An officer from North Braddock is facing charges in the beating of his wife, while dressed in full uniform.
It’s not clear if Brian Hodges was on duty at the time of his arrest, but according to the criminal complaint he was dressed in full uniform.
Investigators said Hodges was arrested in Brentwood after his wife’s daughter called 911 and reported the beating.
The victim, Hodges wife, told police that he had choked her and slammed her head against a brick wall during an argument about an affair she accused him of having.
The victim’s daughter also told police that she witnessed the incident.
During the incident, the complaint stated, Hodges told his wife that, “he knew the cops, and who was working, and nothing was going to happen.”
Hodges denied the accusations and told police that custody issues were ongoing and, “the children will say anything.”
Police arrested Hodges and charged him with disorderly conduct and simple assault.
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Officer John Torres Arrested in Connection with Shooting
A Baltimore city police officer has been arrested in connection with a shooting outside a central Pennsylvania apartment complex.
Police said officers responding to the York Apartments around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday found a man who had been shot multiple times in the abdomen and arm while sitting in his vehicle. He was identified as David Hohman, Sr.
York Area Regional Police Sgt. Jeff Dunbar said the Baltimore officer is in custody and cooperating with authorities. Dunbar said the officer was among those who called 911 and waited for police to arrive. That officer was identified as John Torres, who was off duty at the time of the incident.
Police believe the incident was the result of a dispute between Torres and Hohman.
The victim was conscious and talking to authorities before being taken to a hospital for treatment.
Police said officers responding to the York Apartments around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday found a man who had been shot multiple times in the abdomen and arm while sitting in his vehicle. He was identified as David Hohman, Sr.
York Area Regional Police Sgt. Jeff Dunbar said the Baltimore officer is in custody and cooperating with authorities. Dunbar said the officer was among those who called 911 and waited for police to arrive. That officer was identified as John Torres, who was off duty at the time of the incident.
Police believe the incident was the result of a dispute between Torres and Hohman.
The victim was conscious and talking to authorities before being taken to a hospital for treatment.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Officer Jodi Royer Arrested for Stealing Money from Evidence Room
Reading Police Chief William Heim reported the suspected theft to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office on March 18th. Berks County Detectives started an investigation that led to Royer’s arrest. On March 14th, Royer was caught by his supervisor trying to replace over $2,000 of U.S. currency from a criminal case with his own money. Police knew it was not the evidence cash because the denominations of the bills were different.
Detectives conducted an audit and discovered six additional criminal cases were tampered with. In four of those cases, the money was stolen and not recovered. The total loss in those cases is $14,484. In the other cases, the stolen money was replaced by Royer.
Royer surrendered this morning and taken to the Berks County Sheriff Department’s Central Processing Center for processing and arraignment.
Royer joined the Reading Police Department in the fall of 1990 and has worked in the Evidence/Property Unit since April of 2011.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Trooper Kelly Cruz Acquitted of Stomping Handcuffed Man
(No Protect and Serve going on here.)
A Pennsylvania state trooper accused of stomping a handcuffed man in the head during a botched 2009 drug raid was acquitted Monday of a federal civil rights violation charge.
Cheers and applause erupted in the courtroom from more than two dozen of Kelly Cruz's law enforcement colleagues as the jury delivered its verdict to U.S. District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin. It took less than two hours for the panel of five men and seven women to come to its decision.
A visibly relieved Cruz declined to comment. His lawyer, Christian J. Hoey, described the verdict as "a good decision."
"Nobody celebrates the fact someone was injured," he said. "But he's a heck of a law enforcement officer and an asset to the United States."
Cruz, 44, of Oxford, never denied that he caused the injuries sustained by 22-year-old Zachary Bare during an August raid on the man's home in Chester County. He testified Friday that he did not realize Bare was handcuffed at the time and thought he was trying to stand to attack him.
He told jurors that he pinned Bare's shoulder with his foot in an attempt to keep him on the ground - all while Bare was screaming obscenities and rolling on the floor.
"I responded the way I was trained to respond," he testified Friday. "I reacted to what I saw. If I fail, I don't come home to my family."
Prosecutors described a vastly different incident - involving a kick to the back of Bare's head, witnessed by at least one police officer, as the man lay handcuffed and prone on his kitchen floor.
The impact left Bare with shattered teeth, a broken nose, and two facial fractures.
Cruz was working as a liaison to a Chester County drug task force and assisting the West Whiteland Police Department on what was to be a surprise assault on a suspected meth lab in an Exton house. When officers arrived, the men inside spotted them and tried to escape.
Officer Jeffrey McCloskey told jurors last week he saw Bare running nearby and followed him to a house five doors down. He ordered Bare to the floor as another officer handcuffed him. Another West Whiteland officer, Glenn Cockerham, testified he witnessed Cruz kick Bare - a use of force he later described in an investigative report as "totally unnecessary."
Investigators eventually determined that Bare was not at the drug house at the time of the raid and he was never charged in the case.
