Former Officer Scott Arms Charged with Rape of Child

A former Colville Police Officer has been arrested in Chelan County and charged with Rape of a Child in the First Degree. Scott L. Arms was booked into the Chelan County jail, his bail set at $25,000. As of Wednesday morning, he had been released.

According to court documents, the alleged victim told her middle school counselor about the incident she says took place at a Wenatchee home in January. The alleged victim then relayed the same story to investigators with the Chelan County Sheriff's Office. She says she was watching a Seahawks game with Arms when he sexually assaulted her.

According to court documents, the young woman told investigators that she didn't come forward because she was "very fearful and did not know what to do, especially since Arms was a police officer." At the time of the alleged incident, Arms was a Colville Police Officer. Court records show the girl told police she came forward in April because she found out Arms was quitting his job in Colville and was going to be in Wenatchee more often.

When confronted about the incident, Arms told investigators he wasn't sure about the allegations, but knew they had something to do with unwanted touching. Court documents show he told police, "I don't know if I pinched her butt or what."

Arms told police he has a good relationship with the girl,  believes she's an honest young woman and doesn't lie. When asked why he thought she would make these allegations, Arms responded, "Because she has a crush on me." The victim said she liked Arms "and didn't want to see him get in any trouble... but she does not want to be alone with him anymore."

The alleged victim's mother, who has a personal relationship with Arms, told police she believes her daughter is making up the allegations. But, according to the investigator on the case "school personnel, friends, her brother and her neighbor say [she] is a very well adjusted and honest young woman." Court documents cite several people as saying, "If she said it happened, then it happened."

Arms was arrested Monday and booked into the Chelan County Jail on child rape charges. He's been ordered to stay at least 300 feet away from the alleged victim at all times. He'll be in court to enter a plea on May 19.

Colville Police Chief Robert Meshishnek said Arms resigned from the police department on April 30.

Former Officer Donald Glunt Arrested for Child Porn

Detectives arrested a former Lynden police officer Friday as part of a child pornography investigation.

Detectives arrested 57-year-old Donald Glunt, who was taken into custody without incident.

According to investigators, Glunt had recently resigned his position with the Lynden Police Department.

Detectives said the investigation originated after officials with the Lynden Police Department discovered images on Glunt’s city-owned cellphone while conducting an internal administrative investigation.

On Wednesday, Lynden Police Department’s Chief Jack Foster asked the Washington State Patrol to conduct a criminal investigation.

Detectives reviewed digital evidence and interviewed Glunt, which led to his arrest.

According to investigators, Glunt was trading images with a 16-year-old girl in Texas. Authorities in Texas assisted detectives by interviewing the victim.

The incident remains as an ongoing investigation.

Glunt was booked into the Skagit County Jail on charges of dealing and possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and viewing of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Former Officer Christopher Inserra Pleads Guilty to Fraud

A former police officer accused of rocking out on stage as the lead singer of a metal band called Cousin Sleaze while he claimed he couldn't work because of an arm injury pleaded guilty to fraud on Tuesday.

Christopher Inserra entered the plea in federal court in Brooklyn. He left court without speaking to reporters.

Inserra, 32, was arrested last year on charges accusing him of fraudulently collecting more than $30,000 in disability payments in the nearly two years he was out sick from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. He returned to work in March 2012 but resigned on Monday.

According to a criminal complaint, Inserra had told the police department that while on duty at the World Trade Center in June 2010, he hurt his arm helping take an injured Port Authority employee to a medical facility. At an initial evaluation, he claimed that he suffered from a "tremendous amount of pain" around his right elbow and lower biceps, it said.

The department agreed to give him time off with full pay. He also filed claims with an insurance company that resulted in two payments totaling $30,486.

Authorities alleged that Inserra, despite collecting disability, continued to perform as the frontman of Brooklyn-based Cousin Sleaze. Photos of performances from April 2011 show him "repeatedly moving his arms in a punching motion" and "violently flailing his arm in an up-and-down motion," a criminal complaint said.

In September 2011, after Inserra told doctors he was still in intense pain, the band hit the road for a tour called "Miles of Mayhem." Video footage from performances in Athens, Ga., Cocoa Beach, Fla., and elsewhere shows Inserra fist pumping and thrashing around without any signs of discomfort, the complaint says.

Inserra faces up to 14 months in prison at sentencing on Aug. 5. He also must forfeit the $30,486.

Officer Mike Russo Arrested for DUI

A Spokane Police Officer has been  placed on administrative leave after he was arrested for DUI Saturday night.

Mike Russo was not on duty at the time of the incident, according to Police spokesperson Monique Cotton.

