Officer Kyle James McCartin Arrested for Robbing Store

Tuscon Police Officer, Kyle James McCartin, was drunk and belligerent when he walked into a Giant Gas Station wearing his bullet proof vest and began pointing his pistol at the clerk.

Deputies were called to a Giant Gas Station and learned two men who appeared very intoxicated entered the store wearing bulletproof vests.

Authorities say one of the men pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the clerk twice.

The incident was caught on the gas station’s surveillance camera:

 YouTube Video of Incident

The fact that McCartin was drunk is irrelevant in this instance, however the fact that he assaulted a man with a firearm is not. The clerk did not know what these two drunk idiots in bullet proof vests intentions were.

What would have happened if the gun would have gone off?

McCartin was subsequently fired and faced 1 count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a Class 3 Felony. He originally plead not guilty as he claimed to have no memory of the incident, luckily it was caught on camera.

In October of last year McCartin changed his plea to guilty.

Now on to your daily dose of above the law injustice. McCartin plead guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; a charge that carries a sentence of 2 to 21 years.

And exactly how many of those 2 to 21 years will he be serving behind bars? Zero.

Instead, his actions, like the majority of unjust actions committed by members of the state, will remain unaccountable.

Yes, McCartin, who drunkenly and negligently endangered the life of an innocent man will not see one hour behind bars.

Instead, his actions, like the majority of unjust actions committed by members of the state, will remain unaccountable.

Ask yourself this question. Had McCartin not been a cop, would he have spent time behind bars?

Yes, McCartin, who drunkenly and negligently endangered the life of an innocent man will not see one hour behind bars.
Instead, his actions, like the majority of unjust actions committed by members of the state, will remain unaccountable.
Ask yourself this question. Had McCartin not been a cop, would he have spent time behind bars?

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/drunken-cop-caught-camera-pulling-gun-gas-station-clerk/#Z4TGHHhdKbM1fcOu.99

Yes, McCartin, who drunkenly and negligently endangered the life of an innocent man will not see one hour behind bars.

Officer Rajat Sharda Arrested for Rape

A city police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after being charged with rape and witness intimidation.

Police said the incident occurred at Bancroft Tower in August 2013 while Officer Rajat Sharda was "working as a police officer."

According to court records, Officer Sharda allegedly asked a woman what she would be willing to do to avoid arrest and "made her do something against her will in exchange for not being arrested."

The woman told department investigators the officer exposed himself to her and raped her digitally, according to court records. Reports also accuse the officer of taking the woman's bed comforter, which she had her in possession at the time, and threatening her to keep quiet.

The woman told police that Officer Sharda said she "better not talk about this and if she did, he would find her, her children and her family."

Worcester police received the complaint sometime after the alleged incident, which allegedly occurred at Bancroft Tower, on Bancroft Tower Road.

Officer Sharda, 32, of Worcester, was arrested Monday night in Hudson and arraigned Tuesday in Central District Court. He is charged with aggravated rape, extortion by a police officer, open and gross lewdness, armed robbery and witness intimidation. Police list the officer as living in Hudson, but court records list a Worcester address.

Officer Sharda was placed on restricted duty while the case was being investigated by the department's sexual assault unit. Worcester police did not specify when the complaint was filed.

"Worcester police launched an extensive investigation into the allegations made against Mr. Sharda," police said in a news release. "Based on the findings in the investigation, Worcester police obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Sharda."

Not-guilty pleas were entered during Tuesday's arraignment. Officer Sharda posted $7,500 bail. He is due to return to court on March 25.

The officer, who is the only Indian officer on the department, was also ordered to turn in his passport.

Bruce Hopper, the officer's lawyer, said his client denies the allegations.

"For this officer, there is more to this than just defending himself in court against false allegations," Mr. Hopper said. "Now he must defend his honor as well."

Mr. Hopper said his client was recalled to the Worcester Department in December 2011 after being part of the 2009 graduating class, which was later laid off by the city.

