The Houston Police Department has found no wrongdoing in some 1,700 incidents in which its officers intentionally fired a Taser, despite investigating about 70 complaints — including one officer who shocked his own stepson and another who discharged his stun gun on a 59-year-old woman during a dispute over laundry.
Over the last four years, only five officers have been disciplined for misusing their Tasers, although not one of the five actually shocked a suspect, according to records obtained by the Houston Chronicle. Instead, HPD reprimanded officers for threatening people with their stun guns, repeatedly discharging them while off duty and brandishing the weapon in a dispute in an elementary school carpool line.
"If that is how they deal with family problems, how are they dealing with the public?" asked Shirley Baker, whose grandson was shocked by his officer stepfather.
Use of Tasers, sold as an alternative to the deadly force of firearms, has been controversial since HPD first purchased hundreds of them late in 2004. The weapon quickly triggered public criticism with findings that officers often used them on unarmed people who committed no crime and that the vast majority were black.
Houston Mayor Bill White in November 2006 called for an independent analysis, overseen by Controller Annise Parker's office, which is expected to be made public Sept. 8. Parker has been publicly critical, saying last year that HPD's system for tracking Taser use is insufficient and despite claims that each deployment is reviewed, it "can't (be proven) with a paper trail."
Police officials maintain the Taser is a useful tool that has reduced injuries to both officers and suspects. Each incident, they say, is closely scrutinized.
"To have (69) complaints and only a few sustained — that is reflective of successful use," said Assistant Chief Brian Lumpkin, who oversees the HPD internal affairs division. "The numbers show that we have used Tasers responsibly."
HPD officers deployed their Tasers 1,724 times between December 2004 and May 2008, triggering 69 internal affairs investigations. More than half began after citizens filed complaints. Five probes remain open, but investigators found no wrongdoing in 56 others.
Among the people who filed complaints were Thoang Do, 59, a woman shocked during an altercation at her laundromat.
Do and her husband, Van Chau, 72, crossed paths with officer Troy Triplett on April 19, 2007, after a customer, attempting to pick up clothes without a ticket, summoned police. An effort to sort out the confusion escalated into a struggle between Triplett and the 5-foot-4-inch Chau, according to witness statements obtained by the family's attorney, Michael Nguyen.
No criminal charges
The store's glass door shattered. Chau lay on his stomach in jagged glass and blood. He would later require 28 stitches. Triplett, with a knee on Chau's back, attempted to restrain him.
"His wife ran outside screaming 'Nooo, Nooooo,' seeing her husband bleeding and rolling in the glass as the officer continued to manhandle him," a customer, Aaron Greenlee, said in a statement.
Triplett told Do to back away and, when she continued to reach out, he used his Taser.
Prosecutors charged Chau with felony assault of a public servant and Do with misdemeanor resisting arrest. A grand jury declined to indict Chau; Do's case was dismissed.
The couple filed a formal complaint with HPD's internal affairs division but no discipline has followed. Triplett directed questions to HPD's media relations officials, who did not comment.
"It makes me wonder whether they really looked at what happened," said the couple's daughter Linh Chau, 29. "If they had, how could they do nothing?"
It is not uncommon for people shocked with Tasers to face no criminal charges.
A Houston Chronicle analysis of the first 900 incidents in which officers deployed their Tasers, published in January 2007, found that more than one-third of the people whom officers shocked faced no charges. In about 50 other cases, charges were filed but dropped by prosecutors or dismissed by judges and juries.
The Chronicle found that the majority of Taser incidents escalated from common police calls including traffic stops, nuisance calls and reports of suspicious people.
HPD officials have said they do not track those criminal cases and that their outcomes do not affect whether officers' actions are ruled justified. None of the five Taser incidents in which Chief Harold Hurtt called for disciplinary action involve an officer shocking a suspect.
Hurtt suspended officer Douglas Randall Boyer for discharging five-second "spark tests" of his Taser 30 times while off-duty at home or while working an extra job. Internal affairs investigators found Boyer violated HPD protocols, which require officers to test their Tasers in front of a supervisor before each shift.
For that, Boyer received a one-day suspension. But, investigators found no problem with Boyer's actions in a December 2005 domestic dispute in which Boyer shocked his stepson.
Boyer, who has a long disciplinary history including a 10-day suspension after a domestic violence incident with his then-wife, was at home and off-duty when he got into an argument with his 17-year-old stepson. Tensions escalated and the 27-year veteran officer turned to his Taser and shocked the teen.
Officers from the Harris County Sheriff's Department and HPD came to his home, reported Boyer's action to internal affairs and took the boy to his grandmother's home, according to HPD documents.
"I can't believe that this is how they want officers to use their Taser," the grandmother, Shirley Baker said. "At home, on their kids?"
Boyer, who retired from HPD, declined to comment.
Hurtt also authorized discipline against officer Nichole P. Medrano, accused of threatening to use her Taser during a dispute in front of her children's elementary school.
Medrano was off-duty but wearing her uniform Jan. 26, 2006, waiting in her children's carpool line, when she confronted a woman who the officer said drove recklessly as she pulled up to the school.
According to police records, Medrano confronted the woman, who got angry.
"Officer Medrano took the woman's keys and returned to her (Medrano's) car," said Lumpkin, the assistant chief over internal affairs.
Medrano used her cell phone to call for police and, while waiting, the officer threatened the woman with her Taser and her firearm, Lumpkin said.
Several suspensions
Dispatch tapes captured Medrano warning the woman that "I will shoot your ass."
The officer received a written reprimand.
"At the time of the incident, (the woman) was unarmed, and you used unsound judgment by threatening to use deadly force without sufficient cause to believe you were in danger of serious bodily injury or death," reads the disciplinary letter.
Medrano did not respond to queries for a comment.
Three other officers have been suspended over Taser use.
Officer John B. Woods received a one-day suspension for mistakenly using his Taser while handcuffing a theft suspect in June 2007. Officer Song Kim received a five-day suspension for taunting a shoplifter with his Taser while working an off-duty job. A third officer, Dong Hoang, received a three-day suspension in 2005 for test-firing his Taser but not documenting the incidents.
Officer Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, defended HPD's investigations of Taser use.
"Short of deadly force, Tasers are the most scrutinized tool in the department," he said.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Officer Paul Hubka Charged with Killing His Canine Partner
SAN DIEGO
A San Diego police officer who was charged yesterday in the death of his canine partner is unlikely to lose his job but could face disciplinary action pending an internal investigation, San Diego police Chief William Lansdowne said.
The Police Department launched the investigation yesterday after the District Attorney's Office decided to charge Officer Paul Hubka with one misdemeanor count of animal endangerment. If convicted, he could face up to six months in jail, a fine and be ordered to pay restitution.
A necropsy performed on Forrest, a 5 year-old Belgian Malinois, found that the animal died of heatstroke on June 20 at the officer's home in Alpine.
Hubka, a 22-year veteran of the department, is accused of leaving the dog in the police cruiser with the windows rolled up on a day when temperatures in East County exceeded 100 degrees.
“There's no one who feels worse than he does,” Lansdowne said yesterday. “It's very clear that he lost a partner he was attached to, and he knows it was his fault, and he takes absolute responsibility.”
Michael Conger, an attorney who represented Hubka in an unrelated labor lawsuit but not in this case, said the officer had worked a double shift and was exhausted when he got home.
“He's a very solid, good person that made a very bad mistake,” Conger said.
The chief said he will decide on any discipline to administer in the case when the internal investigation is completed in two to three weeks. Hubka is assigned to administrative duties in the meantime.
“I do not see this as a termination case,” Lansdowne said. “I believe it was a mistake.”
In an effort to prevent similar tragedies in the future, the department announced yesterday that it plans to buy heat-alert systems for its fleet of 53 police dog cars similar to those used in other hot-temperature cities such as Dallas, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
When the back seat of the patrol car reaches a certain temperature, the system will automatically lower the car's windows, switch on the air conditioning and sound an alarm. The technology will cost about $36,000 total.
In 2006, a state law was enacted making it a misdemeanor for a person to leave a dog unattended in a vehicle causing great bodily injury or death. Only intentional animal cruelty is a felony.
Hubka's attorney could not be reached yesterday afternoon.
Carlsbad resident Janis Musante was one of several in the county who expressed outrage at Forrest's death.
“I think he needs to be held accountable and shouldn't be given any preferential treatment because he's a police officer,” said Musante, a retired San Francisco lawyer who is married to a retired police officer. “It was absolutely justified charging him.”
She also applauded City Attorney Michael Aguirre for filing a lawsuit against Hubka seeking to recover the cost of replacing the police dog.
Hubka is the third law enforcement officer in the county to be charged with a crime in the past three weeks.
San Diego police Officer Frank White faces two charges for his role in an off-duty shooting and road rage incident in Oceanside, and San Diego County sheriff's Detective Thomas Sadler faces five felony charges stemming from accusations that he molested a prostitute while on duty.
Sadler and Hubka are set to be arraigned Aug. 28 before the same judge.
Also yesterday, an officer whose police dog died after being left in a patrol car for 13 hours last summer in suburban Phoenix was acquitted of animal cruelty.
Chandler, Ariz., police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was negligent, but prosecutors did not prove he acted recklessly, a justice of the peace ruled. Lovejoy could have been jailed for six months if he had been convicted of the misdemeanor count.
Lovejoy testified that on the morning of Aug. 11, 2007, after working an overnight shift, he parked his police SUV in his driveway and went inside. He said he was exhausted and forgot the Belgian Malinois was sleeping in the back.