Russo was arrested after a single car crash in North Spokane. Spokane Police responded to the crash, but the Washington State Patrol was called to the scene and arrested Russo.

The Washington State Patrol is investigating the incident while the police department has launched an internal administrative investigation into Russo's DUI.

Russo was hired by the Spokane Police Department in 2003 and has received eight commendations during his time on the force.

Former Officer Rex Newport Pleads Guilty to Multiple Felonies

Former Colville Police Officer Rex Newport spent 15 years putting countless criminals in prison. On Tuesday, Newport found out he would be heading off to prison for 29 months himself.

Newport pleaded guilty in February to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including unlawful imprisonment with sexual motivation. The court identified Newport's behavior as reckless and the arrogance he displayed was truly disturbing.

"Your honor, I messed up," Newport said, addressing a packed Stevens County courtroom Tuesday morning. "I'm absolutely ashamed of myself."

Last year a woman came forward saying she was drunk when Newport came into her home, handcuffed and sexually assaulted her while he was on duty. Four other women later said Newport made sexual advances towards them as well. In February Newport accepted a plea deal.

Newport's lawyer argued he's a good man, who made terrible mistakes, but the court argued that Newport, "identified and isolated not just these women and others and used the authority of your office to coerce them into sexual activity for no reason but to satisfy your desires," adding that his actions brought shame to himself and black eyes to other Colville police officers. "With the multiple victims, multiple incidents, I would say the only appropriate decision would be the maximum sentence."

Washington Assistant Attorney General John Hillman said he was pleased with Newport's sentence.

"He's also now a convicted felon, a sex offender who will have to register when he is released from prison, he will no longer be able to carry a firearm or work as a police officer in his state," Hillman said.

After years of putting people in handcuffs, Newport was the one to be handcuffed and taken away to prison. Like all Department of Corrections inmates, Newport will be transported to the prison in Shelton, where he'll be assessed and DOC will determine which prison to send him to. They'll take several things into consideration including the length of sentence, nature of crime and his background.

After Newport gets out of prison, he will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Former Officer Mitchel Wright Arrested for Selling Meth

Authorities say a former Washington police officer who spent time working for the DEA was arrested for the second time in less than a year last month after his life took a dark turn and he planned to become a drug kingpin.

Mitchel J. Wright, who joined the King County Sheriff's Department in 2002, was fired last year after being accused of stealing drug evidence while working undercover for the DEA. He was arrested on Feb. 11 after selling drugs to undercover officers on separate occasions. He reportedly bragged that he'd never be caught because knew every police tactic. His hubris was his downfall.

Wright, 33, resigned last July after a cop discovered a woman injecting herself with heroin inside of a vehicle registered to Wright. She told police that she lived with Wright and worked for him as an informant, and a subsequent search of the vehicle produced drugs and drug paraphernalia.

An internal investigation revealed that Wright was giving strippers heroin and methamphetamine to persuade them to work as drug dealers for him. His ultimate goal was to dominate the area drug trade using his authority, knowledge of the underworld and access to evidence.

After being placed on administrative leave, Wright resigned. Later that month, King County deputies discovered three baggies bearing DEA case numbers inside of his old police car. Each tested positive for heroin. It's estimated that Wright seized between $36,450 and $52,490 worth of drugs during his stint with the DEA and never turned them in as evidence.

For his most recent arrest, Wright was charged with distribution of over five grams of meth and conspiracy to distribute meth. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.

Former Officer Douglas Johnson Charged with Domestic Violence

A former Omak police officer was arrested in a domestic violence case involving his son's former girlfriend.

The Okanogan County sheriff's office says 47-year-old Douglas G. Johnson fired a rifle into the ground Thursday as the woman returned to the home near Tonasket where she had lived with her boyfriend and Johnson. She wanted to pick up her belongings.

A Tonasket woman was hit by gravel after the father of her ex-boyfriend allegedly fired a shot by her feet Thursday afternoon. Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers says 35 year old Brianna Hicks told deputies that she had broken up with her boyfriend, 23 year old Tyler Kion, earlier that day. She had been living with Kion and his father, 47 year old Douglas G. Johnson at a residence near Tonasket for several months.

 Rogers says Johnson, a former Omak police officer, reportedly did not say anything to Hicks before opening fire and was uncooperative with law enforcement at the scene. He was booked into the Okanogan County Jail on a charge of 1st Degree Assault-Domestic Violence.

Nisqually Tribal Officer Arrested for Hit and Run

A Nisqually tribal police officer was arrested Friday morning, suspected of DUI and hit and run.