Officer David Reeves Charged with Armed Robbery

An ex-Riverside police officer accused of carrying out several off-duty armed robberies in Moreno Valley and Riverside while still on the force pleaded not guilty today to multiple felony charges.

David R. Reeves, 28, of Moreno Valley, is charged with four counts of armed robbery, two counts of attempted armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted kidnapping, burglary, being in possession of stolen property and enhancements alleging the use of a gun in the commission of a felony.

He's being held in lieu of $500,000 bail at the Robert Presley jail in Riverside.

Reeves, along with his two lawyers, appeared before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Richard Fields, who set a felony settlement conference in the case for Dec. 12.

The defendant was arrested Oct. 14 after allegedly trying to rob an AutoZone on Sunnymead Boulevard in Moreno Valley. He was terminated from the Riverside police force, after seven years on the job, the day after his arrest.

"These alleged crimes are extremely serious," Riverside police Sgt. Jaybee Brennan said when Reeves was charged. "Quite frankly, if the allegations are true, nobody here will be standing by him. A lot of people are upset. It's a shock."

The first robbery occurred Oct. 13 at an AutoZone at 19486 Van Buren Blvd. in south Riverside.

The criminal complaint alleges that the following day, Reeves robbed three men, one of whom he allegedly tried to abduct, and then broke into and attempted to rob the AutoZone at 23510 Sunnymead Ave. in Moreno Valley, where he was apprehended.

He was carrying a stolen Itratec 9 mm handgun at the time of his arrest, according to court papers.

If convicted on all counts, Reeves could face more than 30 years in prison.

Officer Elton Jones Arrested for Breaking into Home

An Indiana State Police Probationary Officer has been arrested accused of a crime in Michigan.

State police say 28-year-old Elton Jones is based out of the Toll Road District in South Bend.

He was arrested Monday in Lansing.

He and two other men are accused of breaking into a home and attacking the homeowner this past weekend.

Jones is facing armed robbery, home invasion, and weapons charges.

He was fired today by the state police.
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More information: http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/65255947.html

Trooper Elton Jones Arrested for Breaking into Home

An Indiana state trooper is facing criminal charges after he allegedly broke into a Lansing home and attacked a homeowner, police said.

State Trooper Elton D. Jones, 28, of Valparaiso, faces armed robbery, home invasion and weapons charges in connection with the Sunday night burglary.

Police think Jones and two other men, ages 19 and 30, broke into a Lansing cou-ple's home while they were sleeping, according to WILX-TV in Lansing. The homeowner was assaulted when he came downstairs af-ter hearing noises, police said. The men held the cou-ple at gunpoint while the home was ransacked, WILX-TV reported.

The homeowner was able to escape, and the attackers fled soon after, taking only a briefcase with them, the television station reported.

The suspects were arrested a few hours later by police, the station reported.

Jones was working as a trooper based in South Bend. He was appointed to the state police in August 2008. He graduated from the state police academy in December 2008.

The Indiana State Police fired Jones Tuesday after-noon as a result of the charges. If convicted on all three, he could face life in prison.

Officer David Reeves Jr Arrested for Robbing Auto Parts Store

A Riverside police officer was behind bars today on suspicion of attempting to rob an auto parts store in Moreno Valley, a sheriff’s sergeant said.

David Reeves Jr., 28, of Moreno Valley, allegedly tried to rob the AutoZone at 23510 Sunnymead Blvd. just after 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez.

Moreno Valley police arrived within one minute of the call and found Reeves detained inside the store, Gutierrez said.

“Nobody was injured, thank God. No shots were fired,” said AutoZone manager Robert Sedano. “I wasn’t here, but I’ve spoken to police.”

Sedano said he heard Reeves had been a police officer.

“That’s sad,” Sedano said. “An off-duty police officer. What’s this world coming to?”

