Bail was set at $2 million Sunday for a veteran Chicago police officer accused of being drunk behind the wheel while causing a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed a 13-year-old boy on the South Side.
Richard Bolling, 39, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident where a death or injury occurred and reckless homicide. Bolling, who has worked in the Chicago Police Department for 17 years, reportedly had been at a bar not long before the crash early Friday morning, said Sally Daly, a Cook County sheriff's office spokeswoman.
Bolling of the 8600 block of South Wolcott Avenue was arrested soon after his Dodge Charger allegedly drove through the intersection at 81st Street and Ashland Avenue about 1:28 a.m. and killed 13-year-old Trenton Booker, officials said.
Trenton had sneaked out of his home and was riding his bicycle with friends, his family said.
Trenton was riding with a friend on Ashland, traveling north in the southbound lane. Bolling was driving his car in the southbound lane and, according to witness accounts, raced through the intersection and hit Trenton, who ended up sprawled on the street, Daly said.
Bolling is alleged to have continued without stopping. He was arrested minutes later after two other Chicago police officers saw the car about five blocks away going the wrong way down a one-way street near 1900 W. 82nd St. They also noticed that the car had damage to the bumper and windshield, Daly said.
The officers saw an open bottle of beer in the car, and they conducted a field sobriety test on Bolling on the scene, she said. Daly did not have the results of the sobriety test available. Chicago police said in a statement that the officer was also cited for going the wrong way down a one-way street and transportation of alcohol.
Showing posts with label reckless homicide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reckless homicide. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
13 Chicago Officers Arrested Last Year for Drunk Driving
Thirteen Chicago police officers were arrested last year on drunken driving charges, and five of them were involved in car crashes, two with injuries, the department says.
The disclosure, in response to questions from the Tribune, comes days after a veteran Chicago police detective was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after two men in their early 20s died in a fiery wreck on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Authorities said his blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.
Police Supt. Jody Weis, who took office last year after officers had been arrested in two high-profile bar beatings, created a new bureau to evaluate officer conduct and training, pushed for more department-wide messages warning of excessive drinking and approved advanced training for department peer counselors to deal with alcohol abuse issues.
After Friday's crash involving detective Joseph Frugoli, Weis changed departmental policy to require that any officer who suspects another officer of being intoxicated to notify the on-duty watch commander, who must then go to the scene. Internal affairs will also be immediately notified.
"It is our hope that tragic incidents such as the one that occurred on April 10 will be eliminated through continued training, education, treatment, accountability and discipline for those members who violate the well-established rule against becoming intoxicated and getting behind the wheel," Weis said in an e-mail in response to questions.
Frugoli had been involved in two previous crashes in the last four years, but he was never administered a sobriety test after officers on the scene determined he did not appear to be intoxicated.
A department source said this week that top brass may also push for random alcohol testing of officers. That would require changes in the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing the rank and file.
Last summer the city proposed in contract negotiations that officers be checked for alcohol abuse if their weapon had discharged. Police are already subject to random drug testing.
So far this year, three officers have been arrested for driving under the influence, police said.
This week, Weis said 15 officers were arrested for DUI in 2008 but later corrected that number to 13. Police declined to release the officers' names.
Consequences for the officers varied, but none arrested last year have yet lost their jobs. In eight of those cases, officers were suspended without pay from 20 to 45 days, police said. In the five cases that remain open, the officers were assigned to desk duties or placed on leave.
Four of the officers were arrested by Chicago police, three in the suburbs and six out of state, police said.
After their arrests, the officers were encouraged to seek help and counseling through the confidential employee assistance program. Police commanders have also been told to encourage officers at roll calls to seek help for substance-abuse problems, and the department is working on developing new "streaming video" to show at roll calls to educate officers about available help.
Weis earlier this week pointed out the small number of officers who have been accused of driving drunk compared to the department's 13,000 officers. Statistically speaking, about one in 1,000 Chicago officers were arrested for DUI last year. That pales by comparison to a national average of one drunk-driving arrest for every 155 drivers, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics.
Still, Weis acknowledged that officers have responsibilities that require them to be held to a higher standard than ordinary citizens.
"The residents of Chicago rightfully expect the police to protect them from drunk drivers, not to become part of the problem," Weis said in the e-mail. "While they are held to a higher standard, police officers are human beings, too, susceptible to the pressures of life and the job, and are not always perfect. When this occurs, it is our responsibility to take appropriate measures to address the problem."
