SOLEDAD, Calif.
A Soledad police officer and a Presidio of Monterey police officer were arrested Friday while trying to smuggle firearms into Mexico, police said.
Police said Mexican police arrested Presidio of Monterey Sgt. Jorge Matos and the Soledad officer as they tried to enter Mexico with several firearms and ammunition. Matos is a former employee of the Soledad Police Department.
Inspectors said they recovered 5,000 rounds of ammunition, tactical training equipment and two laptop computers.
Soledad Police Chief Richard Cox said officials from the Department of Homeland Security notified his office of the arrest on Friday.
Cox said an internal audit of the Soledad Police Department armory did not show any weapons missing. The Presidio of Monterey's police department also said it had no weapons unaccounted for.
Matos was fired during his probationary period after three AR-15 rifles disappeared from his home and could not be found.
The identity of the Soledad police officer was not released.
The two men will spend a minimum of 60 to 90 days in a Mexican prison before being brought before a judge.
If convicted, they could face a minimum of 15 years in a Mexican prison.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Off Duty Officer Accused of Punching other Officer
LAKE GEORGE
An off-duty police officer from Connecticut spent Thursday night in the Warren County Correctional Facility after sheriff’s officers said he punched an off-duty peace officer in the head.
Leonard E. Alterio, 43, of Monroe Conn., a 11-year-officer with the Bridgeport Police Department, is facing charges of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor; and second degree harassment, a violation. No assault charges were lodged.
Undersheriff Robert Swan said that Alterio was observed by an off-duty Lake George village peace officer, who Swan did not identify, on Canada St., near Sheppard Park around 1 a.m. Friday.
Swan said the peace officer noticed the man had some minor facial injuries and appeared to be highly intoxicated. When the peace officer asked Alterio if he was alright, Swan said Alterio punched the officer in the head, an act allegedly witnessed by an on-duty peace officer who was nearby on Canada St. Swan said Alterio fought with both officers until he was subdued.
According to court records, the two peace officers were Ronald Rock Jr. and Jason Quinones.
Assistance was requested from the Warren County Sheriff’s office which responded and assisted the peace officers. They also charged Alterio with resisting arrest, Swan said. Alterio was held overnight in the county jail until he was arraigned Friday morning in Lake George Court. He was released on bail to appear in court at a later date. 8-1-08
An off-duty police officer from Connecticut spent Thursday night in the Warren County Correctional Facility after sheriff’s officers said he punched an off-duty peace officer in the head.
Leonard E. Alterio, 43, of Monroe Conn., a 11-year-officer with the Bridgeport Police Department, is facing charges of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor; and second degree harassment, a violation. No assault charges were lodged.
Undersheriff Robert Swan said that Alterio was observed by an off-duty Lake George village peace officer, who Swan did not identify, on Canada St., near Sheppard Park around 1 a.m. Friday.
Swan said the peace officer noticed the man had some minor facial injuries and appeared to be highly intoxicated. When the peace officer asked Alterio if he was alright, Swan said Alterio punched the officer in the head, an act allegedly witnessed by an on-duty peace officer who was nearby on Canada St. Swan said Alterio fought with both officers until he was subdued.
According to court records, the two peace officers were Ronald Rock Jr. and Jason Quinones.
Assistance was requested from the Warren County Sheriff’s office which responded and assisted the peace officers. They also charged Alterio with resisting arrest, Swan said. Alterio was held overnight in the county jail until he was arraigned Friday morning in Lake George Court. He was released on bail to appear in court at a later date. 8-1-08
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Officer Accused of Giving Alcohol to Two Teen Girls
Thirty-five year old Richard Corbin is accused of giving alcohol to two teen girls, ages thirteen and fifteen, and then having sex with both.
Neighbors say police swarmed his home on Moore Avenue in Union Township Wednesday night.
The Pennsylvania State Police say Corbin faces several charges including statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, and furnishing liquor to minors. They will not say, however, how the officer knew the two girls.
"All I know he was a city policeman who worked alot, he was in and out, he was real quiet, he never bothered anyone. It was a surprise when I heard about what was going on.",says Julie Jaskola, neighbor.
The New Castle Police Department did release a written statement saying they will not comment while this matter is in the courts.
Officer Corbin is on leave, and he's set to appear in Lawrence County Central Court next Wednesday for a preliminary hearing
Neighbors say police swarmed his home on Moore Avenue in Union Township Wednesday night.
The Pennsylvania State Police say Corbin faces several charges including statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, and furnishing liquor to minors. They will not say, however, how the officer knew the two girls.
"All I know he was a city policeman who worked alot, he was in and out, he was real quiet, he never bothered anyone. It was a surprise when I heard about what was going on.",says Julie Jaskola, neighbor.
The New Castle Police Department did release a written statement saying they will not comment while this matter is in the courts.
Officer Corbin is on leave, and he's set to appear in Lawrence County Central Court next Wednesday for a preliminary hearing
Officer Celia Frattin Charged with Kicking Suspect in Head During Arrest
EDMONTON
A female constable with the Edmonton police was charged with assault Thursday for allegedly kicking a suspect in the head during an arrest.
The police force said in a news release that the constable's unmarked police car was stolen while she was standing outside the vehicle looking for a robbery suspect in February 2007.
Two other officers located a male suspect nearby. He was not seriously hurt in the incident.
Celia Frattin, 38, was charged after the Professional Standards Branch received a complaint from a police department employee.
A female constable with the Edmonton police was charged with assault Thursday for allegedly kicking a suspect in the head during an arrest.
The police force said in a news release that the constable's unmarked police car was stolen while she was standing outside the vehicle looking for a robbery suspect in February 2007.
Two other officers located a male suspect nearby. He was not seriously hurt in the incident.
Celia Frattin, 38, was charged after the Professional Standards Branch received a complaint from a police department employee.
Officer Daniel Smith Charged with Teen Sexual Assault
WORCESTER
A Clark University campus police officer, who also works as a police officer in Berlin, is facing sexual assault crimes in New Jersey for allegedly inappropriately touching and fondling a teenage girl last year at his family’s New Jersey home.
Daniel J. Smith, 26, of 1 Autumn St., has been placed on administrative suspension from his job as a part-time police officer in Berlin, a position he started in April, according to Berlin Police Chief Otto F. Rhode Jr.
According to Clark University officials, Officer Smith worked at Clark from June 2003 to July 2006, when he went to New York to become a police officer there. Officer Smith returned to Clark in September 2007. He is now on administrative leave from that job pending the investigation, according to Jack Foley, Clark vice president for government and community affairs and campus services.
Officer Smith will appear in Pequannock Municipal Court, in New Jersey, on Monday to face the sexual assault charges. So will his brother, Curtis Smith, who lives in Pequannock Township, where the family is from.
Yesterday, Officer Smith was brought to Central District Court on a fugitive from justice charge. He was arrested by Worcester police while heading to work at Clark Wednesday night, on a warrant from New Jersey.
The warrant, however, was recalled because Officer Smith’s mother posted his $75,000 bail Wednesday night. According to paperwork obtained by the Telegram & Gazette, Nationwide Bail Bonds posted the bail for Officer Smith. His mother paid $7,500 to the bail bond company.
The charge of being a fugitive from justice was dropped pre-arraignment yesterday, meaning it will not show up on Officer Smith’s record, according to Pequannock police. He was released and planned to head to New Jersey for his court appearance Monday.
Affidavits on file in the New Jersey courts allege Officer Smith started a relationship with a young teenage girl — she was 12 and 13 at the time of the alleged incidents — in summer 2007.
The girl would sleep over at the Smith home in Pequannock Township. Another girl also allegedly slept over at the home. Authorities allege Curtis Smith sexually assaulted the other teenage girl.
In a June interview with Pequannock detectives, the girl told them Daniel Smith would send text messages to her. The girl said she sent return messages and described the messages’ content as in a “flirting manner,” court affidavits said.
Officer Smith is accused of sending her numerous pictures of his genitals as well.
Court affidavits allege the relationship between Officer Smith and the girl first started with kissing and touching, but then progressed. He is accused of rubbing himself in a sexual manner on the girl, kissing her inappropriately and digitally raping her.
Witnesses told police they knew the girl slept over at the house starting in summer 2007.
Detectives interviewed Officer Smith on Tuesday after he voluntarily went to the police station. He told them the victim had a crush on him and he did text-message her. He allegedly said he spent time with her when she slept over but denied any sexual activity. He then left and returned here.
Arrest warrants were issued for the Smith brothers on Wednesday.
Curtis Smith is accused of raping the other girl who slept over at the family’s home, starting in summer 2007. He is accused of text-messaging the girl — 13 at the time of the allegations — and touching her inappropriately, court affidavits said. He is also accused of digitally raping her and making her touch him inappropriately.
