Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Deputy Amanda Tyndall Accused of Giving 20-year-old Alcohol

The court case of a Pitt County deputy accused of giving a 20-year-old a drink has been continued until March 12.

The State Bureau of Investigated charged Deputy Amanda Raper Tyndall, 30, of N.C. 43 South on Sept. 23 after the Pitt County district attorney requested an investigation into the reported June 5 incident.

A complaint was filed against Tyndall on June 6 after an Alcohol Law Enforcement officer cited Elizabeth Daniel Dominique, 20, for underage drinking.

Dominique and a friend said that Tyndall gave the young woman the drink but walked away when the agent approached the table and wrote the citation.

Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning has defended Tyndall, who joined the department in October 2005. Tyndall was Manning’s only full-time Drug Awareness and Resistance Education officer, and he suspended classes during the fall because of the investigation and public discussion about the matter.

Tyndall remains employed by the sheriff’s office.

When Tyndall was charged Manning gave reporters copies of statements made by Dominique, one of her friends and Alcohol Law Enforcement agent Rusty King.

King said he saw Dominique drink from a wine glass while a woman later identified as Tyndall had her back turned.

Manning said Tyndall knew Dominique because the young woman previously dated the deputy’s stepson.

“They were familiar with each other, but they were not together in the same party that night,” Manning said.

Deputy Edwin Salinda Charged with Child Sexual Assault

A sheriff's deputy is behind bars Tuesday after he was charged with six counts of sexual assault on a child. According to court documents, the alleged incidents happened from 1992 to 1996.

A woman says that Edwin Salinda sexually assaulted her on at least 30 separate occasions when she was between the ages of six and eight.

Salinda was first arrested on November 9, 2009 but was released. At the time, he was put on leave without pay. He has subsequently been suspended.

Salinda has been with the sheriff's department for approximately 18 years. His bail has been set at $100,000.

School Security Officer Dean Banner Arrested for Hosting Teen Drinking Party

Police said a man who worked as a substitute security officer for the Highlands School District was arrested after he allegedly hosted a drinking party for teens.

According to district spokeswoman Misty Chybrzynski, Dean Banner worked on an on-call basis for the school system.

Chybrzynski said school administrators learned of Banner's Dec. 27 arrest the following day and permanently removed him from the substitute list.

Banner worked for the school district for 5 years and was not known to have had any previous problems, Chybrzynski said.

According to the criminal complaint, Harrison police were called to Banner's Natrona home to investigate a complaint of underage drinking.

When officers arrived, they found evidence that Banner was serving alcohol to minors, police said.

He is facing charges of giving alcohol to minors and disorderly conduct.

Deputy Daniel Ward Arrested for Sexual Battery on Child

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has arrested a former Campbell County deputy after he was indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges of the sexual battery of a minor.

Daniel Ward, 36 and of Jacksboro, was indicted on 16 counts overall. The indictment includes 10 counts of aggravated sexual battery of a minor under the age of 13, two counts of attempted aggravated sexual battery of a minor under the age of 13, two counts sexual battery by an authority figure, and two counts of sexual battery.

A Campbell County grand jury handed down the indictment on Monday.

The TBI began investigating the allegations against Ward in December, after a request by the district attorney.

Ward is accused of sexually molesting one victim numerous times between October 2003 and March 2009.

He's been booked into the Campbell County jail on $25,000 bond.

While employed with the sheriff's office, he worked as a corrections officer and a patrol deputy.

Officer Davita Glenn Arrested for DUI

A Polk County Sheriff's deputy was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Deputy Davita Glenn was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol on Monday night.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, her blood alcohol level measured a .201. The Polk County Sheriff's office confirmed Glenn was involved in a crash but there were no injuries reported.

Deputy Glenn is 37 years old. She was released from jail on a $500 bond, and shortly after she issued a letter of retirement to the sheriff's office. This is the second Polk County deputy arrested for DUI in a week.

Deputy Jeff Edwin Baker Charged with Raping Teen

A Hamilton County school resource officer is accused of raping a teenaged girl.

In November, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office was notified by the East Ridge Police Department about allegations of improper contact between Deputy Jeff Edwin Baker and a juvenile female. That investigation resulted in the arrest of Deputy Jeff Edwin Baker who will be charged with two counts of Aggravated Statutory Rape.

Investigators say one incident allegedly happened at East Ridge Middle School where Deputy Baker was assigned as the School Resource Officer. The second incident reportedly occurred at an apartment complex.

Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond said, "Anytime a situation like this happens, it saddens all of us. We are committed, however, to provide a safe environment for all the citizens of Hamilton County. This incident in no way reflects on the integrity and dedication of any of the other law enforcement officers who serve and protect us daily."

photo & more information

Officer Michael Dawson Arrested for Public Intoxication

Oklahoma City police say an off-duty officer is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into his arrest on New Year's Day.

Authorities say Logan County sheriff's deputies found Michael Dawson crawling out of a wooded ditch along a rural road while intoxicated and clothed only in a T-shirt, shorts and a single shoe.

Oklahoma City police Capt. Patrick Stewart alleged Monday that Dawson, an 11-year veteran patrol officer, was drunk and kicked out the back window of the patrol car during the incident.

Stewart says he was booked into the Logan County jail on a misdemeanor public intoxication complaint. He has not been formally charged.

A deputy at the Logan County jail said Dawson was released from custody on Friday. She didn't know if Dawson had a lawyer.

Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com

Officer Frank Tepper Stripped of His Badge

The off-duty police officer who shot and killed an unarmed 21-year-old man in November during a street fight will be stripped of his badge, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey announced yesterday.

Frank Tepper, 43, a 16-year veteran of the force, committed "numerous violations" of Police Department procedures when he opened fire on William Panas Jr. in the Port Richmond neighborhood where they both lived, according to an investigation by the department's Internal Affairs Division.

As of yesterday, Tepper was suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss him. He could not be reached for comment.

Panas' father, William Sr., said Ramsey called him to deliver the news.

"This is a great day," Panas said yesterday, his voice breaking. "This means he can't kill someone else's child while calling himself police."

A police cruiser was parked outside Tepper's home yesterday - police have guarded his house on Elkhart Street since the Nov. 21 shooting - and a memorial to Panas remained in place across the street.

Tepper has since moved to an undisclosed location.

Tepper also might face criminal charges. Last month, then-District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham announced a grand-jury probe into the case. That investigation is continuing and has no bearing on the decision to fire Tepper, Ramsey said in a news release.

District Attorney R. Seth Williams, who took office yesterday, said through a spokesman that he planned to review the case file today.

Said the elder Panas: "What we most want is for [Tepper] to be charged with murdering my son. We're very grateful he's been terminated, but the fact is he murdered my son for nothing. He should be punished for that."

The shooting of Panas, a well-known Port Richmond native who planned to open a corner barbershop, sparked outrage, particularly among neighbors of Tepper. Many have described Tepper as a hot-tempered bully often at war with the teenagers and young adults in his community.

Tepper also has a history of reaching for his gun to settle disputes.

Seven years before Panas' death, Tepper drew a firearm while arguing with a group of youths who had harassed Tepper's young son. As with Panas' shooting, Tepper was off duty at the time.

After that incident, Internal Affairs officers admonished Tepper, warning in a report that his actions "could have resulted in numerous injuries with the very real possibility of deadly force being used by him during this confrontation."

Tepper was assigned to the Civil Affairs Unit, whose duties include monitoring demonstrations and labor disputes. He was placed on desk duty after the shooting while the case was investigated, standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

Panas' family and many in Port Richmond have been calling for action against Tepper since the night Tepper shot Panas during a large brawl that broke out in front of Tepper's Elkhart Street house. Some neighbors said the fight began in the house, at a family party, then spilled out into the street.

Police have said that Tepper tried to break up the fight and that he fired his gun after he was assaulted. Witnesses disputed that, saying that Tepper appeared drunk and that Panas never threatened him. No one in the crowd was armed.

By several accounts, Panas just happened to walk by with friends, and some witnesses said he tried to stop the fighting. Witnesses reported that when Tepper brandished a gun and chased off the brawlers, Panas said, "Come on, you're not going to shoot me."

Just before Tepper fired, witnesses said, his response was, essentially, "Oh, yeah?"

Panas was shot in the chest and died soon afterward.

Police have never commented on whether Tepper called 911 before getting involved in the fight, in accordance with the rules that govern off-duty officers, or whether he called 911 after the shooting.

The reaction from many Port Richmond residents was immediate and anguished. A memorial to Panas appeared at the scene of the shooting, with photographs and letters, and neighbors have held two marches in his honor.

"It was inevitable that he would kill someone," the elder Panas said of Tepper. "He should have been stopped a long time ago."