A Hammond, Indiana police officer was placed on administrative leave this week after video surfaced on YouTube allegedly showing the cop abusing his K-9 partner.
The man shooting the video of the alleged abuse could not believe what he was seeing.
“Look at him…” said the man shooting the video.
His reaction, so filled with profanity, FOX 32 News had to mute the sound.
The director of the local humane society was also troubled, especially with the abuser being a cop.
“It was pretty hard to watch. I was trying to think of some reason why this would happen and there wasn't one that has come to mind still, so it was pretty hard to watch,” said Rachel Delaney, the Executive Director of the Humane Society Calumet area.
The man with the cell phone, who was watching a traffic stop outside his friend's window, did not want to comment. He was afraid of police retaliation.
The video has blown up on social media, from 850 views early this afternoon to more than 35,000 five hours later.
Hammond Police did not respond to FOX 32 News requests for a response, but the mayor acted quickly after seeing the video himself.
Tom McDermott said in a statement that the officer in question was put on administrative leave immediately and his K-9 partner had been taken away from him pending further police investigation.
“Anybody who loves dogs as much as I do is always saddened and shocked anytime you hear of a dog's abuse. When you find out it happened with an employee of yours, it makes it that much more shocking and disturbing,” McDermott added.
Many people in the neighborhood were also alarmed by the video, including a young man who saw it for the first time when FOX 32 showed it to him right near where it happened.
“It's not something someone should be doing to a dog because sometimes people look at dogs like their humans, and that's almost like seeing one of your family members get beat up or something like that,” said neighbor Montarey Harris.
Showing posts with label youtube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youtube. Show all posts
Saturday, May 03, 2014
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Chicago Police Being Investigated for Forcing Suspect to Pose for Photo
The Chicago Police Department is investigating several of its officers accused of forcing a college student they arrested during last month's G-20 summit in Pittsburgh to pose for a group photo with them.
The department, which has been dogged by embarrassing allegations of misconduct in recent years, began investigating the Pittsburgh claims after video of the alleged incident was posted on YouTube.
The video apparently shows about 15 police officers in riot gear posing for a photo with a man they detained kneeling in front of them.
Kyle Kramer, the 21-year-old University of Pittsburgh student forced to pose with police, was returning to campus from a pizza parlor when he was detained by police who were rounding up protesters, his attorney Cristopher Hoel told The Associated Press on Friday.
"He was a college student arrested for walking on campus. That seems to me to make him a victim," Hoel said.
Kramer faced a preliminary hearing Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Hoel said his client is innocent of both charges.
The department issued a statement saying the officers were working in Pittsburgh on their own time, but that they were still representing the city of Chicago.
"The Chicago Police Department does not tolerate misconduct by any of its members, regardless of where it might occur."
It's possible the officers violated Kramer's constitutional rights, as well as internal departmental rules, said Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who has studied the department and allegations of police brutality extensively.
If the officers were retaliating against Kramer for something he said that offended them, it is possible they could have violated Kramer's First Amendment right of free speech. The officers also might have violated Kramer's 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search or seizure, Futterman said.
Some fellow police officers declined to comment publicly about the investigation. But they pointed to a popular blog — Second City Cop — that blasted the officers for heaping more ridicule on a department dogged by several recent embarrassing incidents, including the beating of a female bartender by an off-duty officer.
"How do you even begin to defend something like this?" reads the blog. "You can't it's impossible... You are embarrassments."
Pat Camden, who spent more than 30 years with the department and was its spokesman for several years, harshly criticized the officers for damaging the reputation of a department that has been trying to rehabilitate its image that was hurt by several incidents, including one, captured on film and shown worldwide, of an off-duty officer beating up a female bartender.
"When you put on a police uniform you represent the Chicago Police Department and we've got these idiots with a prisoner right in front of them, and supervisors are standing right there," he said, incredulously. "That kind of childish behavior is totally unacceptable."
Some, though, wondered whether Kramer may have willingly posed for the photo with the officers.
Robert Weisskopf, a Chicago police lietenant, said he remembered an incident when a man insisted on being in a photograph along with several officers in riot gear.
And Daniel P. Smith, who wrote "On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department," had the same thought when he saw the video.
"I could see the guy, thinking, 'They handcuffed me, this would be a great photo for my frat house,'" he said. "That's what it looked like to me."
But Camden said it's hard to imagine how something like this could have occurred, with all of the efforts that have been made to get officers to understand they should always act in public as if their actions are being recorded.
"You continue to make people aware that everything you (police officers) do from the moment you walk out the door until you get home at night is on camera somewhere," said Camden, who said he stresses that in media relations classes he teaches to police supervisors at Northwestern University.
"If you're in the public way, it's more than likely being recorded."
-----------------------------------
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pittsburgh-cop-controversyoct16,0,2609307.story
YouTube video of incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v0RcFHTDWp2Y
The department, which has been dogged by embarrassing allegations of misconduct in recent years, began investigating the Pittsburgh claims after video of the alleged incident was posted on YouTube.
The video apparently shows about 15 police officers in riot gear posing for a photo with a man they detained kneeling in front of them.
Kyle Kramer, the 21-year-old University of Pittsburgh student forced to pose with police, was returning to campus from a pizza parlor when he was detained by police who were rounding up protesters, his attorney Cristopher Hoel told The Associated Press on Friday.
"He was a college student arrested for walking on campus. That seems to me to make him a victim," Hoel said.
Kramer faced a preliminary hearing Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Hoel said his client is innocent of both charges.
The department issued a statement saying the officers were working in Pittsburgh on their own time, but that they were still representing the city of Chicago.
"The Chicago Police Department does not tolerate misconduct by any of its members, regardless of where it might occur."
It's possible the officers violated Kramer's constitutional rights, as well as internal departmental rules, said Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who has studied the department and allegations of police brutality extensively.
If the officers were retaliating against Kramer for something he said that offended them, it is possible they could have violated Kramer's First Amendment right of free speech. The officers also might have violated Kramer's 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search or seizure, Futterman said.
Some fellow police officers declined to comment publicly about the investigation. But they pointed to a popular blog — Second City Cop — that blasted the officers for heaping more ridicule on a department dogged by several recent embarrassing incidents, including the beating of a female bartender by an off-duty officer.
"How do you even begin to defend something like this?" reads the blog. "You can't it's impossible... You are embarrassments."
Pat Camden, who spent more than 30 years with the department and was its spokesman for several years, harshly criticized the officers for damaging the reputation of a department that has been trying to rehabilitate its image that was hurt by several incidents, including one, captured on film and shown worldwide, of an off-duty officer beating up a female bartender.
"When you put on a police uniform you represent the Chicago Police Department and we've got these idiots with a prisoner right in front of them, and supervisors are standing right there," he said, incredulously. "That kind of childish behavior is totally unacceptable."
Some, though, wondered whether Kramer may have willingly posed for the photo with the officers.
Robert Weisskopf, a Chicago police lietenant, said he remembered an incident when a man insisted on being in a photograph along with several officers in riot gear.
And Daniel P. Smith, who wrote "On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department," had the same thought when he saw the video.
"I could see the guy, thinking, 'They handcuffed me, this would be a great photo for my frat house,'" he said. "That's what it looked like to me."
But Camden said it's hard to imagine how something like this could have occurred, with all of the efforts that have been made to get officers to understand they should always act in public as if their actions are being recorded.
"You continue to make people aware that everything you (police officers) do from the moment you walk out the door until you get home at night is on camera somewhere," said Camden, who said he stresses that in media relations classes he teaches to police supervisors at Northwestern University.
"If you're in the public way, it's more than likely being recorded."
-----------------------------------
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pittsburgh-cop-controversyoct16,0,2609307.story
YouTube video of incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v0RcFHTDWp2Y
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Former Officer Michael Meissner Held on Numerous Felony Charges
A former police officer who worked for over a dozen departments in Texas is behind bars Tuesday, held on numerous felony charges including engaging in organized criminal activity, promotion of prostitution, solicitation of minors and two counts of attempting to possess child pornography.
Activist and filmmaker Barry Cooper, who is producing a reality show called “KopBusters,” aided officers with the Combine Police Department in drawing the man out into the open, ultimately helping wrap a three-year investigation in the process.
Until late last month, Michael Meissner, 39, was chief of police in Little River-Academy, Texas, a town so small that it only had one officer. He resigned his post after residents of the small town packed city hall with complaints about his behavior, according to local reports.