Gutierrez and another sheriff’s public information officer today confirmed Reeves had been a Riverside police officer.

Reeves is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, with arraignment expected Friday in Riverside Superior Court.

Meanwhile, Reeves is no longer on the Riverside police force, as of noon today, according to Sgt. Jaybee Brennan, a department spokeswoman and adjutant to Chief Russ Leach.

Brennan said she could not say whether Reeves was fired or if he resigned, noting it was personnel issue and considered confidential.

“The fact that he’s been a police officer is a concern because we have hundreds of professional officers of integrity and honesty,” Brennan said. “It’s a sad day for us. This obviously occurred when he was off-duty and not working.”

Reeves started working for the Riverside Police Department on June 21, 2001, as a police cadet, Brennan said. He was sworn in as a peace officer on June 28, 2002.

He was arrested on suspicion of kidnap ransom with injury, strong-arm robbery and receiving stolen property and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $250,000 bail, a jailer said.

He is to be arraigned Friday in Riverside Superior Court, the jailer said.

Anyone with information on the alleged robbery was asked to call Moreno Valley police at 951-486-6700. Moreno Valley contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for the city’s police services.

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http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=11139

Corrections Officer Vincent Czechorosky Arrested for Armed Robbery

Police in Nye County have arrested a Nevada corrections officer in connection with a pair of armed robberies at a Pahrump convenience store.

Pahrump resident Vincent Matthew Czechorosky, 24, was taken into custody by the Nye County sheriff’s office early Wednesday morning after a car chase that ended with a deputy firing shots at the suspect’s vehicle.

Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said deputies found Czechorosky’s Department of Corrections badge in the vehicle along with a handgun and money from the most recent robbery.

Corrections spokeswoman Suzanne Pardee confirmed on Thursday that Czechorosky worked at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, where he was in his third year with the department.

“That’s ‘was,’” Pardee said. “Let’s just say he’s been terminated as of yesterday.”

The Rebel gas station at Pahrump’s busiest intersection was robbed at gunpoint on Sept. 21 and again at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday by a man dressed in black.

After the second robbery, deputies were searching the area near the gas station when they came across a vehicle parked on the side of the road with its lights off. The vehicle took off when deputies approached, and officers gave chase.

DeMeo said that when deputies cornered Czechorosky in a playground parking lot, he sped toward them, prompting Deputy Jeffrey Benson to fire two shots into the suspect’s windshield.

DeMeo said Czechorosky stopped his vehicle and fled on foot, only to be captured in the desert by a police dog.

Czechorosky was booked on multiple charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand larceny. He is being held without bail.

DeMeo said state corrections officials called his office to express their concern and regret over the incident.

“They were deeply troubled by it, as I would be if it was one of my people,” he said.
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Other Information: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_13527899?nclick_check=1

Former Officer Robert Starling Arrested for Armed Robbery

A former Santa Rosa police officer has been arrested after police said he got away with more than $400,000 in a series of armored car robberies.

Robert Stephen Starling was arrested Monday on suspicion of armed robbery and other charges in connection with four armed robberies between April 2008 and May 2009 in Sonoma and Marin counties, said Santa Rosa police Sgt. Lisa Banayat.

Starling, 35, worked as a Santa Rosa police officer in two separate stints between 2000 and 2006.

He worked for the department from December 2000 to April 2001, then again in May 2003 to July 2006, according to Banayat.

In one of the four heists Starling is suspected of, a Brinks armored car guard was held up as he walked into a bank in Novato in April 2009.

After pointing a gun at the guard, the suspect ran off with a bank bag that turned out to be empty. There was no financial loss in the incident.

But just prior to the holdup, police received a 911 call from an unidentified caller reporting a possible kidnapping.

It was later determined that the call was false and a possible attempt to divert officers from the robbery, Banayat said.

Through a check of cell phone records, investigators were able to link the calls to Starling and a second suspect, Andrew Esslinger, 26, of Santa Rosa, according to Banayat.