The disclosure, in response to questions from the Tribune, comes days after a veteran Chicago police detective was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after two men in their early 20s died in a fiery wreck on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Authorities said his blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.
Police Supt. Jody Weis, who took office last year after officers had been arrested in two high-profile bar beatings, created a new bureau to evaluate officer conduct and training, pushed for more department-wide messages warning of excessive drinking and approved advanced training for department peer counselors to deal with alcohol abuse issues.
After Friday's crash involving detective Joseph Frugoli, Weis changed departmental policy to require that any officer who suspects another officer of being intoxicated to notify the on-duty watch commander, who must then go to the scene. Internal affairs will also be immediately notified.
"It is our hope that tragic incidents such as the one that occurred on April 10 will be eliminated through continued training, education, treatment, accountability and discipline for those members who violate the well-established rule against becoming intoxicated and getting behind the wheel," Weis said in an e-mail in response to questions.
Frugoli had been involved in two previous crashes in the last four years, but he was never administered a sobriety test after officers on the scene determined he did not appear to be intoxicated.
A department source said this week that top brass may also push for random alcohol testing of officers. That would require changes in the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing the rank and file.
Last summer the city proposed in contract negotiations that officers be checked for alcohol abuse if their weapon had discharged. Police are already subject to random drug testing.
So far this year, three officers have been arrested for driving under the influence, police said.
This week, Weis said 15 officers were arrested for DUI in 2008 but later corrected that number to 13. Police declined to release the officers' names.
Consequences for the officers varied, but none arrested last year have yet lost their jobs. In eight of those cases, officers were suspended without pay from 20 to 45 days, police said. In the five cases that remain open, the officers were assigned to desk duties or placed on leave.
Four of the officers were arrested by Chicago police, three in the suburbs and six out of state, police said.
After their arrests, the officers were encouraged to seek help and counseling through the confidential employee assistance program. Police commanders have also been told to encourage officers at roll calls to seek help for substance-abuse problems, and the department is working on developing new "streaming video" to show at roll calls to educate officers about available help.
Weis earlier this week pointed out the small number of officers who have been accused of driving drunk compared to the department's 13,000 officers. Statistically speaking, about one in 1,000 Chicago officers were arrested for DUI last year. That pales by comparison to a national average of one drunk-driving arrest for every 155 drivers, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics.
Still, Weis acknowledged that officers have responsibilities that require them to be held to a higher standard than ordinary citizens.
"The residents of Chicago rightfully expect the police to protect them from drunk drivers, not to become part of the problem," Weis said in the e-mail. "While they are held to a higher standard, police officers are human beings, too, susceptible to the pressures of life and the job, and are not always perfect. When this occurs, it is our responsibility to take appropriate measures to address the problem."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Officer Joseph Frugoli Bond Set at $500,000
Bond was set at $500,000 Sunday for an off-duty Chicago Police detective accused of killing two men when he allegedly plowed into a disabled car in a drunken-driving crash early Friday on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
After the hearing, a family member of one of the victims was taken into custody after a disturbance in the hallway that spilled out into the street, authorities said.
Joseph Frugoli, 41, of the Bridgeport area, was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, two counts of reckless homicide and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, said Sally Daly, spokeswoman for the Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
Frugoli was ordered held on $500,000 bond at a Sunday hearing at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse at 3100 S. California Ave.
About 70 friends and family members of the two men killed in the crash became upset after bond was set and raised their voices in the courtroom hallway, Cook County Sheriff’s police spokesman Steve Patterson said.
Once outside the building, the group began telling strangers the bond was a travesty and Sheriff’s police took one of the family members into custody for his own safety, Patterson said. He was released without being charged.
Frugoli was taken into custody Friday after he drove his black Lexus into a red Dodge Intrepid that broke down in the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) near the 18th Street ramp, authorities said.
Frugoli, an 18-year-department veteran, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where tests indicated his blood-alcohol level was about triple the legal limit of .08, sources said.
The officer was walking away from the crash scene when he was apprehended, police said.
A bystander, Marcus Copeland, said he tried to pull the victims from the burning Intrepid shortly before 4 a.m., but the flames were overpowering. “I couldn’t do anything,” he said.
One of the victims was Andrew Cazares, 23, of Summit, who attended Argo Community High School. Cazares worked construction and continued to live with his family in the 7700 block of West 62nd Place. Friends said he was a talented skateboarder and graphic artist.
