Former Officer Steven Magruder Indicted for Child Porn

A federal grand jury has handed up an indictment against a former Springfield police corporal for possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment, Steven Robert Magruder was downloading sexually explicit images of children less than 12 years-old to his computer the day a search warrant was executed at this home.

Court documents allege that Magruder received and distributed those images between April 2012 and April of 2013.  A desktop computer and an SD card found near the computer were seized, according to court records.

"The defendant is currently a security officer for a local college.  In addition, he once served as [a] law enforcement officer.  As a retired law enforcement officer and current security official, the defendant would be familiar with and investigated crimes against minors.  Despite the defendant's law enforcement experience and background he has chosen to violate the law he once swore to enforce by not only possessing images of children engaged in sexual acts, but receiving and distributing these images, further victimizing these children."

Magruder, 59, who retired from the patrol division in 2005, had recently been employed as a security officer at Ozark Technical College's Richwood Valley campus in Christian County, according to OTC public information officer Mark Miller.

"He, like other OTC employees, are required to undergo and pass a background check," said Miller.  Miller said he was unable to comment on when Magruder's last day as an OTC employee was "because it is a personnel issue."

"I can tell you he was a part time officer who worked here for about 8 1/2 years.  He primarily worked one day a week," said Miller.

Court records say, "The defendant's criminal conduct only stopped after law enforcement interceded and executed the aforementioned search warrant."

If Magruder, who was released on his own recognisance,  is convicted he could face anywhere from five to 20 years in federal prison.

Jury Convicts Officer Jeffrey Holmes of Corruption

A suspended Kansas City police officer has been convicted of one count corruption but found not guilty on four other charges after he was accused of having sex with two women in exchange for not arresting them.

The jury convicted Jeffrey Holmes on Friday of one corruption charge but found him not guilty of four other charges involving corruption and sex-related accusations. The jury also recommended that Holmes be sentenced to 15 days in the county jail and pay an undetermined fine.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/Px6Vjf) that two women accused Holmes of coming to their hotel rooms in 2012, indicating he was going to arrest them for prostitution, but having sex with each of them instead.

Holmes has been on unpaid suspension from the department.

Officer Brent Schade Arrested for Forcible Rape of Minor

    Chillicothe Police Officer Brent Allen Schade who had been on unpaid administrative leave since Jan. 24 was arrested today (Wednesday) for alleged forcible rape, forcible sodomy and two counts of supplying intoxicants to a minor.

    On Tuesday, the Livingston County Sheriff’s office began an investigation into an alleged rape, sodomy, unlawful restraint and supplying intoxicants to a minor. The incident was reported to have taken place over the night of March 3 and into the early morning or March 4 in the 300 block of Cherry Street in Chillicothe.

    Schade, 40, of Chillicothe, was arrested early today.

    A variety of evidence has been collected and/or is currently being sought, according to Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox.

    “A second person of interest was identified and we are seeking that individual at this time for questioning,” Cox said. “Several people have been interviewed and the investigation continues.”

    Schade has been on the police force since August 2007 and is currently on unpaid administrative leave, stemming from an incident last year.

    Schade was charged Jan. 24 with hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence by Brady Kopek, special prosecuting attorney of Livingston County.

    According to the probable cause statement, Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. J. Pithan investigated a traffic accident on Aug. 18 on Route V near Chillicothe involving two individuals. During the course of the investigation, Pithan reportedly discovered both occupants of the crashed vehicle walked to a nearby residence and called Schade. The investigation suggests Schade drove to their location and provided transportation to both subjects before returning to the scene of the accident. Schade allegedly assisted with the recovery of personal items belonging to both subjects, including cell phones and a bottle of Captain Morgan. Schade allegedly did not report the accident to authorities and transported the two individuals to his residence in Chillicothe.

    Schade remains incarcerated in the Daviess Dekalb County Regional Jail pending filing of formal charges. Kopek is also the special prosecuting attorney on this most recent case.

Officer Clinton Montalbetti Charged with Possessing Child Porn

A former police officer in northern Missouri is charged with possessing child pornography.  Officers arrested Clinton Montalbetti, 23, on Tuesday in Linn County on an outstanding warrant from Putnam County.

A judge issued the warrant after suspected pornographic images were found on a flash drive used by Montalbetti while he worked as a Unionville officer in late 2013.