Esslinger was also arrested Monday in connection with two of the robberies.

Both suspects were being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

It was not known if the two suspects had attorneys, and police did not know if a court date had been set.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/25/BA1S19DIGN.DTL

Corrections Officer Michelle Hung Charged with Helping Inmate Escape

A corrections officer has been charged with helping an inmate escape, deputies said.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office has charged corrections officer Michelle Hung with 13 felonies for her involvement with Angel Santiago's attempted escape from the Osceola County Jail on June 22.

Detectives said Hung and Santiago had developed an elaborate plan for Santiago's escape.

Hung was charged with filing a false police report after detectives showed her evidence, which contradicted her statements about the escape attempt, the sheriff's office said.

In addition, Hung was charged as principal to all of the felonies Santiago was charged with, including kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated assault, attempted escape, two counts of introducing contraband into a detention facility, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, impersonating an officer and resisting with violence.

Hung is also charged with two counts each of depriving an officer of means of protection and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Officer Charged IMAGES:

Former Officer James Gaddis Also had Plans to Burglarize Police Chief's Home

MURPHYSBORO

A Carbondale Police officer planned to burglarize the home of former Police Chief Bob Ledbetter and other Carbondale residences on the department’s
House Watch list before he was arrested, a detective testified Friday.

Detective Mike Ryan of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said Officer James D. Gaddis revealed the plan to him nearly two hours after Gaddis was arrested in connection with the Oct. 9 armed robbery of First Southern Bank on Murphysboro Road in Carbondale.

The testimony came at a preliminary hearing for Gaddis at the Jackson County Courthouse Friday.

Gaddis has not yet entered a plea in response to the charges.

Interim Chief Jeff Grubbs said active officers have access to the list, which includes homes whose occupants will be absent for reasons such as vacations.

Grubbs said additional precautions have been taken to maintain security at homes on the list. None of the homeowners on the list have reported burglaries, he said.

Patrol officers check homes on the list three times a day until residents return, said Officer Randy Mathis, the department’s community resource officer.

Grubbs said he has complete confidence in the officers who still have access to the list, and that Gaddis’ actions should not reflect the entire department.

“Police put a positive spin (on the case) and put one of its own to justice,” he said.

Ledbetter did not return phone messages left Friday and Sunday.

Ryan said Gaddis confessed to planning the robberies because he was concerned for his family’s safety.

Ryan said Gaddis saw his neighbor, Anthony M. Fike, 35, of Murphysboro, sell drugs to an individual with a gun.

Before Gaddis’ preliminary hearing, Fike pleaded not guilty to the charge that he was the second suspect in the bank robbery. Fike turned himself into police Jan. 15 and has been released on bond.

Gaddis remains in Jackson County Jail on $1 million bond.

Ryan said Fike and Gaddis also planned to rob banks in Ziegler and Royalton, Gaddis’ hometown where he graduated high school as valedictorian.

The two men began discussing the robberies after seeing each other struggling to pay their water bills at Murphysboro City Hall, Ryan said.

Lt. Paul Echols, who heads the Carbondale Police Department’s investigations, said dispatchers received a 911 call 10 minutes before the First Southern Bank robbery. The caller identified himself as someone who had been stabbed and was being chased by a gunman. Echols said most of the police officers on duty responded to the call, but “no one was ever found.”

Carbondale detectives noted that the voice on the 911 call sounded similar to Gaddis, Echols said. The call, which was made by cell phone and lured most officers on duty to the opposite side of town from the bank, was traced to where Fike said he and Gaddis met before the robbery, Echols said.

Following the robbery, Echols said he viewed the bank’s security footage and could see part of one suspect’s face.

“The eyes and eyebrows were consistent to those of Jim Gaddis,” Echols testified.
Echols said he became more suspicious when he noticed the weapon used by the suspect, a Glock 22, was the same handgun model police officers carry.

