UPDATE: Kris Ledford Faces New Charges

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA

A Muskogee police officer faces new charges. Kris Ledford is already charged with stealing guns from the Muskogee Police Department's property room.

Ledford is now accused of taking a fellow officer's bullet proof vest and selling it to a deputy in Cherokee County. He also faces criminal charges in Tulsa.

Kris Ledford he's a husband and the father of a toddler girl. People are saying this is a bad deal, not just for him, but for the reputation of police officers all over Green Country.

Tulsa Police say it was a surveillance tape that started unraveling it all. They say it shows Muskogee Officer Kris Ledford and his friend, Shawn Busby, inside a Tulsa Radio Shack on May 1st, as Busby steals a police scanner.

Police believe the men were listening to the stolen scanner the next day when they heard a family call 911 and say they'd found a safe in a field while four-wheeling and requested a Tulsa Police officer to come and pick it up. Police say Ledford and Busby showed up instead, flashing a badge.

"They addressed the witnesses, the 911 callers by name and said they were Tulsa Police officers and were here to recover the safe," said Tulsa Police Detective Debra Glenn.

Officers tracked down Busby, served a warrant at his house and say they found a Muskogee duffle bag, handcuffs, drugs and a gun. And then, they say they got Ledford identified and were shocked.

"At the time I was first assigned the case, I assumed it was a couple of guys running around with a fake badge, acting kinda cool and hoping it was not an actual police officer involved in this," said Tulsa Police Detective Debra Glenn.

A search warrant at Ledford's house turned up a number of guns and police say at least 10 of them had been in the Muskogee Police Department's property room. He's accused of taking one gun from evidence and selling it to a doctor for $500.

Ledford currently faces three charges in Muskogee and two in Tulsa. That's something that is heartbreaking for other officers.

"It is just sickening because it erodes the public trust in every other officer," said Tulsa Police Detective Debra Glenn.

The Muskogee Police Department had scheduled a hearing on Thursday to start the process of firing Ledford, but, his attorney, Chad Richardson got an injunction that postponed that hearing.

Richardson says Ledford is a hero, who served his country as a military sniper and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star along with other commendations. He says Ledford shows classic signs of suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Police Officer Arrested in Crime Sweep

TIJUANA

At least one municipal police officer was among dozens of people arrested Saturday night in an organized crime sweep in this Mexican border town, Baja California police officials said Sunday.

Police prevention officers for the Mexican state of Baja California raided a baptism intending to arrest people connected to the Arrellano Felix drug cartel. Sixty-two people, including 10 who have ties to the cartel, were arrested, said Agustin Perez, a spokesman for the state prevention police.

Also confiscated were firearms, police radios and 460 grams of methamphetamine.
Police said they were tipped off that members of organized crime would be at the baptism at the banquet hall, El Pequeño Travieso in the colonia Herrera about 9 p.m. They stormed the celebration and found about 90 people at the hall. Some were armed, officials said.

State officers entered the hall with support from federal police who secured the building while the arrests were made. Federal police officers were there to ensure that no groups connected to organized crime attempted to free the people arrested, officials said.

Those taken into custody are natives of Sinaloa, Tijuana and Jalisco. One man is a municipal police officer in Tijuana, state police officers said. Four or five other men told state officers they also were on the force. But, state police officials said the men were no longer with the department because they had previously been suspended or fired.

Among the items seized were two black sports-utility vehicles, handguns, and Tijuana Municipal Police uniform patches.

No shots were fired and no injuries were reported, Perez said.

Officer Arrested for Drunk Driving

Royal Oak, MI

An off-duty Royal Oak police officer was arraigned Wednesday on a drunken driving charge after police say he drove his car into a house located on Fifth Street, June 13.

Officer Timothy Wood pleaded not guilty before 44th District Court Judge Terrance Brennan on a charge of operating while intoxicated, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail. Wood posted a $100 personal bond.

According to Deputy Chief Christopher Jahnke, Wood's Toyota Tundra first hit a car parked on the driveway before crashing into the house at around 2:30 a.m. Royal Oak police officers responding to the incident arrested Wood at the scene.

Wood sustained minor injuries in the incident; nobody inside the house at the time was injured.

Jahnke said the department is conducting an internal investigation to determine what, if any, disciplinary action should be taken against the officer.

In the meantime, the two judges at the 44th District Court have recused themselves from hearing the case since it involves a city employee. Court Administrator Kevin Sutherland said he sent the case to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office to be heard by a court in another jurisdiction.

"People should expect a completely impartial judicial (process)," said Sutherland.

Scottsdale Officer Resigns

A Scottsdale officer accused of illegally searching a 19-year-old woman who had called police has resigned.

Officer Chong Kim was accused of a similar crime in September of 2007.

Kim, an officer for two years, has been under investigation since Tuesday, when he was questioned about his response to a call Sunday about a possible break-in at the woman's apartment.