A San Diego police officer who was charged yesterday in the death of his canine partner is unlikely to lose his job but could face disciplinary action pending an internal investigation, San Diego police Chief William Lansdowne said.
The Police Department launched the investigation yesterday after the District Attorney's Office decided to charge Officer Paul Hubka with one misdemeanor count of animal endangerment. If convicted, he could face up to six months in jail, a fine and be ordered to pay restitution.
A necropsy performed on Forrest, a 5 year-old Belgian Malinois, found that the animal died of heatstroke on June 20 at the officer's home in Alpine.
Hubka, a 22-year veteran of the department, is accused of leaving the dog in the police cruiser with the windows rolled up on a day when temperatures in East County exceeded 100 degrees.
“There's no one who feels worse than he does,” Lansdowne said yesterday. “It's very clear that he lost a partner he was attached to, and he knows it was his fault, and he takes absolute responsibility.”
Michael Conger, an attorney who represented Hubka in an unrelated labor lawsuit but not in this case, said the officer had worked a double shift and was exhausted when he got home.
“He's a very solid, good person that made a very bad mistake,” Conger said.
The chief said he will decide on any discipline to administer in the case when the internal investigation is completed in two to three weeks. Hubka is assigned to administrative duties in the meantime.
“I do not see this as a termination case,” Lansdowne said. “I believe it was a mistake.”
In an effort to prevent similar tragedies in the future, the department announced yesterday that it plans to buy heat-alert systems for its fleet of 53 police dog cars similar to those used in other hot-temperature cities such as Dallas, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
When the back seat of the patrol car reaches a certain temperature, the system will automatically lower the car's windows, switch on the air conditioning and sound an alarm. The technology will cost about $36,000 total.
In 2006, a state law was enacted making it a misdemeanor for a person to leave a dog unattended in a vehicle causing great bodily injury or death. Only intentional animal cruelty is a felony.
Hubka's attorney could not be reached yesterday afternoon.
Carlsbad resident Janis Musante was one of several in the county who expressed outrage at Forrest's death.
“I think he needs to be held accountable and shouldn't be given any preferential treatment because he's a police officer,” said Musante, a retired San Francisco lawyer who is married to a retired police officer. “It was absolutely justified charging him.”
She also applauded City Attorney Michael Aguirre for filing a lawsuit against Hubka seeking to recover the cost of replacing the police dog.
Hubka is the third law enforcement officer in the county to be charged with a crime in the past three weeks.
San Diego police Officer Frank White faces two charges for his role in an off-duty shooting and road rage incident in Oceanside, and San Diego County sheriff's Detective Thomas Sadler faces five felony charges stemming from accusations that he molested a prostitute while on duty.
Sadler and Hubka are set to be arraigned Aug. 28 before the same judge.
Also yesterday, an officer whose police dog died after being left in a patrol car for 13 hours last summer in suburban Phoenix was acquitted of animal cruelty.
Chandler, Ariz., police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was negligent, but prosecutors did not prove he acted recklessly, a justice of the peace ruled. Lovejoy could have been jailed for six months if he had been convicted of the misdemeanor count.
Lovejoy testified that on the morning of Aug. 11, 2007, after working an overnight shift, he parked his police SUV in his driveway and went inside. He said he was exhausted and forgot the Belgian Malinois was sleeping in the back.
Officer Accused of Possessing Child Porn was Turned by Wife
It turns out, a local law enforcement officer, accused of possessing child porn...was turned in to police by his wife.
36-year-old Paul Kistner posted a $5,000 bail Thursday, releasing him from an undisclosed holding facility.
The longtime Washoe County Sheriff's Deputy is charged with five counts of possession of child pornography, for viewing and collecting over 400 lude and sexually explicit images of young children.
Sparks Police detectives are investigating the case, as to curb any conflicts of interest.
According to court documents, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Kistner's wife, Monique on August 7th. She brought detectives a computer tower and hard drive, claiming her husband had been accessing porn and child erotica. A friend of hers used computer "spy ware" in order to uncover the accessed porn websites.
After detectives obtained a search warrant, they did a forensic exam of Kistner's home computer, and searched his home, confirming his wife's claims.
Reports show that detectives located three portable "thumb" hard drives, containing the child porn images...all which Kistner kept in the front pocket of his deputy uniform.
Detectives say Kistner later admitted to masturbating to the pictures...and says he started looking at them over a year ago, because he was quote: "curious." Court documents allege Kistner was able to keep the child porn files hidden by giving them titles like "Christmas 2005."
His wife told detectives she became suspicious when her husband began spending hours on the Internet behind closed doors...and then deleting his Internet history after using the computer.
Kistner is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on August 26th.
36-year-old Paul Kistner posted a $5,000 bail Thursday, releasing him from an undisclosed holding facility.
The longtime Washoe County Sheriff's Deputy is charged with five counts of possession of child pornography, for viewing and collecting over 400 lude and sexually explicit images of young children.
Sparks Police detectives are investigating the case, as to curb any conflicts of interest.
According to court documents, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Kistner's wife, Monique on August 7th. She brought detectives a computer tower and hard drive, claiming her husband had been accessing porn and child erotica. A friend of hers used computer "spy ware" in order to uncover the accessed porn websites.
After detectives obtained a search warrant, they did a forensic exam of Kistner's home computer, and searched his home, confirming his wife's claims.
Reports show that detectives located three portable "thumb" hard drives, containing the child porn images...all which Kistner kept in the front pocket of his deputy uniform.
Detectives say Kistner later admitted to masturbating to the pictures...and says he started looking at them over a year ago, because he was quote: "curious." Court documents allege Kistner was able to keep the child porn files hidden by giving them titles like "Christmas 2005."
His wife told detectives she became suspicious when her husband began spending hours on the Internet behind closed doors...and then deleting his Internet history after using the computer.
Kistner is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on August 26th.
Two Officer Accused of Using Excessive Force
COLUMBIA, SC
Two City of Columbia police officers have been indicted after being accused of using excessive force against a USC football player.
Offensive lineman Kevin Young was arrested in March 2007. Young claims the officers punched him several times after he was in a fight in a Five Points bar.
Young's Attorney Neal Lourie confirmed that the indictments were issued.
Babs Lindsay from the South Carolina solicitor's office said the indictments were given out around 4:30pm Friday.
The indictments say officers Roger Gilland and David Beddingfield Jr. did "act in a manor that is corrupt and are fraudulent and are oppressive."
Each officer faces a count of misconduct in office according to the indictments. The counts stem from a SLED investigation that lasted almost three months.
If convicted, each officer at most could spend a year in prison and pay a $1,000 fine.
Both officers are expected to have a bond hearing next Tuesday at 11am
Two City of Columbia police officers have been indicted after being accused of using excessive force against a USC football player.
Offensive lineman Kevin Young was arrested in March 2007. Young claims the officers punched him several times after he was in a fight in a Five Points bar.
Young's Attorney Neal Lourie confirmed that the indictments were issued.
Babs Lindsay from the South Carolina solicitor's office said the indictments were given out around 4:30pm Friday.
The indictments say officers Roger Gilland and David Beddingfield Jr. did "act in a manor that is corrupt and are fraudulent and are oppressive."
Each officer faces a count of misconduct in office according to the indictments. The counts stem from a SLED investigation that lasted almost three months.
If convicted, each officer at most could spend a year in prison and pay a $1,000 fine.
Both officers are expected to have a bond hearing next Tuesday at 11am
Officer Accused of Smuggling in Mexico Returns to Work
A police officer who was arrested in Mexico, accused of smuggling ammunition and guns into the country earlier this month, is back in Monterey County at his post, his defense attorney said.
Presidio of Monterey police Sgt. Jorge Matos was released from jail last week after a Mexican judge reduced charges from smuggling weapons and ammunition into the country to possession of a weapon — a lesser offense in Mexico similar to a misdemeanor in the United States, his defense attorney, Andrew Liu said.
Lui said Matos is not expected to pay a fine, but he will not serve time in jail.
Hermogenes Llanes, the Soledad officer arrested along with Matos, has also returned and is in Soledad. He is under paid administrative leave while the Soledad police department conducts an internal investigation, said Soledad Police Chief Richard Cox.
Presidio of Monterey police Sgt. Jorge Matos was released from jail last week after a Mexican judge reduced charges from smuggling weapons and ammunition into the country to possession of a weapon — a lesser offense in Mexico similar to a misdemeanor in the United States, his defense attorney, Andrew Liu said.
Lui said Matos is not expected to pay a fine, but he will not serve time in jail.
Hermogenes Llanes, the Soledad officer arrested along with Matos, has also returned and is in Soledad. He is under paid administrative leave while the Soledad police department conducts an internal investigation, said Soledad Police Chief Richard Cox.
Biker shot by officer leaves intensive care
The Hells Angels member who was shot and wounded by an off-duty Seattle police detective at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota was taken out of intensive care Tuesday as he recovers from two gunshot wounds, one to the stomach and the second to the leg, his younger brother said.
The 33-year-old man was shot Saturday during a confrontation with the officer at the Loud American Roadhouse, a packed bar in Sturgis. One bullet tore open his bowels, and the other shattered his femur, said his brother, a restaurant manager in the San Diego area. He asked that his name not be used.
The officer, a 43-year-old detective, and four other Seattle officers were vacationing at the rally. The officer has said he was jumped and beaten and feared for his life, so he fired in self-defense. The detective belongs to the Iron Pigs motorcycle club, which is geared toward police officers and firefighters.