Alexander Myles, 14, said he and a buddy were skateboarding one day when Cazares noticed their lack of skill.
“He said, ‘You guys want to learn some tricks?’” and gave the younger boys some lessons, according to Myles.
The Illinois State Police identified the other victim as Fausto Manzera, 21, of Chicago.
Manzera was a student at DePaul University, according to his friends, who said he was artistic, too. He and Cazares may have been on the way to Manzera’s father’s home in Bridgeport where Manzera stayed.
“He was just a wonderful friend. He will be truly missed,” said a friend, Claudia Godinez.
The Chicago Police Department released a statement saying Frugoli has been relieved of his police powers. In addition to the traffic investigation being conducted by the State Police, the Chicago Police Department launched a probe by its Internal Affairs Division.
Frugoli has been involved in other serious wrecks, including one not far from the scene of Friday’s fatal collision and another that injured two police officers.
Just last week, Frugoli was ordered to pay $7,100 to Joseph Cairo after a jury trial involving a 2005 accident.
Frugoli was driving a new BMW sedan that rear-ended Cairo’s Jeep Cherokee on the in-bound Dan Ryan near 31st. Cairo, 65, struck a median and suffered neck and shoulder injuries, while Frugoli went to the hospital for a head injury, records show.
Cairo’s lawyer, Benjamin Kelly of the Vrdolyak Law Group, said Frugoli gave two stories about the accident: he told the State Police at the accident scene that he did not know what happened. But in a legal deposition, Frugoli said Cairo slammed on his brakes, causing the crash. Kelly denied that Cairo caused the collision.
Both men live in the Bridgeport neighborhood near the site of their collision.
Frugoli’s other accidents include a collision near the intersection of 37th and Wallace in Bridgeport when he allegedly ran a stop sign and struck a Chicago police car, injuring two officers, records show.
----------------------------------------
http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/04/12/updates/breaking_news/doc49e252851f4b4251588990.txt
After the hearing, a family member of one of the victims was taken into custody after a disturbance in the hallway that spilled out into the street, authorities said.
Joseph Frugoli, 41, of the Bridgeport area, was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, two counts of reckless homicide and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, said Sally Daly, spokeswoman for the Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
Frugoli was ordered held on $500,000 bond at a Sunday hearing at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse at 3100 S. California Ave.
About 70 friends and family members of the two men killed in the crash became upset after bond was set and raised their voices in the courtroom hallway, Cook County Sheriff’s police spokesman Steve Patterson said.
Once outside the building, the group began telling strangers the bond was a travesty and Sheriff’s police took one of the family members into custody for his own safety, Patterson said. He was released without being charged.
Frugoli was taken into custody Friday after he drove his black Lexus into a red Dodge Intrepid that broke down in the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) near the 18th Street ramp, authorities said.
Frugoli, an 18-year-department veteran, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where tests indicated his blood-alcohol level was about triple the legal limit of .08, sources said.
The officer was walking away from the crash scene when he was apprehended, police said.
A bystander, Marcus Copeland, said he tried to pull the victims from the burning Intrepid shortly before 4 a.m., but the flames were overpowering. “I couldn’t do anything,” he said.
One of the victims was Andrew Cazares, 23, of Summit, who attended Argo Community High School. Cazares worked construction and continued to live with his family in the 7700 block of West 62nd Place. Friends said he was a talented skateboarder and graphic artist.
Alexander Myles, 14, said he and a buddy were skateboarding one day when Cazares noticed their lack of skill.
“He said, ‘You guys want to learn some tricks?’” and gave the younger boys some lessons, according to Myles.
The Illinois State Police identified the other victim as Fausto Manzera, 21, of Chicago.
Manzera was a student at DePaul University, according to his friends, who said he was artistic, too. He and Cazares may have been on the way to Manzera’s father’s home in Bridgeport where Manzera stayed.
“He was just a wonderful friend. He will be truly missed,” said a friend, Claudia Godinez.
The Chicago Police Department released a statement saying Frugoli has been relieved of his police powers. In addition to the traffic investigation being conducted by the State Police, the Chicago Police Department launched a probe by its Internal Affairs Division.
Frugoli has been involved in other serious wrecks, including one not far from the scene of Friday’s fatal collision and another that injured two police officers.
Just last week, Frugoli was ordered to pay $7,100 to Joseph Cairo after a jury trial involving a 2005 accident.