Meissner called the town “a good stepping stone for me,” reported Temple Daily News, which noted that the former officer held 18 different law enforcement jobs over the last 14 years. The “gypsy cop,” said Dallas television station WFAA, “seemed to operate under his own rules, spending much of his time working off-duty security jobs 60 miles away in Dallas.”
Prior WFAA reports “found that Meissner had used a phony college diploma for certification and failed to let his employers know that he had been arrested twice,” the network added.
Combine police were initially probing Meissner over suggestions that he had misused official information to retaliate against another man. However, when they looked at Meissner’s text messages and e-mail, they claim to have discovered something much worse.
“When the affidavits are released, the public is going to be shocked,” said Cooper, speaking to reporters outside Meissner’s home. “The conversation and the lewd conduct he’s been involved in with high school boys. As an ex-police officer, it makes me sick that we’ve got a guy running around here in a badge, that the public is supposed to trust, and he’s using that uniform to breach the trust of the younger citizens in the community. It’s horrible.”
Two of Meissner’s neighbors additionally told RAW STORY they had repeatedly seen various teenage boys entering and leaving the residence.
“Man, I’m just glad police are doing their job, they’re heroes,” said next door neighbor Brenda Lambert. “Anyone that messes with children needs to be taken care of.”
“We don’t regret hiring him or letting him go,” Little River Mayor Ronnie White told the Daily News when Meissner resigned last month. “We will find another officer.”
Tactical officers, who had set up a staging area just one street from Meissner’s Arlington, Texas home, raided the residence at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Monday, but the suspect was gone.
He was arrested later that evening after returning to his home. Meissner actually called Cooper to warn that his that his home had apparently been raided. Cooper then called police and relayed Meissner’s location.
A judge has set Meissner’s bond at $1.5 million.
Cooper says he was in this instance an undercover journalist and police informant, who had befriended Meissner under the false pretense that he wanted to use KopBusters for the purpose of clearing his name.
For the man whose living is paid for by a DVD series on how to grow, sell and smuggle marijuana without being detected by the police, he certainly seemed to have a natural rapport with the officers on-scene.
One of them even asked Cooper how his former law enforcement mentor in Odessa was doing.
“Oh man, he was a legend back in my day,” he replied. “Unfortunately, he planted meth on an innocent woman and I had to bust him.”
After officers kicked in Meissner’s door and cordoned off his home, the front yard became what seemed to be Cooper’s first campaign stop in what he says is a serious run for Texas attorney general. He even put on a suit before heading to the location with reporters and his camera crew in-tow.
“Within a short time, we hope to have a corrupt police chief in jail for seven felony warrants [for] harming kids,” he told reporters. “I acted as a undercover journalist-informant, they listed me as the informant on the arrest affidavit. I befriended this officer and made him believe that I was his friend and that I wanted to clear his name. The truth was, I was relaying all that information to the Combine police department.”
Cooper continued: “As an ex-narcotics officer, I’ve experienced corruption and seen it myself. My wife suggested that I use my experience to go and start busting corrupt police officers instead of citizens. That’s when we formed ‘KopBusters,’ a reality TV show. We’re hoping to have 13 episodes up on [...] TV very soon. I feel [passionate] about my job, and we’re using these stings so I can win Texas attorney general in 2010, because in that position I can expose police corruption even further, take their salaries and begin paying police officers six-figure incomes … The one’s that deserve it.”
Steve Allen, police chief in Combine, Texas, called Cooper’s brand of law enforcement activism an “excellent resource.”
“Police officers need all the help they can get,” he said. “There’s a lot of things, for example, [Barry] may have drawn him out of the woodwork for us — something that we couldn’t do that he did. So, I think [KopBusters] is an excellent resource and tool for us.”
In December, Cooper and his team of lawyers and investigators staged a sting on the Odessa, Texas police department, setting up a fake marijuana grow house and baiting officers to raid it without proper legal authorization. It was the first of what Cooper promises to be many future operations against allegedly dirty police.
This video was captured by a cameraman with Barry Cooper’s KopBusters on Sept. 14, 2009.
Activist and filmmaker Barry Cooper, who is producing a reality show called “KopBusters,” aided officers with the Combine Police Department in drawing the man out into the open, ultimately helping wrap a three-year investigation in the process.
Until late last month, Michael Meissner, 39, was chief of police in Little River-Academy, Texas, a town so small that it only had one officer. He resigned his post after residents of the small town packed city hall with complaints about his behavior, according to local reports.
Meissner called the town “a good stepping stone for me,” reported Temple Daily News, which noted that the former officer held 18 different law enforcement jobs over the last 14 years. The “gypsy cop,” said Dallas television station WFAA, “seemed to operate under his own rules, spending much of his time working off-duty security jobs 60 miles away in Dallas.”
Prior WFAA reports “found that Meissner had used a phony college diploma for certification and failed to let his employers know that he had been arrested twice,” the network added.
Combine police were initially probing Meissner over suggestions that he had misused official information to retaliate against another man. However, when they looked at Meissner’s text messages and e-mail, they claim to have discovered something much worse.
“When the affidavits are released, the public is going to be shocked,” said Cooper, speaking to reporters outside Meissner’s home. “The conversation and the lewd conduct he’s been involved in with high school boys. As an ex-police officer, it makes me sick that we’ve got a guy running around here in a badge, that the public is supposed to trust, and he’s using that uniform to breach the trust of the younger citizens in the community. It’s horrible.”
Two of Meissner’s neighbors additionally told RAW STORY they had repeatedly seen various teenage boys entering and leaving the residence.
“Man, I’m just glad police are doing their job, they’re heroes,” said next door neighbor Brenda Lambert. “Anyone that messes with children needs to be taken care of.”
“We don’t regret hiring him or letting him go,” Little River Mayor Ronnie White told the Daily News when Meissner resigned last month. “We will find another officer.”
Tactical officers, who had set up a staging area just one street from Meissner’s Arlington, Texas home, raided the residence at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Monday, but the suspect was gone.
He was arrested later that evening after returning to his home. Meissner actually called Cooper to warn that his that his home had apparently been raided. Cooper then called police and relayed Meissner’s location.
A judge has set Meissner’s bond at $1.5 million.
Cooper says he was in this instance an undercover journalist and police informant, who had befriended Meissner under the false pretense that he wanted to use KopBusters for the purpose of clearing his name.
For the man whose living is paid for by a DVD series on how to grow, sell and smuggle marijuana without being detected by the police, he certainly seemed to have a natural rapport with the officers on-scene.
One of them even asked Cooper how his former law enforcement mentor in Odessa was doing.
“Oh man, he was a legend back in my day,” he replied. “Unfortunately, he planted meth on an innocent woman and I had to bust him.”
After officers kicked in Meissner’s door and cordoned off his home, the front yard became what seemed to be Cooper’s first campaign stop in what he says is a serious run for Texas attorney general. He even put on a suit before heading to the location with reporters and his camera crew in-tow.
“Within a short time, we hope to have a corrupt police chief in jail for seven felony warrants [for] harming kids,” he told reporters. “I acted as a undercover journalist-informant, they listed me as the informant on the arrest affidavit. I befriended this officer and made him believe that I was his friend and that I wanted to clear his name. The truth was, I was relaying all that information to the Combine police department.”
Cooper continued: “As an ex-narcotics officer, I’ve experienced corruption and seen it myself. My wife suggested that I use my experience to go and start busting corrupt police officers instead of citizens. That’s when we formed ‘KopBusters,’ a reality TV show. We’re hoping to have 13 episodes up on [...] TV very soon. I feel [passionate] about my job, and we’re using these stings so I can win Texas attorney general in 2010, because in that position I can expose police corruption even further, take their salaries and begin paying police officers six-figure incomes … The one’s that deserve it.”
Steve Allen, police chief in Combine, Texas, called Cooper’s brand of law enforcement activism an “excellent resource.”
“Police officers need all the help they can get,” he said. “There’s a lot of things, for example, [Barry] may have drawn him out of the woodwork for us — something that we couldn’t do that he did. So, I think [KopBusters] is an excellent resource and tool for us.”
In December, Cooper and his team of lawyers and investigators staged a sting on the Odessa, Texas police department, setting up a fake marijuana grow house and baiting officers to raid it without proper legal authorization. It was the first of what Cooper promises to be many future operations against allegedly dirty police.