Witnesses told investigators they saw Curtis Smith in bed with the alleged victim and on one occasion she was topless.
Officer Smith is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Curtis Smith is facing the same charges, except that he is facing only one count of second-degree sexual assault.
A Clark University campus police officer, who also works as a police officer in Berlin, is facing sexual assault crimes in New Jersey for allegedly inappropriately touching and fondling a teenage girl last year at his family’s New Jersey home.
Daniel J. Smith, 26, of 1 Autumn St., has been placed on administrative suspension from his job as a part-time police officer in Berlin, a position he started in April, according to Berlin Police Chief Otto F. Rhode Jr.
According to Clark University officials, Officer Smith worked at Clark from June 2003 to July 2006, when he went to New York to become a police officer there. Officer Smith returned to Clark in September 2007. He is now on administrative leave from that job pending the investigation, according to Jack Foley, Clark vice president for government and community affairs and campus services.
Officer Smith will appear in Pequannock Municipal Court, in New Jersey, on Monday to face the sexual assault charges. So will his brother, Curtis Smith, who lives in Pequannock Township, where the family is from.
Yesterday, Officer Smith was brought to Central District Court on a fugitive from justice charge. He was arrested by Worcester police while heading to work at Clark Wednesday night, on a warrant from New Jersey.
The warrant, however, was recalled because Officer Smith’s mother posted his $75,000 bail Wednesday night. According to paperwork obtained by the Telegram & Gazette, Nationwide Bail Bonds posted the bail for Officer Smith. His mother paid $7,500 to the bail bond company.
The charge of being a fugitive from justice was dropped pre-arraignment yesterday, meaning it will not show up on Officer Smith’s record, according to Pequannock police. He was released and planned to head to New Jersey for his court appearance Monday.
Affidavits on file in the New Jersey courts allege Officer Smith started a relationship with a young teenage girl — she was 12 and 13 at the time of the alleged incidents — in summer 2007.
The girl would sleep over at the Smith home in Pequannock Township. Another girl also allegedly slept over at the home. Authorities allege Curtis Smith sexually assaulted the other teenage girl.
In a June interview with Pequannock detectives, the girl told them Daniel Smith would send text messages to her. The girl said she sent return messages and described the messages’ content as in a “flirting manner,” court affidavits said.
Officer Smith is accused of sending her numerous pictures of his genitals as well.
Court affidavits allege the relationship between Officer Smith and the girl first started with kissing and touching, but then progressed. He is accused of rubbing himself in a sexual manner on the girl, kissing her inappropriately and digitally raping her.
Witnesses told police they knew the girl slept over at the house starting in summer 2007.
Detectives interviewed Officer Smith on Tuesday after he voluntarily went to the police station. He told them the victim had a crush on him and he did text-message her. He allegedly said he spent time with her when she slept over but denied any sexual activity. He then left and returned here.
Arrest warrants were issued for the Smith brothers on Wednesday.
Curtis Smith is accused of raping the other girl who slept over at the family’s home, starting in summer 2007. He is accused of text-messaging the girl — 13 at the time of the allegations — and touching her inappropriately, court affidavits said. He is also accused of digitally raping her and making her touch him inappropriately.
Witnesses told investigators they saw Curtis Smith in bed with the alleged victim and on one occasion she was topless.
Officer Smith is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Curtis Smith is facing the same charges, except that he is facing only one count of second-degree sexual assault.
Milwaukee Officer Accused of Stealing During Sting
MILWAUKEE
A Milwaukee police officer has been suspended after being accused of stealing money.
Jeffrey Buckson has been charged with two felony counts of misconduct in office and misdemeanors of theft and receiving or concealing stolen property.
The department set up a sting after other officers reported misconduct by the five-year veteran. Officers had a person loiter near a vehicle, prompting a search by Buckson and his partner.
A criminal complaint says the 44-year-old is accused of taking $100 from $530 in cash he and his partner found in the vehicle.
The pair seized the money and a gun, but Buckson only placed the gun and $430 in inventory.
The complaint says Buckson admitted taking the cash and said he was having money problems.
A Milwaukee police officer has been suspended after being accused of stealing money.
Jeffrey Buckson has been charged with two felony counts of misconduct in office and misdemeanors of theft and receiving or concealing stolen property.
The department set up a sting after other officers reported misconduct by the five-year veteran. Officers had a person loiter near a vehicle, prompting a search by Buckson and his partner.
A criminal complaint says the 44-year-old is accused of taking $100 from $530 in cash he and his partner found in the vehicle.
The pair seized the money and a gun, but Buckson only placed the gun and $430 in inventory.
The complaint says Buckson admitted taking the cash and said he was having money problems.
Officer Gives Ex's New Boyfriend a Traffic Ticket
A Lafayette police officer was arrested on suspicion of giving his ex’s new boyfriend a traffic ticket, keeping both under “surveillance” and damaging the hood of her car during an argument, according to police reports.
James Edward Stafford, 34, turned himself in Wednesday. He was arrested by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of harassment/stalking, official misconduct and criminal mischief related to domestic violence. The harassment count is a class 5 felony.
Because he’s charged with a felony, Stafford is on unpaid leave in accordance with Lafayette police policy. He was unreachable Thursday.
The ex-girlfriend, a manager at Sonic in Lafayette whose name wasn’t released, told police she met Stafford last summer and they had an on-and-off relationship. During part of that relationship, they lived together in her Broomfield apartment. For the last three months, the woman was dating a Sonic employee.
The official misconduct charge stems from the traffic ticket, issued July 23.
Stafford, while driving an unmarked Lafayette police truck equipped with warning sirens, gave the woman’s boyfriend a ticket for weaving. Stafford then sent the woman a text message that said, “Your boyfriend just received a ticket, ha ha,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Lafayette police have since cleared the ticket.
In an interview with police, Stafford said he pulled the man over after he swerved over the yellow line into the oncoming lane of traffic, believing the man might be drunk. He told police he didn’t know the driver was the new boyfriend until after he pulled the man over.
He also told police that he sent the text message to the woman because the two had become friends and he didn’t want her to be upset about the ticket.
Lafayette police weren’t able to recover video footage of the stop from the truck’s dash-mounted camera.
The other charges stem from various incidents.
Stafford tried to lure the boyfriend to the woman’s home, impersonating her in text messages, according to police reports. He also scared her by punching a pillow next to her head after accusing her of cheating, she told police.
In another incident, she told police she met Stafford and he started yelling at her in the street to “just hit me.” As she backed away in her car, she told police, Stafford jumped on the hood of her truck, denting the hood and breaking her bug shield.
In an interview with police, Stafford denied damaging the woman’s truck.
In June, the woman told police, Stafford called her boss at Sonic and told him to fire her because she was stealing money and dating an employee.
Last week, she told police, Stafford sent her text messages while she was at work that indicated he was watching her. This week, she told police, she found comments on his MySpace page that scared her, including that he’s “going to take matters into his own hands.”
The Sonic employee told police he recently quit because he feared retaliation from Stafford.
The employee said he was “terrified” after receiving a text message from Stafford stating, “I will find you,” according to police reports. The employee also said Stafford later followed him and confronted him about his relationship with the woman, with Stafford telling him, “I will be watching you like a hawk.”
Before receiving the traffic ticket, the employee told police, Stafford left a note on his car in an apartment parking garage warning that it would be towed if it wasn’t moved.
Stafford has posted a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and was released Wednesday. Police also took 13 guns from Stafford’s home for safe keeping, including rifles, pistols and a shotgun.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
District Attorney Accused of Having Sex at Courthouse
BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa.
It is alleged that Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins has engaged in a sexual relationship inside the courthouse. County commissioners confirm they are investigating the allegations. Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Office and a judicial code of conduct board have all been put on alert.
Bedford County Commissioner Chairman Michael Herline said he was alerted to the incident when the family of the woman involved contacted his office. The investigation will determine what wrongdoing, if any, was committed by Higgins and how to move forward.
It all started at a Republican committee meeting on July 10 at the Carriage House restaurant. Higgins attended the meeting as the vice chairman.
Commissioner said the woman involved is not a county employee.
The investigation showed Higgins and the woman went back to Higgins office, located in the older portion of the renovated courthouse. It was there, Higgins admitted that they were involved in a sexual relationship.
Since it occurred in the courthouse, the commissioners said they have an obligation to address any situation involving county property, resources or employees.
The commissioners have interviewed people from before and after the incident. They have also been in touch with the county solicitor.
Attorney Higgins said that this is an unfortunate incident, but it is of a personal nature and he is working it out with his wife.
However, some wonder what kind of discipline can be taken against him? According to the county handbook, not much.