Hoey contended throughout the six-day trial that the West Whiteland officers sought to shift blame for Bare's botched arrest onto Cruz.
"We're obviously disappointed," Linwood C. Wright Jr., one of the assistant U.S. attorneys who tried the case, said Monday. "We believe in the West Whiteland Police Department."
Monday's verdict came three years after a Chester County grand jury declined to indict Cruz over the same incident and two years after the Pennsylvania State Police settled a lawsuit from Bare for $125,000.
Cruz was suspended without pay shortly after a federal grand jury indicted him in August 2013. He is expected to return to his job as a corporal in the state police's Avondale barracks, Hoey said.
A Pennsylvania state trooper accused of stomping a handcuffed man in the head during a botched 2009 drug raid was acquitted Monday of a federal civil rights violation charge.
Cheers and applause erupted in the courtroom from more than two dozen of Kelly Cruz's law enforcement colleagues as the jury delivered its verdict to U.S. District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin. It took less than two hours for the panel of five men and seven women to come to its decision.
A visibly relieved Cruz declined to comment. His lawyer, Christian J. Hoey, described the verdict as "a good decision."
"Nobody celebrates the fact someone was injured," he said. "But he's a heck of a law enforcement officer and an asset to the United States."
Cruz, 44, of Oxford, never denied that he caused the injuries sustained by 22-year-old Zachary Bare during an August raid on the man's home in Chester County. He testified Friday that he did not realize Bare was handcuffed at the time and thought he was trying to stand to attack him.
He told jurors that he pinned Bare's shoulder with his foot in an attempt to keep him on the ground - all while Bare was screaming obscenities and rolling on the floor.
"I responded the way I was trained to respond," he testified Friday. "I reacted to what I saw. If I fail, I don't come home to my family."
Prosecutors described a vastly different incident - involving a kick to the back of Bare's head, witnessed by at least one police officer, as the man lay handcuffed and prone on his kitchen floor.
The impact left Bare with shattered teeth, a broken nose, and two facial fractures.
Cruz was working as a liaison to a Chester County drug task force and assisting the West Whiteland Police Department on what was to be a surprise assault on a suspected meth lab in an Exton house. When officers arrived, the men inside spotted them and tried to escape.
Officer Jeffrey McCloskey told jurors last week he saw Bare running nearby and followed him to a house five doors down. He ordered Bare to the floor as another officer handcuffed him. Another West Whiteland officer, Glenn Cockerham, testified he witnessed Cruz kick Bare - a use of force he later described in an investigative report as "totally unnecessary."
Investigators eventually determined that Bare was not at the drug house at the time of the raid and he was never charged in the case.
Hoey contended throughout the six-day trial that the West Whiteland officers sought to shift blame for Bare's botched arrest onto Cruz.
"We're obviously disappointed," Linwood C. Wright Jr., one of the assistant U.S. attorneys who tried the case, said Monday. "We believe in the West Whiteland Police Department."
Monday's verdict came three years after a Chester County grand jury declined to indict Cruz over the same incident and two years after the Pennsylvania State Police settled a lawsuit from Bare for $125,000.
Cruz was suspended without pay shortly after a federal grand jury indicted him in August 2013. He is expected to return to his job as a corporal in the state police's Avondale barracks, Hoey said.
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Officer Edward Sawicki III Charged with Assault and Disorderly Conduct
The district attorney's office said that at around 3 a.m. on Oct. 20, Edward Sawicki III backed his car into a man walking on a south Philadelphia street, hitting his knee.
The victim banged his hand on the trunk of Sawicki's car when he was struck.
Prosecutors said Sawicki got out of his car, pulled up his shirt to show his city-issued handgun and rushed at the victim, yelling racial epithets and threatening to kill him.
The victim contacted police and Sawicki was identified as a Philadelphia police officer.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Wednesday that the 34-year-old officer is suspended with the intent to dismiss.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Former Dispatcher Tyler Graumenz Sentenced to Probation for Sharing Child Porn
A former Pennsylvania State Police dispatcher from Whitehall Township will spend the next few years on probation for sharing child pornography online.
Tyler Lee Graumenz, 24, was sentenced to five years of probation today by Lehigh County Judge Kelly Banach. Graumenz, who has been free on 10 percent of $10,000 bail, faced a maximum of seven years in prison.
Graumenz will have his computer usage monitored by probation officials and will also have to register as a sex offender under the state's Megan's Law.
Graumenz pleaded guilty back in December to a felony count of possession of child pornography. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of criminal use of a communication facility and sending or receiving obscene or sexual materials via computer.
Graumenz, of the 3000 block of South Second Street, was arrested in August after police said he shared at least six child porn videos online, including one depicting a 9-year-old girl having sex with an adult male.
Graumenz was a dispatcher at the state police station in Lehighton starting in March 2013 and was terminated three days before his arrest.
The videos were discovered during an Allentown Police Department investigation of computers whose users were sharing images of child sexual assaults on the Internet, authorities said.