A Meade County, S.D., grand jury is examining the evidence for possible charges.
The San Diego-area biker's brother said he hasn't tried to pry too much into the details, given his brother's health.
"We want him to focus on healing up and getting healthy," he said, adding that they hope to have him home in a week.
The biker was shot on his first trip to the weeklong rally in South Dakota. He rode out with friends and first visited his sister in Missoula, Mont., staying for a few days there before heading to Sturgis, his brother said.
"He'd been looking forward to it for quite a while. He's been working and saving money to go for months," he said.
Security camera video of the incident was taken into evidence to be presented to the grand jury, Meade County State's Attorney Jesse Sondreal said. Seattle police guild officials have said the video would show that the shooting was justified.
The biker is a roofer and has belonged to the Hells Angels for about 10 years. His brother said he doesn't know much about the events before the shooting, though his brother is usually mellow and not the type "to get in someone's face."
He said he spoke with his brother's friends who were at Sturgis. They told him that his brother had gotten separated from his group in the bar. He said his brother's friends didn't immediately know he had been shot.
His brother has no history of violent crimes, he said. His San Diego court records confirm that, though they show he was due for a hearing Aug. 20 on pending marijuana charges from a police raid in January 2007.
The Hells Angels member was arrested as part of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Diego Police Department. Police served warrants on two San Diego-area homes that belonged to the president of the Hells Angels local chapter, according to the District Attorney's Office.
He and the chapter treasurer were arrested at one of the homes in Pacific Beach afterward. Police seized a pound and a half of marijuana, in addition to hydrocodone and oxycodone pills and $5,000 in cash.
The 33-year-old man was shot Saturday during a confrontation with the officer at the Loud American Roadhouse, a packed bar in Sturgis. One bullet tore open his bowels, and the other shattered his femur, said his brother, a restaurant manager in the San Diego area. He asked that his name not be used.
The officer, a 43-year-old detective, and four other Seattle officers were vacationing at the rally. The officer has said he was jumped and beaten and feared for his life, so he fired in self-defense. The detective belongs to the Iron Pigs motorcycle club, which is geared toward police officers and firefighters.
A Meade County, S.D., grand jury is examining the evidence for possible charges.
The San Diego-area biker's brother said he hasn't tried to pry too much into the details, given his brother's health.
"We want him to focus on healing up and getting healthy," he said, adding that they hope to have him home in a week.
The biker was shot on his first trip to the weeklong rally in South Dakota. He rode out with friends and first visited his sister in Missoula, Mont., staying for a few days there before heading to Sturgis, his brother said.
"He'd been looking forward to it for quite a while. He's been working and saving money to go for months," he said.
Security camera video of the incident was taken into evidence to be presented to the grand jury, Meade County State's Attorney Jesse Sondreal said. Seattle police guild officials have said the video would show that the shooting was justified.
The biker is a roofer and has belonged to the Hells Angels for about 10 years. His brother said he doesn't know much about the events before the shooting, though his brother is usually mellow and not the type "to get in someone's face."
He said he spoke with his brother's friends who were at Sturgis. They told him that his brother had gotten separated from his group in the bar. He said his brother's friends didn't immediately know he had been shot.
His brother has no history of violent crimes, he said. His San Diego court records confirm that, though they show he was due for a hearing Aug. 20 on pending marijuana charges from a police raid in January 2007.
The Hells Angels member was arrested as part of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Diego Police Department. Police served warrants on two San Diego-area homes that belonged to the president of the Hells Angels local chapter, according to the District Attorney's Office.
He and the chapter treasurer were arrested at one of the homes in Pacific Beach afterward. Police seized a pound and a half of marijuana, in addition to hydrocodone and oxycodone pills and $5,000 in cash.
Officer Scott Nugent Indicted on Taser Death
WINNFIELD, LA
A grand jury indicts former police officer on manslaughter charge in Taser death of central Louisiana man.
Former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent was indicted in the death of 21-year-old Baron Pikes.
Pikes was shocked nine times with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant in January.
Nugent was fired but is appealing his dismissal. Nugent's lawyer says his client followed department protocols and didn't use excessive force.
A coroner has ruled that Pikes' death was a homicide.
A grand jury indicts former police officer on manslaughter charge in Taser death of central Louisiana man.
Former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent was indicted in the death of 21-year-old Baron Pikes.
Pikes was shocked nine times with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant in January.
Nugent was fired but is appealing his dismissal. Nugent's lawyer says his client followed department protocols and didn't use excessive force.
A coroner has ruled that Pikes' death was a homicide.
Officer Andrew Dale Fired for Sexually Abusing Woman
RAMAPO
The Town Board fired a police officer last night who is accused by the town Police Department of sexually abusing a Monsey woman.
The dismissal of Andrew Dale, 34, came a day after an indictment accused him of felony and misdemeanor crimes related to administering gynecological examinations, but was based only on the Police Department's disciplinary charges.
A resolution unanimously approved by the board declared that Dale, a member of the department for 10 years, "is no longer qualified to serve as a Police Officer and is immediately discharged."
The decision was made after board members were provided with a 1,641-page transcript of the six-day hearing, as well as the hearing officer's report.
Hearing Officer John Carey reported finding sufficient evidence to uphold 16 disciplinary charges, including Dale's failure to report the woman's accusations, his lying to the Police Department about the accusations and his participation in the alleged abuse.
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said last night that he thought it was significant that Carey found "proof well beyond the substantial-evidence test in determining that Dale committed the crime of sexual abuse."
Police Chief Peter Brower and relatives of Dale's declined to comment as they left last night's meeting.
Dale's dismissal was not recommended by Carey, who suggested a one-year unpaid suspension. The officer's annual salary was about $95,000.
Carey, a former Westchester County judge, reported that he took "into account AD's unblemished record in the RPD, his national service as a US Marine, his current service in the US Army Reserve, and his overall performance as a Community Police Officer."
It seemed to Carey that "more good can be done by sending him back to work," with an admonition to use better judgment in the future.
Dale and Zalman Silber were released without bail Tuesday after separate arraignments before Judge Catherine Bartlett in Rockland County Court in New City.
Silber, 41, had already posted $10,000 bail in Manhattan after he was accused last month of misdemeanor charges of sex abuse and a felony charge of practicing a profession without a license. The charges stemmed from accusations that Silber examined several women while posing as a gynecologist.
In the Rockland indictment, Silber and Dale were accused of 34 charges, including the felony of performing medical examinations without a license between 2005 and 2006. They also were accused of four counts of fourth-degree aggravated sex abuse, a felony, and 24 counts of third-degree sex abuse, a misdemeanor. All the charges related to the alleged contact with the Monsey woman.
They pleaded not guilty, and their attorneys predicted they would prevail at trial.
One of the lawyers, William Aronwald of White Plains, said the woman was "mentally unbalanced" and had ulterior motives for her accusations.
In a footnote of the hearing officer's report, it was stated the woman wrote that she was withdrawing her claims against either Dale or Silber or both.
"I am not in good mental health and approached the DA's office with an unstable mind when I submitted my claim," the woman was said to have written on Dec. 10, 2007.
That was the same day she taped three conversations with Dale for the Police Department, and the day when Dale later met with Silber.
The hearing officer determined that the woman's testimony against Dale at the hearing "was more credible" than the letter.
Carey wrote that Dale implicated himself beyond what was recorded on tape.
While the woman, in the conversations, accused Dale only of sexual abuse, he later gave police details that he could not have known, "except for (his) personal participation," Carey wrote.
The Town Board fired a police officer last night who is accused by the town Police Department of sexually abusing a Monsey woman.
The dismissal of Andrew Dale, 34, came a day after an indictment accused him of felony and misdemeanor crimes related to administering gynecological examinations, but was based only on the Police Department's disciplinary charges.
A resolution unanimously approved by the board declared that Dale, a member of the department for 10 years, "is no longer qualified to serve as a Police Officer and is immediately discharged."
The decision was made after board members were provided with a 1,641-page transcript of the six-day hearing, as well as the hearing officer's report.
Hearing Officer John Carey reported finding sufficient evidence to uphold 16 disciplinary charges, including Dale's failure to report the woman's accusations, his lying to the Police Department about the accusations and his participation in the alleged abuse.
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said last night that he thought it was significant that Carey found "proof well beyond the substantial-evidence test in determining that Dale committed the crime of sexual abuse."
Police Chief Peter Brower and relatives of Dale's declined to comment as they left last night's meeting.
Dale's dismissal was not recommended by Carey, who suggested a one-year unpaid suspension. The officer's annual salary was about $95,000.
Carey, a former Westchester County judge, reported that he took "into account AD's unblemished record in the RPD, his national service as a US Marine, his current service in the US Army Reserve, and his overall performance as a Community Police Officer."
It seemed to Carey that "more good can be done by sending him back to work," with an admonition to use better judgment in the future.
Dale and Zalman Silber were released without bail Tuesday after separate arraignments before Judge Catherine Bartlett in Rockland County Court in New City.
Silber, 41, had already posted $10,000 bail in Manhattan after he was accused last month of misdemeanor charges of sex abuse and a felony charge of practicing a profession without a license. The charges stemmed from accusations that Silber examined several women while posing as a gynecologist.
In the Rockland indictment, Silber and Dale were accused of 34 charges, including the felony of performing medical examinations without a license between 2005 and 2006. They also were accused of four counts of fourth-degree aggravated sex abuse, a felony, and 24 counts of third-degree sex abuse, a misdemeanor. All the charges related to the alleged contact with the Monsey woman.
