NEW ORLEANS
Mississippi River bridge police on Wednesday handed the Orleans Parish district attorney's office new video and audio footage of the aftermath of a high-speed pursuit of a New Orleans police officer.
Officer Donyell Sanchell was suspended after he allegedly led Crescent City Connection police on Saturday's chase. Authorities said he fled after being pulled over and later slapped a bridge police officer who followed him to his district station.
Sanchell was arraigned Tuesday in municipal court on two counts of battery and trial was set for Aug. 6. Sanchell also received citations for careless driving and hit-and-run.
The bridge police said they want an outside opinion on the appropriateness of municipal charges _ which carry lighter penalties _ against Sanchell.
Because Sanchell was cited with a municipal summons, he was not arrested and will not face state criminal charges. Had the bridge police pursued the more serious charge of simple battery on a police officer, Sanchell could have faced more severe penalties, including at least 15 days in jail if found guilty in criminal court.
The leniency has led some outside observers to question whether regular citizens would receive the same treatment in an altercation with an officer.
"I think any time a police officer gets struck by someone, the suspect is going to be charged with battery on a police officer," said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, a watchdog group. "The fact that he was charged with simple battery is an indication that maybe a different standard was applied to Officer Sanchell."
New footage from Crescent City Connection Police Sgt. David Kramer, who was called to the police department's 1st District headquarters after the altercation, suggests that department officials kept the bridge police officers from apprehending Sanchell at district headquarters.
Additional discussions between the bridge police and department officials indicate that Sanchell was kept behind closed doors until officers with the department's Public Integrity Bureau arrived. The sound recording also indicates that officers moved Sanchell's truck before the investigation was completed.
"We have the material and we'll review it and make a decision on what to do after that," District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson said Wednesday.
Police spokesman Bob Young limited his comments on the incident, saying the department is conducting an internal investigation that will be submitted to Superintendent Warren Riley.
"After reviewing the incident, he will take the appropriate action," Young said.
Showing posts with label Donyell Sanchell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donyell Sanchell. Show all posts
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Are Police Giving Other Officers Special Treatment?
UPDATE on Officer Donyell Sanchell
For the second time in recent weeks, a traffic stop raises the question, are police giving some people special treatment?
First, it was the Causeway incident involving Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price. Now Crescent City Connection Police say they will ask the Orleans Parish District Attorney if their handling of an incident involving a New Orleans Police officer was appropriate.
A spokesman says the Crescent City Connection Police will ask the Orleans District Attorney's Office to look at a squad car video and other evidence in the incident involving NOPD Officer Donyell Sanchell.
Spokesman Mark Lambert says the bridge police will ask the District Attorney’s Office if the charges against Sanchell are appropriate.
Criminologist Peter Scharf of Tulane University says the question's clear: Did officer Sanchell get special treatment? ****(Why of course he did!! All officers get this special treatment from their buddies!!!)****
“We have a culture where people think that they’re above the law and they’re entitled to some kind of deferential, special treatment,” Scharf said.
The incident took place Saturday evening.
According to the bridge police report, they gave chase with lights flashing when they see a black pickup doing up to 90 mph, weaving around traffic on the Crescent City Connection.
The truck driver speeds over the bridge, gets on I-10 east and doesn't pull over until he gets off at Basin Street.
The police report says the driver in the pickup, Officer Sanchell of the NOPD, was "irate" because he was late for work, then Sanchell drives off again -- his truck allegedly grazing the forearm of bridge police Officer Jeremy Wright.
When Sanchell finally stopped at First District police headquarters, an altercation takes place off camera, and Officer Wright says Sanchell slapped him.
“It seems incredible that a police officer would for whatever reason not respect the authority of another officer,” said John Penny of SUNO’s Criminal Justice Department.
What happened next raised even more questions. The bridge police gave Sanchell a summons for two counts of battery and traffic tickets for hit and run and careless operation.
“If that had happened to anyone else, what would have happened? Jail, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault,” said Scharf.
“This officer should have been arrested and been placed in jail until he made bond,” Penny said. People across the community are saying the same thing.
In one viewer's words, “If I would have sped away, refused to stop, left after stopping and slapped an officer, I should have been arrested and brought to lockup.”
Dr. Scharf says Officer Sanchell's behavior may be troubling, but the message the response by bridge police sends is even more disturbing. “It's devastating. It's that if you’re in the entitled group that you’re above the law.”
The NOPD has launched an administrative review and suspended Sanchell without pay.
Dr. John Penny says the NOPD should send a message that makes it clear to other officers behavior like Sanchell's won't tolerated.
“Given what we see and if any of this is proven true, I think the officer should no doubt be fired,” Penny said. “He's unfit to be a police officer.”
For the second time in recent weeks, a traffic stop raises the question, are police giving some people special treatment?
First, it was the Causeway incident involving Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price. Now Crescent City Connection Police say they will ask the Orleans Parish District Attorney if their handling of an incident involving a New Orleans Police officer was appropriate.