An officer used software to query searches on a network for known codes for images when he established a connection with a computer sharing six child pornography files, police said. That computer was tracked to Graumenz's home, and a consent search of one of his two computers turned up a folder of pornographic files.
Tyler Lee Graumenz, 24, was sentenced to five years of probation today by Lehigh County Judge Kelly Banach. Graumenz, who has been free on 10 percent of $10,000 bail, faced a maximum of seven years in prison.
Graumenz will have his computer usage monitored by probation officials and will also have to register as a sex offender under the state's Megan's Law.
Graumenz pleaded guilty back in December to a felony count of possession of child pornography. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of criminal use of a communication facility and sending or receiving obscene or sexual materials via computer.
Graumenz, of the 3000 block of South Second Street, was arrested in August after police said he shared at least six child porn videos online, including one depicting a 9-year-old girl having sex with an adult male.
Graumenz was a dispatcher at the state police station in Lehighton starting in March 2013 and was terminated three days before his arrest.
The videos were discovered during an Allentown Police Department investigation of computers whose users were sharing images of child sexual assaults on the Internet, authorities said.
An officer used software to query searches on a network for known codes for images when he established a connection with a computer sharing six child pornography files, police said. That computer was tracked to Graumenz's home, and a consent search of one of his two computers turned up a folder of pornographic files.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Former Officer Mark Fisher Arrested for Distributing Prescription Pain Narcotics
Evidence and testimony regarding the alleged illegal activity was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today. The grand jury identified the defendant as Mark Fisher, 34, currently incarcerated in the Westmoreland County Prison. Fisher is a former police officer with the Turtle Creek Police Department.
According to the grand jury, Fisher, who developed an addiction to pain medications following an injury, recruited several individuals to assist him in distributing prescription pain narcotics throughout western Pennsylvania. After a period of time Fisher allegedly stopped using other individuals and began to pass prescriptions at various pharmacies in either his own name or the name of his wife.
The grand jury found that Fisher obtained the pills by using illegal prescriptions that were passed at several pharmacies throughout Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.
Pennsylvania has the fourteenth highest rate of drug overdoses in the country, most of which are caused by prescription drugs. Attorney General Kane reiterated her support for a prescription monitoring program in the Commonwealth because it would serve as an additional tool to enable health practitioners and law enforcement in identifying individuals involved in the illegal trade of doctor shopping and dealing in fraudulent prescriptions.
Attorney General Kane noted that this is an active and ongoing investigation and additional arrests are anticipated.
Fisher is charged with one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge; one count of possession with the intent to deliver; one count of criminal conspiracy; and one count of impersonating a public servant.
The case will be prosecuted in Westmoreland County by Senor Deputy Attorney General Mark Serge of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
Officer Vernon Gibson Charged with Showing up to Work Drunk
Authorities arrested officer Vernon Gibson on DUI charges in December after a sergeant claimed Gibson smelled of alcohol when he got to work.
Investigators said Gibson’s blood-alcohol level was well above the legal limit. He’s been on administrative leave since his arrest.
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Officer Kevin Corcoran Charged with Unlawful Restraint of War Veteran
The charges against Officer Kevin Corcoran stem from an Easter morning incident in which Corcoran was caught on camera roughing up a man before taking the man on a 16-minute ride, according to Philadelphia Police.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office alleges Corcoran, a 9.5-year veteran of the force, began yelling at a group of people near 13th and Lombard Streets in the early morning hours of March 31, 2013.
Someone in the group, which included Roderick King, had questioned Corcoran after he allegedly made an illegal turn with his patrol car, according to prosecutors.
King’s own lawyer Kevin Mincey identified his client saying that they filed a lawsuit against the city, police department and Corcoran.
Corcoran, in full uniform, allegedly exited his vehicle and began to yell at King’s group prompting witnesses to videotape the encounter.
Witnesses said that Corcoran slapped the phone out of one person’s hands and then began to berate King saying “Don’t f##?!g touch me,” according to prosecutors. An incensed Corcoran continued to approach King -- who claimed he never touched the officer -- who continued to make an effort not to touch the officer.
"My first thought was that I was getting ready to get beat up," King said through a release from his attorney. "It’s dark, I don’t know where I am, I feared for my safety."
According to prosecutors, Corcoran grabbed King by his chest, threw him against the police SUV, cuffed him and put him in the back of the vehicle.
Authorities allege that Corcoran then drove King somewhere off North Broad Street -- the opposite direction of the 17th District officer’s station -- telling King that he was under arrest for public intoxication.
King told Corcoran that this was the first time he had been arrested and that he was an Iraqi War veteran having served in the U.S. Air Force.
After learning about King’s service, Corcoran drove to 13th and Rodman Streets where he uncuffed the victim and let him go without charges.
In total, King remained in cuffs for about 16 minutes.