Scottsdale police spokesman David Pubins said the woman's mother alleged that when Kim arrived, he illegally searched her daughter.

According to Scottsdale police, investigators received an e-mail from the woman's mother detailing the alleged incident, which she claims happened about 3 a.m. at the 66th Place Apartments near 64th Street and Indian School.

In the e-mail, the mother said her daughter called police when three men were attempting to enter her apartment, according to police.

The woman told her mother that one of the officers harassed her and asked her if she had been drinking before taking her boyfriend outside, according to the e-mail.

The woman, an Arizona State University student, then said the officer came back inside and told her she would be arrested if a search could not be conducted, according to the e-mail.

The mother claimed the officer "strip-searched" her daughter.

According to police, the investigation into the September 2007 case was inconclusive as there was a lack of evidence at the time.

Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell said both cases will be forwarded to the FBI for investigation.

In a written statement, Rodbell said, "As the Chief, I expect that those employed by our department will abide by the same laws that they are entrusted to uphold."

He goes on to write, "Inappropriate or illegal behavior by my officers will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly."

Drunken Officers Fire Weapons at Party

Two Minneapolis police officers are now facing felony charges. A criminal complaint alleges that 34-year-old Scott Mars and 28-year-old William Thornbury fired their guns outside of a party in South Minneapolis last month while they were off duty.

On the night of May 28th, Minneapolis Police responded to a 911 call in a south Minneapolis neighborhood. When they arrived they never expected to be investigating two of their own.

According to the criminal complaint, earlier that evening a neighbor walked over to a nearby home where a party was taking place and asked some people standing outside to keep it down.

They apologized, but a little while later a black Chevy Tahoe left the party and pulled in front of the man's house. The men inside the SUV yelled a profanity and then fired several gunshots into the air through the vehicle's sunroof.

"This is a very dangerous situation. Individuals easily could have been seriously injured or killed," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

Police arrived and pulled the Tahoe over. Inside they found two guns and spent shell casings. They identified the driver as Officer Scott Mars and the passenger as Officer William Thornbury.

Dakota County is handling this case because of conflict of interest, but the case will still be tried in Hennepin County. Backstrom said the two officers put lives in danger and their careers in jeopardy.

"They are going to be treated exactly the same as anyone else who be doing a similar thing under these circumstances," said Backstrom.

Both officers are on paid administrative leave until the case is resolved. The men face two felony charges each, and Mars, the driver of the Tahoe, also faces a drunken driving charge. His blood alcohol level was 0.19 -- more than twice the legal limit.

If convicted of the felony charges, the men would lose their license as police officers. They could also face a year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.

Former Officer Arrested for Shoplifting and Possession

Shawnee, KS

A former Overland Park Police officer and Shawnee resident was arrested June 14 on charges of shoplifting and possession of illegal substances.

Donald Kevin Duncan, 37, was apprehended for shoplifting about 3 p.m. at a Costco store, 12221 Blue Valley Parkway, Overland Park. Police then discovered that Duncan was formerly an officer in their department, from 1995 to 2005, last assigned to the investigation division.

Duncan was originally charged with theft greater than $1,000 but less than $25,000, and when he was booked, police discovered methamphetamines on his person, leading to additional charges.

Overland Park Police said Duncan resigned from the police force to pursue other interests. Duncan posted a $3,500 bond Monday after his first court appearance, and his next hearing is scheduled later this month.

Greenville Police Officer Charged In Crash

GREENVILLE, SC

A Greenville City Police officer is charged with driving too fast for conditions after deputies say he slammed into the back of an ambulance.

It happened Wednesday night on Interstate 85 southbound. The ambulance slowed down for traffic near the Laurens Road exit, when Officer Benjamin Cothran plowed into the back of it. Deputies say the ambulance was not carrying any passengers, but the driver and an emergency technician were on board.

Officer Cothran was cited for driving too fast for conditions. He's the second officer to receive this citation in one week. Cothran, and both people in the ambulance were transported to Greenville Memorial where they were treated and released.

Officer Ken Derrick Accused in Insurance Scam

BARTOW, FL

The ex-husband of a former State Attorney's Office employee who was charged earlier this year with insurance fraud now faces the same charge himself.

The charges against Ken Derrick, 37, are the fallout of his call to the Winter Haven Police Department about a fully clothed officer he found in the home he and his ex-wife shared.

Derrick, a former Lake Alfred police officer, was arrested Monday. He is accused of using health insurance in the name of his ex-wife, Kristie, to pay his medical bills.

Derrick was released from the Polk County Jail on Monday, after posting $1,000 bail.

Kristie Derrick, 34, was arrested in May on the same charge.

LISTED AS 'SPOUSE'

Kristie Derrick was fired from her job as a clerk in the State Attorney's Office last year after being accused of falsifying insurance records by telling her insurer that she was still married.

The couple had divorced in 2001. Kristie Derrick was hired by the State Attorney's Office in July 2006.