This video was captured by a cameraman with Barry Cooper’s KopBusters on Sept. 14, 2009.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Oklahoma Paramedic Sues Trooper Over Scuffle Caught on Video
A paramedic has sued an Oklahoma highway police officer over a scuffle that occurred while a patient waited inside the paramedic's ambulance, FOX News has learned.
Paramedic Maurice White is seeking punitive and compensatory damages against Trooper Daniel Martin in a case that rose to national prominence this summer after a cell phone video of the conflict appeared on YouTube — showing Martin at one point grabbing White by the neck.
The suit claims that Martin used unreasonable force while seizing White and criticizes the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for failing to take action on the matter over the course of the past two months.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is preparing this week to announce how it will deal with Trooper Martin, who has been on administrative leave since June 1, FOX News has learned.
Click here for a squad video excerpt.
Paramedic Maurice White is seeking punitive and compensatory damages against Trooper Daniel Martin in a case that rose to national prominence this summer after a cell phone video of the conflict appeared on YouTube — showing Martin at one point grabbing White by the neck.
The suit claims that Martin used unreasonable force while seizing White and criticizes the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for failing to take action on the matter over the course of the past two months.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is preparing this week to announce how it will deal with Trooper Martin, who has been on administrative leave since June 1, FOX News has learned.
Click here for a squad video excerpt.
Martin stopped the ambulance May 24 for failing to yield to his squad car.
White says he got out of the ambulance to tell the trooper they were taking a patient to the hospital. The argument quickly escalated into a scuffle and Martin put White in an apparent choke hold.
Martin's attorney says the trooper either didn't hear that there was a patient in the ambulance or it didn't register. He says White failed to comply with the trooper's orders.
Click here for the YouTube video.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Man Dies of Broken Neck After Deputy Chris Sturdivant Pulls Him Over
A 42-year-old Louisiana man has died, apparently of a broken neck, after being pulled over by a police deputy.
A dash cam video shows Deputy Chris Sturdivant of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office with his arms around Adam Stogner’s neck after the officer suspected the man of putting a small quantity of drugs into his mouth.
Stogner died along Interstate 12. Preliminary results from the coroner show that Stogner died from “severe coronary artery disease, an enlarged heart, and a fracture of the hyoid bone in his neck.”
According to CBS affiliate WAFB, the sheriff’s office says Stogner did not put his truck in park when he was pulled over. This may have led the officer to believe Stogner was planning to flee the scene. And the deputy believed Stogner was impaired.
A substantial portion of the dash cam video can be seen here.
A dash cam video shows Deputy Chris Sturdivant of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office with his arms around Adam Stogner’s neck after the officer suspected the man of putting a small quantity of drugs into his mouth.
Stogner died along Interstate 12. Preliminary results from the coroner show that Stogner died from “severe coronary artery disease, an enlarged heart, and a fracture of the hyoid bone in his neck.”
According to CBS affiliate WAFB, the sheriff’s office says Stogner did not put his truck in park when he was pulled over. This may have led the officer to believe Stogner was planning to flee the scene. And the deputy believed Stogner was impaired.
A substantial portion of the dash cam video can be seen here.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Officer James Cousins II Suspended After Video Posted on YouTube
A city police officer was suspended after someone posted to the Web a video of him, in a bar and apparently intoxicated, joking about a homicide victim.
In his profanity-laced rant, James Cousins II talks about the victim being shot in the forehead and his body lying outside a bar below a malt liquor sign that reads, "take it to the head." He laughs as he recounts seeing the dead man's leg twitch and the reaction of the victim's mother as she identifies him. Cousins also says he used his camera phone to take photos of the victim.
"We're looking at it like, 'One less drug dealer to deal with. Cool,'" he says on the video.
Cousins, who was hired in 2004, was suspended with pay Wednesday after the Erie Times-News asked about the video. A phone message left Thursday at a number for a James Cousins was not immediately returned.
Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin said Cousins was apparently drunk, but that an investigation would place the officer's comments in context.
"We see what's on the picture," Franklin said. "Let's see what's behind the picture before we make any rash decisions."
It's not clear when the nearly eight-minute video was recorded. The shooting occurred in late March and the video was posted to YouTube on April 6. The video was still up Thursday, but Erie police said they were trying to have it removed.
The county's district attorney called Cousin's behavior unacceptable and apologized to the victim's family.
The victim, who had convictions including possessing drugs and paraphernalia, was shot outside a bar after fighting with another man, police have said.
___________
Other information:
Erie police try to remove video from YouTube
Videotaped policeman suspended from part-time job in Girard
In his profanity-laced rant, James Cousins II talks about the victim being shot in the forehead and his body lying outside a bar below a malt liquor sign that reads, "take it to the head." He laughs as he recounts seeing the dead man's leg twitch and the reaction of the victim's mother as she identifies him. Cousins also says he used his camera phone to take photos of the victim.
"We're looking at it like, 'One less drug dealer to deal with. Cool,'" he says on the video.
Cousins, who was hired in 2004, was suspended with pay Wednesday after the Erie Times-News asked about the video. A phone message left Thursday at a number for a James Cousins was not immediately returned.
Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin said Cousins was apparently drunk, but that an investigation would place the officer's comments in context.
"We see what's on the picture," Franklin said. "Let's see what's behind the picture before we make any rash decisions."
It's not clear when the nearly eight-minute video was recorded. The shooting occurred in late March and the video was posted to YouTube on April 6. The video was still up Thursday, but Erie police said they were trying to have it removed.
The county's district attorney called Cousin's behavior unacceptable and apologized to the victim's family.
The victim, who had convictions including possessing drugs and paraphernalia, was shot outside a bar after fighting with another man, police have said.
___________
Other information:
Erie police try to remove video from YouTube
Videotaped policeman suspended from part-time job in Girard
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Two Officers Argue while Wounded, Handcuffed Suspect Bleeds on the Ground
A YouTube video purportedly showing a wounded, handcuffed suspect bleeding on the ground as two Philadelphia police officers argue nearby has sparked a federal investigation.
The 59-second clip captures an explicit verbal exchange between a female sergeant and a male highway patrol officer shortly after Marcus Henderson was allegedly shot by cops, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.
The Internal Affairs Division, which the paper said announced plans to investigate, has not identified the officers in the video. The clip has been removed from file-sharing Web site YouTube.
The female sergeant, a supervisor, reportedly shouts instructions at the patrol officer about what to do with the suspect.
"Don't tell me what to do! He's f——— shot! He's going to a hospital!" the sergeant screams, according to the News.
The officer yells back that Henderson aimed a gun at his partner.
"I'm not telling you what to do!" he retorts. "I'm telling you what happened!"
Witnesses told MyFOXPhilly.com that the officer resisted her orders because he didn’t want to put the wounded man in his patrol car.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told the News that a primary focus of the investigation isn't the officers' dispute — it's reports from witnesses that the male officer kicked the wounded suspect while he was on the ground bleeding and refused to use his patrol car to drive Henderson, 35, to the hospital.
"It doesn't look good," Ramsey told the paper. "We're concerned about it. It's probably just a misunderstanding, but we’re looking at it."
Henderson, who was eventually taken to the hospital with wounds to the arm and torso, is recovering behind bars until a Feb. 18 preliminary hearing.
He reportedly pointed a 9mm handgun at police twice, according to the News.
"The suspect was writhing around," the YouTube video photographer's brother told the paper. "It looked like he had been shot in his body, but he managed to get up on his knees."
Internal Affairs Chief Inspector Anthony DiLacqua said witnesses will be interviewed this week.
"We’ll get to the bottom of it," he told the News.
The 59-second clip captures an explicit verbal exchange between a female sergeant and a male highway patrol officer shortly after Marcus Henderson was allegedly shot by cops, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.
The Internal Affairs Division, which the paper said announced plans to investigate, has not identified the officers in the video. The clip has been removed from file-sharing Web site YouTube.
The female sergeant, a supervisor, reportedly shouts instructions at the patrol officer about what to do with the suspect.
"Don't tell me what to do! He's f——— shot! He's going to a hospital!" the sergeant screams, according to the News.
The officer yells back that Henderson aimed a gun at his partner.
"I'm not telling you what to do!" he retorts. "I'm telling you what happened!"
Witnesses told MyFOXPhilly.com that the officer resisted her orders because he didn’t want to put the wounded man in his patrol car.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told the News that a primary focus of the investigation isn't the officers' dispute — it's reports from witnesses that the male officer kicked the wounded suspect while he was on the ground bleeding and refused to use his patrol car to drive Henderson, 35, to the hospital.