They pleaded not guilty, and their attorneys predicted they would prevail at trial.
One of the lawyers, William Aronwald of White Plains, said the woman was "mentally unbalanced" and had ulterior motives for her accusations.
In a footnote of the hearing officer's report, it was stated the woman wrote that she was withdrawing her claims against either Dale or Silber or both.
"I am not in good mental health and approached the DA's office with an unstable mind when I submitted my claim," the woman was said to have written on Dec. 10, 2007.
That was the same day she taped three conversations with Dale for the Police Department, and the day when Dale later met with Silber.
The hearing officer determined that the woman's testimony against Dale at the hearing "was more credible" than the letter.
Carey wrote that Dale implicated himself beyond what was recorded on tape.
While the woman, in the conversations, accused Dale only of sexual abuse, he later gave police details that he could not have known, "except for (his) personal participation," Carey wrote.
Accused Pedophile was Janitor at High School
A Concord man accused of soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl and later an undercover police officer once worked for a Concord high school, school officials said Thursday.
Danny Wrenn Cochran worked as a custodian at Jay M. Robinson High School from May 2001 to January 2006, Cabarrus County Schools spokeswoman Jeanette Trexler said.
School officials could not release why he left or under what circumstances.
Police officials said earlier this week they do not believe he was involved in any other alleged incidents. At the time of his arrest, Cochran was unemployed and receiving disability payments, police officials said.
According to a search warrant affidavit, Cochran told the 14-year-old girl, who had misdialed his phone, that he had previously worked as a custodian at the school. Police worked with the 14-year-girl, whose name is not being released, to set up a sting operation by using an undercover police officer to act as the teen’s cousin, the report stated.
Police arrested Cochran at the Terrymore Apartments in Concord, which was a predetermined meeting place between the undercover officer and Cochran, documents stated.
Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Sgt. D.J. DeGrace said the management of Terrymore Apartments worked with police and allowed them to use the facility for the sting but stressed the complex and its tenants had no involvement with the case.
The location was a neutral meeting place where police could control the situation and not give up the actual address of anyone involved, DeGrace said.
Cochran, 51, of 4800 Roberta Church Road, appeared in court Thursday morning.
Cabarrus County District Attorney Roxanne Vaneekhoven now has to decide when to place Cochran’s case before a grand jury.
Cochran’s next scheduled court hearing is Sept. 4 but he could be called before the grand jury as early as Monday, Cabarrus County Clerk of Courts officials said.
Danny Wrenn Cochran worked as a custodian at Jay M. Robinson High School from May 2001 to January 2006, Cabarrus County Schools spokeswoman Jeanette Trexler said.
School officials could not release why he left or under what circumstances.
Police officials said earlier this week they do not believe he was involved in any other alleged incidents. At the time of his arrest, Cochran was unemployed and receiving disability payments, police officials said.
According to a search warrant affidavit, Cochran told the 14-year-old girl, who had misdialed his phone, that he had previously worked as a custodian at the school. Police worked with the 14-year-girl, whose name is not being released, to set up a sting operation by using an undercover police officer to act as the teen’s cousin, the report stated.
Police arrested Cochran at the Terrymore Apartments in Concord, which was a predetermined meeting place between the undercover officer and Cochran, documents stated.
Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Sgt. D.J. DeGrace said the management of Terrymore Apartments worked with police and allowed them to use the facility for the sting but stressed the complex and its tenants had no involvement with the case.
The location was a neutral meeting place where police could control the situation and not give up the actual address of anyone involved, DeGrace said.
Cochran, 51, of 4800 Roberta Church Road, appeared in court Thursday morning.
Cabarrus County District Attorney Roxanne Vaneekhoven now has to decide when to place Cochran’s case before a grand jury.
Cochran’s next scheduled court hearing is Sept. 4 but he could be called before the grand jury as early as Monday, Cabarrus County Clerk of Courts officials said.
Lake Wales Officer Keenan Colson Arrested on Drug Charges
A Lake Wales police officer and 18 others have been arrested after an eight-month investigation into an alleged drug operation based in Haines City.
Lake Wales Police Officer Keenan Colson, left, is brought in to the book-in area at the Polk County Sheriff's Office in Bartow on Wednesday.
Lake Wales officer Keenan Colson, 50, of Bartow resigned Wednesday, the day he was arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in pattern of racketeering, five counts of unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and four counts unlawful use of computer access.
At a news conference Wednesday, Sheriff Grady Judd said Colson used police equipment to provide information to co-defendant Clayton Hoerler, 25, of Lake Alfred.
Judd accused Hoerler and William Cade, 27, of Haines City of being at the head of the drug operation, with Cade serving as the "boss" of the group.
Cade was charged with one count of continuing criminal enterprise, four counts conspiracy to sell cannabis, eight counts sale of cannabis and 10 counts of unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Hoerler was charged with one count of continuing criminal enterprise, five counts sale of cannabis, two counts purchase of cannabis, two counts unlawful use of two-way communications device and one count conspiracy racketeering/organized crime. Hoerler was also charged with child abuse. Investigators allege he brought his 4-year-old daughter to purchase 2 pounds of marijuana June 7.
Judd said Wednesday that more arrests will come.
"There is an undercover drug world out there," he said. "This is not over."
Law enforcement agencies throughout Polk County, plus the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area taskforce began the investigation in December.
Using four wire taps, detectives executed 13 search warrants, closed five marijuana grow locations, and seized about 20 pounds of marijuana, 168 marijuana plants, guns and $60,000, the Sheriff's Office said.
The 19 arrested face more than 80 criminal charges, ranging from possession of cannabis to money laundering.
Over the course of about four months, detectives listened to the wire taps and conducted surveillance on people mentioned to be involved in criminal activity, The Sheriff's Office said.
On Wednesday, Judd recounted some of the conversations detectives said they'd heard between Hoerler and Colson:
According to the Sheriff's Office, on May 29, Hoerler asked Colson to run a tag number. Colson revealed to Hoerler that the car belonged to a Sheriff's Office detective whom he knew personally, and Hoerler said he would warn his people.
On May 30, Hoerler asked Colson to find out if a specific person had an outstanding warrant, according to the Sheriff's Office. Colson ran the name and told Hoerler the person did not. Hoerler promised to buy Colson dinner for the information.
June 8, the day after a member of the operation was arrested for marijuana possession, Hoerler called Colson, according to the Sheriff's Office, and Colson gave Hoerler advice on how to move forward, warning him about police-controlled phone calls and controlled drug buys, and how to avoid detection.
Colson also told Hoerler that arrests, and other problems and risks were all a part of the illegal business in which Hoerler was involved, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Intercepted phone calls led investigators to the other arrests, the Sheriff's Office said.
Colson was hired to the Lake Wales police department in December 2005 and was paid about $45,000, according to Lake Wales police. His personnel file contained no complaints.
He did have several commendations, including one for outstanding work on the arson case at the Headley Insurance office Dec. 13, when he was the first officer on scene where two women were fatally injured. A former insurance customer, Leon Davis, is accused of killing those two women and of killing two men at a convenience store north of Lake Alfred.
Colson previously had worked at the Bartow Police Department, where his file was not as clean. He started as an officer in 1981 and moved up to lieutenant until he was terminated in 1997 following an internal affairs investigation. He had been arrested on charges of perjury and accessory after the fact after his girlfriend was arrested in relation to an arson case.
According to the internal affairs report, Colson was found in violation of department policy and did not cooperate in the investigation. He was later found not guilty of the criminal charges, and his law enforcement credentials remained intact.
After working as a truck driver for about a year, Colson went to work as a Lake Hamilton police officer in 1999, then moved on to Lake Wales.
"He was very quiet, kept to himself, but did a good job," Lake Wales Police Chief Herbert Gillis said at the news conference Wednesday.
Investigators do not have any evidence leading them to believe Colson was being paid for helping Hoerler, they said Wednesday.
Gillis said the department does not believe any other officers were involved, and he issued a warning: "If you do wrong, we're gonna do the right thing."
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Officer Indicted in Taser death
WINNFIELD, La.
A former police officer accused of repeatedly jolting a handcuffed man with a Taser before he died has been indicted on a manslaughter charge.
A spokesman for the Winn Parish district attorney's office says grand jurors also indicted former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent on a charge of malfeasance in office.
Grand jurors spent two days hearing evidence in the death of 21-year-old Baron Pikes before they handed up the indictments Wednesday evening.
Pikes was shocked nine times with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant in January in central Louisiana.
Nugent was fired but is appealing. Nugent's lawyer says his client followed department protocol and didn't use excessive force.
A former police officer accused of repeatedly jolting a handcuffed man with a Taser before he died has been indicted on a manslaughter charge.
A spokesman for the Winn Parish district attorney's office says grand jurors also indicted former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent on a charge of malfeasance in office.
Grand jurors spent two days hearing evidence in the death of 21-year-old Baron Pikes before they handed up the indictments Wednesday evening.
Pikes was shocked nine times with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant in January in central Louisiana.
Nugent was fired but is appealing. Nugent's lawyer says his client followed department protocol and didn't use excessive force.
Cop accused of sex with minors considers plea
A former Maricopa police officer accused of sex with minors is apparently mulling over a plea deal. Garry Ferguson is accused of having unlawful sex with three minors in Kings County. He appeared in court Wednesday in Handford.