Kristie Derrick's insurance provider, United Healthcare, does not cover former spouses.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by the State Attorney's Office, Ken Derrick had last gone to Winter Haven Hospital complaining of chest pain on June 21, 2007.

His hospital admissions paperwork listed the United Healthcare insurance policy of Kristie Derrick and his relationship to her as "spouse."

Kristie Derrick is also listed as his spouse and emergency contact on multiple forms.

As a result of the hospital visit, United Healthcare paid $6,935 for his treatment, the affidavit stated.

COMMON LAW CLAIM

On July 24, 2007, State Attorney Executive Director Sam Cardinale questioned Kristie Derrick, asking whether she was married, the affidavit stated.

Initially, she said she was, and then immediately said she was divorced. She said that the listing Ken Derrick as her husband on her personnel records and employee health insurance was an oversight because they had lived together as husband and wife for several years, the affidavit said.

The day after her conversation with Cardinale, Derrick was fired.

In an Aug. 7, 2007, letter, Derrick protested her firing, and inquired about appeal rights.

In the letter, she said the office's requirement that she cooperate with a law enforcement agency's investigation invaded her privacy, and "invaded her common law marriage."

Eligibility for health care coverage includes the employee, spouse and children. Florida doesn't recognize common law marriages.

Investigation into allegations of insurance fraud began after Ken Derrick filed a complaint with Winter Haven police that he went to the home he still shared with Kristie Derrick and found police Sgt. David Keigan standing fully clothed and standing in the shower.

Keigan eventually was demoted to officer for ignoring his duties by leaving the city on June 6, 2007.

Police officials said he left his police vehicle in a parking lot at a branch courthouse where Kristie Derrick worked. They drove to her Auburndale home in her car.

This sparked an internal affairs investigation at the Police Department and at the State Attorney's Office.

According to arrest affidavits, the Derricks still share the same home in Auburndale.

If both Derricks are convicted, the State Attorney's Office will seek restitution on behalf of United Healthcare, said Chip Thullbery, administrative state attorney.

Deputy Helps Woman Flee

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ

A Middlesex County sheriff's officer has been charged with interference with custody in connection with a case against a woman who allegedly fled to India with her two children in violation of a court order.

Officer Ryan Ramdass, 33, of Kendall Park was suspended without pay from his job following his arrest Thursday at the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, authorities said. Ramdass has worked at the Middlesex County Courthouse since he began with the office three years ago.

Police said Ramdass, who shared a home with the woman, his girlfriend, helped her leave the country June 8.

The father of the children, a 4-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl, was called by staff at their pre-school when they failed to show up shortly after they left the country, said Brian Gillet, assistant Middlesex County prosecutor.

Authorities said the father attempted to find out where they were throughout that week and reported them missing to the police on Sunday, Gillet said.

The mother and father are divorced and have joint custody of the children, he said. Ramdass was also charged with hindering apprehension and false swearing. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the interference charge alone if he is convicted.

Authorities have not released the name of the woman or what charges she faces.

Ramdass was freed after posting 10 percent of $35,000 bail in cash, authorities said.

As a sheriff's officer, Ramdass made $54,781 in 2007, according to public records.

Officer Chong Kim Accused of Inappropriate Searching

A Scottsdale police officer has resigned after being accused in an e-mail of illegally searching a 19-year-old woman who had summoned police.

Officer Chong Kim, an officer for a little more than two years, has been under investigation since Tuesday, when he was questioned about a call at a Scottsdale apartment complex near 66th Place and Osborn Road.Kim was responding Sunday to a call about a possible break-in at the woman's apartment.

Officer David Pubins, a Scottsdale police spokesman, said the woman's mother sent e-mails to police and several news outlets, alleging that when Kim arrived he "illegally searched" her daughter.

Pubins said the case is still under investigation.

"We take all of these allegations seriously," Pubins said.

Officer Derek Nugent Suspended for Excessive Force

A handcuffed Kalamazoo teenager struggles with a Public Safety officer as he is led down a hallway toward a booking room when the officer shoves him into a wall, injuring his face, according to video of the incident released Tuesday.

The city of Kalamazoo released video of the May 22 incident after the Kalamazoo Gazette filed a Freedom of Information Act request.

The officer involved, Derek Nugent, has been placed on a 10-day, unpaid suspension, Acting Public Safety Chief Jim Mallery announced Monday.



The teenager, who is African-American, lost three teeth. In a complaint filed with the department, his family has alleged that Nugent, who is white, was harassing the youth because he is black.

The officer involved, Derek Nugent, has been placed on a 10-day, unpaid suspension, Acting Public Safety Chief Jim Mallery announced Monday.

The teenager, who is African-American, lost three teeth. In a complaint filed with the department, his family has alleged that Nugent, who is white, was harassing the youth because he is black.

The Gazette is not naming the teen because he is a minor and he has not been charged with a crime.