"It doesn't look good," Ramsey told the paper. "We're concerned about it. It's probably just a misunderstanding, but we’re looking at it."
Henderson, who was eventually taken to the hospital with wounds to the arm and torso, is recovering behind bars until a Feb. 18 preliminary hearing.
He reportedly pointed a 9mm handgun at police twice, according to the News.
"The suspect was writhing around," the YouTube video photographer's brother told the paper. "It looked like he had been shot in his body, but he managed to get up on his knees."
Internal Affairs Chief Inspector Anthony DiLacqua said witnesses will be interviewed this week.
"We’ll get to the bottom of it," he told the News.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Steven Bass Arrested for Throwing Snowball at Officer
Greenville, NC
A freshman college student was placed in handcuffs by a police officer during a snowball fight involving more than 200 students.
Greenville police confirm Steven Bass was arrested after allegedly throwing a snowball at an officer during the snowball fight.
Campus police say some injuries were a result of the fight and an officer even had to use pepper spray.
Officers say they were called out three time Tuesday afternoon to control the situation.
No one was seriously hurt.
The incident was later posted to popular video sharing website YouTube.com. The video shows an officer chasing the student before tackling him on the snowy ground.
ON THE WEB: Additional snowball fight video
WARNING: Audio does contain language that may not be appropriate for all viewers.
*************
WTF??? It was a SNOWBALL!!! Poor little pussy officer...deal with it.
A freshman college student was placed in handcuffs by a police officer during a snowball fight involving more than 200 students.
Greenville police confirm Steven Bass was arrested after allegedly throwing a snowball at an officer during the snowball fight.
Campus police say some injuries were a result of the fight and an officer even had to use pepper spray.
Officers say they were called out three time Tuesday afternoon to control the situation.
No one was seriously hurt.
The incident was later posted to popular video sharing website YouTube.com. The video shows an officer chasing the student before tackling him on the snowy ground.
ON THE WEB: Additional snowball fight video
WARNING: Audio does contain language that may not be appropriate for all viewers.
*************
WTF??? It was a SNOWBALL!!! Poor little pussy officer...deal with it.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
California BART Officer Murders Man
Brace yourselves because there is nothing funny nor entertaining about this footage. A new video has surfaced giving a better angle of the execution of Oscar Grant in the Bay area of California by the California Police.
The video made me sick to my stomach because I knew that I was about to witness a murder. A friend of mine simply said this, if there was footage like this of two civilians nonetheless black civilians it would be an open and shut case. Quite simply, what is their to investigate?
Deadly force is to be used when a cop feels his life is in danger, a felony has been committed and the suspect is trying to flee. Neither of those circumstances are present here as we clearly see that the cops had the victim under their control. This is a sad day for law enforcement in the United States.
Ask yourself this; when did it become alright to kill an unarmed man?
I'm sure you have heard about this horrific police shooting where a 22-year old African American male, a father and a completely innocent victim, was shot in the back by BART police on early New Year's morning at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, especially if you live in the Bay Area.
We need to make this national news - so please forward to friends and media all over the country to make sure justice is brought against the BART officers involved. If you haven't heard, please read the article below.
But, here's a short-hand version: four or five men were brought out of the BART train around 2am Jan 1, 2009 by BART police at the Fruitvale station. Apparently there was a scuffle or an argument on the train - it was very packed.
Witnesses say all the men pulled out (only Latino and Black men mind you) cooperated and were sat down in cuffs by the police. The police were aggressive in handling them even though the young men cooperated.
Many witnesses began to crowd around the scene and soon a shot was fired by a BART police officer and victim Oscar Grant, 22 years old, was shot in the back while he was face down on the floor. Many cell phones and cameras were confiscated that night from witnesses by the BART police and they say the cameras at the station were not operating that night (yah right).
Some witnesses however, got away with their footage and now it can be seen on the CBS website and other websites as well I'm sure. It's haunting to see the actual footage becuase it's so obvious that the officer was at fault and action needs to be taken. So far the officers at the scene have not even been questioned. The family is seeking criminal charges for the officer involved and sueing BART.
More Information: http://cbs5.com/local/oakland.BART.shooting.2.900634.html
The video made me sick to my stomach because I knew that I was about to witness a murder. A friend of mine simply said this, if there was footage like this of two civilians nonetheless black civilians it would be an open and shut case. Quite simply, what is their to investigate?
Deadly force is to be used when a cop feels his life is in danger, a felony has been committed and the suspect is trying to flee. Neither of those circumstances are present here as we clearly see that the cops had the victim under their control. This is a sad day for law enforcement in the United States.
Ask yourself this; when did it become alright to kill an unarmed man?
I'm sure you have heard about this horrific police shooting where a 22-year old African American male, a father and a completely innocent victim, was shot in the back by BART police on early New Year's morning at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, especially if you live in the Bay Area.
We need to make this national news - so please forward to friends and media all over the country to make sure justice is brought against the BART officers involved. If you haven't heard, please read the article below.
But, here's a short-hand version: four or five men were brought out of the BART train around 2am Jan 1, 2009 by BART police at the Fruitvale station. Apparently there was a scuffle or an argument on the train - it was very packed.
Witnesses say all the men pulled out (only Latino and Black men mind you) cooperated and were sat down in cuffs by the police. The police were aggressive in handling them even though the young men cooperated.
Many witnesses began to crowd around the scene and soon a shot was fired by a BART police officer and victim Oscar Grant, 22 years old, was shot in the back while he was face down on the floor. Many cell phones and cameras were confiscated that night from witnesses by the BART police and they say the cameras at the station were not operating that night (yah right).
Some witnesses however, got away with their footage and now it can be seen on the CBS website and other websites as well I'm sure. It's haunting to see the actual footage becuase it's so obvious that the officer was at fault and action needs to be taken. So far the officers at the scene have not even been questioned. The family is seeking criminal charges for the officer involved and sueing BART.
More Information: http://cbs5.com/local/oakland.BART.shooting.2.900634.html
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Former Officer Michael Johnson Still Wanted for Rape
Michael L. Johnson can be seen on the America's Most Wanted homepage, and in his YouTube martial arts, "cobrafast" videos, but he has not been found by local, state and federal officials.
Johnson, 40, has been on the lam since Dec. 9, when he was supposed to turn himself in on two new rape charges filed by York City Police.As of today, Johnson was still a fugitive. Authorities set up a tip line to help them locate Johnson, a former York City Police officer and Penn Township commissioner, last week.
A federal arrest warrant was also filed last week as authorities continued searching for the rape suspect.
On Dec. 1, Johnson, who used to patrol York's streets as an officer and who is a current Penn Township official, was charged with rape, kidnapping and related charges in Baltimore.
Police have alleged Johnson told three women he was a police officer. He raped two York women after they got into his van for a money-for-sex transaction, according to court documents. The woman in Baltimore was raped after she was handcuffed in a van Johnson was driving, police said.
Johnson was first charged with rape in Maryland, and his Pennsylvania charges were filed this week.
To add more resources to the search, a federal unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant for Johnson's arrest has been issued. The warrant allows authorities to bring in federal investigators to help look for Johnson.
Authorities also set up a tip line to help police find Johnson. He was last seen leaving his Penn Township home Tuesday morning.
Those with information on Johnson's whereabouts are asked to call the tip line or York County 911.
Law enforcement in both Pennsylvania and Maryland say they continue to follow leads in trying to locate Johnson.
York City Police Commissioner Mark Whitman said Friday his officers are aggressively pursuing leads. He declined further comment.
State troopers in Maryland have been on alert watching the neighborhoods where Johnson's family lives and where his ex-wife lives in New Windsor, Carroll County, said Sgt. Andrew Eways.
Troopers have also been monitoring Francis Scott Key High School where Johnson's two children from his first marriage attend, he said.
HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?
Michael L. Johnson Jr. was last seen driving a blue Chevy Cobalt sedan. The car has a Pennsylvania Masonic Lodge license plate, number MB11785.
If you see Johnson, "do not approach on your own," said York City Police Lt. Tim Utley. Instead, call police at 846-1234 or 911.
Those with information can also call a tip line set up for the case at 1-866-437-9847.
More Information: http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=61925
Monday, December 15, 2008
Officer Patrick Pogan Pleads Not Guilty to Knocking Down Bicyclist
A city police officer seen in a YouTube video knocking down a bicyclist taking part in a mass bike ride pled not guilty this afternoon to felony and assault charges stemming from the incident.