Ryan said Gaddis confessed to using his service weapon in the robbery.

Of the $22,800 stolen from the bank, nearly $4,000 was recovered from Fike’s home, Ryan said. Gaddis had taken the money to a casino, where he exchanged it for unmarked bills, Ryan said.

A hearing to set a trial date is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 11.

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Other Information: http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2009/02/01/front_page/27968896.txt
Previous Information: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/01/officer-james-gaddis-neighbor-rob-bank.html

Former Officer Kam Ng Faces Federal Charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio

A former Columbus police officer faces charges after a federal investigation uncovered alleged schemes to rob armored trucks and restaurants.

According to the FBI, investigators had been watching Kam Ng for more than a month after receiving tips from informants.

An informant told investigators that Ng, 53, had said that he wanted to rob a restaurant before Christmas to "spread some holiday cheer," Kocot reported. Ng also allegedly told the informant that his "training as a police officer" would give him a "big advantage."

Ng worked as an officer with the Columbus Division of Police until 1985.

The FBI said that Ng was plotting to hold up armored cars because he knew the best time and day to strike "when police presence is light," Kocot reported.

Federal agents also claimed that Ng conducted surveillance at nearly half-dozen Asian restaurants and wanted to obtain a .22-caliber pistol with a silencer. Court records allege that Ng told an informant that he would use a weapon if robbery victims failed to follow his orders.

Ng was arrested Saturday outside a Columbus restaurant. The FBI said he was in possession of a loaded handgun, a ski mask and a stun gun at the time of his arrest, Kocot reported.

Agents said that Ng told them that the alleged scheme was nothing more than a "big joke." An informant said that Ng said he was broke and needed money, according to the FBI.

Ng remained in custody Monday and faces federal charges of attempted armed robbery.

More information: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/23/robbery_foiled.ART_ART_12-23-08_A1_0FCALAJ.html?sid=101

Former Lt Scott Fross Convicted of Bribery Get's Just One Year of HOME Detention

A former police officer has been sentenced to one year home detention after pleading guilty to taking cash from Hispanic drivers who wanted to avoid traffic tickets or jail.

Former Westfield Police Lt. Scott Fross pleaded guilty to bribery in August and was sentenced Thursday.

Fross was a 10-year veteran of police force in the northern Indianapolis suburb but resigned in November 2007 after being charged with four counts of armed robbery while on patrol.

Investigators said Fross was armed and in uniform when he took money from Hispanic motorists he stopped for traffic infractions.

The sentence did not include fines or restitution.

New Robbery Charge Filed Against Officer Jorge Arbaje-Diaz

NEW YORK

Federal prosecutors have filed a new robbery charge against a former New York City police officer already accused of helping a robbery crew.

Jorge Arbaje-Diaz (ahr-BAH'-hay dee-AHZ') could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the new charge, filed Friday.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Arbaje-Diaz and six others conspired to rob a suspected drug dealer on Aug. 26. His lawyer did not immediately return a telephone call.

Last week, Arbaje-Diaz was charged in federal court in Brooklyn with participating in a robbery crew that impersonated police and tortured drug dealers.

The 30-year-old has resigned from the force since his Oct. 31 arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges in Brooklyn. They include robbery and drug dealing and carry a potential 45-year prison sentence.

Gang that Robbed Drug Dealers Included Real Police Officers

When federal prosecutors earlier this year accused a gang of robbers of abducting, torturing and stealing from dozens of drug dealers, they said some of the robbers posed as police officers. But on Friday, prosecutors said that a real police officer, in full uniform during at least one robbery, was among the group.

In an indictment unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, the police officer, Jorge H. Arbaje-Diaz, 30, and two other men, Felix Rodriguez and Alfredo Antonio Acosta, were added as defendants to an indictment that charged that a “violent robbery crew” carried out more than 100 armed robberies of drug traffickers over a five-year period and took more than 750 kilograms of cocaine and $4 million.

