Officer Vinnie Edwards Charged with Falsely Reporting Crash

A Cincinnati police officer is out on bond after being arrested Tuesday and charged with falsely reporting a crash after a dispute involving her personal car.

Vinnie Edwards, 49, is charged with tampering with records, forgery and unauthorized use of property following an Aug. 22 incident in the parking lot of the Hyde Park Kroger store.

Edwards’ personal car, a black 2007 Ford Fusion, was hit on the front passenger door with a shopping cart that was being used by a man.

The man and Edwards exchanged information at the time and Edwards later sent him an estimate for the damage.

Shocked that the estimate was for more than $900, the man reviewed the estimate more closely and saw that it was for more than the nick the shopping cart caused on her door.

Edwards responded, a Hamilton County indictment alleges, by running the man’s name through the national crime database to check on his criminal record – even though the man wasn’t charged in the incident.

She also is accused of filing a crash report of the incident with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles even though there was no crash.

Edwards was in court Tuesday and released on her own recognizance. She was suspended without pay following her arrest.

She was hired as a Cincinnati police officer in June 1992 – four months after, records show, she was charged with falsification. It’s unclear what the outcome of that charge was.

Edwards is a patrol officer in the police department’s District 1 that encompasses Downtown, West End, Over-the-Rhine and other nearby areas.

The charges against Edwards carry a maximum prison term of seven years.

Wife of Chief Ty Morrow Speaks Out About Domestic Disturbance

The wife of Bryan Police Chief Ty Morrow is speaking out on a weekend domestic disturbance between the couple.

Cindy Morrow says she was intoxicated and doesn't remember much of the evening. She says she and her husband had gotten into an argument, but she doesn't recall making the accusations that came to light in a police report.

Among those allegations was a February incident where she said Morrow broke her nose and gave her a black eye. Wednesday, Cindy Morrow said her nose was never confirmed broken and the black eye happened during sex. She also said her husband had never abused her or touched her in a negative way.

Chief Morrow summoned police to his home early Sunday morning where he admitted to handcuffing his wife Cindy following a physical altercation.

He remains on administrative leave from the department pending results of an investigation into the incident.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LETTER SUBMITTED BY CINDY MORROW:

November 26, 2008,
To Managers and Editors of the Local Media:

I want to add my comments to the local story of Domestic Violence that you are running on my husband and me. It is most unfortunate that a very private matter has become the subject to such public scrutiny and ridicule, because of my husband’s position as the Chief of Police. My husband and I are embarrassed and ashamed of our actions, but insist that they are private matters that must be resolved between us.

I am astonished but yet not surprised that a police department employee would choose to release a confidential police report that had not yet been completely investigated for validity and that KBTX would choose to accept and release this document without verifying its truth. I am even more astonished by the fact that both you and KBTX reported in your news reports that I couldn’t be reached for comments on your stories. This statement is not true. No one from your news organizations ever attempted to contact me.

I want to offer the following statement regarding the incident which occurred on November 22 and into the early hours of November 23, 2008. My husband and I attended a Charity event at the Hilton Hotel. My husband was working the event and had to be there earlier than myself. Because of this, we drove separate vehicles. During the event I consumed a large quantity of alcohol. It is unclear to me how I got home or why my husband and I argued.

Once we reached our home, this argument resulted in a physical confrontation. I don’t remember much about the argument due to my extremely intoxicated state. This is very embarrassing for me to say the least. What I do remember is hitting my husband repeatedly and at some point him restraining me by placing handcuffs on me. My husband called my personal friend to come attend to me.

Upon this friends arrival my husband released me from my handcuffs. I was still in a very agitated and continued to yell. I did not know my husband had called the police until I was seated in my kitchen. The officer then interviewed me. While being interviewed by the police officer, I am told I made several allegations of past abuse to include a broken nose and blackened eyes. I am certain now, this was because I was very angry at being handcuffed. In all honesty, I don’t recall the statements I made to the police and these allegations are completely untrue.

I don’t remember much about the confrontations that took place on November 22 - 23, 2008. What I do remember is that I was very intoxicated. In an intoxicated state, I made statements to the police that were not true.

Since this event, I have been interviewed by no less than three law enforcement officials. I have stated on the police record, and I am now stating it publicly to you, that my husband is not abusive and has never abused me.

I want to close by stating that my husband and I are Christians, we are parents, role model’s to at risk children from our community and consummate professionals. This was not appropriate behavior on our part. However, I would hope that you never lose site of the fact that my husband and I are human beings and as such we have problems like everyone else. These problems are private matters that do not deserve to be publicly displayed. I am sure you wouldn’t display your personal issues in the manner in which you have displayed mine.