A spokesman says the Crescent City Connection Police will ask the Orleans District Attorney's Office to look at a squad car video and other evidence in the incident involving NOPD Officer Donyell Sanchell.
Spokesman Mark Lambert says the bridge police will ask the District Attorney’s Office if the charges against Sanchell are appropriate.
Criminologist Peter Scharf of Tulane University says the question's clear: Did officer Sanchell get special treatment? ****(Why of course he did!! All officers get this special treatment from their buddies!!!)****
“We have a culture where people think that they’re above the law and they’re entitled to some kind of deferential, special treatment,” Scharf said.
The incident took place Saturday evening.
According to the bridge police report, they gave chase with lights flashing when they see a black pickup doing up to 90 mph, weaving around traffic on the Crescent City Connection.
The truck driver speeds over the bridge, gets on I-10 east and doesn't pull over until he gets off at Basin Street.
The police report says the driver in the pickup, Officer Sanchell of the NOPD, was "irate" because he was late for work, then Sanchell drives off again -- his truck allegedly grazing the forearm of bridge police Officer Jeremy Wright.
When Sanchell finally stopped at First District police headquarters, an altercation takes place off camera, and Officer Wright says Sanchell slapped him.
“It seems incredible that a police officer would for whatever reason not respect the authority of another officer,” said John Penny of SUNO’s Criminal Justice Department.
What happened next raised even more questions. The bridge police gave Sanchell a summons for two counts of battery and traffic tickets for hit and run and careless operation.
“If that had happened to anyone else, what would have happened? Jail, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault,” said Scharf.
“This officer should have been arrested and been placed in jail until he made bond,” Penny said. People across the community are saying the same thing.
In one viewer's words, “If I would have sped away, refused to stop, left after stopping and slapped an officer, I should have been arrested and brought to lockup.”
Dr. Scharf says Officer Sanchell's behavior may be troubling, but the message the response by bridge police sends is even more disturbing. “It's devastating. It's that if you’re in the entitled group that you’re above the law.”
The NOPD has launched an administrative review and suspended Sanchell without pay.
Dr. John Penny says the NOPD should send a message that makes it clear to other officers behavior like Sanchell's won't tolerated.
“Given what we see and if any of this is proven true, I think the officer should no doubt be fired,” Penny said. “He's unfit to be a police officer.”
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Officer Charged with Multiple Traffic Offenses
A New Orleans Police officer has been suspended without pay from the force after being charged with multiple traffic offenses, including hit and run.
The high speed chase was caught by the dashboard camera of a Crescent City Connection police cruiser.
It was almost 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, when two Crescent City police officers noticed a black pickup truck traveling east across the Crescent City Connection.
The officers reported that the truck was going in excess of 90 mph in a 50-mph-zone and switched lanes erratically.
The driver of the truck was identified as New Orleans police officer Donyell Sanchell, a four-year veteran of the department.
The police report states that despite having their lights and siren on the pickup truck didn’t pull over and continued east until taking the Vieux Carre exit and coming to a stop at the bottom of the exit.
The report states Officer Sanchell was irate and he said that was not going to stop because he was late for work, and, as the Crescent City officers were questioning Sanchell, he sped off hitting CCC Officer Jeremy Wright in the left forearm with his truck.
The officers began pursuit again and it ended a short distance later when the pickup truck pulled into First District headquarters on North Rampart Street.
The report states that Officer Sanchell got out of the truck and hit Officer Wright in the face with an open hand and went inside – that was not captured by the cruiser’s dashboard camera because of other vehicles in between.
Officer Sanchell was not arrested and was given a municipal summons for two counts of battery and traffic citations for hit and run and careless operation.
The high speed chase was caught by the dashboard camera of a Crescent City Connection police cruiser.
It was almost 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, when two Crescent City police officers noticed a black pickup truck traveling east across the Crescent City Connection.
The officers reported that the truck was going in excess of 90 mph in a 50-mph-zone and switched lanes erratically.
The driver of the truck was identified as New Orleans police officer Donyell Sanchell, a four-year veteran of the department.
The police report states that despite having their lights and siren on the pickup truck didn’t pull over and continued east until taking the Vieux Carre exit and coming to a stop at the bottom of the exit.
The report states Officer Sanchell was irate and he said that was not going to stop because he was late for work, and, as the Crescent City officers were questioning Sanchell, he sped off hitting CCC Officer Jeremy Wright in the left forearm with his truck.
The officers began pursuit again and it ended a short distance later when the pickup truck pulled into First District headquarters on North Rampart Street.
The report states that Officer Sanchell got out of the truck and hit Officer Wright in the face with an open hand and went inside – that was not captured by the cruiser’s dashboard camera because of other vehicles in between.
Officer Sanchell was not arrested and was given a municipal summons for two counts of battery and traffic citations for hit and run and careless operation.
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