Montalbetti's bond is $10,000.  Kirksville police say additional charges are possible after a review of items retrieved from a search of his home near Brookfield.

Former Officer David Banks Charged with Sexual Misconduct with Child

A former Unionville Police officer was charged with sexual misconduct involving a child after Kirksville Police received and investigated claims he was exchanging inappropriate text messages with a juvenile.

David Banks, 25, was arrested at a residence in Stewartsville after being terminated from the Unionville Police Department over allegations of sexual misconduct.

According to the Kirksville Police Department, the suspect had been exchanging sexual explicit text messages and had sent at least one image to a 14-year-old female in Unionville. KPD began its investigation Thursday.

Following his termination with the police department Thursday, Banks is alleged to have left Unionville and was located at a residence in DeKalb County, where a search warrant was executed for his arrest early Friday morning.

Banks was being held in the Daviess/Dekalb Regional Jail as of Friday morning on a $10,000 cash-only bond. He was charged with the class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child.

The investigation is ongoing and other charges are pending, according to KPD.

Officer Christopher Mattila Arrested for Hit and Run

An Alton police officer was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion that he was involved in two hit-and-run accidents just outside of the city, Madison County Sheriff's Department officials said Monday.

Officer Christopher Mattila, 39, of the 3500 block of Hoover Drive in Alton, was charged with one count each of driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was released late Monday morning from the Madison County Jail after posting $300 bail.

Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Mike Dixon said calls began coming in around 8:30 p.m. Sunday about an accident involving a Hummer and a dark colored sport utility vehicle at Godfrey Road and Tolle Lane where the driver of the dark SUV had fled the scene.

While at that scene, calls started coming in about another hit-and-run accident at North Humbert Road and Richland Woods Drive where the driver of a dark colored SUV had fled the scene after hitting a Pontiac Grand Am. No one was hurt in either accident, Dixon said.

Authorities later found a green Ford Explorer with extensive front-end damage abandoned on Seminary Road, about a mile from the second accident. The SUV was registered to Mattila.

Mattila was taken into custody at his home just before 1 a.m. Monday morning. Deputies had been at the home since 10 p.m., Dixon said, but Mattila didn't respond to knocks at the door.

Officer Robert Bakert Arrested for Using Meth

A Carrollton, Mo., police officer has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Marshall police said they received a tip that Robert W. Bakert, 34, of Marshall, had been suspected of using methamphetamine while working for the Carollton Police Department.

"(It was) inconceivable at first," said Carrollton Police Chief Donny King, on how he reacted to news of Bakert's arrest. "You have a hard time imagining anybody that picks this for a career getting involved in that, and then there's the shock."

According to court documents, an officer pulled Bakert over for a traffic violation early Tuesday and searched his vehicle. The officer said Bakert was wearing his police uniform and had his service firearm on a belt in the passenger's side floorboard.

The documents said a K-9 officer was brought to sniff Bakert's vehicle and led officers to a glass smoking pipe that was under a floor mat. Police also said they found a plastic bag with white residue, two near-empty containers of "Pump-It" stimulant in the car.

In the trunk, police said they found an evidence bag containing three spoons covered in a white powdery residue. The evidence bag had been cut open.

Investigators later said the stimulant containers tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and the spoons tested positive for cocaine.

According to court documents, Bakert said he had not used methamphetamine since December 2010, but said he would not provide a urine sample for drug testing. He initially said the spoons had been intended for use in a display at the Carrollton Police Department, but later said he had planned to dispose of them, but they must have fallen out of a bag and into his trunk.

If convicted, the charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison or up to $5,000 in fines.Bakert graduated from the police academy six months ago and has been working for Carrollton ever since. A hearing is scheduled next Monday to determine whether Bakert should be fired.

"He was a friendly guy and did good work," King said. "(There was) no indication anything like this was going on."

Officer Megan Laffoon Arrested for DUI

A Kansas City Missouri Police Officer was arrested early Wednesday morning for driving under the influence.

According authorities, KCPD Officer Megan Laffoon, 29, was pulled over in Clay County by a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper around 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Sheriff’s deputies say Laffoon was swerving out of her lane traveling up the curb that separates northbound from southbound traffic.
 
Missouri Highway Patrol troopers allege that Laffoon failed a series of field sobriety tests and assaulted a trooper and resisted arrest. She now faces four counts, including DUI, lane violation, assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

According to the probable cause statement, Laffoon scratched the arresting officer on the neck with her fingernails and head-butted another officer as they tried to place her under arrest.