Corcoran surrendered Wednesday on the misdemeanor charges and was arraigned. He was released after posting bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 21.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said he suspended Corcoran for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.
Friday, March 07, 2014
Probation Officer Jeffrey Collins Charged with Groping Woman
A northwestern Pennsylvania probation officer has been suspended without pay after state police charged him with groping and sending lewd text messages to a woman he was supervising.
Online court records don’t list an attorney for 37-year-old Warren County probation officer Jeffrey Collins, of Sheffield. The Associated Press could not locate a listed telephone number for Collins.
The (Warren) Times-Observer reports Collins has been charged with indecent assault, harassment by lewd communication and other crimes by state troopers in Warren.
Police say the woman reported the incidents happened between Feb. 10 and March 2.
The woman told police that Collins threatened to revoke her probation, which would put her in jail, unless she didn’t comply with his advances.
Collins wasn’t arrested. He’s been summoned to court April 2 to answer the charges.
Online court records don’t list an attorney for 37-year-old Warren County probation officer Jeffrey Collins, of Sheffield. The Associated Press could not locate a listed telephone number for Collins.
The (Warren) Times-Observer reports Collins has been charged with indecent assault, harassment by lewd communication and other crimes by state troopers in Warren.
Police say the woman reported the incidents happened between Feb. 10 and March 2.
The woman told police that Collins threatened to revoke her probation, which would put her in jail, unless she didn’t comply with his advances.
Collins wasn’t arrested. He’s been summoned to court April 2 to answer the charges.
Officer Steven Lupo Charged with Giving False Statements
Police began investigating 36-year-old officer Steven Lupo after a complaint was made to Internal Affairs about Lupo’s testimony in court on Oct. 18, 2011. It was alleged that Lupo, who was assigned to the 14th Police District, testified falsely during a hearing about circumstances surrounding the arrest of both Amiraria Farsi on Aug. 5, 2011 and Joseph Tuabma on Sept. 25, 2010.
In the case of Tuamba, Lupo was on the 100 block of E Chelten Avenue when he and his partner encountered a 2010 Lincoln SKS parked outside a Chinese store. The officers ultimately arrested both people in the car, Tuabma and Angel Huffman, and charged them with possession of narcotics. Though Lupo testified the car’s windows were tinted, three other witnesses testified in court that they were not.
In the Farsi trial, Lupo and his partner conducted a vehicle stop of a 1998 Buick Regal driven by Farsi near Baynton and High Streets after the car failed to stop at a stop sign. Lupo frisked the men in the car and searched the vehicle, uncovering narcotics; however, Lupo claimed he waited for a search warrant before doing so. That was determined to be false.
Lupo is expected to be suspended with intent to dismiss.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Former Officer Daniel Lanious Charged with Corruption of Minor
A former Carroll Valley Police officer has been accused of sending "flirtatious and sexual" text messages to a 13-year-old girl, police state in charging documents.
Daniel Lanious, 50, of South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, was charged with corruption of a minor, according to a police criminal complaint filed at District Justice Susan Day's office in Mount Holly Springs.
The teenager's mother told police that Lanious met her daughter in July 2013, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The girl received a text message from Lanious out of nowhere, the affidavit states. The messages quickly became "flirtatious and sexual," the affidavit continues.
The girl said she believed Lanious obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page, the affidavit states.
The girl told police Lanious often mentioned wanting to have sex with her, according to the affidavit. She said she played along to an extent, but was not as graphic as he was, the affidavit continues.
The messages reportedly stopped on Aug. 13, when the girl's mother caught the last text, which read, "I wish you were home. I wish you were on birth control. I have a condom," according to the affidavit.
The mother replied to the message and told Lanious she hoped he was not over 18 because her daughter is only 13, according to the affidavit.
A day or two later the mother was visited by Lanious' son, who asked the mother if she would be contacting police, the affidavit states.
During an interview with state police Trooper Matthew Johnston from the Carlisle barracks, Lanious admitted to sending sexual text messages to the 13-year-old girl, the affidavit states.
Lanious apologized repeatedly for his actions and admitted what he did was "very stupid," according to the affidavit.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Lanious on April 2 in front of Day. He is being represented by Gettysburg attorney Steve Rice. Rice declined to comment on the case until he has spoken further with his client.
"As a well respected law enforcement officer, it would be nice if people could give him the benefit of the doubt," Rice said.
Daniel Lanious, 50, of South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, was charged with corruption of a minor, according to a police criminal complaint filed at District Justice Susan Day's office in Mount Holly Springs.
The teenager's mother told police that Lanious met her daughter in July 2013, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The girl received a text message from Lanious out of nowhere, the affidavit states. The messages quickly became "flirtatious and sexual," the affidavit continues.
The girl said she believed Lanious obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page, the affidavit states.
The girl told police Lanious often mentioned wanting to have sex with her, according to the affidavit. She said she played along to an extent, but was not as graphic as he was, the affidavit continues.