Under the sexual misconduct portion, it states that only county employees who violate the code of conduct will be subject to disciplinary action, including being fired. According to commissioners, the guidelines don't pertain to elected officials like Higgins.
Higgins would have to do something illegal, and Attorney General Tom Corbett, said there is nothing criminal about this situation.
County Commissioner Steve Houser also told WJAC that an elected official can actually never show up for work and still get paid, meaning there's no recourse to discipline or fire them.
Still, Bedford County Commissioners are investigating whether Higgins broke any rules by having his affair inside county property.
Two Officers Charged with Disorderly Conduct
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa.
Two local police officers and a local businessman are charged with disorderly conduct after a fight at the home of a prominent local attorney two weeks ago.
State police are charging 40-year-old Jamel Mallad of Hollidaysburg, Hollidaysburg police officer Jeffrey Friday and Logan Township police officer Matthew Lindsey after allegedly engaging in a fight at Attorney Tom Dickey's Hollidaysburg area home. Police said during the fight, one of the men was hit over the head with a beer bottle. However, he's not planning to prosecute for the assault.
The charges come after police interviewed a long list of guests who were at the party. On Wednesday, the investigating officer from Bedford met with other officers, as well as the chiefs of the Hollidaysburg and Logan Township police departments to discuss the charges and how to proceed.
District Attorney Rich Consiglio was also at the closed-door meeting, but said the case will not be handled by his office because there were assistant district attorney's at the party.
Consiglio said depending on how police proceed, he may be turning the case over to the Attorney General's office.
Both the Hollidaysburg and Logan Township police chiefs said they'll be handling the incident internally.
Two local police officers and a local businessman are charged with disorderly conduct after a fight at the home of a prominent local attorney two weeks ago.
State police are charging 40-year-old Jamel Mallad of Hollidaysburg, Hollidaysburg police officer Jeffrey Friday and Logan Township police officer Matthew Lindsey after allegedly engaging in a fight at Attorney Tom Dickey's Hollidaysburg area home. Police said during the fight, one of the men was hit over the head with a beer bottle. However, he's not planning to prosecute for the assault.
The charges come after police interviewed a long list of guests who were at the party. On Wednesday, the investigating officer from Bedford met with other officers, as well as the chiefs of the Hollidaysburg and Logan Township police departments to discuss the charges and how to proceed.
District Attorney Rich Consiglio was also at the closed-door meeting, but said the case will not be handled by his office because there were assistant district attorney's at the party.
Consiglio said depending on how police proceed, he may be turning the case over to the Attorney General's office.
Both the Hollidaysburg and Logan Township police chiefs said they'll be handling the incident internally.
Officer Arrested for Stalking, Misconduct and Criminal Mischief
A Lafayette police officer turned himself in Wednesday morning after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Officer James Stafford, 34, was arrested by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of harassment/stalking, official misconduct and criminal mischief related to domestic violence. The harassment count is a class 5 felony.
On Monday, the Lafayette Police Department asked the Sheriff’s Office to conduct an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing against Stafford. That investigation led to the arrest warrant.
Details of the case weren’t available Wednesday night, nor was the police report.
Sheriff Joe Pelle said the alleged wrongdoing involved Stafford and a “girlfriend or romantic interest.”
Pelle said an “official misconduct” charge usually means someone misused his or her authority. He didn’t elaborate on what those alleged misuses were in this case.
Stafford, who appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, posted a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and was released later in the day.
Officer James Stafford, 34, was arrested by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of harassment/stalking, official misconduct and criminal mischief related to domestic violence. The harassment count is a class 5 felony.
On Monday, the Lafayette Police Department asked the Sheriff’s Office to conduct an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing against Stafford. That investigation led to the arrest warrant.
Details of the case weren’t available Wednesday night, nor was the police report.
Sheriff Joe Pelle said the alleged wrongdoing involved Stafford and a “girlfriend or romantic interest.”
Pelle said an “official misconduct” charge usually means someone misused his or her authority. He didn’t elaborate on what those alleged misuses were in this case.
Stafford, who appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, posted a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and was released later in the day.
Officer Charged with Theft and Misconduct
A 44-year-old Milwaukee police officer was charged Wednesday with stealing money from a vehicle during a search.
Officer Jeffrey Buckson, a member of the force since April 2003, was arrested July 2 by members of the department’s Professional Performance Division, according to an arrest detention report.
The Professional Performance Division began investigating Buckson based upon information provided by other officers, department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said in a statement.
Buckson, who had been assigned to District 3, has been suspended, Schwartz said.
According to a criminal complaint filed against Buckson:
On the afternoon of July 2, police personnel parked a black Chevrolet Tahoe in the 2600 block of W. Lloyd St. and placed a handgun and $530 in cash inside the SUV’s center console. A man was recruited to loiter near the SUV while police observed.
Buckson and his partner were told the SUV and the man were involved in a drug dealing complaint and drove to the area to investigate.
The officers searched, detained and released the man and searched the SUV. The officers took the cash and the gun from the SUV to be inventoried at the District 3 police station. They had not yet counted the cash.
The officers stopped at an ATM and a Taco Bell while driving back to the district station. While his partner was outside the vehicle using the ATM, Buckson took $100 of the cash, the complaint said.
After returning to the station, Buckson filled out an inventory form and reported that $430 had been found in the SUV. He put the other $100 in his bag in a locker room at the station, according to the complaint.
Police found the money in his bag after obtaining a search warrant, the complaint said.
Buckson told investigators he took the money because he was having financial problems and family issues, according to the complaint.
He is charged with two felony counts of misconduct in public office and misdemeanor counts of theft by an employee and concealing stolen property.
Officer Jeffrey Buckson, a member of the force since April 2003, was arrested July 2 by members of the department’s Professional Performance Division, according to an arrest detention report.
The Professional Performance Division began investigating Buckson based upon information provided by other officers, department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said in a statement.
Buckson, who had been assigned to District 3, has been suspended, Schwartz said.
According to a criminal complaint filed against Buckson:
On the afternoon of July 2, police personnel parked a black Chevrolet Tahoe in the 2600 block of W. Lloyd St. and placed a handgun and $530 in cash inside the SUV’s center console. A man was recruited to loiter near the SUV while police observed.
Buckson and his partner were told the SUV and the man were involved in a drug dealing complaint and drove to the area to investigate.
The officers searched, detained and released the man and searched the SUV. The officers took the cash and the gun from the SUV to be inventoried at the District 3 police station. They had not yet counted the cash.
The officers stopped at an ATM and a Taco Bell while driving back to the district station. While his partner was outside the vehicle using the ATM, Buckson took $100 of the cash, the complaint said.
After returning to the station, Buckson filled out an inventory form and reported that $430 had been found in the SUV. He put the other $100 in his bag in a locker room at the station, according to the complaint.
Police found the money in his bag after obtaining a search warrant, the complaint said.
Buckson told investigators he took the money because he was having financial problems and family issues, according to the complaint.
He is charged with two felony counts of misconduct in public office and misdemeanor counts of theft by an employee and concealing stolen property.
Officer William Rust Arrested for Domestic Violence
NEW CASTLE
A former city police officer was arrested this week on a domestic battery charge.
Officer William P. Rust, 40, 553 Elliott Ave., was arrested at a southside home early Tuesday afternoon. He was released after posting bond about 12 hours later.
He was preliminarily charged with a Class A misdemeanor carrying a maximum one-year jail term. However, formal charges had not been filed as of Wednesday.
A New Castle woman on Wednesday was granted a protective order against Rust.
Rust was a New Castle police officer before resigning his post in May.
A former city police officer was arrested this week on a domestic battery charge.
Officer William P. Rust, 40, 553 Elliott Ave., was arrested at a southside home early Tuesday afternoon. He was released after posting bond about 12 hours later.
He was preliminarily charged with a Class A misdemeanor carrying a maximum one-year jail term. However, formal charges had not been filed as of Wednesday.
A New Castle woman on Wednesday was granted a protective order against Rust.
Rust was a New Castle police officer before resigning his post in May.
Officer Charged With Sexual Assaulting Two Teenagers
A New Castle police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting two teenagers at his Union Township home.
Richard L. Corbin, 35, of 458 Moore Ave., was arraigned before District Judge Jerry Cartwright on two counts each of statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and four counts of corruption of minors. He also is charged with two counts of furnishing alcohol to minors.
Following his arraignment at 8 p.m. yesterday, state police said Corbin was released on non-monetary bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Central Court.
According to a prepared statement issued by the New Castle Police Department, Corbin has been placed on leave pending further investigation. The statement did not indicate whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
On Tuesday, state police from the Butler Criminal Investigation Unit probed the reported sexual assault of two teenage girls — one is 15, the other is 14. She was 13 at the time of the alleged incident, which took place in January at Corbin’s Moore Avenue home, police said.