The MHP said Laffoon was so belligerent, they called Kansas City, Mo. police for assistance in arresting one of their own.

When she was taken to the Clay County Detention Center, it took seven officers to place Laffoon in a restraint chair, according to the probable cause statement.

The statement reads:
“Laffoon began to fight all the attempts I made to gain control of her. During the struggle, Laffoon scratched the right side of my neck with her fingernails.”

Laffoon has been suspended without pay and will remain on suspension until the case is resolved.

Trial Starts for Officer Kenneth Tomlinson II Charged with Sexually Assaulting Boy Scout

The top police officer in a remote eastern Missouri town was ordered to stand trial Monday on charges that he sexually assaulted two members of the Boy Scout troop he led after an investigator testified that the officer had confessed to the crimes.

Kenneth Tomlinson II, 42, faces 16 counts of sodomy. Madison County Judge Robin Fulton set an arraignment date of March 18 following emotional testimony at the preliminary hearing, at which only prosecutors presented evidence. Fulton determined they had enough to warrant a trial.

Tomlinson, who stands about 6-foot-2 and weighs well over 300 pounds, sat passively during the hearing, his wrists cuffed in front of him. The alleged victims, ages 12 and 14, were also in the courtroom but mostly looked away from him.

Fulton closed the hearing to the public during testimony from the boys. The Associated Press generally does not identify those who say they were victims of sex crimes.

During the open session, a teenage girl sobbed as she testified that she became aware of the abuse on Jan. 2, when she found sexually explicit text messages on the 14-year-old boy's phone. She told her parents, who contacted police.

The case was turned over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Investigator Scott Rawson was the first to interview Tomlinson.

"He dropped his head," Rawson testified. "I said, 'This happened, didn't it?' He shook his head yes."

Rawson said Tomlinson admitted the assaults began last spring, usually on Mondays after Scout meetings, and usually in his truck. Sometimes, Rawson said, Tomlinson would drive the boys to an old lead mine or an industrial park. Other times, the assaults happened at the location of the Scout meetings, Rawson said.

Public defender Susan DeGeorge asked whether Rawson had taped the confession, and Rawson acknowledged he was able to tape only part of it.

A probable cause statement from the Highway Patrol also said Tomlinson admitted videotaping some of the acts. The statement said Tomlinson and the boys viewed the video on the camera screen, then he destroyed the recordings.

Tomlinson joined the police department in Fredericktown — a community of 4,100 about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis — as a patrolman in 1997. He was promoted to captain, the equivalent of the town's police chief, in April. Tomlinson is on unpaid leave until the case is adjudicated, and he remains jailed on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

The judge on Monday denied a request from DeGeorge to reduce the bond and allow Tomlinson to stay near relatives in the Chicago area.

DeGeorge left the hearing without commenting to reporters.

Joe Mueller of the Boy Scouts of America's Greater St. Louis Council said the council has not been contacted by police or prosecutors and officials did not previously know that the victims were members of Tomlinson's Scout troops.

Mueller said Tomlinson had led the troops in Fredericktown since 1998. His association with Scouting was revoked after his arrest.

Former Officer Robert Brooks Could Get New Murder Trial

A former Calverton Park Police Officer sentenced to life in prison for killing his fiancé, a Normandy Police Officer, could get a new trial. This comes after the Missouri Supreme Court threw out the conviction Tuesday, sending the case back to Jefferson County for a new trial.

Normandy Police Chief Frank Mininni calls Amanda Cates a great police officer and says he still struggles with her death.

Now, Chief Mininni and others are struggling with the Missouri high courts 14 page decision.

"I was shocked. I was in shock, said Mininni reacting to the decision."

The move throws out the conviction of former Calverton Park Police Officer Robert Brooks.

"I don't think you'd be human if it didn't make you angry," explained Mininni.

In August of 2007, Brooks was convicted of shooting and killing his 26 year old fiancé, Normandy Police Officer Amanda Cates.

The incident happened a year earlier at the Crystal City home that Cates and Brooks shared. Cates was a school resource officer at Normandy Middle School. Mininni, who sat through the first trial, says coping with Amanda's death has been tough.

The prospect of another trial is daunting.

Mininni told us, "I think the most difficult part of this is that were going to have to sit in a courtroom with Amanda's family again. Were going to have to re-live everything that happened night."