Police say the man was off duty and driving his own car when he apparently swerved off 183rd Avenue Southwest and ran over two mailboxes around 2 a.m.

Witnesses say he drove away from the scene. He was arrested minutes later.

“A cop should know better than that,” said Faye Hull, who was awakened by the sound of the car hitting her mailbox..

“Drinking and driving don’t mix,” said Hull, “And cops know the rules.”

Officer Todd Charles Harris Arrested for Domestic Violence Assault

An off-duty Seattle police officer was arrested Sunday in Snohomish County for a misdemeanor domestic violence assault, the Seattle Police Department confirmed Tuesday.

Details of the arrest were not released, but Seattle police said the officer had been arrested by Everett police. The officer, Todd Charles Harris, is assigned to the Special Operations Bureau.

"He has been administratively re-assigned to home pending the on-going investigation," a release by the police department said.

Seattle Officer Arrested for Domestic Violence

An off-duty Seattle police officer was arrested by Everett Police on Sunday for investigation of misdemeanor domestic violence, according to a statement from Seattle Police spokesman Jeff Kappel released Tuesday night.

The unidentified male officer has been “re-assigned to home” while the matter is investigated, Kappel wrote. He said Seattle police were informed of the arrest on Sunday afternoon.

Everett Police spokesman Lt. Robert Goetz confirmed the arrest but declined to offer any details about the circumstances surrounding it.

“We investigated the incident, we had probable cause to believe an incident occurred, and we were mandated to make an arrest,” Goetz said.

The Seattle Police Department has begun the complaint process with the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), which will keep abreast of developments in the Everett police investigation, he said.
When the Everett investigation has concluded, the OPA will conduct a separate administrative investigation into the matter, Kappel wrote.

Sunday’s domestic-violence arrest was the second  involving a Seattle police officer in the past year.

Last fall, Ronald Lee Murray, 55, a detective sergeant with the Seattle Police Domestic Violence Unit, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault in Leavenworth after Chelan County sheriff’s deputies saw him drag his girlfriend by her hair across a parking lot.

Seattle Officer Arrested for Domestic Violence

A member of the Seattle Police Department has been reassigned following a weekend domestic violence arrest.

In a statement released Tuesday evening, the department said the male officer, who has not been named, was arrested Sunday by Everett police for misdemeanor domestic violence assault. The officer was off duty at the time.

The officer, who works in the Special Operations Bureau, has been administratively reassigned to his home pending an investigation into the incident, according to police.

Lt. Robert Goetz of the Everett Police Department said the alleged assault victim was not seriously injured and was not taken to the hospital. Goetz also said the case would be handled by the Everett Municipal Prosecutor and not the Snohomish County Prosecutor.

The department has initiated a complaint with the Office of Professional Accountability, and the OPA will keep an eye on Everett PD's criminal case for developments.

When the criminal case is wrapped up, OPA officials will begin their own investigation to the officers conduct.

Officer Michelle Salentine Arrested for Smoking Cocaine

The FBI has arrested a Platteville Police Officer, charging her with smoking crack cocaine. The news came as a shock to the small police department.

Monday afternoon Platteville Police Chief Doug McKinley got a visit from the FBI. “They let us know that they’d had an ongoing investigation concerning a member of our department.”

Officer Michelle Salentine was arrested without incident when she reported for duty. She appeared in federal court Tuesday, accused of smoking crack cocaine.

Salentine joined the Platteville Police Department in September of 2004. “Been a very good officer, but apparently had some things going on that we were unaware of,” says McKinley. According to court documents, Salentine says she’s been smoking crack 4 to 6 times a week for the past year.

A confidential witness tipped off the FBI in February. Chief McKinley says Salentine is a patrol officer for the night shift.

“She was working predominantly 7pm to 7am.” According to the witness, Salentine has smoked crack while on duty. On March 4th, the witness texted a law enforcement officer at 1:35 am, saying, “your girl is here smoking she has a stem and a bag, getting f***ed up here and in the squad, she’s getting to go back on duty.”

Corporal Randy Braaksma Accused of Keeping Cash & Seized Drugs

Vancouver Police chief Cliff Cook has fired an officer accused of keeping cash and drugs seized from suspects.

Corporal Randy Braaksma was terminated Wednesday after a year-long investigation into mishandled evidence.

The Vancouver Columbian reports a lawyer for Braaksma says the firing is retaliation for his speaking out in a discrimination case. Braaksma has filed a claim against the city, intending to sue.

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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com

Murder Trial for Former Officer Brian Brush Faces Delays

There are more delays in the murder trial of Roseburg-based North River Boats Owner Brian Brush.