According to paperwork filed in the office of District Judge Jennifer Nicholson, police interviewed the younger girl on Tuesday at the state police station in New Castle.
She told officers that in January, Corbin had offered the two a ride to Club Unity, their intended destination.
Once inside his car, she said, Corbin began touching her over her clothing. She said a bottle of liquor had been found in the back seat and both girls asked if they could drink some before they reached the club. She said Corbin had agreed and suggested they drink the alcohol at his home.
The girl said all three began to drink the alcohol in the living room of the officer’s home.
After drinking seven to eight shots of the flavored vodka, the victim said, she went upstairs to the bathroom. When she came out, she said, Corbin invited her to go into his bedroom, which contained a computer.
The court papers said the girl had reported she “eventually engaged in sexual intercourse with Corbin.”
When they finished, she said, she went downstairs and told the older girl that she had had sex with Corbin. She said Corbin then went downstairs and began “kissing and fondling” the other girl.
The girl said that Corbin and the older girl then went upstairs, returning in about 20 minutes.
Police interviewed the older girl on Wednesday at a treatment center in Farrell. They said she had corroborated the younger girl’s statements.
Officers arrested Corbin yesterday at his home.
According to city records, Corbin was hired as a patrolman on a temporary basis in May 1998 and served in that capacity until Jan. 1, 2003, when he became a full-time officer.
Through a cooperative effort with the New Castle district, Corbin served as a school resource officer assigned to the junior-senior high, according to superintendent George Gabriel.
The policeman served in that position from April 9, 2007, through Feb. 1, 2008, according to the district.
Gabriel would not comment on why Corbin’s duties at the school ended.
The superintendent said the purpose of the program was to have students become familiar with police officers and “mostly to ensure safety in the building.”
Some of Corbin’s responsibilities at the junior-senior high included patrolling the outside the building to detect unauthorized persons or vehicles; monitoring the halls, restrooms and stairwells during classroom changes; and assisting in stopping disturbances and undue distractions in the school and its grounds.
New Castle Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo said he had just learned of Corbin’s arrest this morning and had not had a chance to talk with Police Chief Tom Sansone about the officer’s status.
In a prepared statement sent to the New Castle News this morning, the police department acknowledged that Corbin, one it its officers, had been charged.
“While the New Castle Police Department takes these matters seriously, we must reserve comment at this time pending the outcome of the court process.”
Richard L. Corbin, 35, of 458 Moore Ave., was arraigned before District Judge Jerry Cartwright on two counts each of statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and four counts of corruption of minors. He also is charged with two counts of furnishing alcohol to minors.
Following his arraignment at 8 p.m. yesterday, state police said Corbin was released on non-monetary bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Central Court.
According to a prepared statement issued by the New Castle Police Department, Corbin has been placed on leave pending further investigation. The statement did not indicate whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
On Tuesday, state police from the Butler Criminal Investigation Unit probed the reported sexual assault of two teenage girls — one is 15, the other is 14. She was 13 at the time of the alleged incident, which took place in January at Corbin’s Moore Avenue home, police said.
According to paperwork filed in the office of District Judge Jennifer Nicholson, police interviewed the younger girl on Tuesday at the state police station in New Castle.
She told officers that in January, Corbin had offered the two a ride to Club Unity, their intended destination.
Once inside his car, she said, Corbin began touching her over her clothing. She said a bottle of liquor had been found in the back seat and both girls asked if they could drink some before they reached the club. She said Corbin had agreed and suggested they drink the alcohol at his home.
The girl said all three began to drink the alcohol in the living room of the officer’s home.
After drinking seven to eight shots of the flavored vodka, the victim said, she went upstairs to the bathroom. When she came out, she said, Corbin invited her to go into his bedroom, which contained a computer.
The court papers said the girl had reported she “eventually engaged in sexual intercourse with Corbin.”
When they finished, she said, she went downstairs and told the older girl that she had had sex with Corbin. She said Corbin then went downstairs and began “kissing and fondling” the other girl.
The girl said that Corbin and the older girl then went upstairs, returning in about 20 minutes.
Police interviewed the older girl on Wednesday at a treatment center in Farrell. They said she had corroborated the younger girl’s statements.
Officers arrested Corbin yesterday at his home.
According to city records, Corbin was hired as a patrolman on a temporary basis in May 1998 and served in that capacity until Jan. 1, 2003, when he became a full-time officer.
Through a cooperative effort with the New Castle district, Corbin served as a school resource officer assigned to the junior-senior high, according to superintendent George Gabriel.
The policeman served in that position from April 9, 2007, through Feb. 1, 2008, according to the district.
Gabriel would not comment on why Corbin’s duties at the school ended.
The superintendent said the purpose of the program was to have students become familiar with police officers and “mostly to ensure safety in the building.”
Some of Corbin’s responsibilities at the junior-senior high included patrolling the outside the building to detect unauthorized persons or vehicles; monitoring the halls, restrooms and stairwells during classroom changes; and assisting in stopping disturbances and undue distractions in the school and its grounds.
New Castle Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo said he had just learned of Corbin’s arrest this morning and had not had a chance to talk with Police Chief Tom Sansone about the officer’s status.
In a prepared statement sent to the New Castle News this morning, the police department acknowledged that Corbin, one it its officers, had been charged.
“While the New Castle Police Department takes these matters seriously, we must reserve comment at this time pending the outcome of the court process.”
Veteran Officer Jonathan Heard Robs Store
The Central Store was robbed at gunpoint Friday night, and the prime suspect identified by Elmore County Sheriff’s deputies is a former police investigator with 11 years in law enforcement.
Jonathan Heard, a former investigator with the Roanoke Police Department in Randolph County, allegedly wielded a “semi-automatic pistol” and demanded cash from a cashier at the store around 6:30 Friday night, according to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department.
According to victims and witnesses at The Central Store "9 miles north of Wetumpka on Alabama Highway 9” Heard came in asking for directions to Alexander City around 5 p.m.
Elmore County Chief Deputy Ricky Lowery said Heard returned an hour and a half later, pointed a handgun at the clerk, and left with “an undisclosed amount of currency.”
Roanoke Police Chief Adam Melton said his department did everything it could to cooperate with local investigators, despite their “shock and disbelief” that one of their own could commit such a crime.
“Our thoughts and prayers are, of course, with the victims and with (Heard’s) family,” Melton said Monday. “We’re praying that God holds their hand through this trying time, because this is just awful.”
A witness who saw the robber flee The Central Store in a Chevrolet Avalanche wrote down the truck’s license plate. After a license plate check identified Heard, sheriff’s deputies contacted Melton’s department. They confirmed Heard’s previous employment there, and verified the type of truck he drove.
“While the investigation was going on, we received information that another store was hit in Shorter, and we feel (Heard) is a suspect in that robbery as well,” Sheriff Bill Franklin said.
An Elmore County deputy who knew Heard called his cell phone not long after The Central Store hold-up, and Heard said he wanted to turn himself in, but needed to speak with an attorney first.
“Apparently, that was a ruse,” Franklin said.
A regional bulletin to “be on the lookout,” called a BOLO, was issued.
Lowery also spoke with Heard around 11 p.m. Friday, asking him to come in to talk about “something that happened in the county.”
Heard was apprehended in Biloxi, Miss., parking lot around 4 a.m. Saturday, Biloxi Police Investigator Susan Kimball said. He did not resist arrest, she added, and the handgun allegedly used in the crime was found in Heard’s truck. The former policeman is also suspected in a 2 a.m. robbery at an Exxon station in Moss Point, Miss., Kimball said.
Kimball said Heard is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. An extradition hearing was planned for Tuesday or today, she added.
Elmore County investigators were surprised to see the tag number lead to a former police officer, Lowery said, but since Heard allegedly “broke the law, we treated him just like any other suspect.”
Melton said Heard patrolled Roanoke in two stints totaling 11 years. A native of nearby Wedowee, he worked for the RPD from 1994-2000 and 2001-2006, before resigning to take a job with a neighboring sheriff’s department, Melton said.
“I’m just at a loss of words,” Melton said. “He had been one of ours, but I believe in punishment for what we do wrong. If we can do anything, for the victims, his family or for Jonathan, I’m happy to talk to whomever.”
Jonathan Heard, a former investigator with the Roanoke Police Department in Randolph County, allegedly wielded a “semi-automatic pistol” and demanded cash from a cashier at the store around 6:30 Friday night, according to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department.
According to victims and witnesses at The Central Store "9 miles north of Wetumpka on Alabama Highway 9” Heard came in asking for directions to Alexander City around 5 p.m.
Elmore County Chief Deputy Ricky Lowery said Heard returned an hour and a half later, pointed a handgun at the clerk, and left with “an undisclosed amount of currency.”