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors violated Brooks' constitutional rights by using his right to remain silent against him. The court ruled that during the trial prosecutors pointed out that Brooks would not tell them what happened the night of the killing after he was read his Miranda Rights.

The court said those statements by prosecutors implied that Brooks was guilty because he didn't talk.

Joe Yeckel and Michael Gross represented brooks at the Missouri Supreme Court.

"I felt that Mr. Brooks didn't get a fair trial the first go around and the Supreme Court is giving him another opportunity to have a fair trial," said Yeckel.

Memories of Amanda are at the Normandy Police Department and at a nearby park. Mininni says he's still waiting for justice for Amanda.

He told us, "We're confident that the outcome of this new trial will be the exact same as the last trial."

The Normandy Police Department and Cates family have started a scholarship in Amanda's memory.

A spokesperson with the Missouri Attorney Generals Office tells us they haven't decided yet whether to ask for another hearing on the case before the Supreme Court.

Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Forrest Wegge says he will re-try the case if it comes back to his office.

David Gardner Shot by Diabetic Cop Files Lawsuit

A former QuikTrip driver who was shot by a police officer in 2007 said his life hasn't been the same since the shooting.

It happened on Sept. 24, 2007, at St. John Avenue and Belmont Boulevard in northeast Kansas City.

David Gardner, who drove semi-trailers for QuikTrip, said he was backing up his big rig when gunfire ripped through him and his truck, forcing him out of the cab and onto the ground.

"Just out of the blue -- shot. I started hearing shot after shot. The very first shot went through my driver's side window," Gardner told KMBC's Peggy Breit. "I remember looking up and just seeing people running, ducking, hiding. I could hear shots behind me."

Gardner was hit in the side and the back. Kansas City police officers came to his aid.

Gardner said he later learned that the officer who had shot him had diabetes and was suffering from a hypoglycemic, or low blood sugar, episode.

"I've kind of lost that trust in, 'They're here to protect and serve.' For me, it's hard to believe anymore," Gardner said.

Gardner said he's recovered physically but not mentally. He has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Gardner still works for QuikTrip, only now it's in the warehouse in Belton. He said his salary is much lower than his driver pay was.

Gardner said it was his choice to work in the warehouse, because he said he feels unsafe to drive a big rig again. He said he's still too jumpy, especially around police.

"I don't want to be behind an 80,000-pound vehicle and have an officer come up beside me. I don't know for sure what would happen, but I don't want to put other people's lives at stake," Gardner said.

Gardner has filed a lawsuit against the Kansas City Police Department, claiming the department knew that Officer Joel Ritchie could be a danger to himself or others.

Ritchie had had two previous diabetic-related incidents on the job. Both were serious enough that responding officers removed his weapon and called for an ambulance.

Gardner said living with the fallout from the shooting has put tremendous strain on him and his family, especially financially.

"It just gets more and more difficult," Gardner said. "It's like a movie -- you can try and pause it or stop it or, but it's always there to replay."

After the shooting, Ritchie worked in police dispatch but has since left the police department.

In response to the lawsuit, the department said neither they nor Ritchie should be held responsible for the shooting. They said no one knew Ritchie's diabetes could trigger such an incident.

Gardner's attorney said officers are trained in the police academy to prepare for a wide range of behaviors from diabetics.

The police department has no policy regarding officers who are diabetic.

Gardner said he knows QuikTrip has a policy for employees who are diabetic because he has diabetes.

Officer Kenneth Tomlinson II Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Boys

The top police officer in a remote Missouri town, a giant of a man who was also a Boy Scout leader, has been accused of sexually assaulting two boys, videotaping the acts and then destroying the recordings.

Kenneth Tomlinson II, 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 16 counts of sodomy. Authorities say he admitted having sex with the two boys, who are now 12 and 14. Tomlinson was jailed in Cape Girardeau County on $100,000 cash-only bond. Court records indicated he did not yet have an attorney.

Tomlinson joined the police department in Fredericktown — a community of 4,100 about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis — as a patrolman in 1997. He was promoted to captain, the top job, in April.

Mayor Danny Kemp, who said he was "floored" by the news of the captain's arrest, said the progress Tomlinson made while supervising six full-time officers was impressive.

"He turned the department around," Kemp said, inside his office just off the town square. "He was a great leader."