The video was taken from two security cameras inside Public Safety's Crosstown Parkway headquarters.

The view from the hallway camera shows the teen enter the hallway accompanied by two Public Safety officers. The video is shaky and much of the audio is unintelligible but it is clear the teen is yelling at the officers, one of whom repeatedly tells him to "face the wall."

The teen shouts profanity and is eventually turned toward a wall as an officer appears to hold him by the back of his neck.

About two minutes into the video, Nugent begins walking the teen down the hallway toward a booking room when a tussle occurs and the teenager appears to jerk away from Nugent.

Nugent then shoves him into the cinder-block wall.

The youth immediately falls to the floor, begins crying and moaning, and asks Nugent why the officer had broken out his teeth.

The other officer, who has not been identified, stood at the other end of the hallway.
Nugent drags the youth, whose knees are on the floor, into the adjacent booking room where a second camera continues to record the incident.

The video from that camera shows the teen continuing to writhe in pain on the floor. He repeatedly shouts, "You broke my teeth!"

Another officer briefly peers into the booking room and then leaves. After a few minutes, Nugent picks the teen up onto his feet and walks him back down the hallway as the youth remains doubled over at the waist.

Public Safety officials have said the teen was then transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital and later released to his legal guardian.

The teenager was originally arrested for allegedly violating rules at the Kalamazoo Transportation Center. Since 2005, 20 misdemeanor and felony charges have been brought against the teen, but he was not prosecuted for any of them because judges determined he was mentally incompetent to stand trial.

On Monday, Mallery said he believed Nugent did not intend to harm the teenager but said his actions "would not be condoned." Mallery publicly apologized to the teenager and his family.

Mallery said Nugent has been a Public Safety officer for nearly 10 year and this is his first excessive-force complaint.

The teen's legal guardian, who is related to his father, said Tuesday she is unsatisfied by the suspension and wants Nugent criminally prosecuted. Court records show the teen's mother is in prison but do not make clear where his father is.

A Detroit-area attorney has said he may represent the family in a civil action.

Officer Helps Man Impersonating a Gynecologist

A prominent Hasidic businessman from Rockland County was arrested and charged with impersonating a gynecologist to allegedly sexually assault women.

To make matters worse, the already stunning allegation grew even more shocking when it was learned that a Rockland County police officer is accused of helping him.

The alleged incidents took place inside a building on Park Avenue between 34th and 35th streets, where women told detectives they'd been molested during what they thought was a gynecological examination.

When Manhattan sex crime detectives who work out of the same building investigated, the man they arrested turned out to be Zalman Silber, a Hasidic businessman and philanthropist who moved to Rockland County from Boro Park in Brooklyn about a year ago.

Silber's lawyer is the former Rockland County District Attorney, Kenneth Gribetz, who claims that two of the four women did not pick Silber out of a lineup.

"It was a lineup conducted with numerous Hasidic people. Mr. Silber was not identified by two of the victims. Two of the victims did do it," Gribetz said.

The Ramapo Police Department is now also buzzing because a ten-year veteran has been suspended without pay after one of the women told investigators the officer pretended to be a doctor conducting an exam while Silber allegedly watched.

Though no one would talk about this story on the record, there are hearings underway at the Ramapo Town Hall that will determine the future of the police officer.

Gribetz said there is more going on than meets the eye.

"I think the facts will come out that this was an offshoot of a very upsetting divorce that transpired in Mr. Silber's life. And what is taking place is really a disgrace, and society and law enforcement owes him an apology when all the facts come out," he said.

Postponements have caused the hearing involving the Ramapo police officer accused of posing as a fake doctor to drag on for at least four weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.

Officer Having Sex with Inmate

PORTAGE, Wis.

A corrections officer at the Columbia Correctional Institution is accused of having sex with an inmate and giving him snacks and magazines.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Department says the 45-year-old Portage woman is likely to be charged with multiple felony counts of second-degree sexual assault of an inmate, delivery of articles to inmates and misconduct in public office.

Detective Sgt. Daniel Garrigan says the accusations came to light after the department did an internal investigation on the woman last fall for a policy violation.

He says the investigation showed she had sexual contact with an inmate at CCI and at Waupun Correctional Institution.

The Department of Corrections says the woman is on administrative leave. Online court records show formal charges have not yet been filed.

Chief Information Officer Pete Collins Accused of Misconduct

Austin's chief information officer has been accused of misconduct.

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, city officials said a city employee called the legal department last week alleging the city's chief information officer, Pete Collins, was using city resources for a personal project.

City Spokesman Gene Acuna said Collins was immediately placed on paid administrative leave. The case was then passed on to City Manager Marc Ott and APD who is investigating.

"The city manager takes these allegation seriously and wants them investigated fully and impartially," Acuna said.

Collins has been a city employee since 1993. He started out as an Austin Police Officer. He's overseen the city's Information Technology Department since 2004.