Roanoke Police Chief Adam Melton said his department did everything it could to cooperate with local investigators, despite their “shock and disbelief” that one of their own could commit such a crime.
“Our thoughts and prayers are, of course, with the victims and with (Heard’s) family,” Melton said Monday. “We’re praying that God holds their hand through this trying time, because this is just awful.”
A witness who saw the robber flee The Central Store in a Chevrolet Avalanche wrote down the truck’s license plate. After a license plate check identified Heard, sheriff’s deputies contacted Melton’s department. They confirmed Heard’s previous employment there, and verified the type of truck he drove.
“While the investigation was going on, we received information that another store was hit in Shorter, and we feel (Heard) is a suspect in that robbery as well,” Sheriff Bill Franklin said.
An Elmore County deputy who knew Heard called his cell phone not long after The Central Store hold-up, and Heard said he wanted to turn himself in, but needed to speak with an attorney first.
“Apparently, that was a ruse,” Franklin said.
A regional bulletin to “be on the lookout,” called a BOLO, was issued.
Lowery also spoke with Heard around 11 p.m. Friday, asking him to come in to talk about “something that happened in the county.”
Heard was apprehended in Biloxi, Miss., parking lot around 4 a.m. Saturday, Biloxi Police Investigator Susan Kimball said. He did not resist arrest, she added, and the handgun allegedly used in the crime was found in Heard’s truck. The former policeman is also suspected in a 2 a.m. robbery at an Exxon station in Moss Point, Miss., Kimball said.
Kimball said Heard is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. An extradition hearing was planned for Tuesday or today, she added.
Elmore County investigators were surprised to see the tag number lead to a former police officer, Lowery said, but since Heard allegedly “broke the law, we treated him just like any other suspect.”
Melton said Heard patrolled Roanoke in two stints totaling 11 years. A native of nearby Wedowee, he worked for the RPD from 1994-2000 and 2001-2006, before resigning to take a job with a neighboring sheriff’s department, Melton said.
“I’m just at a loss of words,” Melton said. “He had been one of ours, but I believe in punishment for what we do wrong. If we can do anything, for the victims, his family or for Jonathan, I’m happy to talk to whomever.”
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.
Former Boston officer sentenced to 11 years
A former Boston police officer was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison yesterday for conspiring to extort $265,000 on behalf of Colombian drug dealers while in uniform, one of a series of recent corruption scandals in the Police Department.
US District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel sentenced Jose A. "Flaco" Ortiz, 46, formerly of Salem, to 11 years and three months in prison followed by five years of supervised release in connection with extortion and cocaine-related charges.
"Of all our recent cases combating police corruption, this was among the most egregious," US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said in a statement after sentencing. "To have a uniformed officer, carrying his badge and weapon, extort money on behalf of a Colombian drug ring cuts at the heart of our system of justice."
Ortiz pleaded guilty on April 29. He was the fifth Boston officer to plead guilty to federal charges since September. All the cases, including one involving three officers, involved drugs.
His lawyer, Scott A. Lutes, of Providence, said his client is ashamed and still thinks like a police officer. A few nights ago, Lutes said, Ortiz helped save a fellow inmate who slit his wrists and throat at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls.
The case against Ortiz stems from an investigation that began in late 2003 or early 2004, according to federal prosecutors. A man identified as Victim A told authorities that two drug dealers approached him and asked whether he knew anyone who might want to participate in drug trafficking.
At the advice of the authorities, Victim A introduced the drug dealers to a man supposedly involved in the drug trade. Days later, the drug dealers told Victim A that the man had stolen from them. They blamed Victim A for the theft.
And then, in a startling twist in August 2006, Ortiz showed up in his uniform at Victim A's job in the Boston area, prosecutors said. He said he was there on behalf of drug dealers who would kill Victim A if he didn't pay $265,000.
In May, the victim gave Ortiz $4,000 in cash and 4 kilograms of cocaine in a Revere parking lot, a deal Ortiz said would settle the debt. The FBI then arrested Ortiz.
Retired police officer charged with sex assault
WINNIPEG
A former Winnipeg police sergeant with a history of violating a protection order granted to his ex-wife is being held in custody on charges that he broke into her home and violently sexually assaulted her on the weekend.
The 25-year veteran of the force was arrested Sunday and charged with a number of serious offences, including sexual assault causing bodily harm, breaking into the woman's home and assaulting her, forcible confinement and disobeying a protection order she was granted in July 2006.
The criminal complaint alleges he broke into the woman's home in the Winnipeg neighbourhood of Charleswood on Sunday while wearing a mask, repeatedly sexually assaulted her and choked her.
A former Winnipeg police sergeant with a history of violating a protection order granted to his ex-wife is being held in custody on charges that he broke into her home and violently sexually assaulted her on the weekend.
The 25-year veteran of the force was arrested Sunday and charged with a number of serious offences, including sexual assault causing bodily harm, breaking into the woman's home and assaulting her, forcible confinement and disobeying a protection order she was granted in July 2006.
The criminal complaint alleges he broke into the woman's home in the Winnipeg neighbourhood of Charleswood on Sunday while wearing a mask, repeatedly sexually assaulted her and choked her.
Officer and 5 others Arrested by FBI
EL PASO
A Juárez police officer is accused of leading a gang of kidnappers and killers that was captured after a vehicle chase by federal police in Juárez, officials said.
Federal police Tuesday arrested municipal police officer Juan Gallegos Acosta and five other men, seized four AR-15 and nine AK-47 rifles and three vehicles, including a 2002 GMC Yukon and a 2007 Toyota Solara, both reported stolen in Texas.
"Unfortunately, he is a member of the department," said Javier Torres, police force spokesman. "We are working on purging the department. Bad police officers will be sanctioned."
Federal officials said a chase began when federal police saw the sand-colored Yukon speeding on Zaragoza Avenue while carrying a group of men with assault rifles and bulletproof vests. The chase ended in the Oasis area.
The men and seized items were turned over to a federal organized crime unit in Mexico City. No charges were announced.
The federal agents were part of Joint Operation Chihuahua, the anti-crime offensive sent to Juárez to curb a flood of homicides, which have reached about 650 so far this year party because of a war among drug cartels.
At least seven people were slain Tuesday, including a triple homicide in the southern part of the city.
Chihuahua state investigators said the unidentified bodies of two men and a woman were found shot to death in colonia Hacienda de las Torres III. One man died on the street. The woman was in the front passenger seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The second man died in the front passenger seat of a Ford Crown Victoria with Texas plates inside a garage of a home on Calle Del Abrevadero.
In colonia Partido Iglesias, Juárez police went to a home at the end of a bloody trail left where the stabbed body of Armando Santillan Villegas, 48, had been dragged.
Mercedes Elguero Calderon, 38, and brothers Enrique Alonso and Luis Fernando Reyes Murguia, ages 38 and 36, were detained on suspicion of homicide. Later that morning, the body of an unidentified man shot multiple times was found in colonia Senderos de San Isidro.
Two men were killed in the evening in separate cases.
A Juárez police officer is accused of leading a gang of kidnappers and killers that was captured after a vehicle chase by federal police in Juárez, officials said.
Federal police Tuesday arrested municipal police officer Juan Gallegos Acosta and five other men, seized four AR-15 and nine AK-47 rifles and three vehicles, including a 2002 GMC Yukon and a 2007 Toyota Solara, both reported stolen in Texas.
"Unfortunately, he is a member of the department," said Javier Torres, police force spokesman. "We are working on purging the department. Bad police officers will be sanctioned."
Federal officials said a chase began when federal police saw the sand-colored Yukon speeding on Zaragoza Avenue while carrying a group of men with assault rifles and bulletproof vests. The chase ended in the Oasis area.
The men and seized items were turned over to a federal organized crime unit in Mexico City. No charges were announced.
The federal agents were part of Joint Operation Chihuahua, the anti-crime offensive sent to Juárez to curb a flood of homicides, which have reached about 650 so far this year party because of a war among drug cartels.
At least seven people were slain Tuesday, including a triple homicide in the southern part of the city.
Chihuahua state investigators said the unidentified bodies of two men and a woman were found shot to death in colonia Hacienda de las Torres III. One man died on the street. The woman was in the front passenger seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The second man died in the front passenger seat of a Ford Crown Victoria with Texas plates inside a garage of a home on Calle Del Abrevadero.
In colonia Partido Iglesias, Juárez police went to a home at the end of a bloody trail left where the stabbed body of Armando Santillan Villegas, 48, had been dragged.
Mercedes Elguero Calderon, 38, and brothers Enrique Alonso and Luis Fernando Reyes Murguia, ages 38 and 36, were detained on suspicion of homicide. Later that morning, the body of an unidentified man shot multiple times was found in colonia Senderos de San Isidro.