But Vicky Manche, who owns an A&M Restaurant downtown, said teens derisively referred to Tomlinson — described by one city worker as 6-foot-2 and about 450 pounds — as "Baby Huey."

"They ought to string him up," Manche said. "It's really pitiful when you put your trust in somebody and this happens. My grandsons are Boy Scouts so this hits close to home."

Manche's grandsons were not part of Tomlinson's troops, and it was not known if the alleged victims were either.

The two boys told authorities that the sexual abuse began last spring. One boy is 12, but was 11 when it began, he said. The other is 14.

A probable cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tomlinson admitted to having sex with the boys and videotaping some of the acts. The statement said Tomlinson and the boys viewed the video on the camera screen, then he destroyed the recordings.

Joe Mueller of the Boy Scouts of America's Greater St. Louis Council said he didn't know if the victims were members of Tomlinson's Boy Scout or Cub Scout troops. He said Tomlinson had led the troops in Fredericktown since 1998. His association with scouting has been revoked, Mueller said.

"Our heart goes out to the families of the children involved in the allegations," Mueller said. "We have made it a fundamental part of our organization to protect youth members and adult leaders as well."

Kemp said Tomlinson had no previous criminal record. He has been placed on unpaid leave from the department until the case is adjudicated. Sgt. Jason Gordon has taken over as interim leader of the department.

At the Mills Barbershop across from City Hall, owner Jane Mills said some of those getting haircuts found the allegations too difficult to talk about. Those who discussed it were mostly in shock, she said.

"It's very concerning because he's a policeman and a scout leader," she said. "It's very sad, and it's an embarrassment that something like this could happen."

Michael Hawkins Dies After Being Tasered

Springfield Police Department news release:

The Springfield Police Department is investigating the death of a suspect who was arrested Sunday morning just before 10:00 a.m. for burglary. Michael D. Hawkins, 39, of Springfield was arrested at the Eagles Lodge Motel, 2611 N. Glenstone, after police were called there reference a person hiding in a storage room and refusing to come out.

After police arrived they found Hawkins hiding in a crawl space just above the storage room. Police attempted to talk Hawkins down, but he refused to leave the crawl space. Officers entered the crawl space, along with a police service dog. The dog engaged the suspect in the crawl space. During the engagement the dog broke through the ceiling and fell on to the balcony. The suspect was able to hold on to a rafter and climb back into the crawl space.

After Hawkins got back into the crawl space officers located him, and after he refused to obey several police commands to surrender a Taser was deployed. Hawkins then was taken into custody.

Once in custody police had Hawkins transported by ambulance to the hospital for the dog bite that he received on his upper thigh. After arriving at the hospital Hawkins died.

An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.

9 p.m. Update:

Motel guests say they could hear someone crawling through their ceilings just before the confrontation with police. "From what I gathered he was hopped up on drugs," motel tenant Rob Perakis said. "He was on a no-rent list he had been here before."

Hawkins family says he was not an angel but he did just as much good as he did wrong. "I'm sure a lot of these days I’ll look over my shoulder and not see him, wishing he was there," said Greg Hawkins, the dead man's brother.

He says he wishes police just would have waited for his brother to come out. He says he saw the spot his brother's body was Tasered at the hospital. "It was about two inches below the heart," Hawkins says.

According to a training bulletin from the company, Taser International, officers should avoid chest shots to avoid controversy about whether or not the Taser caused a cardiac event.

In the same bulletin the company says those events are rare. “The available research does not support the idea that a TASER ECD can cause ventricular Fibrillation (VF) and demonstrates that while it may not be possible to say that an ECD could never affect the heart under any circumstances, the risk of VF is extremely rare and would be rounded to near zero,” according to the bulletin. It also states in changing situations an officer isn't always able to hit the preferred stomach and leg target areas.

"I just question the location I'm sure with all that voltage it caused his heart to beat irregular," Hawkins says. Police haven't confirmed where Hawkins was Tasered or details leading up to the deployment of the device. They aren't releasing more information until the autopsy is complete. "Whatever crime he was committing was it causing the officers a life and death situation, the dog a life and death situation...no,” Hawkins says. “The thing is he had no where to go."

The family says Hawkins did have some drugs in his system. They say they don't know how much. They, too, are waiting on autopsy results to know the exact cause of death.