Officer Accused of Beating Transexual

MEMPHIS, TN

A Memphis police officer is accused of beating up someone under arrest. The person seen being attacked on the tape is a transexual. She says the attack is a hate crime.

Now the FBI is investigating. One officer is off the job, and another is on desk duty.

Duanna Johnson says the officer beat her up after calling her all sorts of names and making fun of her sexuality.

On the videotape you see Johnson being attacked. One officer is holding Johnson back, while another throws punches.

Johnson says before the beating began the officer called her a "he/she" and a "faggot."

On the videotape you see employees standing around, but no one intervenes.

A statement from the Memphis Police Department says no details can be released because of the internal investigation.

Officer J Swain was on probation with the department and lost his job. Officer B McRae has been taken off the streets until a hearing.

Johnson does plan on filing a $1.3 million lawsuit against the City of Memphis.

UPDATE: Elgin police officer resigns

Embattled police Officer Christopher Darr has resigned, authorities said Tuesday, amid charges he allegedly beat a suspect after a New Year's Eve brawl at an area hotel.

Elgin Police Department spokeswoman Ann Dinges said she could not comment any further about the case, but she was able to confirm Darr, 32, submitted his resignation Monday.

The seven-year police veteran was charged in April with two counts of felony aggravated battery for allegedly beating South Elgin resident Kevin Schwartz, 29, of 381 S. Collins St., a suspect in a fight that broke out among hotel guests at the Holiday Inn, 495 Airport Road, during the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

Darr was off duty at the time of the incident. His father, Jack Darr, a former Elgin Deputy Police Chief and head of the hotel's security, was hospitalized after sustaining cuts, broken ribs and a punctured lung attempting to break up the fight.

Schwartz reportedly was in a car traveling along Illinois 31 after the fight, when it was stopped by police.

Darr allegedly went to the scene and got in the back seat of a patrol car, where he punched Schwartz repeated times in the face and body while Schwartz had is hands cuffed behind his back.

Schwartz initially was charged with mob action in connection with the brawl. This charge was dropped Jan. 31.

Darr was placed on restrictive duty soon after the incident pending an internal investigation, and put on administrative leave once he was charged.

On April 9, he turned himself into the Kane County Sheriff's Office, where he was booked and released about an hour later after posting a $500 bond.

Darr is expected to plead not guilty to both charges at his arraignment, scheduled for July 17.

On May 13, attorneys for Schwartz filed a 11-count federal lawsuit for $5 million against Darr, police Officer Edward Schmidt, the police department, and the city of Elgin.

3 Indianapolis Officers Arrested On Drug Charges

Three Indianapolis police officers face federal charges of drug trafficking for what prosecutors called a conspiracy that involved raids on a home and an apartment and the theft of money and several pounds of marijuana.

An indictment unsealed Tuesday named police officers Robert B. Long, 34, Jason P. Edwards, 36, and James Davis, 33.

It described Long as a narcotics detective and the leader of a conspiracy this spring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute.

All three officers were arrested by the FBI. It was not immediately known whether they had defense attorneys.

The indictment said the officers talked in code by telephone and that Long tipped a fourth defendant named in the indictment, Kabec Higgins, 31, about police plans to search his business, Ear Candy Muzik.

Long also seized a FedEx parcel containing up to 13 pounds of marijuana, the indictment states. About eight pounds were removed and sold for $4,000. Long then turned in nearly five pounds from the parcel to a police narcotics vault to cover up the missing portion.

The court document also indicated Long and Davis entered an apartment looking for marijuana, and the three officers took five pounds of the drug and $18,300 from a home during a June 4 break-in.

After that break-in, Davis "wiped the interior door handle and lock with his gloves in an attempt to clean off any fingerprints," the indictment stated.

It also indicated that Long and Davis illegally seized $20,000 from a person they thought was selling marijuana in March. Davis also was accused of "illegally stopping cars" to seize money.

"(The officers) reportedly committed acts in uniform, using police vehicles, displaying a bogus search warrant, breaking into private property and diverting seized drugs and cash to their personal benefit," said U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison.

The three officers face counts alleging drug trafficking and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

Long, Davis and Edwards were held Tuesday in the Marion County Jail.

"I'm very much disgusted and outraged at the conduct of a small number of officers who chose to disrespect the trust that the public has in them," said Indianapolis Metro Police Chief Michael Spears.

"Nobody likes for this thing to happen, but it's important that it's rooted out," said Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.

Edwards was charged in March with forgery and theft. Police said he stole a $725 money order during a search of a drug suspect's home and cashed it for himself.

Jackson Officer Charged With Reckless Driving

Jackson, TN

A Jackson police officer has been charged with reckless driving, according to Mike Browning, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Safety.

Charged was Thomas Derek Bowman, 24, of Lexington, who started with the Jackson Police Department on April 21. Jackson Police Chief Rick Staples said Bowman has been on a probationary period since he was hired, which is standard for new officers.