Officer Patrick Pogan, 23, surrendered at the Manhattan district attorney's office this morning.
He was then arraigned on a misdemeanor assault charge and a felony charge of filing a false report. If convicted, he could face jail time.
He was released without bail.
The charges stem from a video posted back in July, which shows bicyclist Christopher Long being knocked down in Times Square by the officer.
Long was riding with the group Critical Mass when the incident occurred. Critics of the group say participants in those demonstrations often ignore stop lights and instructions by police to send a message about their right to use the streets.
Long was charged with blocking traffic, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and assault, but a judge dismissed those charges in September.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the "situation sad and disappointing."
"It's certainly sad and disappointing to see any officer indicted, but especially one who had only been out of the police academy for three weeks," said Kelly.
Pogan was stripped of his badge and gun and assigned to desk duty after the incident.
More Information: http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/law_enforcement/84281/online-video-shows-city-policeman-pushing-cyclist-in-protest/Default.aspx
Officer Patrick Pogan, 23, surrendered at the Manhattan district attorney's office this morning.
He was then arraigned on a misdemeanor assault charge and a felony charge of filing a false report. If convicted, he could face jail time.
He was released without bail.
The charges stem from a video posted back in July, which shows bicyclist Christopher Long being knocked down in Times Square by the officer.
Long was riding with the group Critical Mass when the incident occurred. Critics of the group say participants in those demonstrations often ignore stop lights and instructions by police to send a message about their right to use the streets.
Long was charged with blocking traffic, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and assault, but a judge dismissed those charges in September.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the "situation sad and disappointing."
"It's certainly sad and disappointing to see any officer indicted, but especially one who had only been out of the police academy for three weeks," said Kelly.
Pogan was stripped of his badge and gun and assigned to desk duty after the incident.
More Information: http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/law_enforcement/84281/online-video-shows-city-policeman-pushing-cyclist-in-protest/Default.aspx
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Salem Police Investigate Officer Throwing Suspect to Ground
Salem police are investigating an arrest in which an officer is shown on video throwing a suspect to the ground.
Salem Police Chief Robert St. Pierre tells The Salem News that Patrolman Larry Puleo has been assigned to "internal duties" until an internal investigation is completed.
The video being shown on the Web site You Tube shows an officer grabbing a young man by the throat and throwing him to the ground as he makes an arrest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=432DtkCD3L8
Salem police said Monday the incident happened early Friday as officers were dispersing crowds leaving downtown bars.
Police said just before that arrest, the officer had been punched in the face and kicked while making another unrelated arrest.
___
Information from: The Salem News, http://www.salemnews.com
More Information: http://wbztv.com/local/salem.police.arrest.2.844893.html
Salem Police Chief Robert St. Pierre tells The Salem News that Patrolman Larry Puleo has been assigned to "internal duties" until an internal investigation is completed.
The video being shown on the Web site You Tube shows an officer grabbing a young man by the throat and throwing him to the ground as he makes an arrest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=432DtkCD3L8
Salem police said Monday the incident happened early Friday as officers were dispersing crowds leaving downtown bars.
Police said just before that arrest, the officer had been punched in the face and kicked while making another unrelated arrest.
___
Information from: The Salem News, http://www.salemnews.com
More Information: http://wbztv.com/local/salem.police.arrest.2.844893.html
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Marivn Grant tells his Side of the Story
Marvin Grant admits he’s had a history of running from the police and driving with a suspended license.
So when he saw blue lights behind him as he was speeding down U.S. 221 in Greenwood County the night of June 24, 2007, he said his “instincts” took over, and he hit the gas on his red Honda Prelude.
What happened less than a mile away would land him — and the state trooper who chased him — together in a federal courtroom.
Lance Cpl. Steve Garren, 39, of Greenwood, is charged with one count of violating the civil rights of Grant, who testified Tuesday in the first day of the trooper’s trial.
A 15-year Highway Patrol veteran, Garren is accused of deliberately hitting Grant with his patrol car while Grant was fleeing on foot after bailing out of the Honda.
“Once I was hit, I flipped,” Grant told jurors. “When I fell, I completely hit the ground, bounced right back up and kept running.”
The incident was captured on Garren’s dashboard camera video, which was played for jurors.
Garren showed no emotion during the showing, though his wife cried as several minutes of the tape passed with only the sound of wailing police sirens.
Garren, a father of two and a church member, is heard on the tape telling another officer, “I nailed the (expletive) out of him. ... I was trying to hit him.”
About two dozen of Garren’s relatives and other supporters showed up in court. The trial before Chief U.S. District Judge David Norton is expected to last several days.
If convicted, Garren, who is suspended without pay from the Patrol, faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, though he likely would receive a much lighter sentence under federal sentencing guidelines.
The charge against Garren, who was indicted in June, is the first federal civil rights case against a state trooper since authorities launched an investigation in March into alleged misconduct into the department.
Gov. Mark Sanford in February ousted Department of Public Safety director James Schweitzer and Highway Patrol commander Col. Russell Roark, contending they should have fired another white trooper who used a racial slur and threatened to kill a fleeing black suspect during a 2004 Greenwood County traffic stop.
Schweitzer and Roark are on Garren’s witness list, though it’s unclear whether they will testify.
In his opening statement , Brent Gray, deputy chief at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., told jurors prosecutors were “not here to defend (the action of) Marvin Grant.”
“Steve Garren was doing his job in trying to stop him,” Gray said, but he added, “All of us — every American — has the right to be free from excessive force.”
Columbia attorney John O’Leary, one of Garren’s lawyers, told jurors the government’s priorities were misplaced.
“We’re in this courtroom today because he is pursuing a criminal, and now he’s the criminal.”
O’Leary told jurors Garren never intended to hit Grant, pointing out that Grant suddenly cut in front of the patrol vehicle while running away on Holman Street, a narrow residential street on Greenwood’s eastern edge.
Garren’s other attorney, Wally Fayssoux, who is O’Leary’s son-in-law, Tuesday renewed his request to have jurors visit the incident scene, though Norton didn’t make a decision.
O’Leary, a former police officer and ex-director of the state Criminal Justice Academy, verbally sparred with Grant at times during Tuesday’s testimony.
“You ran that night because you were drunk,” O’Leary said, noting Grant had been drinking earlier in the day at a family home in Cross Hill in neighboring Laurens County.
“No, I didn’t want to get another DUS,” Grant replied, though he acknowledged he had been drinking.
Grant confirmed he has at least four previous convictions for driving under suspension, plus convictions for failure to stop for a blue light and possession of contraband. A father of three, Grant was in cuffs for his testimony, explaining he has been in jail since May on a child support charge.
Grant testified he was driving “pretty fast” after Garren started to chase him, though he couldn’t agree with O’Leary that his speed was about 100 mph. The chase lasted about seven-tenths of a mile, O’Leary told jurors.
Grant said he ditched his Honda on Holman Street — described by officers as a high-crime area — because he knew the neighborhood.
After he was hit by Garren’s vehicle, he ran through a nearby wooded area and eventually made it to a female acquaintance’s apartment about two miles away, he testified, though he admitted he gave authorities conflicting accounts.
“I wasn’t thinking about no pain right then,” he testified, though he said the pain later became so intense on his right side that he had to borrow a friend’s crutches to walk.
Officers never located Grant that night. He testified he turned himself in the next morning at the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department but was not arrested then — a story confirmed Tuesday in testimony from Deputy Dale Boyer, who took Grant’s statement.
Grant has never been charged with any crime in connection with the incident involving Garren. Federal authorities didn’t interview him until April this year.
In other testimony Tuesday, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Sgt. Derrick Smith said Garren made comments to him — while being recorded on Garren’s dashboard video — about hitting Grant minutes earlier with the patrol car. Smith told jurors he had to “apologize” to them about repeating an expletive Garren used.
Deputy Brad Ware testified Garren told him later that night, while they were searching on foot for Grant, that he had deliberately struck Grant. Ware said he notified his supervisor about Garren’s comments, noting he “had some concern about it.”
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hOHNUX2cqk
So when he saw blue lights behind him as he was speeding down U.S. 221 in Greenwood County the night of June 24, 2007, he said his “instincts” took over, and he hit the gas on his red Honda Prelude.
What happened less than a mile away would land him — and the state trooper who chased him — together in a federal courtroom.