47-year-old Brush is accused of shooting his former girlfriend to death in Long Beach, Washington last September. He was set to be arraigned Friday on first-degree murder charges, but his attorney has requested a week long delay. This comes after a mental competency hearing was called off by Brush's lawyer earlier this week.

Brush's formal arraignment has been postponed three times.

Long Beach Police say Brush shot 45-year-old Lisa Bonney in broad daylight on Sept. 11, during an annual classic car rally that draws thousands of people to the Long Beach Peninsula. Bonney was Brush's on-again, off-again girlfriend. According to documents filed with South Pacific District Court in Long Beach, Bonney said she thought Brush was going to kill her during a violent outburst in July of last year.

Brush was hired as a patrol officer with the Medford Police Department in 1988. He left on a medical disability in July of 1994. North River Boats is currently under investigation by the FBI for fraud.

Officer Jeffrey Leavey Arrested for Violating Court Order

A Spokane County Jail deputy accused of attacking his wife last month was arrested again today after police say he violated a court order.

Jeffrey S. Leavey, 40, was booked into jail just after noon. He was arrested at his lawyer’s office after his wife told police he’d been sending her text messages, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Leavey reportedly sent the woman more than a dozen text messages Wednesday, despite a court order prohibiting him from contacting her.

Leavey was first arrested Dec. 19 at his home in Colbert and placed on paid administrative leave with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, where he’s worked for two years.

Leavey reportedly told investigators he’d held his wife down on their bed, told her she couldn’t leave, threw a box at her and hit her in the arms “five to 25 times,” according to court documents. His wife had red marks on her arms and chest, deputies said. He was released from jail on his own recognizance Dec. 21.

Leavey is charged with unlawful imprisonment, two counts of fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief.

He’s in jail without bail for violating a court order, according to jail records.

Trial Begins for Deputy Schene Accused of Beating 15-year-old

The assault trial began Tuesday in King County Superior Court for a man accused of beating a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell at the SeaTac City Hall.

She was a car theft suspect who was taken down violently in November 2008 after she kicked a shoe at Deputy Paul Schene. The incident was caught on video. Schene was fired last September.

Prosecutors played the tape in court and said Schene had failed to report slamming the girl into a wall, throwing her to the floor and striking her.

A defense lawyer says the girl provoked the attack with her behavior and yelling profanity.

Investigators believe that anger about the beating might have motivated Christopher Monfort who is accused of killing a Seattle police officer.

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Deputy Charles Ray Mistric Charged with Malfeasance in Office

An employee with the St Landry Parish Sheriff's Department was arrested Monday after allegations that he mishandled an inmate.

TV 10 spoke with Sheriff Bobby Guidroz about the arrest, and what new safeguards will be put in place so this never happens again.

The Sheriff says that the man arrested was a corrections officer working in the St Landry Parish Jail. He was arrested after allegedly touching a female inmate inappropriately.

Sixty one year old Charles Ray Mistric, was arrested Monday and charged with malfeasance in office. Sheriff Guidroz says Mistric resigned from his deputy position before he was arrested.

A female inmate alleges that Mistric inappropriately touched her as he escorted her to use the phone. An investigation led to the correction officers arrest. The sheriff says safeguards will now be put in place to stop this from happening in the future.

"We have a new policy in place that if a female wants to make a call, she'll be escorted by a female, vice-versa. We've taken some steps to improve, that I thought were already in place, but were not" says Guidroz.

Mistric had only been an employee with the sheriff's department for about ten months. The alleged incident took place over the past weekend.

Pierce County Corrections Officer Arrested for Pointing Weapon During Domestic Assault

A Pierce County corrections officer is expected to make his first appearance in court today after being arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at his domestic partner.

Puyallup police arrested the 48-year-old man Sunday night at his home in the western part of the city, Lt. Scott Engle said Monday. He was booked into the Puyallup city jail for investigation of second-degree domestic-violence assault, according to corrections records. That charge is a felony.

Pierce County Jail chief Martha Karr said the officer was placed on paid administrative leave Monday, which is routine when a corrections officer is accused of a crime.

Engle said a detective is assigned to the case.

Deputy prosecutor Grant Blinn, who supervises the special-assault unit, said a charging decision had not been made late Monday.

The News Tribune is not naming the officer because he’s not been charged.

Patrol officers were dispatched to the officer’s house about 10:15 p.m. to investigate a domestic-violence complaint after the officer’s 51-year-old partner called 911 to report he’d been threatened, Engle said. The lieutenant declined to release more details until the corrections officer appears in court.

The partner sought and received a temporary protection order against the officer Monday, according to Superior Court records.