"The probation period lasts for two years," Staples said.

Police Commander Dennis Mays said Bowman was served with a letter today informing him that he did not successfully complete his probationary period and his employment has been terminated.

Browning said that Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Greg Hopper clocked two "crotch rocket" motorcycles traveling at 124 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone Tuesday night in Henderson County.

Hopper first spotted the motorcycles around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 412, Browning said.

The motorcycles split up, and Hopper stopped Bowman, Browning said.

Bowman was given a speeding ticket and charged with reckless driving.

He was taken to the Henderson County Sheriff's Department, where he was released on his own recognizance.

Maywood Officer Found Guilty

LOS ANGELES

A former Maywood police officer was convicted Wednesday of using excessive force and filing a false report about the incident in which he knocked a suspect unconscious at a police station in May 2004.

A Superior Court jury deliberated for three hours before finding Michael Singleton, 43, guilty of both felonies, said Deputy District Attorney Margo Baxter.

Singleton struck the suspect after he had been arrested and handcuffed and then filed the false report, Baxter said.

Singleton, who later left the police force, faces up to 44 months in state prison when he is sentenced Aug. 11.

The Maywood Police Department is under investigation by state and Los Angeles County prosecutors over allegations of officer misconduct. Maywood is a tiny city just east of Los Angeles.

Judge's Wife says Charges Against Husband are Lies

LOS ANGELES

A federal appeals court judge under scrutiny for sexually explicit videos and photos posted on a personal Web site is the victim of distortions and "outright lies" published by the Los Angeles Times, his wife charged Monday.

Marcy Jane Tiffany, wife of 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, described some of the material stored on the home computer as raunchy and juvenile. Only about a half-dozen files among hundreds had a "sexual aspect," but they were not pornography, she said.

"Alex is not into porn - he is into funny - and sometimes funny has a sexual character," Tiffany wrote in a nearly 2,000-word defense of her husband, posted on a Web site called patterico.com.
In a brief telephone interview, Tiffany confirmed that she wrote the statement and declined further comment, except to quote the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."

The newspaper's California editor, David Lauter, said in a statement that the articles were fair and accurate.

The stories "raised important issues on a matter of significant public concern," Lauter said. "The judge was presented with the facts ... and was given a full opportunity to respond."

Meanwhile Monday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts transferred a review of Kozinski's conduct to the judicial council of a different circuit. The chairman of the judicial council of the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Anthony Scirica, then named himself and four other judges to handle the ethics investigation.

Kozinski called for the probe after news articles about the Web site were published. Separately, Kozinski last week declared a mistrial in an obscenity trial over which he was presiding.

The now-blocked material on the Web site, alex.kozinski.com, included a photo of naked women on all fours painted to look like cows, and a video of a man being pursued by a sexually aroused donkey. The Times said the site included images of masturbation, and a slide show featuring a striptease with a transsexual.

Attorneys Ask for New Prosecutor for Judge Harris

Defense attorneys have formally asked for a special prosecutor in the indecent exposure case against a Tulsa County district judge to be removed.

Attorneys for Judge Jessie Harris claimed in a court filing Monday that the Washington County District Attorney Rick Esser's office prepared two different sets of charges against in an improper attempt to force Harris to resign.

Harris is charged in Tulsa County with felony indecent exposure for allegedly exposing and fondling himself in front of two women in the parking lot of an east Tulsa motel.

Esser was appointed special prosecutor by the attorney general.

Judge Harris Ruling Postponed

More Updates:

A court ruling on whether a special prosecutor should be disqualified in the case against Tulsa County District Judge Jesse Harris, who is charged with two counts of indecent exposure, has been delayed until June 17.

Osage County District Judge M. John Kane IV was to have rendered a decision Wednesday on the motion to disqualify filed by Harris' lawyers.

However, in papers filed Wednesday with the Tulsa County Court Clerk's Office, Kane said he needed more information from lawyers on both sides of the dispute before he rules.

Kane, who was specially appointed to hear the initial phases of the case against Harris, said he would issue the ruling by 5 p.m June 17.

Kane presided over a daylong hearing last week at which Harris' lawyers, Joel Wohlgemuth and Allen Smallwood, claimed misconduct on the part of Washington County District Attorney Rick Esser's office.

Esser was appointed special prosecutor in the case.

Among other things, Harris' lawyers claimed that Esser's office released graphic details of the alleged crimes to the media before they were filed with the court.

They also said Esser's office acted improperly by trying to get Harris to retire in exchange for misdemeanor charges being filed instead of felonies.

The attorneys argued Esser did not have the authority to seek removal of a judge — and said that authority rested with the state's Council on the Judiciary.

They also said Esser's office tried to contact Harris directly, instead of through his lawyer, which would be a violation of the state's professional rules of conduct.

Judge to decide whether to remove prosecutor

UPDATE:

An Osage County judge will rule next week on whether a special prosecutor accused of misconduct should be removed from the indecent-exposure case of a Tulsa judge.