The messages reportedly stopped on Aug. 13, when the girl's mother caught the last text, which read, "I wish you were home. I wish you were on birth control. I have a condom," according to the affidavit.
The mother replied to the message and told Lanious she hoped he was not over 18 because her daughter is only 13, according to the affidavit.
A day or two later the mother was visited by Lanious' son, who asked the mother if she would be contacting police, the affidavit states.
During an interview with state police Trooper Matthew Johnston from the Carlisle barracks, Lanious admitted to sending sexual text messages to the 13-year-old girl, the affidavit states.
Lanious apologized repeatedly for his actions and admitted what he did was "very stupid," according to the affidavit.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Lanious on April 2 in front of Day. He is being represented by Gettysburg attorney Steve Rice. Rice declined to comment on the case until he has spoken further with his client.
"As a well respected law enforcement officer, it would be nice if people could give him the benefit of the doubt," Rice said.
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Sgt. Thomas Winkis Charged with Killing Driver Will Stand Trial
A former Philadelphia police officer will stand trial on charges
stemming from an off-duty car crash that killed the other driver.
The Philadelphia Inquirer said a judge Wednesday ruled that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed against 46-year-old former police Sgt. Thomas Winkis on charges including vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and drunken driving.
Investigators say Winkis was drunk and driving 100 mph in a 35 mph zone when he broadsided a van around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 in northeast Philadelphia.
The driver of the van, 55-year-old David Farries, died in a hospital several days later.
Winkis had been fired from the police force.
The Philadelphia Inquirer said a judge Wednesday ruled that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed against 46-year-old former police Sgt. Thomas Winkis on charges including vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and drunken driving.
Investigators say Winkis was drunk and driving 100 mph in a 35 mph zone when he broadsided a van around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 in northeast Philadelphia.
The driver of the van, 55-year-old David Farries, died in a hospital several days later.
Winkis had been fired from the police force.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Officer Michael Lafferty Arrested for DUI
A Pittsburgh police officer was arrested around 3:20 a.m. Monday and
charged with driving under the influence and careless driving, court
records show.
Michael Lafferty, 29, was assigned today to support services, pending an investigation by the Office of Municipal Investigations, acting police Chief Regina McDonald said in a statement. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 7.
When 3-day-old Bryce Coleman disappeared in August 2012 from Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, Officer Lafferty, who has been a city officer since Sept. 2009, helped identify and locate suspect Breona Moore.
Michael Lafferty, 29, was assigned today to support services, pending an investigation by the Office of Municipal Investigations, acting police Chief Regina McDonald said in a statement. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 7.
When 3-day-old Bryce Coleman disappeared in August 2012 from Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, Officer Lafferty, who has been a city officer since Sept. 2009, helped identify and locate suspect Breona Moore.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Officer Matthew Cordone Arrested on Drug Charges
A Kennett Square police officer has been suspended with pay after being arrested on drug charges Tuesday by state police, authorities said. Officer Matthew Thomas Cordone, 36, of West Grove, tried to deliver "a number of pills" in a reclosable bag to a location on Woodcrest Road in Penn Township, a state police spokesman said.
The pills, which troopers believed to be the tranquilizer Xanax, were being analyzed yesterday at a state lab. Cordone, who was not on duty at the time of his arrest, was released after posting $5,000 bail. Kennett Square Police Chief Edward Zunino declined to comment
The pills, which troopers believed to be the tranquilizer Xanax, were being analyzed yesterday at a state lab. Cordone, who was not on duty at the time of his arrest, was released after posting $5,000 bail. Kennett Square Police Chief Edward Zunino declined to comment
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
David Baker Files Lawsuit Against Officers for Violating His Civil Rights
An Ambridge man says a borough police officer beat him in a holding cell and jammed a gun into his mouth last year, then other officers tried to cover up the assault.
Claiming civil rights violations, David A. Baker, 41, of 614 Melrose Ave. has sued the borough, Police Chief Mark Romutis, officers Richard Heitzenrater, Robert Kuzma Jr. and Michael Slawianowski, and former Borough Manager Kristen Denne.
Heitzenrater and Kuzma are already facing federal criminal charges related to the incident.
According to Beaver County court records, Slawianowski arrested Baker around 4 p.m. Feb. 20, 2009, at 10th Street and Glenwood Avenue after an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old reported that Baker had urinated on a sidewalk across the street from them.
The children reported the incident to a parent; one of the children is a grandchild of Heitzenrater.
Slawianowski said Baker was drunk, disheveled and apparently had soiled himself. Once at the borough police station, Baker refused to get out of the police car, and “officers then grabbed Baker by his jacket and pulled him from the back seat of the patrol car. Once outside the car, Baker fell directly to the ground and refused to stand up.”
Slawianowski also said, “Officers then drug Baker by his jacket into the police garage and then inside the police station,” where he was searched and put in a holding cell.