Lance Cpl. Steve Garren, 39, of Greenwood, is charged with one count of violating the civil rights of Grant, who testified Tuesday in the first day of the trooper’s trial.
A 15-year Highway Patrol veteran, Garren is accused of deliberately hitting Grant with his patrol car while Grant was fleeing on foot after bailing out of the Honda.
“Once I was hit, I flipped,” Grant told jurors. “When I fell, I completely hit the ground, bounced right back up and kept running.”
The incident was captured on Garren’s dashboard camera video, which was played for jurors.
Garren showed no emotion during the showing, though his wife cried as several minutes of the tape passed with only the sound of wailing police sirens.
Garren, a father of two and a church member, is heard on the tape telling another officer, “I nailed the (expletive) out of him. ... I was trying to hit him.”
About two dozen of Garren’s relatives and other supporters showed up in court. The trial before Chief U.S. District Judge David Norton is expected to last several days.
If convicted, Garren, who is suspended without pay from the Patrol, faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, though he likely would receive a much lighter sentence under federal sentencing guidelines.
The charge against Garren, who was indicted in June, is the first federal civil rights case against a state trooper since authorities launched an investigation in March into alleged misconduct into the department.
Gov. Mark Sanford in February ousted Department of Public Safety director James Schweitzer and Highway Patrol commander Col. Russell Roark, contending they should have fired another white trooper who used a racial slur and threatened to kill a fleeing black suspect during a 2004 Greenwood County traffic stop.
Schweitzer and Roark are on Garren’s witness list, though it’s unclear whether they will testify.
In his opening statement , Brent Gray, deputy chief at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., told jurors prosecutors were “not here to defend (the action of) Marvin Grant.”
“Steve Garren was doing his job in trying to stop him,” Gray said, but he added, “All of us — every American — has the right to be free from excessive force.”
Columbia attorney John O’Leary, one of Garren’s lawyers, told jurors the government’s priorities were misplaced.
“We’re in this courtroom today because he is pursuing a criminal, and now he’s the criminal.”
O’Leary told jurors Garren never intended to hit Grant, pointing out that Grant suddenly cut in front of the patrol vehicle while running away on Holman Street, a narrow residential street on Greenwood’s eastern edge.
Garren’s other attorney, Wally Fayssoux, who is O’Leary’s son-in-law, Tuesday renewed his request to have jurors visit the incident scene, though Norton didn’t make a decision.
O’Leary, a former police officer and ex-director of the state Criminal Justice Academy, verbally sparred with Grant at times during Tuesday’s testimony.
“You ran that night because you were drunk,” O’Leary said, noting Grant had been drinking earlier in the day at a family home in Cross Hill in neighboring Laurens County.
“No, I didn’t want to get another DUS,” Grant replied, though he acknowledged he had been drinking.
Grant confirmed he has at least four previous convictions for driving under suspension, plus convictions for failure to stop for a blue light and possession of contraband. A father of three, Grant was in cuffs for his testimony, explaining he has been in jail since May on a child support charge.
Grant testified he was driving “pretty fast” after Garren started to chase him, though he couldn’t agree with O’Leary that his speed was about 100 mph. The chase lasted about seven-tenths of a mile, O’Leary told jurors.
Grant said he ditched his Honda on Holman Street — described by officers as a high-crime area — because he knew the neighborhood.
After he was hit by Garren’s vehicle, he ran through a nearby wooded area and eventually made it to a female acquaintance’s apartment about two miles away, he testified, though he admitted he gave authorities conflicting accounts.
“I wasn’t thinking about no pain right then,” he testified, though he said the pain later became so intense on his right side that he had to borrow a friend’s crutches to walk.
Officers never located Grant that night. He testified he turned himself in the next morning at the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department but was not arrested then — a story confirmed Tuesday in testimony from Deputy Dale Boyer, who took Grant’s statement.
Grant has never been charged with any crime in connection with the incident involving Garren. Federal authorities didn’t interview him until April this year.
In other testimony Tuesday, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Sgt. Derrick Smith said Garren made comments to him — while being recorded on Garren’s dashboard video — about hitting Grant minutes earlier with the patrol car. Smith told jurors he had to “apologize” to them about repeating an expletive Garren used.
Deputy Brad Ware testified Garren told him later that night, while they were searching on foot for Grant, that he had deliberately struck Grant. Ware said he notified his supervisor about Garren’s comments, noting he “had some concern about it.”
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hOHNUX2cqk
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Officer Yells "Back it up, bitch!" to Member of Women's Peace Group
DENVER
A member of the women's peace group CODEPINK was arrested Tuesday after a police officer yelled, "Back it up, bitch" and struck her with his baton, knocking her to the ground.
Alicia Forrest, 24, of Los Angeles, was knocked off her feet onto the pavement and appeared in pain.
A few minutes later, she began answering reporter's questions when police pulled her away and took her to jail.
She was booked for investigation of interference.
Forrest said she saw an unidentified man arrested in the street near Civic Center Park and was asking why the man was being arrested. That's when the officer moved in and confronted her.
Police to Forrest to the warehouse processing center, dubbed "Gitmo on the Platte" by protesters. She was then transferred to the city jail and posted a $580 bond.
The Rocky Mountain News posted video of the confrontation on YouTube.
Officers from several departments were working in the park at the time, and it is not clear on the tape what department the officer works for, though Denver police said they would begin a review of complaints about the incident.
Concerns Raised
A journalism advocacy group raised concerns Wednesday about whether police are interfering with press coverage of anti-war protests at the Democratic convention.
Washington-based Reporters Without Borders cited a video posted by USA Today in which a videographer taping protesters and police is knocked to the ground by an officer trying to clear a street.
Police Chief Gerald Whitman reminded officers in writing Tuesday that Colorado law gives journalists some privileges when they are covering riots.
Whitman said reporters and photographers don't have to obey any order to disperse in riot conditions, though they are supposed to move to the edge of the crowd.
A member of the women's peace group CODEPINK was arrested Tuesday after a police officer yelled, "Back it up, bitch" and struck her with his baton, knocking her to the ground.
Alicia Forrest, 24, of Los Angeles, was knocked off her feet onto the pavement and appeared in pain.
A few minutes later, she began answering reporter's questions when police pulled her away and took her to jail.
She was booked for investigation of interference.
Forrest said she saw an unidentified man arrested in the street near Civic Center Park and was asking why the man was being arrested. That's when the officer moved in and confronted her.
Police to Forrest to the warehouse processing center, dubbed "Gitmo on the Platte" by protesters. She was then transferred to the city jail and posted a $580 bond.
The Rocky Mountain News posted video of the confrontation on YouTube.
Officers from several departments were working in the park at the time, and it is not clear on the tape what department the officer works for, though Denver police said they would begin a review of complaints about the incident.
Concerns Raised
A journalism advocacy group raised concerns Wednesday about whether police are interfering with press coverage of anti-war protests at the Democratic convention.
Washington-based Reporters Without Borders cited a video posted by USA Today in which a videographer taping protesters and police is knocked to the ground by an officer trying to clear a street.
Police Chief Gerald Whitman reminded officers in writing Tuesday that Colorado law gives journalists some privileges when they are covering riots.
Whitman said reporters and photographers don't have to obey any order to disperse in riot conditions, though they are supposed to move to the edge of the crowd.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
BigFoot Hoaxers Maybe Sued
They claim their hoax was not for profit, but Atlanta residents Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer received $50,000 from a California Bigfoot tracker who now plans to sue to get the money back.
The two Georgia men’s tale of having found a Bigfoot carcass in the North Georgia woods really started to stink when California Bigfoot enthusiasts finally examined the body and found it was just a costume.
“There will be legal action” said Catherine Ortez, who works for Searching for Bigfoot, Inc. in in Menlo Park, Calif. The organization paid for rights to the men’s story and their find. “If this was a joke, it was very methodical and thought-out,” she said.
The Searching site was founded by Tom Biscardi, who authenticated and promoted the alleged Georgia Sasquatch. Biscardi, who did not return calls requesting comment, has his own credibility issues, according to a police officer in a nearby jurisdiction.
“He was involved in a similar hoax a few years back,” said Agent Dan Ryan with the Palo Alto (Calif.) Police Department.
In an interview with WSB-TV Wednesday night, Whitton and Dyer’s attorney, Steve Lister, blamed Biscardi for blowing his clients’ joke out of proportion.
“It started off as some YouTube videos and a Web site,” said Whitton, “We’re all about having fun.”