We called Kings County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ciuffini who said she offered a plea deal to keep the case form going to trial and that he is considering it.
The plea deal calls for Ferguson to plead to one court of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 and one count of statutory rape.
In return, Ferguson would get no more than eight years in prison. If convicted, Ferguson could face more than 26 years in prison. Ferguson has until September to consider the deal. His preliminary hearing is also set for September.
Three Officer Indicted for Threatened to Kill Teenagers
Three East Orange police officers have been indicted on charges they threatened to kill two teenagers they believed had thrown rocks at their patrol car, prosecutors said yesterday.
Officers Jon Cato, 31, and Hakim Davis, 34, were charged in the 23-count indictment with kidnapping and official misconduct for allegedly leading the 17-year-olds out of their apartment and making them lay facedown on a porch at gunpoint. Davis, once referred to as a law enforcement role model, is also accused of placing the barrel of a gun inside the mouth of one of the teens.
Officer Dave Sheridan, 24, who did not take part in the threats but allegedly made no effort to stop them, was charged with conspiracy and official misconduct.
Mayor Robert Bowser and city Administrator Reginald Lewis said Police Chief Ronald Borgo took immediate action against the officers.
"In light of the nature of the charges, Chief Borgo has relieved all three officers of their duties, placing them on suspension, without pay, pending the outcome of the judicial process," Lewis said in a statement.
Sheridan's attorney, Patrick Toscano, said his client had done nothing wrong.
"When the matter is over, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is going to owe him three things: back pay, reinstatement and a huge apology," Toscano said.
The incident took place around midnight on May 31, when a patrol car carrying Cato and Davis was struck by rocks at South Arlington Avenue and Beech Street as the officers were responding, with lights flashing, to a reported shooting, said Peter Sepulveda, an Essex County assistant prosecutor.
Sepulveda said the rocks, which hit the passenger door, did little damage, but the officers said they nearly caused the patrol car to crash.
With other officers continuing the response, Cato and Davis arrested two youths, ages 15 and 16, for the rock throwing, Sepulveda said. He said they then went to a second-floor apartment on Beech Street in pursuit of others they believed.
Two 17-year-olds who lived in the apartment were in bed and later determined to not be involved. But when one of them opened the door to the officers, Davis grabbed him and punched him twice in the face, while Cato pointed a gun at the other boy's chest, the prosecutor said.
"These kids were never part of the group outside," Sepulveda said. "They got out of bed when they heard the knocking and the officer punches one of them in the face."
The officers took both youths to the front porch and made them lay facedown at gunpoint, Sepulveda said. Davis put his gun on the face of one teen and, when he protested, forced it in his mouth and threatened to kill him, the prosecutor said.
Sepulveda said a number of people witnessed the incident. Neither teen was charged with the rock throwing, and the two youths who were arrested earlier had their charges dismissed in juvenile court.
The officers were indicted after an investigation by the East Orange police internal affairs unit and the professional standards bureau of the prosecutor's office.
Cato and Davis are both five-year veterans of the force; Sheridan came on the job in September 2006. Cato and Davis each were earning $59,328 a year, as of March 31, 2007, according to the state Pension Office. Sheridan's salary could not be immediately determined.
Lawyers for Cato and Davis could not be reached for comment.
Davis was once hailed as a law enforcement role model in East Orange.
During a Feb. 5, 2007, swearing-in ceremony for 12 new recruits, former Police Director Jose Cordero told the newest members of the East Orange Police Department to look at Davis, then a detective, and other officers around them as people they should emulate.
"There are no better role models than those around you," Cordero said.
Officers Jon Cato, 31, and Hakim Davis, 34, were charged in the 23-count indictment with kidnapping and official misconduct for allegedly leading the 17-year-olds out of their apartment and making them lay facedown on a porch at gunpoint. Davis, once referred to as a law enforcement role model, is also accused of placing the barrel of a gun inside the mouth of one of the teens.
Officer Dave Sheridan, 24, who did not take part in the threats but allegedly made no effort to stop them, was charged with conspiracy and official misconduct.
Mayor Robert Bowser and city Administrator Reginald Lewis said Police Chief Ronald Borgo took immediate action against the officers.
"In light of the nature of the charges, Chief Borgo has relieved all three officers of their duties, placing them on suspension, without pay, pending the outcome of the judicial process," Lewis said in a statement.
Sheridan's attorney, Patrick Toscano, said his client had done nothing wrong.
"When the matter is over, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is going to owe him three things: back pay, reinstatement and a huge apology," Toscano said.
The incident took place around midnight on May 31, when a patrol car carrying Cato and Davis was struck by rocks at South Arlington Avenue and Beech Street as the officers were responding, with lights flashing, to a reported shooting, said Peter Sepulveda, an Essex County assistant prosecutor.
Sepulveda said the rocks, which hit the passenger door, did little damage, but the officers said they nearly caused the patrol car to crash.
With other officers continuing the response, Cato and Davis arrested two youths, ages 15 and 16, for the rock throwing, Sepulveda said. He said they then went to a second-floor apartment on Beech Street in pursuit of others they believed.
Two 17-year-olds who lived in the apartment were in bed and later determined to not be involved. But when one of them opened the door to the officers, Davis grabbed him and punched him twice in the face, while Cato pointed a gun at the other boy's chest, the prosecutor said.
"These kids were never part of the group outside," Sepulveda said. "They got out of bed when they heard the knocking and the officer punches one of them in the face."
The officers took both youths to the front porch and made them lay facedown at gunpoint, Sepulveda said. Davis put his gun on the face of one teen and, when he protested, forced it in his mouth and threatened to kill him, the prosecutor said.
Sepulveda said a number of people witnessed the incident. Neither teen was charged with the rock throwing, and the two youths who were arrested earlier had their charges dismissed in juvenile court.
The officers were indicted after an investigation by the East Orange police internal affairs unit and the professional standards bureau of the prosecutor's office.
Cato and Davis are both five-year veterans of the force; Sheridan came on the job in September 2006. Cato and Davis each were earning $59,328 a year, as of March 31, 2007, according to the state Pension Office. Sheridan's salary could not be immediately determined.
Lawyers for Cato and Davis could not be reached for comment.
Davis was once hailed as a law enforcement role model in East Orange.
During a Feb. 5, 2007, swearing-in ceremony for 12 new recruits, former Police Director Jose Cordero told the newest members of the East Orange Police Department to look at Davis, then a detective, and other officers around them as people they should emulate.
"There are no better role models than those around you," Cordero said.
Officer Andrew Dale Fired for Sexually Abusing Woman
RAMAPO
The Town Board fired a police officer last night who is accused by the town Police Department of sexually abusing a Monsey woman.
The dismissal of Andrew Dale, 34, came a day after an indictment accused him of felony and misdemeanor crimes related to administering gynecological examinations, but was based only on the Police Department's disciplinary charges.
A resolution unanimously approved by the board declared that Dale, a member of the department for 10 years, "is no longer qualified to serve as a Police Officer and is immediately discharged."
The decision was made after board members were provided with a 1,641-page transcript of the six-day hearing, as well as the hearing officer's report.
Hearing Officer John Carey reported finding sufficient evidence to uphold 16 disciplinary charges, including Dale's failure to report the woman's accusations, his lying to the Police Department about the accusations and his participation in the alleged abuse.
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said last night that he thought it was significant that Carey found "proof well beyond the substantial-evidence test in determining that Dale committed the crime of sexual abuse."
Police Chief Peter Brower and relatives of Dale's declined to comment as they left last night's meeting.
Dale's dismissal was not recommended by Carey, who suggested a one-year unpaid suspension. The officer's annual salary was about $95,000.
Carey, a former Westchester County judge, reported that he took "into account AD's unblemished record in the RPD, his national service as a US Marine, his current service in the US Army Reserve, and his overall performance as a Community Police Officer."
It seemed to Carey that "more good can be done by sending him back to work," with an admonition to use better judgment in the future.
Dale and Zalman Silber were released without bail Tuesday after separate arraignments before Judge Catherine Bartlett in Rockland County Court in New City.
Silber, 41, had already posted $10,000 bail in Manhattan after he was accused last month of misdemeanor charges of sex abuse and a felony charge of practicing a profession without a license. The charges stemmed from accusations that Silber examined several women while posing as a gynecologist.
In the Rockland indictment, Silber and Dale were accused of 34 charges, including the felony of performing medical examinations without a license between 2005 and 2006. They also were accused of four counts of fourth-degree aggravated sex abuse, a felony, and 24 counts of third-degree sex abuse, a misdemeanor. All the charges related to the alleged contact with the Monsey woman.
They pleaded not guilty, and their attorneys predicted they would prevail at trial.
One of the lawyers, William Aronwald of White Plains, said the woman was "mentally unbalanced" and had ulterior motives for her accusations.
In a footnote of the hearing officer's report, it was stated the woman wrote that she was withdrawing her claims against either Dale or Silber or both.
"I am not in good mental health and approached the DA's office with an unstable mind when I submitted my claim," the woman was said to have written on Dec. 10, 2007.
That was the same day she taped three conversations with Dale for the Police Department, and the day when Dale later met with Silber.
The hearing officer determined that the woman's testimony against Dale at the hearing "was more credible" than the letter.
Carey wrote that Dale implicated himself beyond what was recorded on tape.
While the woman, in the conversations, accused Dale only of sexual abuse, he later gave police details that he could not have known, "except for (his) personal participation," Carey wrote.
The Town Board fired a police officer last night who is accused by the town Police Department of sexually abusing a Monsey woman.
