

Hampton’s family sued the City of Atlanta for wrongful death but a Judge ruled in the city’s favor. However, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Jr. decided to prosecute Atzert, waiting nearly 4 years after the incident to bring it to a Grand Jury, just two weeks before several of the felony charges would have expired due to the statute of limitations.

In addition to murder, Atzert was facing felony charges including aggravated assault, making false statements and oath of office. In 2011, Atzert became the center of the DA’s investigation and was taken off the streets, forced to hand in his badge and gun.

Friday, a Grand Jury cleared the officer of all charges after 2 days of hearing case details. Atzert released this statement exclusively to CBS46 saying:

“I just want to say thank you first of all to the grand jury. I appreciate all the work they put into the process and the fact that they listened to the evidence presented and were able to come to a educated and fair decision. I’m obviously very happy with the decision. My family and I can hopefully put this behind us and move forward. I’m excited to get back to work. I also have to say thank you to everyone that has supported me and my family throughout the process, especially my fellow officers.”

Atzert goes on to say, “I’ll say this. This was not a transparent showing of evidence. The D.A. was gunning for an indictment, not the truth. Very impartial.”

Sources close to the case also claim evidence against Atzert was falsified. The District Attorney has not commented on this case.

Investigative Reporter Mike Mason Joins CBS46 News

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  WGCL_304Mike's Headshot

Investigative Reporter Mike Mason Joins CBS46 News

For Immediate Release Contact: Larry Perret – News Director CBS46 News

CBS46 News CBS46 (WGCLTV) announced today that Mike Mason has joined the station as an Investigative Reporter. “Mike is a veteran Investigative Reporter who gets results. He will be a great addition to our News team,” said CBS46 News Director Larry Perret. Mason comes to CBS46 from WLOS TV in Asheville, NC where he was an Investigative Reporter. He has also held Investigative Reporter positions in New York City, Fort Myers and Tampa, Fla.

“I’m thrilled to become a part of the CBS46 News team. It’s a fantastic opportunity in a great city,” said Mason. During Mason’s career he has received numerous accolades, including: Columbia University’s Alfred I. DuPont Award, Regional and National Edward R. Murrow Awards, Radio Television News Directors Association Awards, Society of Professional Journalist Awards, Associated Press Awards, Investigative Reporters & Editors Certificate and Regional Emmy’s.
Mason is a graduate of Saint Thomas University in Miami.

cbsinvestigatesAbout WGCLTV: WGCL is a CBS affiliate in the # 9 television market in the United States. The station delivers over 32 hours of weekly news product as well as hit CBS Programs such as: Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Big Bang Theory,Madam Secretary, The Good Wife and 60 Minutes. WGCL is owned by the Meredith Corporation.