District Judge M. John Kane IV listened to a day's worth of testimony on Wednesday, then took the case under advisement and said he would decide by 5 p.m. June 11.

Kane was appointed to preside over the initial trial phases in the case against Tulsa County District Judge Jesse Harris, who was charged April 24 with two counts of indecent exposure.

Harris is accused of exposing and fondling himself in front of his ex-girlfriend and another woman in the parking lot of an east Tulsa motel on March 9.

Washington County District Attorney Rick Esser was appointed as the special prosecutor in the case, but Harris' lawyers have accused him of leaking a graphic police affidavit before it was filed at the Tulsa County Court Clerk's office.

Defense attorneys Allen Smallwood and Joel Wohlgemuth questioned Esser and assistant district attorney Will Drake about two probable-cause affidavits that had been prepared against Harris in an effort to get him to retire.

One affidavit listed the two felony indecent exposure charges and detailed the alleged crimes. The other affidavit, an alternative one, was prepared with two misdemeanor charges of outraging public decency.

The jail term and fines would have been deferred in the latter option, with the condition that the judge retire from the bench within 30 days of charges being filed.

Esser defended the preparation of the affidavits and noted that the plea offer in return for retirement was not unlike one supposedly offered to former Creek County District Judge Donald Thompson, who was convicted of four counts of indecent exposure in June 2006.

Wohlgemuth said state law gives that kind of discretion to the Oklahoma Council on the Judiciary, not prosecutors.

The defense attorneys also criticized an April phone call from Esser's office to Harris' judicial chambers. Esser said his office was confused about who was representing Harris, so he called to find out the name of Harris' attorney, then Robert Butler.

The defense attorneys claimed that the phone call violated the state's professional rules of conduct.

Tulsa Judge Harris Fighting Back

The felony case against a Tulsa judge heats up. Judge Jesse Harris is fighting back after charges of indecent exposure were filed. He's going after the Washington County District Attorney assigned to his case, asking that the prosecutor be disqualified.

Judge Jesse Harris accuses Washington County District Attorney Rick Esser of intentional misconduct. He filed this motion on Monday to have him removed from the case.

In the filing, Harris claims he has evidence of intentional misconduct and that the DA filed criminal charges against him only after he refused to resign. Harris points to an April 11th and April 18th meeting he had with Esser and others.

The first was several weeks before charges were filed claiming Judge Harris fondled himself in front of an ex-girlfriend and one of her friends.

In the motion, Judge Harris claims if he didn't resign promptly, Esser told him "the press would get a hold of this."

Harris says District Attorney Esser followed through on that threat and provided the Tulsa World with confidential police reports relating to the incident before the charges were filed April 24th.

In the filing, Harris also claims police released a graphic affidavit to the paper to embarrass him as payback for not stepping down.

In the meantime, Judge Harris is no longer presiding over felony cases since he faces two felony counts himself.

Officers Shoot developmentally Disabled Man

Authorities say a man was shot in a police shooting in east Baltimore.

It happened about 2:40 a.m. Tuesday in the first block of South Robinson Street, near Baltimore Street.

Police say officers broke up a fight between two men and arrested one of them. According to police spokesman Donny Moses, the man was being patted down by an officer and reached for a gun. That's when, an officer fired several times. Police say the man ran, then collapsed a short distance away and died at the scene.

Nancy Worrell says the man was her son, Bryant. She said her son was developmentally disabled and recently graduated from a special high school. She claims that as police searched him, they choked him. And she says her son was shot in the back after he broke away.

Officer Stephen Mariani Charged with Using Excessive Force

A Marco Island police officer who helped break up a drunken melee outside a bar in February was charged with battery Tuesday after it was revealed that he struck two of the men he arrested and used pepper spray on them while they were handcuffed in the back of his squad car.

A State Attorney’s Office investigator served a summons to Officer Stephen Mariani on Tuesday, charging him with battery, a first-degree misdemeanor. He wasn’t arrested.

The charge dates back to a fight outside the Off the Hook Comedy Club at Capt. Brien’s, at 599 S. Collier Blvd., during the winter, according to the state attorney’s office.

About 11 p.m. on Feb. 16, Mariani responded to the club at the request of an employee who learned that a group of 24 people with tickets waiting to enter the club had been kicked out of another bar, according to an arrest report from that night.

Mariani told the group that if there was a disturbance, the group would be ejected from the club.

About 15 minutes later, after being asked three times to behave, the members of the group were asked to leave the club and board their chartered bus, reports said. At that time, an off-duty officer, Hector Diaz, responded to the scene to assist Mariani.

Most of the group boarded the bus at the officer’s request.

The two officers then were confronted by four members of the group, identified as Adrian Polanco, 20, of 3625 Poinsettia Ave., No. 1, East Naples; Christopher Raymond Caprari, 21, of 236 Pine Valley Circle, East Naples; Jason Bocardo, 19, of 2584 Ponce De Leon Drive, East Naples; and Anthony Pedro Blanco, 18, of 4613 Lombardy Lane, Marco Island, police reported in February.