Officer Ted Anderson Arrested for Drunk Driving

Officer Ted Anderson was fired after what police said was a "difficult but necessary" decision.

Anderson was arrested just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 24 for allegedly failing to keep his car in a single lane.

Anderson was off duty and driving his own personal car when he was pulled over at the intersection of North Eighth Street and North Boulevard.

Police Chief Ken Burton issued a statement saying the termination was necessary as a result of the arrest and from issues surrounding the arrest. Also that it was in the best interest of the entire Columbia Police Department.

Anderson was an 18-year veteran of the force.

Deputy Police Chief Tom Dresner failed to return our phone calls asking about the issues surrounding the incident. Anderson's lawyer issued a statement of "no comment."
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http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=386132

Officer Kyle Zumbrunn Sentenced to Prison for Selling Drugs

A former Weston, Mo. police officer was sentenced to prison for selling drugs in Atchison.

Kyle Zumbrunn will serve the 15 months in state prison for distribution of a controlled substance and eight months concurrently for illegal use of a telephone.

Zumbrunn was arrested Sept. 22 after he sold 80 pills containing a controlled substance to a Kansas Bureau of Investigation undercover agent in Atchison. The 26-year-old Zumbrunn pleaded guilty.

Atchison County Attorney Gerald Kuckelman agreed with defense attorney's request for probation. But District Judge Martin Asher said he could not disregard the fact that Zumbrunn was a police officer when he committed the crime and said he deserved prison time.

Officer Ronald Jackson & Christian Brezill Charged with Stealing Stolen Property

Two former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were indicted today for allegedly stealing property seized after an arrest.

Ronald Jackson, 57, and Christian Brezill, 25, were charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri with stealing over $1,000 in merchandise purportedly stolen from Best Buy after they arrested an individual with the property. The arrest was part of a sting operation and the individual was working with federal law enforcement.

Both men are no longer with the department. Brezill's employment was terminated and Jackson retired from the department, according to a release from the Metropolitan Police Department.

According to court documents:

Jackson received a call from an individual that a person identified only as Jane Doe was in possession of electronics stolen from Best Buy. Jackson told the individual that he would find Doe and take the merchandise and split some of the electronic equipment with him.

Brezill and Jackson were uniformed patrol officers assigned to work in the department's Sixth District out of the North Patrol Division.

Brezill and Jackson discovered that Doe had some minor outstanding traffic warrants and arrested her. She was neither arrested nor charged with possession of the stolen equipment, the indictment said.

The officers searched her car and found electronics equipment still in original boxes and Best Buy bags including: a Sony speaker system, a Phillips iPod docking system, a speaker cable, a Wii, an X-Box, a Logitech computer speaker system, a Dell laptop and a LCD flat screen TV.

According to the court documents, they put these items into Brezill's patrol car and never reported the seizure to the department. They split up the items later at a private residence.

Unbeknownst to the officers, Jane Doe was working with federal law enforcement and the electronics seized from her were owned by the U.S. government.

Both officers were indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of theft of U.S. property. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 16.

If convicted, Brezill and Jackson each face a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or fines up to $250,000.

Brezill's attorney Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman declined to comment. No attorney for Jackson was listed in court filings.
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http://www.examiner.com/x-14475-St-Louis-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d10-Metropolitan-police-accused-of-misconduct

Sgt. Jason McGinness Indicted for Stealing at Traffic Stop

A Clay County grand jury has indicted a former Claycomo police sergeant, alleging he stole more than $500 from a Spanish-speaking worker during a vehicle stop last July.

The jury indicted Jason McGinness on Sept. 22, police said Thursday. A language barrier delayed the investigation, according to Police Chief Matt Coonce.

The victim lives in Laredo, Texas, and travels throughout the country constructing grain elevators. Police also interviewed people who were traveling with him at the time.

McGinness was fired after an initial investigation found he had violated the workers’ civil rights, Coonce said.
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http://www.kctv5.com/news/21179991/detail.html

Officer Kyle Zumbrunn Arrested on Drug Charges

An officer with the Weston Police Department has been arrested on a pair of drug-related charges, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Kyle A. Zumbrunn, 26, was arrested on Tuesday by the KBI for sale of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and using a telephonic device to facilitate a drug transaction. The KBI was acting on a request from the Atchison Police Department.

Zumbrunn was arrested after he sold a suspected controlled substance to an undercover KBI agent, officials said. He was slated to make his first appearance in court on Wednesday.