The victim wrote in his petition that the officer “pulled a 9 mm Glock weapon on me. I am in harm’s way. I don’t feel protected.”

He went on to write that he has endured “15 years of violence, threats but never gun assault.”

The man did not say what motivated his partner to allegedly pull a gun on him.

Sgt Bradley Thoma Involved in Drunken Hit and Run Crash Has Been Fired

A police sergeant involved in a drunken hit-and-run crash in September has been fired.

Bradley N. Thoma, 44, is no longer employed by the Spokane Police Department as of Monday, the department announced Tuesday.

Thoma, a 20-year police veteran, will avoid criminal prosecution for the crash if he stays out of trouble for five years under an agreement approved in District Court in November.

But the agreement requires him to use a breathalyzer device to start his car, which Spokane police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said prohibits him from completing the duties of a police officer.

“A valid driver’s license without restrictions is essential for the job,” Kirkpatrick said in a prepared statement.

Thoma was driving his personal Dodge Ram pickup on Sept. 23 when he hit the back of Sherry L. Prickett’s Ford Ranger near the intersection of Farwell Road and U.S. Highway 2. He then drove away.

Prickett, 51, and another driver followed Thoma to the parking lot of a Yoke’s Fresh Market, where Thoma told a state trooper he’d been planning to buy steaks.

Thoma smelled strongly of alcohol, troopers said. He told them he had just golfed at Wandermere Golf Course and “knew he had hit someone’s car and not stopped to give her his information,” according to a report from the Washington State Patrol.

“He talked about how he was probably going to lose his job or at least lose his supervisory position,” the arresting officer wrote. “He also told me he knew I was just doing my job and he was sorry for putting me in the position of arresting a fellow officer.”

Under the deferred prosecution agreement, Thoma – whose blood-alcohol level was 0.171, more than twice the legal limit for driving – will basically be on probation for five years and be required to complete a rehabilitation program in the first two years.

The DUI won’t appear on his record if he completes the program. The misdemeanor hit-and-run charge was dismissed under a “misdemeanor compromise” agreement after a judge read a letter from Prickett that said she’d been paid for the damage to her vehicle and was “not interested in (pursuing) Mr. Thoma any further.”

Prickett later said she didn’t know the letter would lead to the hit-and-run charge being dismissed.

Thoma joined the Spokane Police Department in October 1989. He’s worked in the drug unit and on the SWAT team. In 1991, he was one of two officers involved in a gunfight with a fugitive that killed an innocent bystander. A jury cleared both of wrongdoing in a civil case in 1994.

In January, Thoma suffered a minor stab wound to the jaw outside a downtown Spokane restaurant in a confrontation with two men he said were harassing his fiancé, Spokane police Officer Amy Ross. Charges against one of the men, Shannon Dogskin, were dismissed; another, Kenneth J. Kheel, is serving two years in prison.

Thoma made $91,141 a year as a sergeant.

Officer Troy Meade Plans to Claim Self Defense

Court documents filed on behalf of Everett police officer Troy Meade are the first public indication that the officer plans to claim self defense in a fatal June shooting outside an Everett restaurant.

Prosecutors in October charged Meade, 41, with first-degree manslaughter. They allege that Meade committed a crime June 10 when he shot Niles Meservey while the Stanwood man was sitting in his car outside the Chuckwagon Inn.

Meade, an 11-year veteran, has declined to speak to investigators. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last month.

His attorney, David Allen, has filed a notice in Snohomish County Superior Court that Meade will be requesting that he be reimbursed for attorney’s fees, loss of wages and other expenses once he is acquitted or the charge against him is dropped.

“Defendant Meade submits that his actions were necessary and reasonable and that he was in imminent danger at the time that he acted in self-defense to protect himself from an assault,” Allen wrote.

The trial is scheduled for April 9. Meade remains on paid administrative leave from the 200-officer department.

Investigators believe Meade opened fire after an intoxicated Meservey, 51, refused to obey the officer’s orders to get out of the car. Meade twice used an electric stun gun in an effort to subdue Meservey.

Meservey refused to get out of his car and drove his Chevrolet Corvette into a chain-link fence.

Meade fired his handgun eight times through the car’s back window.

Meservey was struck by seven bullets. He died in the parking lot of the restaurant.

A special team of homicide investigators re-created the shooting and interviewed dozens of people, including another Everett police officer who witnessed the shooting.

That officer told investigators that Meservey wasn’t obeying orders but didn’t pose an immediate lethal threat to Meade or anyone else. He said that immediately after the shooting, Meade said he believed their lives were in danger.