The indictment adds the names of Officer Arbaje-Diaz and the two others to an indictment originally unsealed on May 6. With the indictment unsealed on Friday, 13 people have now been charged in the case. Eleven of those, including Officer Arbaje-Diaz, have been arraigned and have pleaded not guilty. Two will be arraigned next week.

The group operated between May 2003 and August 2008 in at least six states, including New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, prosecutors charged. They said the group used torture and death threats to get information from the drug dealers.

Officer Arbaje-Diaz used his position to gain access to the victims’ homes, where he and other defendants handcuffed them at gunpoint and threatened to arrest them if they did not say where their drugs and money were stored, according to a statement from the United States attorney’s office.

Officer Arbaje-Diaz, 30, took part in robberies that netted thousands of dollars and multiple kilograms of cocaine, heroin and marijuana valued at $200,000, the statement said.

On at least one occasion, the officer, a three-year veteran assigned to transit duties in the Bronx, wore his uniform and carried his badge, weapon and handcuffs, the statement said.

The new indictment charges Officer Arbaje-Diaz, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Acosta with conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act, which outlaws the obstruction of commerce “by robbery or extortion”; possession of and conspiracy to distribute cocaine; and firearms charges. If convicted on all counts, they would face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

At his arraignment on Friday, Officer Arbaje-Diaz was ordered held without bail, and his next court appearance was set for Dec. 15, said Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for the United States attorney’s office. The officer’s lawyer, Gregory Cooper, was not immediately available for comment.

The police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, called Officer Arbaje-Diaz’s alleged actions “despicable” and “the highest form of betrayal.”

“It is a huge disappointment, to say the least, to the department,” Mr. Kelly said in a news conference. He said the department would examine the background checks that were done before Officer Arbaje-Diaz joined the force. He has been suspended without pay.


NYtimes.com

Officer Jorge Arbaje-Diaz Charged with Robbery

NEW YORK

A New York City police officer was charged Friday with being a member of a robbery crew that specialized in impersonating police and torturing rival East Coast drug dealers until they gave up stashes of cocaine and cash.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused Jorge Arbaje-Diaz of committing of a least one robbery while on duty and in his New York Police Department uniform. They also claimed in court papers that the officer made "post-arrest admissions," but didn't elaborate.

Arbaje-Diaz pleaded not guilty Friday at his arraignment.

The arrest "brings dishonor to the proud reputation of the thousands of law enforcement officers in New York who put their lives on the line every day to protect their residents and communities," U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell said in a statement.

Arbaje-Diaz, 30, was arrested and suspended from the force shortly after midnight Friday following a tour as a transit officer in the Bronx. In court, the officer's lawyer asked prosecutors for details of his client's statements and results of a search of his home. But he didn't comment on the case.

The officer was among three men arrested Friday in an ongoing investigation by the NYPD, the Drug Enforcement Administration and New York State Police. Ten other suspects were charged earlier this year in what officials described as one of the more brazen and lucrative robbery operations in recent memory. All 13 are from the Dominican Republic.

The spree netted more than 1,650 pounds of cocaine worth $20 million and $4 million in cash since 2003. At least 100 people were injured.

Investigators say the gang paid informants to provide the names and whereabouts of traffickers around New York City, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. After that, it conducted surveillance for days or even weeks, sometimes using satellite tracking devices.

Once the crew had a fix on its targets' daily routines, it would use fake squad cars equipped with lights and sirens to trick their victims into stopping. They would invade homes the same way, then handcuff the inhabitants and haul them away at gunpoint.

Arbaje-Diaz — "a vital and active member" of the gang — once "left patrol still wearing his NYPD uniform and carrying his official firearm, badge and handcuffs to meet members of the crew and carry out a robbery," court papers said. "He used his status as a police officer ... to illegally demand access to the homes of his victims."