According to the federal lawsuit, written by Pittsburgh attorney Tony J. Thompson, Slawianowski and Kuzma told Heitzenrater, who had been off-duty, of Baker’s arrest, and he went to the police station. There, according to the suit, Heitzenrater entered the holding cell and hit and kneed Baker in the head and body.
Heitzenrater also “assaulted and terrorized (Baker) by placing the barrel of a firearm into his mouth, thereby threatening him with grave bodily harm and death,” Thompson said.
The lawsuit also alleges that other borough employees didn’t stop the assault and then “conspired to destroy physical evidence capturing the incident, and/or falsified written reports regarding the incident.”
Thompson said Kuzma and Slawianowski allowed Heitzenrater to enter the cell and Heitzenrater and Kuzma, who also had been off-duty, destroyed surveillance video showing the attack.
Thompson also said that “Heitzenrater and other officers of the Ambridge Police Department have a history of acting erratically, violently and with excessive force, and in abusing their authority as police officers.” The borough has been sued by others in the past, accusing officers of violating their civil rights.
Thompson said in the suit that Romutis and Denne “knew or should have known that (Heitzenrater) was not fit to be a sergeant of the Ambridge police.”
Baker suffered severe head injuries and continues to suffer after-effects from the attack, according to the lawsuit.
In November, Baker pleaded no contest to single counts of open lewdness and disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one year’s probation in Beaver County Court. Baker could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Last year, his attorney on those charges, Gerald Benyo, said Baker was in an alcohol rehabilitation program. He added that Baker had about $30,000 in unpaid medical bills related to the beating.
In August, the U.S. attorney’s office charged Heitzenrater and Kuzma with obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Heitzenrater was also charged with deprivation of civil rights, while Kuzma additionally was charged with accessory after the fact.
The allegations in the criminal case are similar to the lawsuit, with Heitzenrater accused of beating Baker, and then he and Kuzma working the next day to destroy surveillance footage.
Heitzenrater retired from the Ambridge force last spring. Kuzma, with the rank of lieutenant, was suspended without pay, but collected unemployment from the borough.
Slawianowski has left Ambridge and now works as a Leetsdale police officer. Denne resigned as borough manager in January and now works in Johnstown.
Heitzenrater’s attorney, James Ross of Ambridge, said Wednesday he was moving forward with the criminal case “and we have a defense to it,” but would not comment further.
Kuzma’s attorney, Mark Lancaster of Pittsburgh, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Romutis wasn’t available for comment Wednesday.
Claiming civil rights violations, David A. Baker, 41, of 614 Melrose Ave. has sued the borough, Police Chief Mark Romutis, officers Richard Heitzenrater, Robert Kuzma Jr. and Michael Slawianowski, and former Borough Manager Kristen Denne.
Heitzenrater and Kuzma are already facing federal criminal charges related to the incident.
According to Beaver County court records, Slawianowski arrested Baker around 4 p.m. Feb. 20, 2009, at 10th Street and Glenwood Avenue after an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old reported that Baker had urinated on a sidewalk across the street from them.
The children reported the incident to a parent; one of the children is a grandchild of Heitzenrater.
Slawianowski said Baker was drunk, disheveled and apparently had soiled himself. Once at the borough police station, Baker refused to get out of the police car, and “officers then grabbed Baker by his jacket and pulled him from the back seat of the patrol car. Once outside the car, Baker fell directly to the ground and refused to stand up.”
Slawianowski also said, “Officers then drug Baker by his jacket into the police garage and then inside the police station,” where he was searched and put in a holding cell.
According to the federal lawsuit, written by Pittsburgh attorney Tony J. Thompson, Slawianowski and Kuzma told Heitzenrater, who had been off-duty, of Baker’s arrest, and he went to the police station. There, according to the suit, Heitzenrater entered the holding cell and hit and kneed Baker in the head and body.
Heitzenrater also “assaulted and terrorized (Baker) by placing the barrel of a firearm into his mouth, thereby threatening him with grave bodily harm and death,” Thompson said.
The lawsuit also alleges that other borough employees didn’t stop the assault and then “conspired to destroy physical evidence capturing the incident, and/or falsified written reports regarding the incident.”
Thompson said Kuzma and Slawianowski allowed Heitzenrater to enter the cell and Heitzenrater and Kuzma, who also had been off-duty, destroyed surveillance video showing the attack.
Thompson also said that “Heitzenrater and other officers of the Ambridge Police Department have a history of acting erratically, violently and with excessive force, and in abusing their authority as police officers.” The borough has been sued by others in the past, accusing officers of violating their civil rights.
Thompson said in the suit that Romutis and Denne “knew or should have known that (Heitzenrater) was not fit to be a sergeant of the Ambridge police.”
Baker suffered severe head injuries and continues to suffer after-effects from the attack, according to the lawsuit.
In November, Baker pleaded no contest to single counts of open lewdness and disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one year’s probation in Beaver County Court. Baker could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Last year, his attorney on those charges, Gerald Benyo, said Baker was in an alcohol rehabilitation program. He added that Baker had about $30,000 in unpaid medical bills related to the beating.
