Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Officer Travis Dowell Accused of Choking Daughter


A Tippecanoe County sheriff's officer accused of choking his daughter in a February incident has voluntarily resigned as a sergeant and will be reassigned as a deputy, Sheriff Tracy Brown said today.

The move came as a result of a meeting Monday that Travis Dowell had with Brown.

Brown said he is going to submit a formal letter to the sheriff's office's merit commission next week during the commission's regular meeting.

Dowell last Friday signed a diversion agreement in Tippecanoe Superior Court 5 that could result in all charges against him being dropped as long as he meets certain conditions, which include having him stay out of trouble for a year.

Officers were called to Dowell's Clarks Hill home on Feb. 4 after reports of a physical altercation between Dowell and his then 18-year-old daughter, Tara Dowell. The charges against Travis Dowell stemmed from an investigation by the Indiana State Police.

After the February incident, Dowell was demoted from lieutenant to sergeant and was assigned to administrative duties.

Brown said Dowell will continue to work in an administrative job at the Tippecanoe County Jail for the next three to four weeks until he is assigned to a deputy's role.

Brown said the drop in pay from a lieutenant to a deputy is about $7,000 a year.

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Officer Candi Perry Indicted for Misconduct & False Reporting

A metro police officer has been suspended without pay after being indicted by a Marion County grand jury.

The officer in question is Community Police Officer Candi Perry.

"She has been indicted on an official misconduct which is a D felony and a false reporting which is an E misdemeanor," said Helen Marchal, chief of staff to the Marion County Prosecutor.

Charges date back to a June homicide investigation with questions about whether Perry had a relationship with a suspect or informant and what she may or may not have known.

"The allegations that were considered by the grand jury included information that Miss Perry impeded a homicide investigation by giving false information to another officer," Marchal said.

Perry was well known as a community officer. She made Officer of the Year back in 2008. She also spoke on WIIH-TV in September of '07.

Backing has grown for Officer Perry. She has a Web page devoted to her. It's called, ‘Please Support Officer Candi Perry.’ It reads; she states she has done nothing wrong. Please help her get back on the beat so she may make a difference in the neighborhood.

24-Hour News 8 tracked down her attorney, former public safety director Robert Turner who said Perry was helping in the investigation and now is being set up.

"What they really wanted her to do was identify the witness, he comes in, homicide then goes out and arrests the suspect, so that they can announce to you guys that we busted this case, not this Spanish liaison lady, but we did it because we're crack detectives and she made 'em mad and they indicted her," said Turner.

No word yet on a further court date for Perry.

Officer Carmine Giarrusso Arrested for False Report

The police have charged a former Cranston police officer with falsely reporting a crime after he complained that an acquaintance struck him with a truck at the intersection of Vine Street and George Waterman Road.

The police said they decided to arrest Carmine Giarrusso, 47, of 38 Lyman Ave., after concluding that he had not been hit by a truck driven by Richard D’Abate as alleged, but intentionally stepped in front of D’Abate’s stopped truck.

D’Abate, 44, of 9 Acorn St., told the police that Giarrusso had been feuding with him for years, going back to when Giarrusso had an affair with D’Abate’s then-wife. He said that when Giarrusso saw the truck at the intersection around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, he intentionally stepped in front of the stopped vehicle and complained that D’Abate had hit him.

An argument ensued, D’Abate said, and when Giarrusso realized that D’Abate was taking pictures, Giarrusso went back to the truck and slapped his hands on the hood. When the arrived, Giarrusso repeatedly urged them to check the hood for fingerprints, saying it would prove that he was hit and that he had to place his hands on the hood to brace himself from the impact. Giarrusso also told police that in addition to causing him pain in his shoulder, hip and knee, D’Abate’s vehicle also struck Giarrusso’s girlfriend, Lorna Casali, who was walking with him, and had also hit her dog.

The police said Giarrusso gestured frequently during their interview and did not act like someone who had just been hit by a truck. In addition, the police said the dusty truck did not show any scuff marks that indicated it had hit something. They said D’Abate’s version was supported by a photo he had taken showing Giarrusso slapping his hands on the truck, and by a statement from another witness. After Giarrusso signed a formal complaint at the police station, he was arrested on charges of making a false report of a crime. He was released later on $1,000 personal recognizance.

Officer Candi Perry Charged with Giving False Report

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Candi Perry is a former officer of the year, speaks Spanish fluently and is accused of official misconduct and false reporting during a homicide investigation.

It was on June 25th that a homeless man - Herman Baker - was found shot to death in an alley near west 32nd Street and Rader Street. Officer Perry was on duty and her attorney claims was simply trying to shield a potential witness from a potential suspect. However, the grand jury indictment alleges Perry gave false information to another officer.

Perry's lawyer argues she isn't a homicide detective and any mistakes she made were innocent and unintentional.

There is no word of arrests in the Clark murder case.

Perry was arrested Tuesday and released last night on $10,000 bond. She faces a November 4th court date.
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http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1159257

Officer Reginald Fisher Arrested Again

A suspended Atlanta police officer indicted for shooting an unarmed man was arrested a second time while out on bond Wednesday.

Officer Reginald Fisher was arrested a second time in Clayton County. Fisher was charged with misdemeanor battery in connection with a domestic incident.

Police said the mother of Fisher's child went to the precinct and accused Fisher of refusing to let her leave his house. The woman said Fisher grabbed her arm and wrist and left bruises.

On Tuesday, Fisher was indicted by a grand jury on charges that he allegedly shot an unarmed Tramaine Miller back in May. Miller was struck in the face and has undergone numerous surgeries to remove the bullet fragments.

The shooting happened on May 5 at the Cityview at Burney Park apartments. Officer Fisher said Miller was acting suspicious and wouldn't obey commands.

University Officer Webster Simmons Charged with Rape and Sodomy

A Duke University police officer is arrested here in Houston county, accused of raping and sodomizing a female acquaintance.

37-year-old Webster Simmons of Rougemont, North Carolina is charged with first degree rape and sodomy.

The Houston County Sheriff's office says Simmons was in Dothan visiting family this past weekend.

Authorities say Simmons drugged his victim at a local bar, used bondage to subdue her, and then raped her in his truck.

Investigators say they found a whip, handcuffs, and other sexual bondage items in Simmons' car.

The victim claims she woke up during the rape, was handcuffed and had a gag in her mouth.

“This is not the type of rapes and sodomies that we commonly see with this type of bondage and this type of material that have been used during the commission of the rape. So it does disturb us, it makes us wonder if this individual has committed these types of crimes anywhere in the United States where may have been,” said Houston Co. Sheriff Andy Hughes.

Simmons has been suspended by Duke University Police.

His bond is set at $120,000 dollars.
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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/161330.html