Frugoli was driving a new BMW sedan that rear-ended Cairo’s Jeep Cherokee on the in-bound Dan Ryan near 31st. Cairo, 65, struck a median and suffered neck and shoulder injuries, while Frugoli went to the hospital for a head injury, records show.
Cairo’s lawyer, Benjamin Kelly of the Vrdolyak Law Group, said Frugoli gave two stories about the accident: he told the State Police at the accident scene that he did not know what happened. But in a legal deposition, Frugoli said Cairo slammed on his brakes, causing the crash. Kelly denied that Cairo caused the collision.
Both men live in the Bridgeport neighborhood near the site of their collision.
Frugoli’s other accidents include a collision near the intersection of 37th and Wallace in Bridgeport when he allegedly ran a stop sign and struck a Chicago police car, injuring two officers, records show.
----------------------------------------
http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/04/12/updates/breaking_news/doc49e252851f4b4251588990.txt
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Officer Joseph Frugoli Charged with Reckless Homicide
A veteran Chicago police officer charged in the drunk driving deaths of two men has been released from the hospital into police custody.
Joseph Frugoli has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. He also faces one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death.
The Chicago police detective is set to appear in bond court Sunday. Investigators say he caused the crash that claimed the lives of two promising young men: 21-year-old Fausto Manzera and Andrew Cazares, 23.
Detective Frugoli turned away from cameras Saturday as he was released from the hospital and into police custody, one day after investigators say he caused a fiery early morning crash that claimed the lives of the two men.
Frugoli's attorney. Greg Smith, accompanied by an unidentified man, left court Saturday afternoon after a bond hearing for his client was rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday because there was a delay in formally processing the 41-year-old veteran police officer.
Disappointed family and friends of one of the men killed also left court with little to say Saturday.
"We have no comments," said Manzera family spokesperson Michael Rihani said when asked if he was disappointed that justice had been delayed.
Relatives and friends continued to gather at the home of Manzera Saturday afternoon. The DePaul University marketing student was the passenger in the vehicle of his best friend when the accident happened.
Friend Patrick O'Malley has known Manzera since they graduated high school together in 2006.
"It was a shame what happened. He was a great kid. He was really artistic, outgoing, always happy and fun to be around," said O'Malley.
Investigators say Frugoli was off-duty and had a blood alcohol content three-times the legal limit when he slammed into the disabled Dodge intrepid driven by Andrew Cazares. Cazares's vehicle was stopped in the right lane on the outbound Dan Ryan expressway near 18th Street, possibly with a flat tire, when Frugoli's black Lexus SUV rear-ended the car, which then burst into flames.
Some who knew Cazares said, after some tough years as a teen, he was turning his life around.
"He told me he had been doing good for a whole year. He said he was picking himself up," said neighbor Sterling Pfizer.
While the two men died, officers say Frugoli fled, walking away from the crash. However, he was arrested a few blocks away.
Colleagues of the 18-year police officer describe him as a good cop who loved his job. Frugoli's neighbors remain shocked.
"He seems like a nice guy. His mom and dad just passed away. He's a good neighbor. I can't say anything bad about him," said one unidentified neighbor.
Published reports indicate the recent crash is the most serious traffic incident for Frugoli. The Chicago Tribune reports Frugoli was cited in at least three traffic incidents dating back to 1990, the most similar to Friday's crash being a January 2005 accident on the Ryan expressway. In that case, a civil court judge reportedly ordered Frugoli to pay $7,000 in damages, after he struck a 61-year-old man's car from behind and pushed it into a median wall.
In all the accidents, tickets issued to Frugoli were either dropped or thrown out.
Detective Frugoli has been stripped of his police powers.
Joseph Frugoli has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. He also faces one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death.
The Chicago police detective is set to appear in bond court Sunday. Investigators say he caused the crash that claimed the lives of two promising young men: 21-year-old Fausto Manzera and Andrew Cazares, 23.
Detective Frugoli turned away from cameras Saturday as he was released from the hospital and into police custody, one day after investigators say he caused a fiery early morning crash that claimed the lives of the two men.
Frugoli's attorney. Greg Smith, accompanied by an unidentified man, left court Saturday afternoon after a bond hearing for his client was rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday because there was a delay in formally processing the 41-year-old veteran police officer.
Disappointed family and friends of one of the men killed also left court with little to say Saturday.