The dismissal of Andrew Dale, 34, came a day after an indictment accused him of felony and misdemeanor crimes related to administering gynecological examinations, but was based only on the Police Department's disciplinary charges.
A resolution unanimously approved by the board declared that Dale, a member of the department for 10 years, "is no longer qualified to serve as a Police Officer and is immediately discharged."
The decision was made after board members were provided with a 1,641-page transcript of the six-day hearing, as well as the hearing officer's report.
Hearing Officer John Carey reported finding sufficient evidence to uphold 16 disciplinary charges, including Dale's failure to report the woman's accusations, his lying to the Police Department about the accusations and his participation in the alleged abuse.
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said last night that he thought it was significant that Carey found "proof well beyond the substantial-evidence test in determining that Dale committed the crime of sexual abuse."
Police Chief Peter Brower and relatives of Dale's declined to comment as they left last night's meeting.
Dale's dismissal was not recommended by Carey, who suggested a one-year unpaid suspension. The officer's annual salary was about $95,000.
Carey, a former Westchester County judge, reported that he took "into account AD's unblemished record in the RPD, his national service as a US Marine, his current service in the US Army Reserve, and his overall performance as a Community Police Officer."
It seemed to Carey that "more good can be done by sending him back to work," with an admonition to use better judgment in the future.
Dale and Zalman Silber were released without bail Tuesday after separate arraignments before Judge Catherine Bartlett in Rockland County Court in New City.
Silber, 41, had already posted $10,000 bail in Manhattan after he was accused last month of misdemeanor charges of sex abuse and a felony charge of practicing a profession without a license. The charges stemmed from accusations that Silber examined several women while posing as a gynecologist.
In the Rockland indictment, Silber and Dale were accused of 34 charges, including the felony of performing medical examinations without a license between 2005 and 2006. They also were accused of four counts of fourth-degree aggravated sex abuse, a felony, and 24 counts of third-degree sex abuse, a misdemeanor. All the charges related to the alleged contact with the Monsey woman.
They pleaded not guilty, and their attorneys predicted they would prevail at trial.
One of the lawyers, William Aronwald of White Plains, said the woman was "mentally unbalanced" and had ulterior motives for her accusations.
In a footnote of the hearing officer's report, it was stated the woman wrote that she was withdrawing her claims against either Dale or Silber or both.
"I am not in good mental health and approached the DA's office with an unstable mind when I submitted my claim," the woman was said to have written on Dec. 10, 2007.
That was the same day she taped three conversations with Dale for the Police Department, and the day when Dale later met with Silber.
The hearing officer determined that the woman's testimony against Dale at the hearing "was more credible" than the letter.
Carey wrote that Dale implicated himself beyond what was recorded on tape.
While the woman, in the conversations, accused Dale only of sexual abuse, he later gave police details that he could not have known, "except for (his) personal participation," Carey wrote.
Officer Alph Coleman Arrested for Aggravated Robbery
Dallas police officer Alph Coleman was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery on June 27 of the Sam's Club in the 2900 block of West Wheatland Road.
Court records show that Coleman tried to rob the Red Bird-area Sam's with two other men, and made up a story covering his participation. You have to read the story involving a bullet-proof vest that Coleman says was shot at, but evidence shows wasn't. It's all pretty elaborate and also seems clearly fake. It also sounds like they never ended up actually taking anything. One of the other two men has been arrested; the other is still at large.
He said he was held at gunpoint in a Sam's Club robbery was accused Tuesday of staging his role as a hostage in the failed heist.
Dallas police Officer Alph Coleman was charged with aggravated robbery after evidence implicated the four-year veteran in planning and carrying out the June 27 holdup, Dallas police Lt. Vernon Hale said.
Coleman was in custody at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center on a $50,000 bond for the aggravated robbery charges, a jail spokesman said. It was not immediately clear if Coleman had an attorney. He has been placed on administrative leave.
Coleman was working off-duty as a security guard, but in his police uniform, when he told investigators that a man held a pistol to his head inside a Sam's Club store and forced him against his will toward the accounting office.
The robbery failed when employees barricaded themselves inside a storage room, police said. Coleman had said he was walked outside the store, pushed to the ground and heard two gunshots.
Coleman fired three times at the suspect, according to a Dallas police report. The suspect fled and was not caught, and Coleman was hospitalized with a shoulder injury.
Coleman's uniform shirt and ballistic vest were taken to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences but a trace evidence analyst found no gunshot defects, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. No gunshot residue was found on the shirt or the vest.
Coleman has been with the department since 2004 and has no history of disciplinary actions, police said.
Court records show that Coleman tried to rob the Red Bird-area Sam's with two other men, and made up a story covering his participation. You have to read the story involving a bullet-proof vest that Coleman says was shot at, but evidence shows wasn't. It's all pretty elaborate and also seems clearly fake. It also sounds like they never ended up actually taking anything. One of the other two men has been arrested; the other is still at large.
He said he was held at gunpoint in a Sam's Club robbery was accused Tuesday of staging his role as a hostage in the failed heist.
Dallas police Officer Alph Coleman was charged with aggravated robbery after evidence implicated the four-year veteran in planning and carrying out the June 27 holdup, Dallas police Lt. Vernon Hale said.
Coleman was in custody at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center on a $50,000 bond for the aggravated robbery charges, a jail spokesman said. It was not immediately clear if Coleman had an attorney. He has been placed on administrative leave.
Coleman was working off-duty as a security guard, but in his police uniform, when he told investigators that a man held a pistol to his head inside a Sam's Club store and forced him against his will toward the accounting office.
The robbery failed when employees barricaded themselves inside a storage room, police said. Coleman had said he was walked outside the store, pushed to the ground and heard two gunshots.
Coleman fired three times at the suspect, according to a Dallas police report. The suspect fled and was not caught, and Coleman was hospitalized with a shoulder injury.
Coleman's uniform shirt and ballistic vest were taken to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences but a trace evidence analyst found no gunshot defects, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. No gunshot residue was found on the shirt or the vest.
Coleman has been with the department since 2004 and has no history of disciplinary actions, police said.
Faced With Being Fired Officer George Benjamin Retires
Faced with being fired, an Indianapolis police officer retired Tuesday, the same day prosecutors charged him with a felony and five misdemeanors in connection with two alcohol-related crashes involving his department-issued cars.
George Leon Benjamin, a respected robbery detective and the brother of a deputy chief, allegedly was involved in accidents with four department-issued vehicles since 2002, yet was allowed to stay in the department and continued to drive take-home vehicles.
Weak evidence, lenient policies and the fact that Benjamin was widely regarded as a "good officer" helped him keep his job until the most recent incidents came to light Monday.
Benjamin, 46, checked himself into a treatment program Tuesday shortly after he told supervisors he would retire.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Michael Spears said he was going to seek to have Benjamin fired. A firing would not have changed Benjamin's pension or benefits.
"We take a pretty serious stance with" drunken driving, Spears said. "This is the only area of disciplinary action that is specifically outlined in policy. Regardless of who you are, you know what the consequences will be."
Under the current policy, any officer who crashes a department vehicle with even a trace of alcohol in his or her system faces a 30-day suspension for a first offense and termination for the second offense.
Prior to 2005, officers typically received a 15-day suspension for crashing a squad car while intoxicated. Benjamin's first two incidents occurred before the new policy was in place.
Officials say Benjamin committed two alcohol-related offenses in the past three weeks.
Prosecutors charged him with public intoxication and two counts of drunken driving after he allegedly crashed his department-issued Ford Taurus into a fence in the 7300 block of West Morris Street on Sunday night.
Benjamin also was charged with criminal mischief, public intoxication and failure to stop after an accident in connection with a July 22 crash in which Benjamin's department-issued Ford Crown Victoria struck and damaged a maintenance building in the Westpark Townhomes, 7800 block of West 10th Street.
The criminal mischief charge is a felony and carries a sentence of six months to three years in prison if convicted. The other charges are misdemeanors. Benjamin is scheduled to appear in Marion Superior Court today for a hearing.
Benjamin's brother, Deputy Chief William Benjamin, removed himself from the investigation to avoid any appearance of impropriety. The investigating supervisors, who typically reported to William Benjamin, reported directly to Spears, the chief said.
"He completely recused himself from any part of that investigation and has remained out of it," Spears said.
George Leon Benjamin had been working as a detective in the department's robbery section. He has 11 commendations and awards, including being named officer of the month for January 2001.
But off-duty, Benjamin had problems.
In 2004, he served a 10-day suspension and was required to undergo counseling after he struck a metal gate with a department vehicle, causing about $2,000 in damage to the vehicle. Benjamin was not arrested because no one witnessed him behind the wheel, a key element needed to prove a drunken-driving case.
Benjamin was suspended for five days in December 2005 after he failed to comply with the terms of a treatment program. Officials declined to elaborate.
In 2002, while Benjamin was assigned to then-Mayor Bart Peterson's security detail, he was off duty and behind the wheel of an unmarked patrol car that struck another vehicle outside a strip mall at 56th Street and Georgetown Road. Witnesses and authorities said Benjamin smelled of alcohol, but the officers who investigated did not give him a field sobriety or breath test. No arrests were made and no discipline was handed out, although he later left the mayor's security detail.
Department officials at the time criticized the Marion County sheriff's deputy who investigated the case for choosing not to test Benjamin's sobriety. Deputy Larry Crowe said he did not have enough probable cause to ask Benjamin to undergo the tests.