When Diaz identified himself as an officer and reached into his pocket to get his badge, Caprari swung and punched him in the arm, reports said.

Bocardo then grabbed Diaz by the neck and put him in a choke hold before the officer fell to the ground, reports said.

Mariani attempted to help but was pushed and punched by Blanco. He was able to handcuff Blanco, but was then pushed by Polanco, police said. At that point several other Marco Island police units, and with the assistance of several citizens, were able to handcuff and arrest the four men.

While being transported from the Marco Island Police Department to the Naples Jail Center, three of the men, who were handcuffed in the back of Mariani’s squad car, were verbally abusive, thrashed about and hit their heads against the vehicle’s interior, Marco Island spokeswoman Lisa Douglass said.

“In an attempt to regain control, the officer stopped the vehicle, got out, and opened the rear door as the subjects attempted to exit,” Douglass said. “He struck two of them. He then used pepper spray to control their violent behavior.”

The next day Mariani reported the encounter in his squad car, which was caught on tape, Douglass said.

“I think what is good ... is that happened on the 16th (of February). On the 17th he came in and said, ‘I didn’t handle myself very well,’ ” Douglass said. “That’s what prompted our administrative review and immediately we turned it over to the state attorney’s office.”

A review of the encounter resulted in Mariani being placed on an administrative suspension, Douglass reported.

Mariani, who earns $50,603 a year, started with the Marco Island Police Department in May 2006 after retiring from a 20-year career as a sergeant with the New York City Police Department.

His arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on July 2 in Collier County court.

“There is a fine line between excessive force and maintaining control,” Douglass said.

Three Indianapolis Officers Face Federal Charges

Three Indianapolis police officers face federal charges of drug trafficking for what prosecutors say was a conspiracy that involved raids on a house and an apartment, and the theft of money and several pounds of marijuana.

An indictment unsealed Tuesday names police officers Robert B. Long, Jason P. Edwards and James Davis. It describes Long as a narcotics detective and the leader of a conspiracy this spring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute.

All three officers have been arrested by the FBI. It was not immediately known whether they had defense attorneys.

The indictment said the officers talked in code by telephone and that Long tipped a fourth defendant named in the indictment, Kabec Higgins, about police plans to search his business, Ear Candy Music.

Long also seized a FedEx parcel containing up to 13 pounds of marijuana, the indictment states. It said 8 pounds were removed and sold for $4,000. Long then turned in nearly 5 pounds from the parcel to a police narcotics vault to cover up the missing portion, the indictment said.

The court document also says Long and Davis entered an apartment looking for marijuana and that the three officers took 5 pounds of the drug and $18,300 from a home during a June 4 break-in.

After that break-in, Davis wiped the interior door handle and lock with his gloves in an attempt to clean off any fingerprints, the indictment states.

It also said that Long and Davis illegally seized $20,000 from a person they thought was selling marijuana in March. Davis also is accused of illegally stopping cars to seize money.

The three officers face counts alleging drug trafficking and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

Federal prosecutors have scheduled a Tuesday afternoon news conference to discuss the case.

Officer Charged with Repeatedly Sexually Abuse

A University of Maryland Eastern Shore police officer is behind bars after being charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.

Maryland State Police said Naham Perry, 41, of Princess Anne was charged with the sexual abuse of a minor, third- and fourth-degree sexual abuse, solicitation of a minor and second-degree assault.

Authorities said the alleged abuse spanned the past 18 months to two years.

Perry has been released on bond and has been placed by the university on unpaid leave.

Perry resigned from the Cambridge Police in 2002 and was charged in 2003 with misconduct in office and sex offenses for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old while on duty at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School. A trial ended in a hung jury.

Kris Ledford on Suicide Watch

A Muskogee crime scene investigator has been jailed after police seized dozens of guns from his home.

Muskogee Police Chief Rex Eskridge says 30-year-old Kris Ledford is being held without bond at an undisclosed location until his first court appearance Monday. Eskridge says Ledford is being kept away from other prisoners and he is on suicide watch.

Police are working to determine the origin of the 60 to 70 guns that were found at Ledford's home in Broken Arrow.

Deputy Police Chief Johnny Teehee says investigators are trying to find out whether the guns, police scanners and silencers were embezzled from the police department.

Ledford was arrested Thursday on a warrant for a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a Tulsa police officer.

Former Sheriff Arrested For DUI

OKLAHOMA

A former Delaware County Sheriff is in trouble again.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers say Lenden Woodruff has been arrested for driving under the influence, carrying a firearm under the influence, transporting an open container of beer and not wearing a seat belt.

Woodruff resigned in 2004 after being arrested on similar charges.

Woodruff later pleaded guilty to DUI and carrying an open container.