In August, the U.S. attorney’s office charged Heitzenrater and Kuzma with obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Heitzenrater was also charged with deprivation of civil rights, while Kuzma additionally was charged with accessory after the fact.
The allegations in the criminal case are similar to the lawsuit, with Heitzenrater accused of beating Baker, and then he and Kuzma working the next day to destroy surveillance footage.
Heitzenrater retired from the Ambridge force last spring. Kuzma, with the rank of lieutenant, was suspended without pay, but collected unemployment from the borough.
Slawianowski has left Ambridge and now works as a Leetsdale police officer. Denne resigned as borough manager in January and now works in Johnstown.
Heitzenrater’s attorney, James Ross of Ambridge, said Wednesday he was moving forward with the criminal case “and we have a defense to it,” but would not comment further.
Kuzma’s attorney, Mark Lancaster of Pittsburgh, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Romutis wasn’t available for comment Wednesday.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Officer Matthew Sharkey Arrested for DUI After Crashing Into Troopers
An off-duty Philadelphia police officer suspected of driving under the influence injured two state troopers and a tow-truck driver yesterday when his vehicle crashed into a state police car on a shoulder of I-95, authorities said.
Officer Matthew Sharkey, 23, was detained on suspicion of DUI after the accident, which hurt Troopers Matthew Sheeran and Michael Sadowski, state police said. The agency is investigating the crash.
Sheeran was in fair condition at Hahnemann University Hospital, according to a spokesman there.
Sadowski was treated at Hahnemann for cuts and bruises and released. Sharkey also briefly received medical care there. The tow-truck driver was also treated at Hahnemann, but there was no word on his condition.
The accident happened about 3:30 a.m., after the troopers had parked their cruiser behind an abandoned car on northbound I-95 near the Girard Avenue interchange, state police said.
The tow-truck driver had pulled in front of the abandoned car and was underneath it, hooking it up, when Sharkey's car drove through warning flares and hit the back of the cruiser, authorities said.
Sheeran was pinned between the cruiser and the abandoned car. Despite his cuts and bruises, the tow-truck driver crawled out from underneath and pulled the truck forward, freeing Sheeran.
State police did not identify the tow-truck operator, saying only that he worked for the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Sharkey was tested for alcohol and drugs, but no results were immediately available. No charges had been filed, and the state police asked witnesses to call 215-560-6200.
Sharkey joined the force in 2007 and has been assigned to the 17th Police District at 20th and Federal Streets in South Philadelphia.
Officer Matthew Sharkey, 23, was detained on suspicion of DUI after the accident, which hurt Troopers Matthew Sheeran and Michael Sadowski, state police said. The agency is investigating the crash.
Sheeran was in fair condition at Hahnemann University Hospital, according to a spokesman there.
Sadowski was treated at Hahnemann for cuts and bruises and released. Sharkey also briefly received medical care there. The tow-truck driver was also treated at Hahnemann, but there was no word on his condition.
The accident happened about 3:30 a.m., after the troopers had parked their cruiser behind an abandoned car on northbound I-95 near the Girard Avenue interchange, state police said.
The tow-truck driver had pulled in front of the abandoned car and was underneath it, hooking it up, when Sharkey's car drove through warning flares and hit the back of the cruiser, authorities said.
Sheeran was pinned between the cruiser and the abandoned car. Despite his cuts and bruises, the tow-truck driver crawled out from underneath and pulled the truck forward, freeing Sheeran.
State police did not identify the tow-truck operator, saying only that he worked for the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Sharkey was tested for alcohol and drugs, but no results were immediately available. No charges had been filed, and the state police asked witnesses to call 215-560-6200.
Sharkey joined the force in 2007 and has been assigned to the 17th Police District at 20th and Federal Streets in South Philadelphia.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Officer James John Hoffman Arrested for Drunk Driving
A Bethlehem police officer has been placed on administrative leave while he faces drunken driving and careless driving charges in Bucks County.
James John Hoffman, 28, of Warminster Township was charged Jan. 17 with three counts of drunken driving and careless driving by Warminster police, according to criminal court records.
Hoffman joined Bethlehem police in 2007 and most recently served as a patrol officer.
He surrendered his badge and gun and is on paid administrative duty pending the outcome of his case and an internal investigation, police Commissioner Stuart Bedics said.
Bedics declined to comment on any details surrounding the incident, but said the department was notified within hours of Hoffman's arrest.
Bedics said appropriate discipline will be administered, based on the outcome of the case. That discipline could range from a suspension to termination.
Hoffman is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 19.
The investigating officer in Hoffman's arrest, Warminster officer Chad Vargo, could not be reached for comment.
James John Hoffman, 28, of Warminster Township was charged Jan. 17 with three counts of drunken driving and careless driving by Warminster police, according to criminal court records.
Hoffman joined Bethlehem police in 2007 and most recently served as a patrol officer.