Public Safety Director Scott Newman said Tuesday that Benjamin's arrest and forced retirement show times have changed in the Police Department.
"Fifteen or 20 years ago, if you were pro-police, it meant you defended every officer no matter what," Newman said. "Now, even the union considers whether an action was within a framework of something that can be defended."
Bill Owensby, president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, worked alongside Benjamin early in their careers.
"I thought he was a fine police officer," Owensby said. "I'm not blowing smoke. I thought he was a good cop."
Benjamin's alcohol problems happened while he was off duty, Owensby said. Benjamin's on-duty performance was not in question.
"If these incidents surfaced every few years or so, it's possible that he stayed under their radar," Owensby said. "They surfaced every so often, but not often enough to put a bull's-eye on his back."
Spears said he hopes Benjamin's swift separation from IMPD reminds other officers to stay away from alcohol whenever they drive their take-home vehicles.
"I clearly will not accept that type of conduct no matter who the officer is," Spears said.
George Leon Benjamin, a respected robbery detective and the brother of a deputy chief, allegedly was involved in accidents with four department-issued vehicles since 2002, yet was allowed to stay in the department and continued to drive take-home vehicles.
Weak evidence, lenient policies and the fact that Benjamin was widely regarded as a "good officer" helped him keep his job until the most recent incidents came to light Monday.
Benjamin, 46, checked himself into a treatment program Tuesday shortly after he told supervisors he would retire.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Michael Spears said he was going to seek to have Benjamin fired. A firing would not have changed Benjamin's pension or benefits.
"We take a pretty serious stance with" drunken driving, Spears said. "This is the only area of disciplinary action that is specifically outlined in policy. Regardless of who you are, you know what the consequences will be."
Under the current policy, any officer who crashes a department vehicle with even a trace of alcohol in his or her system faces a 30-day suspension for a first offense and termination for the second offense.
Prior to 2005, officers typically received a 15-day suspension for crashing a squad car while intoxicated. Benjamin's first two incidents occurred before the new policy was in place.
Officials say Benjamin committed two alcohol-related offenses in the past three weeks.
Prosecutors charged him with public intoxication and two counts of drunken driving after he allegedly crashed his department-issued Ford Taurus into a fence in the 7300 block of West Morris Street on Sunday night.
Benjamin also was charged with criminal mischief, public intoxication and failure to stop after an accident in connection with a July 22 crash in which Benjamin's department-issued Ford Crown Victoria struck and damaged a maintenance building in the Westpark Townhomes, 7800 block of West 10th Street.
The criminal mischief charge is a felony and carries a sentence of six months to three years in prison if convicted. The other charges are misdemeanors. Benjamin is scheduled to appear in Marion Superior Court today for a hearing.
Benjamin's brother, Deputy Chief William Benjamin, removed himself from the investigation to avoid any appearance of impropriety. The investigating supervisors, who typically reported to William Benjamin, reported directly to Spears, the chief said.
"He completely recused himself from any part of that investigation and has remained out of it," Spears said.
George Leon Benjamin had been working as a detective in the department's robbery section. He has 11 commendations and awards, including being named officer of the month for January 2001.
But off-duty, Benjamin had problems.
In 2004, he served a 10-day suspension and was required to undergo counseling after he struck a metal gate with a department vehicle, causing about $2,000 in damage to the vehicle. Benjamin was not arrested because no one witnessed him behind the wheel, a key element needed to prove a drunken-driving case.
Benjamin was suspended for five days in December 2005 after he failed to comply with the terms of a treatment program. Officials declined to elaborate.
In 2002, while Benjamin was assigned to then-Mayor Bart Peterson's security detail, he was off duty and behind the wheel of an unmarked patrol car that struck another vehicle outside a strip mall at 56th Street and Georgetown Road. Witnesses and authorities said Benjamin smelled of alcohol, but the officers who investigated did not give him a field sobriety or breath test. No arrests were made and no discipline was handed out, although he later left the mayor's security detail.
Department officials at the time criticized the Marion County sheriff's deputy who investigated the case for choosing not to test Benjamin's sobriety. Deputy Larry Crowe said he did not have enough probable cause to ask Benjamin to undergo the tests.
Public Safety Director Scott Newman said Tuesday that Benjamin's arrest and forced retirement show times have changed in the Police Department.
"Fifteen or 20 years ago, if you were pro-police, it meant you defended every officer no matter what," Newman said. "Now, even the union considers whether an action was within a framework of something that can be defended."
Bill Owensby, president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, worked alongside Benjamin early in their careers.
"I thought he was a fine police officer," Owensby said. "I'm not blowing smoke. I thought he was a good cop."
Benjamin's alcohol problems happened while he was off duty, Owensby said. Benjamin's on-duty performance was not in question.
"If these incidents surfaced every few years or so, it's possible that he stayed under their radar," Owensby said. "They surfaced every so often, but not often enough to put a bull's-eye on his back."
Spears said he hopes Benjamin's swift separation from IMPD reminds other officers to stay away from alcohol whenever they drive their take-home vehicles.
"I clearly will not accept that type of conduct no matter who the officer is," Spears said.
Officer Scott Campbell Charged with Fraud
CHICAGO
Another Chicago police officer has been indicted in connection with a scheme to have his car towed away and declared stolen for insurance money.
The U.S. attorney's office says Officer Scott Campbell was charged Tuesday with fraud in a plan to have his Volkswagen towed and cut up for parts. Authorites say Campbell planned to report the auto as stolen once it had been taken away.
A lawyer for Campbell could not immediately be reached for comment.
In June, Officer Joseph Grillo, a 12-year department veteran, and another man, James P. Athans, of Wood Dale, were charged with one count each of felony mail fraud.
Grillo was accused of making arrangements with Athans to have the car taken off the street, and agreeing to help keep other towing companies away from accident scenes as part of the deal.
Another Chicago police officer has been indicted in connection with a scheme to have his car towed away and declared stolen for insurance money.
The U.S. attorney's office says Officer Scott Campbell was charged Tuesday with fraud in a plan to have his Volkswagen towed and cut up for parts. Authorites say Campbell planned to report the auto as stolen once it had been taken away.
A lawyer for Campbell could not immediately be reached for comment.
In June, Officer Joseph Grillo, a 12-year department veteran, and another man, James P. Athans, of Wood Dale, were charged with one count each of felony mail fraud.
Grillo was accused of making arrangements with Athans to have the car taken off the street, and agreeing to help keep other towing companies away from accident scenes as part of the deal.
Officer Herrick Johnson Charged with Having Sex with Teen He Met Online
ALTOONA, Pa.
A central Pennsylvania police officer charged with having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met online wants to retire and collect his pension.
Altoona Police Officer Herrick Johnson is on paid administrative leave. State police say the 49-year-old Johnson met the girl through a site that promoted law enforcement careers. State police say Johnson drove to Indiana to pick up the girl at her family's home in July.
The city's pension board must rule on Johnson's request to retire effective Aug. 20, the day of his preliminary hearing on the charges. Johnson's pension would be based on 50 percent of his base pay.
City officials say the officer likely won't forfeit his pension due to the sex charges.
A central Pennsylvania police officer charged with having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met online wants to retire and collect his pension.
Altoona Police Officer Herrick Johnson is on paid administrative leave. State police say the 49-year-old Johnson met the girl through a site that promoted law enforcement careers. State police say Johnson drove to Indiana to pick up the girl at her family's home in July.
The city's pension board must rule on Johnson's request to retire effective Aug. 20, the day of his preliminary hearing on the charges. Johnson's pension would be based on 50 percent of his base pay.
City officials say the officer likely won't forfeit his pension due to the sex charges.
Officer Sean Bracey Charged with Forcible Rape of a Child
SPRINGFIELD
A former Belchertown police officer was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 cash or $500,000 surety after he pleaded innocent today in Hampden Superior Court to forcible rape of a child under 16.
Sean F. Bracey, 40, of 34 Pine Grove St., Springfield, also pleaded innocent in front of Judge Tina S. Page to indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
Bracey was indicted by a grand jury on Monday and a warrant issued for his arrest. He was arrested Tuesday.
According to the indictments, Bracey is accused of forcible rape of a child under 16 "on or about April 21, 2007," in Springfield.
The indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 charge said that happened between September 2001 and September 2002. The indictments give the initial of the victim in each charge. The initials of the victim in each charge were the same.
Bracey submitted his resignation to Belchertown selectmen in June 2005.
Bracey, convicted of domestic assault and battery by a Hampshire Superior Court jury April 26, 2005, submitted a brief, typed letter of resignation to the board. It said, "For reasons known to the Board of Selectmen and personal reasons, I must tender my resignation from my appointed position as full-time police officer with the Town of Belchertown."
A former Belchertown police officer was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 cash or $500,000 surety after he pleaded innocent today in Hampden Superior Court to forcible rape of a child under 16.
Sean F. Bracey, 40, of 34 Pine Grove St., Springfield, also pleaded innocent in front of Judge Tina S. Page to indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
Bracey was indicted by a grand jury on Monday and a warrant issued for his arrest. He was arrested Tuesday.
According to the indictments, Bracey is accused of forcible rape of a child under 16 "on or about April 21, 2007," in Springfield.
The indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 charge said that happened between September 2001 and September 2002. The indictments give the initial of the victim in each charge. The initials of the victim in each charge were the same.
Bracey submitted his resignation to Belchertown selectmen in June 2005.