Whitton, 28, a Clayton County police officer for six years, was fired Tuesday after news of the hoax spread. Dyer, 31, is a former Clayton County corrections officer.
Though, according to their site, the pair are not averse to making money off their amusement. For $500, you can join them for a Bigfoot expedition. They also sell Sasquatch-related T-shirts and caps.
Repeated attempts to reach both men were unsuccessful, and Lister did not return calls seeking comment
The two Georgia men’s tale of having found a Bigfoot carcass in the North Georgia woods really started to stink when California Bigfoot enthusiasts finally examined the body and found it was just a costume.
“There will be legal action” said Catherine Ortez, who works for Searching for Bigfoot, Inc. in in Menlo Park, Calif. The organization paid for rights to the men’s story and their find. “If this was a joke, it was very methodical and thought-out,” she said.
The Searching site was founded by Tom Biscardi, who authenticated and promoted the alleged Georgia Sasquatch. Biscardi, who did not return calls requesting comment, has his own credibility issues, according to a police officer in a nearby jurisdiction.
“He was involved in a similar hoax a few years back,” said Agent Dan Ryan with the Palo Alto (Calif.) Police Department.
In an interview with WSB-TV Wednesday night, Whitton and Dyer’s attorney, Steve Lister, blamed Biscardi for blowing his clients’ joke out of proportion.
“It started off as some YouTube videos and a Web site,” said Whitton, “We’re all about having fun.”
Whitton, 28, a Clayton County police officer for six years, was fired Tuesday after news of the hoax spread. Dyer, 31, is a former Clayton County corrections officer.
Though, according to their site, the pair are not averse to making money off their amusement. For $500, you can join them for a Bigfoot expedition. They also sell Sasquatch-related T-shirts and caps.
Repeated attempts to reach both men were unsuccessful, and Lister did not return calls seeking comment
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Videotape Shows Officer Lied
Around 9:30 on Friday night, a bicyclist pedaling down Seventh Avenue veered to the left, trying to avoid hitting a police officer who was in the middle of the street.
But the officer, Patrick Pogan, took a few quick steps toward the biker, Christopher Long, braced himself and drove his upper body into Mr. Long.
Officer Pogan, an all-star football player in high school, hit Mr. Long as if he were a halfback running along the sidelines, and sent him flying.
As of Tuesday evening, a videotape of the encounter had been viewed about 400,000 times on YouTube. “I can’t explain why it happened,” Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said on Tuesday. “I have no understanding as to why that would happen.”
But this episode was not just a powerful crash between one bicyclist and a police officer. It may turn out to be yet another head-on collision between false stories told by some police officers in criminal court cases and documentary evidence that directly contradicts them. And while in many instances the inaccurate stories have been tolerated by police superiors and prosecutors, Officer Pogan’s account is getting high-level scrutiny.
Later that night, Officer Pogan composed a story of his encounter with Mr. Long. It bore no resemblance to the events seen on the videotape. Based on the sworn complaint, Mr. Long was held for 26 hours on charges of attempted assault and disorderly conduct.
Over the weekend, though, the videotape, made by a tourist in Times Square with his family, fell into the hands of people involved with Critical Mass, the monthly bicycle rally that Mr. Long had been riding in.
The availability of cheap digital technology — video cameras, digital cameras, cellphone cameras — has ended a monopoly on the history of public gatherings that was limited to the official narratives, like the sworn documents created by police officers and prosecutors. The digital age has brought in free-range history.
Hundreds of cases against people arrested during the 2004 Republican National Convention collapsed under an avalanche of videotaped evidence that either completely contradicted police accounts, or raised significant questions about their reliability. The videotapes were made by people involved in the protests, bystanders, tourists and police officers.
At the New York Public Library, a small group holding a banner against one of the stone lions was arrested and charged with blocking traffic in the middle of 42nd Street, although video showed they were on the steps, and nowhere near the street.
In another case at the library, a police officer testified that he and three other officers had to carry one protester, Dennis Kyne, by his hands and feet down the library steps. Videotape showed that Mr. Kyne walked down the steps under his own power, and that the officer who testified against him had no role in his arrest. The charges were dismissed; the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to bring perjury charges against the officer who gave the testimony.
Dozens of complaints were sworn by police officers who said they had witnessed people violating the law on Fulton Street and near Union Square, but later admitted under oath that their only involvement was to process the arrests, and that they had not actually seen the disorderly conduct that was charged.
An assistant to District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau wrote to the Police Department to stress the importance of officers’ not swearing to things they had not seen for themselves. The prosecutors said the confusion surrounding mass arrests made it hard to bring perjury charges.
The case of Christopher Long and Officer Pogan is shaping up as another example of an official narrative being directly challenged by videotape.
In a criminal court complaint, Officer Pogan wrote that Mr. Long deliberately attacked him with the bike — although the videotape shows Mr. Long veering away from Officer Pogan, who pursues him toward the curb.
The officer said he was knocked to the ground by Mr. Long. Throughout the tape, though, he remains on his feet, even after banging into Mr. Long.
The police officer wrote that Mr. Long had been “weaving” in and out of traffic, “thereby forcing multiple vehicles to stop abruptly or change their direction in order to avoid hitting” Mr. Long. However, in the videotape, it appears that there are no cars on the street.
Mr. Long is due back in court in early September. By then, most of Mr. Long’s bruises are likely to have healed. The prognosis for the truth is not so clear.
But the officer, Patrick Pogan, took a few quick steps toward the biker, Christopher Long, braced himself and drove his upper body into Mr. Long.
Officer Pogan, an all-star football player in high school, hit Mr. Long as if he were a halfback running along the sidelines, and sent him flying.
As of Tuesday evening, a videotape of the encounter had been viewed about 400,000 times on YouTube. “I can’t explain why it happened,” Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said on Tuesday. “I have no understanding as to why that would happen.”
But this episode was not just a powerful crash between one bicyclist and a police officer. It may turn out to be yet another head-on collision between false stories told by some police officers in criminal court cases and documentary evidence that directly contradicts them. And while in many instances the inaccurate stories have been tolerated by police superiors and prosecutors, Officer Pogan’s account is getting high-level scrutiny.
Later that night, Officer Pogan composed a story of his encounter with Mr. Long. It bore no resemblance to the events seen on the videotape. Based on the sworn complaint, Mr. Long was held for 26 hours on charges of attempted assault and disorderly conduct.
Over the weekend, though, the videotape, made by a tourist in Times Square with his family, fell into the hands of people involved with Critical Mass, the monthly bicycle rally that Mr. Long had been riding in.
The availability of cheap digital technology — video cameras, digital cameras, cellphone cameras — has ended a monopoly on the history of public gatherings that was limited to the official narratives, like the sworn documents created by police officers and prosecutors. The digital age has brought in free-range history.
Hundreds of cases against people arrested during the 2004 Republican National Convention collapsed under an avalanche of videotaped evidence that either completely contradicted police accounts, or raised significant questions about their reliability. The videotapes were made by people involved in the protests, bystanders, tourists and police officers.
At the New York Public Library, a small group holding a banner against one of the stone lions was arrested and charged with blocking traffic in the middle of 42nd Street, although video showed they were on the steps, and nowhere near the street.
In another case at the library, a police officer testified that he and three other officers had to carry one protester, Dennis Kyne, by his hands and feet down the library steps. Videotape showed that Mr. Kyne walked down the steps under his own power, and that the officer who testified against him had no role in his arrest. The charges were dismissed; the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to bring perjury charges against the officer who gave the testimony.
Dozens of complaints were sworn by police officers who said they had witnessed people violating the law on Fulton Street and near Union Square, but later admitted under oath that their only involvement was to process the arrests, and that they had not actually seen the disorderly conduct that was charged.
An assistant to District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau wrote to the Police Department to stress the importance of officers’ not swearing to things they had not seen for themselves. The prosecutors said the confusion surrounding mass arrests made it hard to bring perjury charges.
The case of Christopher Long and Officer Pogan is shaping up as another example of an official narrative being directly challenged by videotape.
In a criminal court complaint, Officer Pogan wrote that Mr. Long deliberately attacked him with the bike — although the videotape shows Mr. Long veering away from Officer Pogan, who pursues him toward the curb.
The officer said he was knocked to the ground by Mr. Long. Throughout the tape, though, he remains on his feet, even after banging into Mr. Long.
