Thursday, April 26, 2012

Captain Shawn King Suspended for Engaging in Sexual Activity in His Cop Car

A sex scandal is rocking the Tulsa Police Department. A police Captain has been suspended for engaging in sexual activity while on duty and in his cop car.

The news broke early Thursday afternoon when a document was released by Police Chief Chuck Jordan.

It says Captain Shawn King was suspended for five days earlier this month.

The document is directly from Chief Jordan to Captain King and it's addressed April 3.

It explains that King violated a TPD rule, "Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer or Police Employee."

Below the legal speak it shows what took place back in 2009.

The document states "Specifically in 2009, during first shift hours, you engaged in sexual activity while on-duty, in your patrol unit, in an area near the Tulsa zoo."

Captain King has worked for TPD for 15 years and has done interviews with Channel Eight in the past.

As of right now we believe he is back on the streets working as a Captain at the Gilcrease division.

Just to clarify this not a crime but a violation of a TPD policy.

Officer Victor Rodriquez Arrested for harassing 13-year-old

The Laredo Police Department has arrested one of it's own, accused of harassing a 13-year-old girl.

 Police say the cop was sending inappropriate messages to the teen.

Our Annette Garcia spoke to the chief of police about the matter.

“I’m certainly disappointed. We expect our officers to act in a certain fashion and if they don't we are going to take action against that.”

Disappointed at the embarrassing arrest of one of their own.

Ten-year-veteran officer Victor Raul Rodriguez, arrested for harassing a 13-year-old girl by repeatedly calling the teen and sending her unwanted text messages.

"It was a 13 year old and even that in and of itself is troubling.”

Authorities say the messages were inappropriate in nature and were all sent on April 1st by the 35-year-old officer who is known to the victim.

“The victim wanted the person to stop and she wanted the person to stop the harassing phone calls but they continued.”

The next day a report was filed with police.

“That was reviewed by the district attorney's office who ultimately decides what charge will be filed.”

The chief of police says the case will not be taken lightly and says their investigation is far from over.

“From my perspective this person can loose his job. But it doesn’t necessarily require a conviction I’ll leave it at that.”

Officers he says, are held to the highest standards.

“I want the community to be rest assured that the organization is one they can be very, very proud of. We’ve done a lot in the community over the last few years and years before that in terms of protecting the community and we will continue to do so.”

Rodriguez was taken to jail this morning, where his bond was set at $30,000 dollars.

He will remain on administrative duty pending the outcome of the case.

Two New York Troopers Suspended for Prostitution

Two more New York State Troopers were suspended without pay Thursday night in connection with a prostitution investigation.

Jeremy Smith, 34, and Michael Petritz, 33, both of Troop T Henrietta, are accused of engaging in misconduct.

The investigation began in December, and kicked off with Titus Taggart, 41, of Troop T Buffalo.

According to State Police, Taggart is under investigation for allegedly organizing parties that may have promoted prostitution while off-duty.

Taggart is an 18-year veteran of the force, while Smith and Petritz have 18 combined years with State Police.

Former Officer Michael McKethan Jr Arrested Again

An Oklahoma City police officer who resigned last year to avoid criminal charges after a drive-by shooting at a strip club was arrested again after his ex-girlfriend reported he broke into her house, according to a police report released Friday.

 Michael Wayne McKethan Jr., 37, was arrested April 10 on a burglary complaint. According to the report, McKethan broke into the woman's home in the 2700 block of NW 164 Terrace just before 10 p.m. “It's an old girlfriend of his,” said Scott Adams, McKethan's attorney.

“He didn't do anything wrong. After all the facts come out, I'm sure he will be acquitted or charges won't even be filed. He didn't commit any crimes.”

Court records list the woman as Toni Ann Cooper. She told police she had been living with McKethan, but broke up with him and moved out of his house March 1.

What is alleged. Cooper said she was in her bathroom when McKethan walked in and surprised her. She told him to leave and refused his request to take him back. McKethan then grabbed a glass bathroom sink and broke it on the floor, and went to the living room and ripped a television from the wall and threw it to the ground, Cooper told officers.

Cooper filed a victim's protective order against McKethan earlier that day, court records show. McKethan resigned from the Oklahoma City Police department in 2011 after he and another officer were charged with a drive-by shooting two years earlier at Night Trips, an Oklahoma City strip club. In return for both officers' resignations, prosecutors dropped charges in the case. Charges in a separate insurance fraud case also were dropped after McKethan agreed to pay restitution.

New Jersey Officer Steven Vigorito Jr Charged with Texting Child Explicit Photos

A New Jersey police officer has been arrested and charged after he allegedly pursued sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl, texting her explicit photos of himself in uniform.

According to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, Woodland Park Police Officer Steven Vigorito Jr. was charged with attempted aggravated assault, luring and enticing a child, attempted endangering of a child, attempted sex assault and official misconduct.

Investigators said, Vigorito met the girl after responding to a domestic dispute at a home in Woodland Park on April 23. While at the scene, the officer gave the girl his personal cell phone number.

The 12-year-old victim immediately alerted her mother who in turn told authorities.

In the following days, detectives posed as the girl and reached out to Vigorito which prompted several explicit text messages from the 39-year-old officer, including photos where he's in uniform and exposing himself. Officials say some of the photos are believed to have been taken at the station house.

When Vigorito attempted to lure the girl to a location for sex, undercover officers went in and arrested him, officials said.

Vigorito, a 12-year veteran with the Woodland Park Police Department, was arrested Tuesday night while on duty. He was arraigned Wednesday and remains in custody with a $250,000 bond.

"The person called to assist the family, ended up preying on the family," Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said a press conference Wednesday.

Vigorito has been suspended without pay.

PIX 11 News paid a visit to Vigorito's Woodland Park home Tuesday afternoon. Two women slammed the door at first and quickly closed the garage doors before coming back outside.

"He's not that kind of guy, he's a good guy, he's a clean guy," said a woman who wouldn't identify herself. The home had toys and children's games on the front lawn, and the woman was holding a young child.

LA Deputy Manuel Perallon Jr Arrested for Sex Crimes Against Teen Girl

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was arrested this week and charged with sex crimes against a teenage girl enrolled in the department’s program for youths interested in law enforcement.

Deputy Manuel Enrique Perallon Jr. was charged with one felony count of oral copulation of a minor and misdemeanor child molesting. The deputy’s victim, authorities said, was a 16-year-old girl enrolled in the sheriff's department’s Explorer program.

Perallon, 36, was in charge of overseeing the volunteer youth program at the Cerritos station. Sheriff’s officials received information last year that the deputy was engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with a teenage Explorer and a probe was launched, said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

The investigation determined that Perallon had victimized the teen, Whitmore said, over the span of several months, sometimes while the deputy was on duty.

Supervision and auditing of the youth program has been heightened as a result, Whitmore said, though sheriff’s investigators do not believe Perallon had other victims.

The deputy faces a maximum prison term of four years. Following the felony charge, he was relieved of duty without pay.

“All crimes are heinous, especially ones like this,” Whitmore said. “Not only is it illegal, but it’s categorically unacceptable.”

The sheriff’s Explorer program is an incubator for youth interested in careers in law enforcement. Teen volunteers are allowed to assist law enforcement in basic tasks and are provided guidance in how to become cops once they’re older.