Two men were killed in the evening in separate cases.
Officer Who Shot Boy Pleads Not Guilty
VISTA, Calif.
A San Diego police officer claims caution prompted him to unload five bullet rounds at an 8-year-old boy and his mother during an off-duty traffic dispute, but prosecutors Tuesday called it a case of "apparent road rage."
Frank White pleaded not guilty to one felony count of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and one misdemeanor count of drawing a concealed weapon in public. He faces up to nine years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors accuse White of firing at Rachel Silva's Honda Accord from the driver's seat of his own car after a screaming match triggered by a near-collision at a busy intersection.
One bullet struck Silva's son Johnny in the knee; the boy was hospitalized and required surgery. Two others struck Silva in the upper arm.
White, 28, answered a single procedural question at his arraignment before Superior Court Judge Marshall Hockett and was released on his own recognizance. He declined to speak with reporters as he left the courthouse with his wife, Jacquellyn.
White's attorney, Richard Pinckard, entered the plea on his client's behalf.
"We don't believe that there's anything to support that our client's conduct was unreasonable under the circumstances," Pinckard said after the hearing.
White was also stripped of his police powers and placed on unpaid leave from the San Diego Police Department while his case is under internal review, Chief William Lansdowne said. White was assigned to administrative duty after the March 15 shooting.
White is the second law enforcement officer that Dumanis charged since taking office in 2003; the first was a sheriff's deputy accused of killing his wife. She has faced criticism in some quarters for declining to pursue charges in other high-profile cases, including the 2006 shooting of former Chargers linebacker Steve Foley by an off-duty officer.
"Based on the evidence and the law, these charges are appropriate," Dumanis said in a brief statement. She refused to take questions from reporters.
White was driving his personal car when he and Rachel Silva nearly collided on a busy thoroughfare in Oceanside, about 40 miles north of San Diego. Witnesses said Silva responded aggressively, tailing White and his wife to a parking lot.
According to an arrest warrant filed Tuesday, White was wearing his .38 Smith and Wesson revolver on his waistband and aimed it at Silva as she pulled parallel to him. Silva called 911 and said, "There's a man who's pulling a gun on me," then sideswiped White's car as she reversed past it after he began to open the driver's side door.
White told investigators that he fired because he thought Silva was trying to hit him with her car, according to search warrants filed earlier in the case. He claimed he did not see her son through the windshield.
White's wife, a police dispatcher, was in their car.
Tests showed Silva had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit. The 27-year-old pleaded not guilty this month to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor drunken-driving and marijuana-possession charges filed by the state attorney general's office.
Her attorney, Michael Pancer, said he was pleased by Dumanis' decision.
"She did the right thing," Pancer said.
Silva and her son have each filed lawsuits seeking damages from the city of San Diego. Lawyers for the boy also filed a complaint in federal court in May claiming police were inadequately screened, trained and disciplined.
A San Diego police officer claims caution prompted him to unload five bullet rounds at an 8-year-old boy and his mother during an off-duty traffic dispute, but prosecutors Tuesday called it a case of "apparent road rage."
Frank White pleaded not guilty to one felony count of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and one misdemeanor count of drawing a concealed weapon in public. He faces up to nine years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors accuse White of firing at Rachel Silva's Honda Accord from the driver's seat of his own car after a screaming match triggered by a near-collision at a busy intersection.
One bullet struck Silva's son Johnny in the knee; the boy was hospitalized and required surgery. Two others struck Silva in the upper arm.
White, 28, answered a single procedural question at his arraignment before Superior Court Judge Marshall Hockett and was released on his own recognizance. He declined to speak with reporters as he left the courthouse with his wife, Jacquellyn.
White's attorney, Richard Pinckard, entered the plea on his client's behalf.
"We don't believe that there's anything to support that our client's conduct was unreasonable under the circumstances," Pinckard said after the hearing.
White was also stripped of his police powers and placed on unpaid leave from the San Diego Police Department while his case is under internal review, Chief William Lansdowne said. White was assigned to administrative duty after the March 15 shooting.
White is the second law enforcement officer that Dumanis charged since taking office in 2003; the first was a sheriff's deputy accused of killing his wife. She has faced criticism in some quarters for declining to pursue charges in other high-profile cases, including the 2006 shooting of former Chargers linebacker Steve Foley by an off-duty officer.
"Based on the evidence and the law, these charges are appropriate," Dumanis said in a brief statement. She refused to take questions from reporters.
White was driving his personal car when he and Rachel Silva nearly collided on a busy thoroughfare in Oceanside, about 40 miles north of San Diego. Witnesses said Silva responded aggressively, tailing White and his wife to a parking lot.
According to an arrest warrant filed Tuesday, White was wearing his .38 Smith and Wesson revolver on his waistband and aimed it at Silva as she pulled parallel to him. Silva called 911 and said, "There's a man who's pulling a gun on me," then sideswiped White's car as she reversed past it after he began to open the driver's side door.
White told investigators that he fired because he thought Silva was trying to hit him with her car, according to search warrants filed earlier in the case. He claimed he did not see her son through the windshield.
White's wife, a police dispatcher, was in their car.
Tests showed Silva had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit. The 27-year-old pleaded not guilty this month to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor drunken-driving and marijuana-possession charges filed by the state attorney general's office.
Her attorney, Michael Pancer, said he was pleased by Dumanis' decision.
"She did the right thing," Pancer said.
Silva and her son have each filed lawsuits seeking damages from the city of San Diego. Lawyers for the boy also filed a complaint in federal court in May claiming police were inadequately screened, trained and disciplined.
Officer Can't Control His Own Son
The son of a BSO deputy was arrested on Tuesday, charged with pretending to be a law enforcement officer.
It's bad enough when a son takes dad's car out for a joy ride, without asking.
But when the dad is a Broward sheriff's deputy and the car is an unmarked patrol vehicle, the son could face more than grounding.
Tuesday night, Myko Coker, 18, of Sunrise, was in Broward County's main jail, facing grand theft auto and impersonating a law enforcement officer charges.
Here is how police described what happened:
At about 4:30 a.m., a call came into the Sunrise Police Department saying an unmarked police car was making traffic stops near the corner of University Drive and West Oakland Park Boulevard.
There, a Sunrise officer found someone wearing a BSO T-shirt and driving an unmarked police car. There was a passenger in the car.
The driver told the officer he was a BSO deputy and that he was driving home from work when someone cut him off and he pulled the car over, according to Sunrise police spokesman Capt. Robert Voss.
The name he gave was his father's, who is a deputy with the sheriff's office.
The Sunrise officer allowed Coker to leave.
But moments later, the officer saw the unmarked car again. With emergency lights on, the car pulled into a parking lot in the 4500 block of North University Drive, then pulled out and headed west on Northwest 44th Street.
The Sunrise officer turned on his own lights and went after the unmarked car. But the BSO car kept going.
The Sunrise officer turned on his siren.
The BSO cruiser pulled over.
This time, the Sunrise officer asked Coker to show proof he was a deputy.
But Coker had no badge, Voss said.
''He went to the deputy's house that was being impersonated, knocked on the door and asked him where was his car,'' Voss said.
'He looked outside and said `Uh oh, where's my car?' ''
The deputy's name wasn't released.
The passenger wasn't charged, Voss said.
''The deputy's son did something really foolish, and now they're going to have to deal with it as a family,'' said BSO spokesman Jim Leljedal.
Officer has Sex with Prostitute, Stole the Money
Louisville, Ky.
A Louisville metro police officer is the target of a criminal investigation.
The investigation alleges the officer had sex with the prostitute, stole the money he paid her, and then cited her for trespassing.
Sherry McClean says she owns a massage service. She has her own sexually explicit website and today said that last October, she went to Kenneth Wynne’s Louisville apartment to give him a massage. He paid her 80 bucks and agreed to pay more if she’d have sex with him. McClean claims when she balked at one of Wynne’s sexual demands, he held a gun to her head, wouldn’t let her leave, told her he was a police officer and had to charge her with a crime of her choosing. She picked criminal trespassing. That’s what she was cited for. Then McClean says Officer Wynne took back the money he’d just paid her and kept the condom he’d used. McClean says she finally got to leave, immediately calling her attorney and eventually, the police.
According to court records, the trespassing charge against McClean was dismissed when the police officer, Wynne, was not present in court. McClean has a long list of mostly minor criminal charges including two convictions for prostitution.
She says when she left Wynne, she took some of his DNA with her to prove she’s telling the truth.
A Louisville metro police officer is the target of a criminal investigation.
The investigation alleges the officer had sex with the prostitute, stole the money he paid her, and then cited her for trespassing.