The police officer wrote that Mr. Long had been “weaving” in and out of traffic, “thereby forcing multiple vehicles to stop abruptly or change their direction in order to avoid hitting” Mr. Long. However, in the videotape, it appears that there are no cars on the street.
Mr. Long is due back in court in early September. By then, most of Mr. Long’s bruises are likely to have healed. The prognosis for the truth is not so clear.
Officer Knocks Bicyclist to the Ground
NEW YORK
The New York Police Department has disciplined a Midtown police officer who had arrested a bicyclist he appears to have knocked to the ground, according to a YouTube videotape of the incident released Monday.
The videotape has raised concerns about police Officer Patrick Pogan's sworn account that the bicyclist deliberately drove into him last Friday evening during a Critical Mass bicycle ride in Times Square, a source said.
After the videotape surfaced, the NYPD took away Pogan's badge and gun, temporarily placing him on desk duty. The Manhattan district attorney also announced that it was investigating the incident.
In a criminal complaint, Pogan accused bicyclist Christopher Long of steering into him, the impact flinging Pogan to the ground and causing cuts on his forearms.
However on the video, shot by a bystander, it appears as though Pogan was the aggressor who used both hands to shove the 29-year-old Long off his bicycle as he traveled down Seventh Avenue by 46th Street about 8:30 p.m. July 25.
The videotape shows Long hitting the ground but doesn't show Pogan thrown off his feet.
Police arrested Long, charging him with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, charges that now are under scrutiny given the videotape, a source said.
"The officer has been placed on modified assignment pending further investigation of the incident," said Paul Browne, the NYPD's spokesman. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association declined comment.
Long also declined comment, but a Critical Mass supporter said confrontations like these are common between police and bicyclists.
At their monthly bicycle rides, Critical Mass has at times been accused of blocking traffic and causing disruptions to promote "non-polluting transportation."
"I was just horrified. You see the police officer knocking the cyclist off his bicycle," said Judy Ross of Time's Up!, a promoter for Critical Mass.
However a former NYPD official said the videotape may not tell the whole story.
"You can't see what the bicyclist is doing as he approaches the officer, other than he is coming close to the officer," said security consultant Thomas Ruskin, president of the CMP Group.
The New York Police Department has disciplined a Midtown police officer who had arrested a bicyclist he appears to have knocked to the ground, according to a YouTube videotape of the incident released Monday.
The videotape has raised concerns about police Officer Patrick Pogan's sworn account that the bicyclist deliberately drove into him last Friday evening during a Critical Mass bicycle ride in Times Square, a source said.
After the videotape surfaced, the NYPD took away Pogan's badge and gun, temporarily placing him on desk duty. The Manhattan district attorney also announced that it was investigating the incident.
In a criminal complaint, Pogan accused bicyclist Christopher Long of steering into him, the impact flinging Pogan to the ground and causing cuts on his forearms.
However on the video, shot by a bystander, it appears as though Pogan was the aggressor who used both hands to shove the 29-year-old Long off his bicycle as he traveled down Seventh Avenue by 46th Street about 8:30 p.m. July 25.
The videotape shows Long hitting the ground but doesn't show Pogan thrown off his feet.
Police arrested Long, charging him with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, charges that now are under scrutiny given the videotape, a source said.
"The officer has been placed on modified assignment pending further investigation of the incident," said Paul Browne, the NYPD's spokesman. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association declined comment.
Long also declined comment, but a Critical Mass supporter said confrontations like these are common between police and bicyclists.
At their monthly bicycle rides, Critical Mass has at times been accused of blocking traffic and causing disruptions to promote "non-polluting transportation."
"I was just horrified. You see the police officer knocking the cyclist off his bicycle," said Judy Ross of Time's Up!, a promoter for Critical Mass.
However a former NYPD official said the videotape may not tell the whole story.
"You can't see what the bicyclist is doing as he approaches the officer, other than he is coming close to the officer," said security consultant Thomas Ruskin, president of the CMP Group.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Philadelphia Man Arrested over Anti-police Video
PHILADELPHIA
A man who authorities say posted an Internet video showing himself waving a gun and claiming to rejoice whenever a police officer is shot in the city was arrested Thursday.
Andre Moore, 44, of West Philadelphia, faces charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, corruption of morals of a minor and harassment, police Lt. John Walker said.
In the video posted on YouTube, a man authorities identified as Moore complains about officers in West Philadelphia's 18th police district, calling them "a bunch of liars" and saying he celebrates "whenever they shoot a cop in Philadelphia."
At another point, he is shown waving a gun and talking about officer shootings in the city. According to a probable cause affidavit, the man removes the ammunition magazine from the gun, racks the slide, points the pistol at the camera and pulls the trigger as he speaks.
"Boom! ... When you shoot the cop, you shoot them dead, OK? Anywhere, head or the heart. That's why the last cops lost their lives," he says.
Three city police officers have been killed in the line of duty in a little more than two years.
An arrest warrant was issued for Moore after he was identified in the video, which was posted June 7, said Kevin Harley, spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office. The video was removed from YouTube following Moore's arrest at his apartment, police said.
"We believe these were terroristic threats that are not protected by the First Amendment, particularly when he encourages people to promote violence in Philadelphia and when he shows people how to use a gun to shoot a cop," Harley said.
Arrest documents said Moore works as a security guard at Albert Einstein Medical Center, where Officer Chuck Cassidy died after being shot during a robbery on Oct. 31.
Moore remained in custody Thursday and it was unclear whether he had an attorney.
A man who authorities say posted an Internet video showing himself waving a gun and claiming to rejoice whenever a police officer is shot in the city was arrested Thursday.
Andre Moore, 44, of West Philadelphia, faces charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, corruption of morals of a minor and harassment, police Lt. John Walker said.
In the video posted on YouTube, a man authorities identified as Moore complains about officers in West Philadelphia's 18th police district, calling them "a bunch of liars" and saying he celebrates "whenever they shoot a cop in Philadelphia."
At another point, he is shown waving a gun and talking about officer shootings in the city. According to a probable cause affidavit, the man removes the ammunition magazine from the gun, racks the slide, points the pistol at the camera and pulls the trigger as he speaks.
"Boom! ... When you shoot the cop, you shoot them dead, OK? Anywhere, head or the heart. That's why the last cops lost their lives," he says.
Three city police officers have been killed in the line of duty in a little more than two years.
An arrest warrant was issued for Moore after he was identified in the video, which was posted June 7, said Kevin Harley, spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office. The video was removed from YouTube following Moore's arrest at his apartment, police said.
"We believe these were terroristic threats that are not protected by the First Amendment, particularly when he encourages people to promote violence in Philadelphia and when he shows people how to use a gun to shoot a cop," Harley said.
Arrest documents said Moore works as a security guard at Albert Einstein Medical Center, where Officer Chuck Cassidy died after being shot during a robbery on Oct. 31.
Moore remained in custody Thursday and it was unclear whether he had an attorney.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Woman Shot, Police Laugh about it
A crowd of Miami storm troopers shot an unarmed woman — twice. Then they joked and laughed about it. They also referred to innocent citizens as “scurrying cockroaches”.
An innocent Ohio woman was non-sexually gang raped by a group of cops and left naked for hours in her cell (AKA “strip searched”).
Honest, good police deserve everyones respect for doing a difficult job. But there is a dangerous trend occurring in this country that only seems to be getting worse. More and more limits are being placed on our civil and Constitutional rights while our police forces are simultaneously becoming more militarized.
Pointless and often brutal police state tactics include the tasing of our fellow citizens at the drop of a hat, which have sometimes resulted in the death of the victims — er, I mean “suspects”. This is nothing less than an instant death penalty of sorts, but without formal charges or a trial. Sadly, these incidents may be only the beginning if this trend continues. If it can happen to these people, it can happen to any of us.
An innocent Ohio woman was non-sexually gang raped by a group of cops and left naked for hours in her cell (AKA “strip searched”).
Honest, good police deserve everyones respect for doing a difficult job. But there is a dangerous trend occurring in this country that only seems to be getting worse. More and more limits are being placed on our civil and Constitutional rights while our police forces are simultaneously becoming more militarized.
Pointless and often brutal police state tactics include the tasing of our fellow citizens at the drop of a hat, which have sometimes resulted in the death of the victims — er, I mean “suspects”. This is nothing less than an instant death penalty of sorts, but without formal charges or a trial. Sadly, these incidents may be only the beginning if this trend continues. If it can happen to these people, it can happen to any of us.
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