He surrendered his badge and gun and is on paid administrative duty pending the outcome of his case and an internal investigation, police Commissioner Stuart Bedics said.
Bedics declined to comment on any details surrounding the incident, but said the department was notified within hours of Hoffman's arrest.
Bedics said appropriate discipline will be administered, based on the outcome of the case. That discipline could range from a suspension to termination.
Hoffman is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 19.
The investigating officer in Hoffman's arrest, Warminster officer Chad Vargo, could not be reached for comment.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Officer Leslie Brown Sentenced for Stalking Former Lover
A Cumberland County judge this afternoon imposed an 8- to 23-month prison term, plus 10 years of probation, on a former Harrisburg police officer who pleaded guilty to repeatedly stalking a former lover.
Judge Albert H. Masland sentenced Leslie Brown, 40, of Hampden Township, after Brown also admitted to violating a protection from abuse order the man had secured barring her from contacting him. While admitting to the stalking and protection order violations, Brown, who quit the city force in 2008 after 13 years of service, insisted she is a victim of lies and "legal blackmail."
Brown spent three months in prison last year for violating the protection order.
Judge Albert H. Masland sentenced Leslie Brown, 40, of Hampden Township, after Brown also admitted to violating a protection from abuse order the man had secured barring her from contacting him. While admitting to the stalking and protection order violations, Brown, who quit the city force in 2008 after 13 years of service, insisted she is a victim of lies and "legal blackmail."
Brown spent three months in prison last year for violating the protection order.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Cpl John Quigg Jr Accused of Drunk Driving
A Pennsylvania State Police accident investigator accused of drunken driving had a nearly empty bottle of vodka between his knees when he was found slumped over his car's steering wheel in December, according to court documents.
Officers said Cpl. John Quigg Jr. was off duty when found in a Honda that had coasted to a stop against the guard rail along Route 422 in Upper Merion just after 9 p.m. Dec. 17. Quigg was not injured and damage to the car was minor, court records said.
Quigg's attorney, Timothy Woodward Sr., said yesterday that the officer's blood-alcohol level was 0.30. A person is considered legally drunk in Pennsylvania when blood alcohol is 0.08 or greater.
District Judge William Maruszczak said Quigg appeared in his King of Prussia court in an unscheduled hearing Wednesday to waive a hearing, and will stand trial. The appearance had been set for yesterday.
Quigg, 48, of Wyndmoor, who helped supervise sobriety checkpoints in the Philadelphia area, was charged with drunken driving, reckless driving, and violating the open-container law.
In an interview yesterday, Woodward portrayed Quigg as a "dedicated, hard-working police officer who made a mistake and deeply regrets it. He's remorseful, and he's doing everything he can to address it."
Woodward said Quigg had completed a 30-day inpatient program at the Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, Pa.
He said, "I think he should be made to answer like any other citizen for what he's done, but I don't think he should be held to a higher standard, either, just because he's a police officer."
Quigg has spent more than 20 years doing crash reconstruction and investigations from his office at the Belmont Barracks. He is also trained to assess the behavior of drivers under the influence of drugs.
At the time of the incident, Quigg was assigned to the Collision Accident Reconstruction Specialist Unit. The unit reconstructs crashes on major highways and in some municipalities.
Quigg was assigned to a desk job after the December accident and "won't be on the road," a state police spokesperson said.
Officers said Cpl. John Quigg Jr. was off duty when found in a Honda that had coasted to a stop against the guard rail along Route 422 in Upper Merion just after 9 p.m. Dec. 17. Quigg was not injured and damage to the car was minor, court records said.
Quigg's attorney, Timothy Woodward Sr., said yesterday that the officer's blood-alcohol level was 0.30. A person is considered legally drunk in Pennsylvania when blood alcohol is 0.08 or greater.
District Judge William Maruszczak said Quigg appeared in his King of Prussia court in an unscheduled hearing Wednesday to waive a hearing, and will stand trial. The appearance had been set for yesterday.
Quigg, 48, of Wyndmoor, who helped supervise sobriety checkpoints in the Philadelphia area, was charged with drunken driving, reckless driving, and violating the open-container law.
In an interview yesterday, Woodward portrayed Quigg as a "dedicated, hard-working police officer who made a mistake and deeply regrets it. He's remorseful, and he's doing everything he can to address it."
Woodward said Quigg had completed a 30-day inpatient program at the Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, Pa.
He said, "I think he should be made to answer like any other citizen for what he's done, but I don't think he should be held to a higher standard, either, just because he's a police officer."
Quigg has spent more than 20 years doing crash reconstruction and investigations from his office at the Belmont Barracks. He is also trained to assess the behavior of drivers under the influence of drugs.
At the time of the incident, Quigg was assigned to the Collision Accident Reconstruction Specialist Unit. The unit reconstructs crashes on major highways and in some municipalities.
Quigg was assigned to a desk job after the December accident and "won't be on the road," a state police spokesperson said.
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