Officer Justin Ranum & Officer Matthew Booth Accused of Using Excessive Force

Two former Daytona Beach police officers are out of a job after a controversial and violent arrest.

An internal affairs investigation revealed former officer Justin Ranum turned off his body camera during an incident under the Seabreeze Bridge.

In June of 2013, police say 37-year-old Christine Chippewa was approached by Ranum and former officer Matthew Booth in the parking lot of the bridge.

After the officers allege they saw Chippewa put a bag of cocaine in her mouth they took her down, but the body camera video doesn't show the take down and Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood says that's a problem.

"Clearly in the middle of the arrest the camera goes blank and then I have a woman with her teeth knocked out of her mouth and headed to the hospital," said Chitwood. "And I have this documentation of 'Oh these things happened,' well why'd your camera go off?"

And according to Chitwood, Ranum turned it off himself.

Meanwhile, after being arrested, Chippewa filed a complaint with the Daytona Beach Police Department claiming that the officers used excessive force during the arrest.
She says Booth put his fingers down her throat, shoved a flashlight in her mouth and kicked her in the head.

"Further investigation into officer Booth and the injuries that this woman suffered are conducive to excessive force and that's not how we operate," said Chitwood.

Chitwood went on to say the actions that were displayed are against station police and that's why both officers are now off the job. Ranum reportedly resigned and Booth was reportedly fired.

Chippewa settled with the city of Daytona Beach for $20,000 and all of her charges were dropped.

Officer Matthew McMurray Arrested for Exposing Himself

An off-duty Statesboro police officer caught exposing himself in public was fired at the scene before being taken to jail Wednesday morning, according to a Statesboro Police Department news release.

Officers charged Matthew Kyle McMurray, 27, of Sarah Sorrell Road, with public indecency, Statesboro Public Safety Director Wendell Turner said.

McMurray was taken into custody around 9:50 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a “call of white male exposing himself in a vehicle,” in the parking lot of Statesboro Crossing shopping center on Brannen Street, where T.J. Maxx and Books-a-Million are located, Turner said

When responding officers found McMurray at the scene, he was “off-duty,” Turner said. “Upon arrest, he was immediately terminated.”

Cpl. Justin Samples, the Statesboro Police Department's public information officer, said McMurray had been with the department for less than six months.

Then, officers took McMurray to the Bulloch County Jail, where he awaits further court action, Turner said.

Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact the Statesboro Policed Investigations Bureau at (912) 764-9911.

Officer Kevin Nguyen Arrested for Possession of Child Porn

The San Jose Police Department has arrested a Mountain View police officer for felony possession of child pornography.

San Jose police served a search warrant at the residence of 36-year-old Kevin Nguyen on May 13, finding child pornography on his computer. Detectives from the San Jose Police Department along with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force members arrested Officer Nguyen at the Mountain View Police Department Tuesday afternoon without incident.

Nguyen was booked into the county jail for possession and distribution of child pornography. He was out of custody by Wednesday afternoon according to a Santa Clara County Sheriff's spokesperson, who declined to say whether Nguyen posted bail.

Nguyen, a 7-year veteran of the Mountain View Police Department, was placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation and arrest conducted in conjunction with the ICAC Task Force Program. Nguyen also worked as a sketch artist for the Mountain View Police Department.

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"If true, the allegation against Officer Nguyen is deeply unsettling," the Mountain View Police Department said in an open letter to the Mountain View community about Mguyen's arrest.. "However, we trust and have faith in our judicial system to conduct a thorough investigation resulting in the appropriate outcome."

MVPD said that the department will continue to cooperate with SJPD during the criminal invetsigation while launching their own internal administrative investigation.

"This is an extremely difficult time not only for our police department family, but also for the Mountain View community and for any innocent parties involved," MVPD said. "Rest assured, we remain committed to providing the very highest-level of service to you and will work tirelessly to continue to provide a sense of safety, security and transparency to the City of Mountain View."

The San Jose Police Department is the lead agency for the Silicon Valley ICAC Task Force and routinely conducts investigations into child pornography and child exploitation.

Anyone with information regarding the above case are urged to contact Detective Pierce of the San Jose Police Department’s Child Exploit Detail at (408) 537-1381.

Officer Geoffrey Graves Now Charged with Domestic Violence

Prosecutors say a San Jose police officer charged with raping a woman while on duty is facing new domestic-violence allegations involving a former girlfriend.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday that 38-year-old Geoffrey Graves is charged with two felony counts of domestic violence for separate incidents involving the ex-girlfriend.

Graves entered not-guilty pleas to those charges.

In one of the incidents, prosecutors say, Graves kicked a door the woman had tried to close during an argument, and the door hit her in the face, cutting her lips.

Last month Graves pleaded not guilty to a charge of forcible rape in a separate case.

He is accused of raping the woman last September after responding to a family disturbance call at her home.

Officer Carlos Antonio Wilson Charged with Kidnapping

An employee of The Medical Center of Central Georgia’s police department was charged Wednesday with multiple crimes after allegedly firing shots at his ex-wife and another man, and later ramming their car.

The Bibb County sheriff’s office said in a news release Wednesday night that 39-year-old Carlos Antonio Wilson is accused of following his ex, 41-year-old Reeshema Wilson, and Hiram Simmons, also 41, while they were driving on Mercer University Drive about 1 a.m. Wednesday.

The sheriff’s news release detailed the encounter:

After Reeshema Wilson and Simmons noticed a vehicle following them, they pulled over at the Food Mart at 4381 Mercer University Drive. Carlos Wilson got out of his 2006 Chevrolet Equinox and started firing a gun at the pair. They drove away, but Carlos Wilson followed them down Log Cabin Drive where he rammed their car at Napier Avenue, causing the cars to wreck.

Carlos Wilson flashed his handgun and pulled Reeshema Wilson from the vehicle about the time sheriff’s deputies arrived. Carlos Wilson fled on foot.

About 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Carlos Wilson turned himself over to the Southeastern Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to the news release. He was jailed in Bibb County on multiple warrants, including two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault family violence, kidnapping, aggravated stalking, violation of oath of office and possession of a handgun during commission of a felony.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Bibb Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500 and ask to leave a message for the on-call investigator.