Sherry McClean says she owns a massage service. She has her own sexually explicit website and today said that last October, she went to Kenneth Wynne’s Louisville apartment to give him a massage. He paid her 80 bucks and agreed to pay more if she’d have sex with him. McClean claims when she balked at one of Wynne’s sexual demands, he held a gun to her head, wouldn’t let her leave, told her he was a police officer and had to charge her with a crime of her choosing. She picked criminal trespassing. That’s what she was cited for. Then McClean says Officer Wynne took back the money he’d just paid her and kept the condom he’d used. McClean says she finally got to leave, immediately calling her attorney and eventually, the police.
According to court records, the trespassing charge against McClean was dismissed when the police officer, Wynne, was not present in court. McClean has a long list of mostly minor criminal charges including two convictions for prostitution.
She says when she left Wynne, she took some of his DNA with her to prove she’s telling the truth.
Tasered to Death
Case of Louisiana Man Tasered to Death by Police Officer While in Custody Heads to Grand Jury
The case of a former Winnfield, Louisiana police officer who zapped a handcuffed suspect nine times with a Taser goes now before a grand jury to consider whether he will be charged in the death of Baron “Scooter” Pikes.
Pikes, the first cousin of lead Jena Six defendant Mychal Bell, died in January after former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent used 50,000 volt Taser strikes on him at least nine times, authorities said.
District Attorney R. Chris Nevils of the 8th Judicial District, which includes Winn Parish, said Monday he will convene a grand jury on Aug. 12 to consider possible charges against Nugent.
Winnfield is less than 40 miles from Jena, Louisiana, the scene last year of one of the largest civil rights marches in recent history.
Nugent has acknowledged using a Taser multiple times on Pikes on January 17, 2008, while Pikes was in police custody. Pikes died a short time later, Nevils said in his statement.
The case of a former Winnfield, Louisiana police officer who zapped a handcuffed suspect nine times with a Taser goes now before a grand jury to consider whether he will be charged in the death of Baron “Scooter” Pikes.
Pikes, the first cousin of lead Jena Six defendant Mychal Bell, died in January after former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent used 50,000 volt Taser strikes on him at least nine times, authorities said.
District Attorney R. Chris Nevils of the 8th Judicial District, which includes Winn Parish, said Monday he will convene a grand jury on Aug. 12 to consider possible charges against Nugent.
Winnfield is less than 40 miles from Jena, Louisiana, the scene last year of one of the largest civil rights marches in recent history.
Nugent has acknowledged using a Taser multiple times on Pikes on January 17, 2008, while Pikes was in police custody. Pikes died a short time later, Nevils said in his statement.
Jailer accused of soliciting sex from teen
Corrections officer from Madison County thought he was corresponding with 14-year-old girl who was actually a federal agent, according to U.S. attorney.
A Madison County corrections officer was arrested in south Baldwin County on Monday morning on federal felony charges of attempting to use the Internet to solicit sex from a minor.
James Norbert Stracke, 55, of Meridianville was arrested when he arrived in Foley, said Tommy Loftis, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Mobile. Stracke was also charged with attempting to transfer obscene material.
Stracke has been a corrections officer for the Madison County Sheriff's Office for 15 years, said Chris Stephens, chief deputy.
Last week, Stracke began corresponding on the Internet with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Deborah Rhodes. The person was an undercover federal officer, the statement said.
In Foley, Stracke was arrested by officers from the city police, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office Project Safe Childhood Task Force.
Stephens said that Madison County officials placed Stracke on unpaid leave Monday after being informed of the arrest. He said Stracke has been a corrections officer assigned to overseeing jail inmates since being hired.
Stephens said the jailer had no record of disciplinary problems.
"He was kind of a quiet guy, kind of reserved," Stephens said Monday. "There was never any indication of anything such as this."
Stephen said Stracke did not have access to county computers or the Internet as part of his jail job.
Stracke made an initial appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Cassady, and is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.
A defendant convicted of enticement of a minor could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and fined as much as $250,000, according to federal officials. The charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
Stracke's case will be presented to the federal grand jury next month, Loftis said.
A Madison County corrections officer was arrested in south Baldwin County on Monday morning on federal felony charges of attempting to use the Internet to solicit sex from a minor.
James Norbert Stracke, 55, of Meridianville was arrested when he arrived in Foley, said Tommy Loftis, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Mobile. Stracke was also charged with attempting to transfer obscene material.
Stracke has been a corrections officer for the Madison County Sheriff's Office for 15 years, said Chris Stephens, chief deputy.
Last week, Stracke began corresponding on the Internet with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Deborah Rhodes. The person was an undercover federal officer, the statement said.
In Foley, Stracke was arrested by officers from the city police, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office Project Safe Childhood Task Force.
Stephens said that Madison County officials placed Stracke on unpaid leave Monday after being informed of the arrest. He said Stracke has been a corrections officer assigned to overseeing jail inmates since being hired.
Stephens said the jailer had no record of disciplinary problems.
"He was kind of a quiet guy, kind of reserved," Stephens said Monday. "There was never any indication of anything such as this."
Stephen said Stracke did not have access to county computers or the Internet as part of his jail job.
Stracke made an initial appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Cassady, and is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.
A defendant convicted of enticement of a minor could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and fined as much as $250,000, according to federal officials. The charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
Stracke's case will be presented to the federal grand jury next month, Loftis said.
Deputy Accused Of Sex With Minor Held On High Bond
ORLANDO
On Tuesday morning, bond was set at $250,000 for an Orange County deputy who was arrested on child sex charges.
The Sheriff's Office said Louis Mercado, 45, was taken into custody Monday on charges of sexual battery on a minor.
Deputies said the alleged abuse began in January 1992 when the boy was 7 to 9 years old, and it continued until the victim was 16 or 17 years old.
According to officials, the sexually explicit activity often happened when the boy spent the night at Mercado's home.
Mercado has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. He has been with the Orange County Sheriff's Office since 1992 and was currently serving as a school resource officer.
Mercado has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.
The victim is now 24 years old and his aunt called investigators.
Police revealed that a couple of days ago, Mercado made contact with the victim. They said he called him on the phone, admitted to the abuse and apologized.
On Tuesday morning, bond was set at $250,000 for an Orange County deputy who was arrested on child sex charges.
The Sheriff's Office said Louis Mercado, 45, was taken into custody Monday on charges of sexual battery on a minor.
Deputies said the alleged abuse began in January 1992 when the boy was 7 to 9 years old, and it continued until the victim was 16 or 17 years old.
According to officials, the sexually explicit activity often happened when the boy spent the night at Mercado's home.
Mercado has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. He has been with the Orange County Sheriff's Office since 1992 and was currently serving as a school resource officer.
Mercado has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.
The victim is now 24 years old and his aunt called investigators.
Police revealed that a couple of days ago, Mercado made contact with the victim. They said he called him on the phone, admitted to the abuse and apologized.
Officer Accused of Stealing Garden Hose in Court
ANSONIA, Conn.
An Ansonia police officer who was charged with larceny and accused of stealing a $25 garden hose from the police department will be in court Tuesday.
Antonia police arrested Mustafa Salahuddin, a 20-year veteran of the force, two weeks ago and he has been on paid leave since.
Protestors are coming out in support of him and Salahuddin’s lawyer, Rob Serafinowicz, said this case has nothing to do with a hose, it's about payback.
"This is a clear case that the chief decided that he wanted to retaliate against him for things that happened years ago,” Serafinowicz said. “That's the chief's MO. It's his style, and it's nice that everybody's out here to support Moose based on these stupid charges."
Years ago, Serafinowicz said, Salahuddin challenged the department's policy against facial hair and won the right to wear this beard, part of his Muslim beliefs.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Ansonia's mayor said the U.S. Department of Justice would investigate Salahuddin's arrest.
NAACP representatives marched to support Salahuddin Monday and said they will do it again.
Not everyone in Ansonia is as supportive.
“You're in the public eye. You're supposed to be a role model for citizens. Myself, if I do something wrong, I'm accountable too,” said Mike Celestino of Ansonia.
An Ansonia police officer who was charged with larceny and accused of stealing a $25 garden hose from the police department will be in court Tuesday.
Antonia police arrested Mustafa Salahuddin, a 20-year veteran of the force, two weeks ago and he has been on paid leave since.
Protestors are coming out in support of him and Salahuddin’s lawyer, Rob Serafinowicz, said this case has nothing to do with a hose, it's about payback.
"This is a clear case that the chief decided that he wanted to retaliate against him for things that happened years ago,” Serafinowicz said. “That's the chief's MO. It's his style, and it's nice that everybody's out here to support Moose based on these stupid charges."
Years ago, Serafinowicz said, Salahuddin challenged the department's policy against facial hair and won the right to wear this beard, part of his Muslim beliefs.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Ansonia's mayor said the U.S. Department of Justice would investigate Salahuddin's arrest.