Officer Leon Pullen Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Prostitute

An Uplands Park police officer sought out a woman in an online classified ad and then, in full uniform, sexually assaulted her in the police station, the FBI said in court documents released Monday.

FBI Agents arrested Leon F. Pullen, 31, at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday night on a charge of willful deprivation of civil rights under the color of law. He appeared in court Monday, where a federal prosecutor said he wanted him held in jail until trial.

In an affidavit filed in court, FBI Special Agent Greg LaCombe wrote that the woman had placed an online ad that featured her picture and advertised her services as a prostitute.

The affidavit goes on to say:

Pullen called the woman, said his name was “Jimmy,” and agreed to pay $400 for a sexual act. He also had her and another woman meet him in Uplands Park on July 15.

After the women arrived, Pullen drove by in his marked police car several times before pulling behind the women’s car.

He got out, and when the alleged victim asked why he was stopping her, Pullen pulled out the ad.

He then rubbed himself against her and told her that she had two choices: to give him all her money, or get naked, LaCombe wrote. Pullen apparently ignored the woman’s request for a lawyer.

Another officer was present, LaCombe wrote, but that officer is not named in the complaint.

Pullen then ordered her and the other woman back in the car and told them to follow him to the police station, where he took the victim to an office in the rear of the station, forced her to undress and then forcibly performed oral sex on her.

Pullen also said that he would have forcibly had intercourse with her if he had a condom, LaCombe wrote.

The woman, afraid that Pullen would call in the other officer to have sex with her, and tried to end the attack by offering to meet Pullen later. Pullen gave her his contact information, LaCombe wrote, and then she left, later calling the FBI.

The fate of the other woman was not mentioned in the affidavit.

Pullen appeared in court Monday morning, in a black and white Jennings jail outfit of scrub shirt and pants.

Before his initial hearing, he told a reporter that he was “dumbfounded” by his arrest.

During the hearing, Pullen told U.S. Magistrate Judge Frederick Buckles that he lives with his wife in Foley and that he could not afford a lawyer. Buckles said he would appoint one.

Pullen will be in court Tuesday for a hearing that could determine whether he stays in jail until his trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Drake said that prosecutors would be presenting the case to a grand jury this week, asking for an indictment.

Uplands Park is located in St. Louis County, south of Interstate 70 and north of the city of St. Louis, at 6390 Natural Bridge Road.

A reporter’s call to the village was referred to the police department, then the village attorney. That lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about the alleged attack, or other attacks, to call the FBI at 314-231-4324.
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More information: http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1462902.html

Family Paid $2.4 Million After Stanley Harlan Dies from Being Tasered

A Missouri municipality has agreed to pay $2.4 million to the family of a man who died after police shocked him several times with a Taser. The local police police department also agreed to suspend use of the controversial stun guns, which have been linked to hundreds of deaths nationwide by Amnesty International.

The Taser lawsuit settlement resolves a complaint filed against the city of Moberly over the death of Stanley Harlan, who was struck with a Taser three times for resisting attempts to handcuff him following a stop for suspected drunk driving. Harlan lost consciousness after being jolted with the stun gun and died a short time later.

Insurance coverage for the city will pay $2.4 million to Harlan’s family, including his infant son, as a result of the alleged police brutality and excessive use of force. City officials also agreed to enforce a moratorium on Taser use by the Moberly Police Department. In addition, Moberly police will be trained to recognize and respond to medical distress situations, and the city will provide at least one on-duty patrol unit with an automatic external defibrillator.

Taser guns are designed to incapacitate neuromuscular functions by delivering an electrical shock. Many law enforcement agencies use the weapons as an alternative to lethal force in situations where suspects pose a threat.

The city did not admit fault as part of the settlement, and no criminal charges have been filed against police officers. An investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Last year, Amnesty International called for a police departments throughout the United States to stop using Taser guns or strictly limit their use to life-threatening situations. A report released last December by the human rights group linked 334 deaths to the use of Taser guns between 2001 and August 2008. Amnesty noted that 90% of the Taser deaths examined involved people who were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat to the officers. A large number of the fatalities involved misuse of the weapons, including multiple Taser shocks or exposing suspects to prolonged shocks.

Taser International, which manufactures the controversial stun guns, has maintained that the weapons are safe and non-lethal devices. They were not a party to the lawsuit or the settlement.