During interrogations at dingy hideouts, the bandits allegedly bound their victims with duct tape, beat them and held guns to their heads to get them to reveal information. Using bathtubs, they simulated drownings by repeatedly submerging victims' heads, court papers said.

One victim told investigators that during a 2005 abduction, two gang members "applied a pair of pliers to the victim's testicles and threatened to squeeze the pliers if the victim did not talk," the papers said.

Arbaje-Diaz was ordered held without bail. If convicted of robbery, drug dealing, firearms possession and other charges, he faces a minimum of 45 years in prison.

Officer Alph Coleman Indicted on Aggravated Robbery

A Dallas police officer was indicted Monday on charges he planned and carried out a June robbery at a Red Bird-area Sam’s Club where he worked off-duty security.

Officer Alph Coleman is charged with aggravated robbery in the June 27 incident at the store in the 2900 block of West Wheatland Road, police said. He was arrested in August and released on bail.

Officer Coleman, 29, was in uniform and working at the store that night when a masked gunman entered and held him at gunpoint, the officer told investigators. The robbery failed when employees locked themselves in a storage room and refused to give the suspects access to the vault.

Investigators ultimately identified holes in Officer Coleman’s story and have said they have phone records indicating the officer and getaway driver were in contact shortly before the crime.

Floyd Gibson Jr., 37, and Christopher Johnson, 26, were also indicted on aggravated robbery charges. Mr. Gibson and Cecil Rosemond, 35, were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery.

A decision will be made on whether to fire Officer Coleman once an administrative investigation is completed. He has been with the Police Department since 2004 and has no history of disciplinary problems, police said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6069362.html

Officer Alph Coleman Arrested for Aggravated Robbery

Dallas police officer Alph Coleman was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery on June 27 of the Sam's Club in the 2900 block of West Wheatland Road.

Court records show that Coleman tried to rob the Red Bird-area Sam's with two other men, and made up a story covering his participation. You have to read the story involving a bullet-proof vest that Coleman says was shot at, but evidence shows wasn't. It's all pretty elaborate and also seems clearly fake. It also sounds like they never ended up actually taking anything. One of the other two men has been arrested; the other is still at large.

He said he was held at gunpoint in a Sam's Club robbery was accused Tuesday of staging his role as a hostage in the failed heist.

Dallas police Officer Alph Coleman was charged with aggravated robbery after evidence implicated the four-year veteran in planning and carrying out the June 27 holdup, Dallas police Lt. Vernon Hale said.

Coleman was in custody at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center on a $50,000 bond for the aggravated robbery charges, a jail spokesman said. It was not immediately clear if Coleman had an attorney. He has been placed on administrative leave.

Coleman was working off-duty as a security guard, but in his police uniform, when he told investigators that a man held a pistol to his head inside a Sam's Club store and forced him against his will toward the accounting office.

The robbery failed when employees barricaded themselves inside a storage room, police said. Coleman had said he was walked outside the store, pushed to the ground and heard two gunshots.

Coleman fired three times at the suspect, according to a Dallas police report. The suspect fled and was not caught, and Coleman was hospitalized with a shoulder injury.

Coleman's uniform shirt and ballistic vest were taken to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences but a trace evidence analyst found no gunshot defects, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. No gunshot residue was found on the shirt or the vest.

Coleman has been with the department since 2004 and has no history of disciplinary actions, police said.

Officer Alph Coleman Arrested for Robbery

A Dallas police officer helped plan a June robbery in which he was taken hostage as part of a ruse, police said Tuesday.

Alph Coleman was arrested Tuesday and has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation into the robbery at a Sam's Club, said Lt. Vernon Hale, police spokesman.

The store is located at 2900 W. Wheatland Road in southwest Dallas. The area is south of the intersection of U.S. 67 and Interstate 20.

Coleman, Hale said, was working off-duty security in his police uniform June 27 at the store when an "unknown suspect wearing a face mask entered the store and took him hostage during an attempt to rob the business."