NAACP representatives marched to support Salahuddin Monday and said they will do it again.
Not everyone in Ansonia is as supportive.
“You're in the public eye. You're supposed to be a role model for citizens. Myself, if I do something wrong, I'm accountable too,” said Mike Celestino of Ansonia.
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.
Officer Pleads Not Guilty in Road Rage Shooting
VISTA
A San Diego police officer accused of shooting at a mother and her child while off-duty pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to charges stemming from the incident.
Officer Frank White faces a felony count of gross negligent discharge of a firearm with two enhancements for great bodily injury and one misdemeanor count of exhibiting a firearm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of nine years in prison.
White answered the judge's questions during a brief appearance in Superior Court in Vista. He was there with his wife, attorneys and two other people. He did not answer questions after the hearing.
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced the charges at a noon news conference and did not take any questions from reporters.
“Every officer-involved shooting is carefully reviewed by the District Attorney's Office to determine if criminal charges should be filed,” she said. “Based on the evidence and the law, these charges are appropriate.”
White was in the process of being suspended without pay Tuesday pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings, said Det. Gary Hassen, a San Diego Police Department spokesman.
The incident occurred the night of March 15, when White and his wife encountered Rachel Silva, who was driving with her then 8-year-old son, Johnny, in the passenger seat.
The shooting evolved from an apparent road-rage dispute and ended with White firing five rounds into Silva's car, officials said. Silva was shot twice in the arm, while her son was hit once in the knee.
White was allowed to leave the courtroom on his own recognizance without posting bail and must return on Saturday to be booked and released. His next court appearance is set for Aug. 26 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17.
In April, the Attorney General's Office and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office decided to split the prosecution of the cases. The attorney general took over Silva's case, while the District Attorney's Office handled the investigation into White. Both agencies agreed that it was best to conduct two independent reviews in case both Silva and White were charged.
Silva has pleaded not guilty to felony child endangerment and five misdemeanors: two drunken driving charges, possession of marijuana, driving on a suspended license and driving on a license suspended for a previous drunken driving conviction.
Silva faces up to six years in prison if convicted of the felony. Her preliminary hearing has been set for Sept. 9.
In the interim, Silva has been in a rehabilitation facility where she will remain until counselors say she can leave, said her defense attorney Michael Pancer.
In response to White's charges, Pancer said: “I think the District Attorney's Office got it just right.”
The lawyer said he spoke to his client about the charges filed against White and said Silva “is pleased that Ms. Dumanis had the courage to do this.”
White's defense attorney, Richard Pinckard, said his client denies all of the allegations.
“This case rests on the evidence,” Pinckard said after the hearing. “We'll see how it unfolds.”
Oceanside police conducted an initial investigation and turned the case over to the District Attorney's Office in April to determine whether charges should be filed.
Oceanside police said Silva's blood-alcohol level was 0.15 percent – nearly twice the legal limit – at the time. Authorities also said she had marijuana in her system.
Silva has said she doesn't recall how the confrontation started and doesn't know why White fired into her car. She also said she was only trying to get away from him when she saw his gun.
A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Silva's son against White, the city of San Diego, the San Diego Police Department and the police chief. Silva has filed a similar claim.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Former Officer David Scudder Sold Fake Autographs
GREENSBURG, Ind.
A former police officer faces theft and official misconduct charges for allegedly pocketing money while investigating a scam that sold fake autographs of action film actor "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
David L. Scudder, who was charged last week, resigned from the Greensburg police force on June 30 after the Indiana State Police began investigating his actions.
Prosecutors said Scudder, 37, seized money from a man who was acting as the "promoter" of a man who resembles Austin, a wrestler who's made the transition to films.
Those two men, who were selling what they said were Austin's autographs, had tricked about eight people to pay $10 for each of "the false and fraudulent autographs," according to an affidavit filed in Decatur County Circuit Court.
The affidavit states that on June 21, Scudder and Greensburg police Detective Mike Cruze arrived at a Wal-Mart in the city about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis where the two men had been selling the bogus Austin autographs.
The "promoter" told the officers he had collected about $166 that day, but said that his cohort had already left with that money.
Despite that, Scudder asked the man to give him $166 of his own money and then gave the man a receipt -- a transaction captured on Wal-Mart surveillance video -- before announcing to those present, including Cruze, that he had seized the cash, the affidavit states.
Scudder's investigation report filed two days later made no mention of the money or the receipt being logged as evidence, according to the affidavit.
State Police were contacted after Scudder offered Cruze and other Greensburg police officials no explanation for the missing money.
His report, however, noted that the money "was returned to the fans at the scene."
But the affidavit said none of the victims had received any money from the officer.
A former police officer faces theft and official misconduct charges for allegedly pocketing money while investigating a scam that sold fake autographs of action film actor "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
David L. Scudder, who was charged last week, resigned from the Greensburg police force on June 30 after the Indiana State Police began investigating his actions.
Prosecutors said Scudder, 37, seized money from a man who was acting as the "promoter" of a man who resembles Austin, a wrestler who's made the transition to films.
Those two men, who were selling what they said were Austin's autographs, had tricked about eight people to pay $10 for each of "the false and fraudulent autographs," according to an affidavit filed in Decatur County Circuit Court.
The affidavit states that on June 21, Scudder and Greensburg police Detective Mike Cruze arrived at a Wal-Mart in the city about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis where the two men had been selling the bogus Austin autographs.
The "promoter" told the officers he had collected about $166 that day, but said that his cohort had already left with that money.
Despite that, Scudder asked the man to give him $166 of his own money and then gave the man a receipt -- a transaction captured on Wal-Mart surveillance video -- before announcing to those present, including Cruze, that he had seized the cash, the affidavit states.
Scudder's investigation report filed two days later made no mention of the money or the receipt being logged as evidence, according to the affidavit.
State Police were contacted after Scudder offered Cruze and other Greensburg police officials no explanation for the missing money.
His report, however, noted that the money "was returned to the fans at the scene."
But the affidavit said none of the victims had received any money from the officer.
Trial Of Lima Police Officer Sgt Joe Chavalia Starts This Morning
The trial of Lima Police Sgt. Joe Chavalia will get underway today. Jury selection starts just before 9 a.m. in the Allen County Common Pleas Court. Visiting Judge Richard Knepper has blocked two weeks for the trial, although it is expected that jury selection alone could take between two and five days.
Security will be tight for the trial, as extra Sheriff’s Deputies will be on hand at the court. No one will be allowed to wait outside the courtroom while the trial progresses and the courtroom will be locked so that no one can enter while court is in session.
Chavalia is charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of Tarika Wilson during a drug raid in Lima in early January. He also faces a charge of negligent assault for wounding Wilson’s son Sincere.
Security will be tight for the trial, as extra Sheriff’s Deputies will be on hand at the court. No one will be allowed to wait outside the courtroom while the trial progresses and the courtroom will be locked so that no one can enter while court is in session.
Chavalia is charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of Tarika Wilson during a drug raid in Lima in early January. He also faces a charge of negligent assault for wounding Wilson’s son Sincere.
UPDATE: Officer maybe Charged with Taser Death
NEW ORLEANS
A prosecutor in central Louisiana says he will consider criminal charges against a former police officer accused of jolting a handcuffed man nine times with a Taser before the suspect died.
Baron Pikes was repeatedly shocked with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant on January 17th. A coroner ruled the death was a homicide. The Winn Parish district attorney says former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent has acknowledged using the device on Pikes.
Nugent's lawyer says he's not surprised the D.A. wants a grand jury sort through the facts.
A lawyer for Pikes' relatives says the family welcomes the grand jury's probe which she called "a step in the right direction."
Winnfield is about 40 miles northwest of Jena, the site of a massive civil rights protest last year.
Thousands demonstrators gathered in Jena to protest the cases against six black teenagers charged with beating a white student at a high school.
Pikes was black; Nugent is white.
A prosecutor in central Louisiana says he will consider criminal charges against a former police officer accused of jolting a handcuffed man nine times with a Taser before the suspect died.
Baron Pikes was repeatedly shocked with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant on January 17th. A coroner ruled the death was a homicide. The Winn Parish district attorney says former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent has acknowledged using the device on Pikes.
Nugent's lawyer says he's not surprised the D.A. wants a grand jury sort through the facts.
A lawyer for Pikes' relatives says the family welcomes the grand jury's probe which she called "a step in the right direction."
Winnfield is about 40 miles northwest of Jena, the site of a massive civil rights protest last year.
Thousands demonstrators gathered in Jena to protest the cases against six black teenagers charged with beating a white student at a high school.
Pikes was black; Nugent is white.
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