"We have no comments," said Manzera family spokesperson Michael Rihani said when asked if he was disappointed that justice had been delayed.
Relatives and friends continued to gather at the home of Manzera Saturday afternoon. The DePaul University marketing student was the passenger in the vehicle of his best friend when the accident happened.
Friend Patrick O'Malley has known Manzera since they graduated high school together in 2006.
"It was a shame what happened. He was a great kid. He was really artistic, outgoing, always happy and fun to be around," said O'Malley.
Investigators say Frugoli was off-duty and had a blood alcohol content three-times the legal limit when he slammed into the disabled Dodge intrepid driven by Andrew Cazares. Cazares's vehicle was stopped in the right lane on the outbound Dan Ryan expressway near 18th Street, possibly with a flat tire, when Frugoli's black Lexus SUV rear-ended the car, which then burst into flames.
Some who knew Cazares said, after some tough years as a teen, he was turning his life around.
"He told me he had been doing good for a whole year. He said he was picking himself up," said neighbor Sterling Pfizer.
While the two men died, officers say Frugoli fled, walking away from the crash. However, he was arrested a few blocks away.
Colleagues of the 18-year police officer describe him as a good cop who loved his job. Frugoli's neighbors remain shocked.
"He seems like a nice guy. His mom and dad just passed away. He's a good neighbor. I can't say anything bad about him," said one unidentified neighbor.
Published reports indicate the recent crash is the most serious traffic incident for Frugoli. The Chicago Tribune reports Frugoli was cited in at least three traffic incidents dating back to 1990, the most similar to Friday's crash being a January 2005 accident on the Ryan expressway. In that case, a civil court judge reportedly ordered Frugoli to pay $7,000 in damages, after he struck a 61-year-old man's car from behind and pushed it into a median wall.
In all the accidents, tickets issued to Frugoli were either dropped or thrown out.
Detective Frugoli has been stripped of his police powers.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Lt. Keith Buckley Charged with Killing Colleague
TRENTON, N.J.
A North Brunswick police lieutenant has been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a fellow officer following a high-speed car crash last month.
According to investigators, 40-year-old Lt. Keith Buckley allegedly was driving at least 94 mph in a 45 mph zone on Aug. 12 in a rented Dodge Viper. The car crashed into a utility pole, killing 41-year-old Lt. Christopher Zerby, police said.
Zerby was a 15-year veteran of the force and in charge of the North Brunswick police's traffic safety division.
Buckley, an 18-year veteran of the department and head of the patrol division, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
Buckley also is charged with reckless driving and speeding. If convicted of vehicular homicide, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Police said alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-13/122067571263230.xml&coll=1
A North Brunswick police lieutenant has been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a fellow officer following a high-speed car crash last month.
According to investigators, 40-year-old Lt. Keith Buckley allegedly was driving at least 94 mph in a 45 mph zone on Aug. 12 in a rented Dodge Viper. The car crashed into a utility pole, killing 41-year-old Lt. Christopher Zerby, police said.
Zerby was a 15-year veteran of the force and in charge of the North Brunswick police's traffic safety division.
Buckley, an 18-year veteran of the department and head of the patrol division, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
Buckley also is charged with reckless driving and speeding. If convicted of vehicular homicide, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Police said alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-13/122067571263230.xml&coll=1
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Officer John Cooper Indicted for Reckless Homicide
A western Kentucky police officer has been indicted on a charge of reckless homicide.
The Paducah Sun reports that a Calloway County grand jury returned an indictment Monday against 29-year-old Murray police officer John Cooper. The charge stems from a March 18 wreck in which 68-year-old Ray Walker of Murray died.
The accident happened as Cooper was responding to a burglar alarm and hit Walker’s vehicle in the driver’s side. State police have said that Cooper’s lights and siren were on.
Police Chief Ken Claud declined to comment on whether Cooper would face internal disciplinary action.
Cooper is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 8.
The Paducah Sun reports that a Calloway County grand jury returned an indictment Monday against 29-year-old Murray police officer John Cooper. The charge stems from a March 18 wreck in which 68-year-old Ray Walker of Murray died.
The accident happened as Cooper was responding to a burglar alarm and hit Walker’s vehicle in the driver’s side. State police have said that Cooper’s lights and siren were on.
Police Chief Ken Claud declined to comment on whether Cooper would face internal disciplinary action.
Cooper is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 8.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)