"The robbery failed when other employees barricaded themselves inside of a storage room," Hale said. "The officer was later escorted out of the store and reportedly was involved in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect prior to his escape."

Hale declined to give details about the investigation but he did note that "evidence has been obtained implicating Officer Coleman in the planning and execution of the attempted robbery."

Hale said Coleman would be charged with aggravated robbery.

"There have been no other persons charged in connection with this case although the investigation is ongoing," he said in a news release.

Veteran Officer Jonathan Heard Robs Store

The Central Store was robbed at gunpoint Friday night, and the prime suspect identified by Elmore County Sheriff’s deputies is a former police investigator with 11 years in law enforcement.

Jonathan Heard, a former investigator with the Roanoke Police Department in Randolph County, allegedly wielded a “semi-automatic pistol” and demanded cash from a cashier at the store around 6:30 Friday night, according to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department.

According to victims and witnesses at The Central Store "9 miles north of Wetumpka on Alabama Highway 9” Heard came in asking for directions to Alexander City around 5 p.m.

Elmore County Chief Deputy Ricky Lowery said Heard returned an hour and a half later, pointed a handgun at the clerk, and left with “an undisclosed amount of currency.”

Roanoke Police Chief Adam Melton said his department did everything it could to cooperate with local investigators, despite their “shock and disbelief” that one of their own could commit such a crime.

“Our thoughts and prayers are, of course, with the victims and with (Heard’s) family,” Melton said Monday. “We’re praying that God holds their hand through this trying time, because this is just awful.”

A witness who saw the robber flee The Central Store in a Chevrolet Avalanche wrote down the truck’s license plate. After a license plate check identified Heard, sheriff’s deputies contacted Melton’s department. They confirmed Heard’s previous employment there, and verified the type of truck he drove.

“While the investigation was going on, we received information that another store was hit in Shorter, and we feel (Heard) is a suspect in that robbery as well,” Sheriff Bill Franklin said.

An Elmore County deputy who knew Heard called his cell phone not long after The Central Store hold-up, and Heard said he wanted to turn himself in, but needed to speak with an attorney first.
“Apparently, that was a ruse,” Franklin said.

A regional bulletin to “be on the lookout,” called a BOLO, was issued.

Lowery also spoke with Heard around 11 p.m. Friday, asking him to come in to talk about “something that happened in the county.”

Heard was apprehended in Biloxi, Miss., parking lot around 4 a.m. Saturday, Biloxi Police Investigator Susan Kimball said. He did not resist arrest, she added, and the handgun allegedly used in the crime was found in Heard’s truck. The former policeman is also suspected in a 2 a.m. robbery at an Exxon station in Moss Point, Miss., Kimball said.

Kimball said Heard is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. An extradition hearing was planned for Tuesday or today, she added.

Elmore County investigators were surprised to see the tag number lead to a former police officer, Lowery said, but since Heard allegedly “broke the law, we treated him just like any other suspect.”

Melton said Heard patrolled Roanoke in two stints totaling 11 years. A native of nearby Wedowee, he worked for the RPD from 1994-2000 and 2001-2006, before resigning to take a job with a neighboring sheriff’s department, Melton said.

“I’m just at a loss of words,” Melton said. “He had been one of ours, but I believe in punishment for what we do wrong. If we can do anything, for the victims, his family or for Jonathan, I’m happy to talk to whomever.”

Roanoke Officer Arrested for Armed Robbery

A former Roanoke police officer who is suspected in an armed robbery has been arrested in Mississippi.

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Jonathan Heard was arrested around 4 a.m. Saturday in Biloxi.

The former officer is accused of robbing a store in Central on Friday night and leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Franklin said one of his deputies knew Heard and called him on his cell phone.

He said Heard told the deputy he planned to surrender after he spoke with an attorney, but that was apparently a ruse.