Resource Officer Whitni Wethington Arrested for Obstruction of Justice

MUSCATINE, Iowa

One of the Muscatine Police Department’s school resource officers was arrested over the weekend in Rock Island, Ill.

Whitni Wethington, 23, was booked into Rock Island County Jail at 3:41 a.m. Saturday on an obstruction of justice charge, which is a misdemeanor charge, according to a jail spokesman.

No other information was available from Rock Island authorities at press time this morning.

Police Chief Gary Coderoni said Wethington informed him of the arrest, and remains on duty.

Coderoni said Monday he was still learning the facts of the incident and would conduct an internal professional standards investigation to determine if any city or department codes had been violated. Wethington joined the Muscatine Police Department in April, and started the school year as a school resource officer at Muscatine High School.

She is the second Muscatine police officer to be arrested this month.

On Nov. 8, Sgt. Arthur Anderson, 40, was arrested outside the Public Safety Building and charged with operating while intoxicated. Anderson was terminated from his position Friday following a review of his personnel file, according to city officials.

Officers Suspended for Not Arresting Drunk Deputy

Two Volusia County law enforcement officers are suspended without pay just days before the holidays because of a DUI stop.

Ponce Inlet police officer Chris Selander pulled over Sheriff's deputy Ken Vickery early November.

According to an internal affairs investigation report, the officer let the deputy go with a warning even though he believed the deputy could have failed a sobriety test.

The conversation between the two was caught on an audio recording.

Selander is heard telling Vickery, “I'm trying to work with you sergeant! I've never arrested a cop in my life and I've never given a cop a ticket in my life."

Vickery was suspended for one week for failing to cooperate. Selander was suspended for two weeks for showing favoritism toward a fellow officer, which is something homeowners said is unfair.

"It was wrong to do it,” said John Paun from Ponce Inlet. “Anybody else if I did it, I would've gotten a ticket, I would've went to jail or whatever."

A spokesman for Ponce Inlet police said the conversation between the officer and the deputy was done by Selander using his personal tape recorder and turned over to police as evidence.

More Information: http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlHEAD01112608.htm

UISD Officer Robert Nino Accused of Having Improper Relationship with Student

A U.I.S.D. employee is on administrative leave tonight after some shocking allegations arise.

Sources say that a United I.S.D. police officer is accused of having an improper relationship with a student, on campus and in a classroom. However the district will only confirm he is employee Robert Nino – U.I.S.D. Communication Specialist.

"There is an ongoing investigation, however I cannot confirm or deny any details at this time. All I can say is that an employee has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the result of this investigation."

The incident allegedly happened at United High School... And students there say they can't believe this type of behavior is going on at their home campus.

"I think that that's bad, that's bad." Flores - united sophomore
That’s abusive. Probably he made a condition you do this for me and I'll let you go or something. Like the student did something wrong and an exchange to get away with something."

Even parents waiting to pick up their kids from school were shocked to hear that a campus officer may have done such a thing.

Ester Guerrero - parent of a United senior
"Well I think they aren't suppose to be doing that. What are they showing the students? They are supposed to be protecting the students."

"U.I.S.D. officials do not want these allegations to alarm anyone. They assure parents that their child is safe at any U.I.S.D. campus."

"We can assure the parents that the children at U.I.S.D. are safe we do our best to maintain a very safe and secure learning environment for the students."

The district says the proper authorities are looking into these allegations... But cannot disclose any more information at this time.

The investigation into an improper relationship between a UISD police officer and a student continues at United ISD. According to the school district the investigation is not in their hands, it has been turned over to another agency.

According to UISD attorneys the case is being investigated by an independent law enforcement agency. The officer was having an intimate relationship with a teenage student at United High School.

Sources say the UISD officer in question was previously a Laredo police officer and was fired from LPD.

According to UISD the officer has not been charged with anything.

The FBI will not confirm or deny if they are the ones looking into the investigation.
But they were able to tell us that the officer has not been arrested.

UISD says the officer was placed on administrative leave with pay.

Former Deputy Jerrel Tauzin Arrested for Possession of Stolen Property

A former Iberia Parish Sheriff's Deputy has been arrested for theft for the second time in two months.

According to Iberia Parish Officials Jerrel Tauzin has been arrested on new charges of possession of stolen property valued at more than one million dollars.

Tauzin was arrested Nov. 15 after investigators found he was in possession of a laptop computer stolen in September from Breaux Brothers enterprises, containing valuable designs estimated to be worth more than $1 million.

Tauzin was first arrested Oct. 30 after admitting to police he burglarized the home of a vacationing acquaintance.

Sheriff's officials say they are preparing to charge Tauzin with at least 10 additional burglaries.

Tauzin is being held on $150,000 bond.