Bracey, convicted of domestic assault and battery by a Hampshire Superior Court jury April 26, 2005, submitted a brief, typed letter of resignation to the board. It said, "For reasons known to the Board of Selectmen and personal reasons, I must tender my resignation from my appointed position as full-time police officer with the Town of Belchertown."
Officer Ian Elsom Charged with Assault
An officer charged Tuesday with assault causing bodily harm used an appropriate amount of force in collaring a man who was resisting arrest, the president of the Calgary Police Association argued.
Calgary police allege Const. Ian Elsom, 38, caused unspecified jaw injuries during an altercation after a traffic stop on Dec. 8, 2007.
But association president John Dooks said Elsom broke no laws.
The offender was resisting arrest and the officer used a reasonable amount of force," Dooks said.
"The officer was involved in a foot chase and the suspect sustained injuries as a result of a struggle, as a result of some of his own actions."
The Calgary Police Service said its Professional Standards Section investigated the incident and sent its findings to prosecutors in Edmonton.
The Crown reviewed the case and recommended last week that Elsom be charged.
"It is very rare for us to charge a police officer. It's all based on the recommendation from the Edmonton Crown," said Calgary police Insp. Monty Sparrow.
"We take all matters seriously and forward all of our investigations of a criminal nature to the Edmonton Crown for review. Upon their recommendation, we lay the charge."
Elsom, who has served with the CPS for the last two years, is on paid relief for the next seven days.
Sparrow would not say much about the incident, saying the matter was before the courts.
"The Calgary Police Service takes any allegations of criminal activity, misconduct or improper behaviour against its officers very seriously. All incidents are investigated thoroughly and impartially," said Sparrow.
The case comes less than a week after another Calgary officer was acquitted of assault charges in court.
Seven-year member Const. Sean Hasson was acquitted Saturday of aggravated assault after an incident that stemmed from an unpaid bar tab. The judge in that case was critical of the Crown's arguments.
Dooks said he knows Elsom and reiterated his belief that he will also be cleared.
"He's a very committed and hard-working officer and I believe his actions were appropriate for the situation. He was lawfully engaged in his duties with somebody who was resisting arrest," Dooks said.
Calgary police allege Const. Ian Elsom, 38, caused unspecified jaw injuries during an altercation after a traffic stop on Dec. 8, 2007.
But association president John Dooks said Elsom broke no laws.
The offender was resisting arrest and the officer used a reasonable amount of force," Dooks said.
"The officer was involved in a foot chase and the suspect sustained injuries as a result of a struggle, as a result of some of his own actions."
The Calgary Police Service said its Professional Standards Section investigated the incident and sent its findings to prosecutors in Edmonton.
The Crown reviewed the case and recommended last week that Elsom be charged.
"It is very rare for us to charge a police officer. It's all based on the recommendation from the Edmonton Crown," said Calgary police Insp. Monty Sparrow.
"We take all matters seriously and forward all of our investigations of a criminal nature to the Edmonton Crown for review. Upon their recommendation, we lay the charge."
Elsom, who has served with the CPS for the last two years, is on paid relief for the next seven days.
Sparrow would not say much about the incident, saying the matter was before the courts.
"The Calgary Police Service takes any allegations of criminal activity, misconduct or improper behaviour against its officers very seriously. All incidents are investigated thoroughly and impartially," said Sparrow.
The case comes less than a week after another Calgary officer was acquitted of assault charges in court.
Seven-year member Const. Sean Hasson was acquitted Saturday of aggravated assault after an incident that stemmed from an unpaid bar tab. The judge in that case was critical of the Crown's arguments.
Dooks said he knows Elsom and reiterated his belief that he will also be cleared.
"He's a very committed and hard-working officer and I believe his actions were appropriate for the situation. He was lawfully engaged in his duties with somebody who was resisting arrest," Dooks said.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sheriff Mike Burgess Hearing has Started
A preliminary hearing is under way in Arapaho for a former sheriff accused of running a sex slave operation at the Custer County jail.
Former Sheriff Mike Burgess is charged with 35 felonies including second-degree rape, forcible oral sodomy and bribery.
Former deputy Jennifer Tyler testified today that Burgess groped her several times including before her first day on the job.
Tyler also said Burgess had inappropriate sexual contact with women he oversaw in the county's drug court program.
Prosecutors are also expected to present allegations made in a federal lawsuit by 12 former inmates who say they were forced into wet T-short contests and offered cigarettes for exposing their breasts.
It also claims Burgess told a drug court participant he would have her sent to prison if she didn't agree to his sexual demands.
His attorney says Burgess is eager to get to court and clear his name.
Burgess resigned in April and faces up to 467 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Former Sheriff Mike Burgess is charged with 35 felonies including second-degree rape, forcible oral sodomy and bribery.
Former deputy Jennifer Tyler testified today that Burgess groped her several times including before her first day on the job.
Tyler also said Burgess had inappropriate sexual contact with women he oversaw in the county's drug court program.
Prosecutors are also expected to present allegations made in a federal lawsuit by 12 former inmates who say they were forced into wet T-short contests and offered cigarettes for exposing their breasts.
It also claims Burgess told a drug court participant he would have her sent to prison if she didn't agree to his sexual demands.
His attorney says Burgess is eager to get to court and clear his name.
Burgess resigned in April and faces up to 467 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Sgt Chris Morris Arrested for DUI
McALESTER
McAlester police Sgt. Chris Morris was arrested Saturday night on an initial complaint of driving under the influence, Police Chief Jim Lyles said.
"He is suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation,” Lyles said.
Morris is president of Lodge 97 of the Fraternal Order of Police and is the current officer of the year.
He had been off-duty at the time of his arrest, according to the police chief. Lyles said McAlester police responded the same way that they would have in any case, regardless of who was involved.
Police received information of Morris possibly becoming intoxicated during a celebration at the Elks Lodge in McAlester, he said.
"It was reported to the department that he possibly was becoming intoxicated,” Lyles said. "There was a concern that if he left there driving, he would possibly be DUI.”
The chief said he was told that Morris, who is a singer, had performed at the event.
He said police stopped Morris after he ran two stops signs, including a stop sign at Elks Road and U.S. 69.
Master Patrolman Greg Read made the arrest, with assistance from Sgt. Windell Henry, Lyles said.
Following the arrest, police took Morris to the city police department, he said.
The chief said the city jail was filled at the time and he did not want Morris held in the county jail for obvious reasons — meaning the jail holds people arrested by McAlester police.
Morris was held in an administrative room at the police department under Capt. Shawn Smith's supervision, according to Lyles.
Police later took Morris to the Pittsburg County jail, where he was booked and released on his own recognizance, Lyles said.
McAlester police Sgt. Chris Morris was arrested Saturday night on an initial complaint of driving under the influence, Police Chief Jim Lyles said.
"He is suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation,” Lyles said.
Morris is president of Lodge 97 of the Fraternal Order of Police and is the current officer of the year.
He had been off-duty at the time of his arrest, according to the police chief. Lyles said McAlester police responded the same way that they would have in any case, regardless of who was involved.
Police received information of Morris possibly becoming intoxicated during a celebration at the Elks Lodge in McAlester, he said.
"It was reported to the department that he possibly was becoming intoxicated,” Lyles said. "There was a concern that if he left there driving, he would possibly be DUI.”
The chief said he was told that Morris, who is a singer, had performed at the event.
He said police stopped Morris after he ran two stops signs, including a stop sign at Elks Road and U.S. 69.
Master Patrolman Greg Read made the arrest, with assistance from Sgt. Windell Henry, Lyles said.
Following the arrest, police took Morris to the city police department, he said.
The chief said the city jail was filled at the time and he did not want Morris held in the county jail for obvious reasons — meaning the jail holds people arrested by McAlester police.
Morris was held in an administrative room at the police department under Capt. Shawn Smith's supervision, according to Lyles.
Police later took Morris to the Pittsburg County jail, where he was booked and released on his own recognizance, Lyles said.
Keely Johnson Trial Starts
DEDHAM
The trial of a Stoughton District Court officer accused of selling prescription drugs to an undercover state trooper was scheduled to begin today in Norfolk Superior Court.
Keely Johnson, 32, of Stoughton is charged with trafficking in oxycodone more than 14 grams and distribution of oxycodone. The charges stem from an investigation conducted in 2006.
Jury selection was completed Monday and opening statements were expected to be heard today. Judge Kenneth Fishman is presiding.
Johnson was arrested on Aug. 3, 2006, after allegedly selling 20 Percocet pills to the trooper. The transaction allegedly followed an earlier sale of 50 Percocet pills to the same trooper.
A Canton man, Joseph Iantosca, 52, was arrested for allegedly supplying the pills to Johnson.
Johnson is also charged with violation of drug laws within 1,000 feet of a school and conspiracy to violate the federal Controlled Substances Act.
An investigation began when authorities received information that Johnson was selling prescription drugs at the Stoughton courthouse.
The trial of a Stoughton District Court officer accused of selling prescription drugs to an undercover state trooper was scheduled to begin today in Norfolk Superior Court.
Keely Johnson, 32, of Stoughton is charged with trafficking in oxycodone more than 14 grams and distribution of oxycodone. The charges stem from an investigation conducted in 2006.
Jury selection was completed Monday and opening statements were expected to be heard today. Judge Kenneth Fishman is presiding.
Johnson was arrested on Aug. 3, 2006, after allegedly selling 20 Percocet pills to the trooper. The transaction allegedly followed an earlier sale of 50 Percocet pills to the same trooper.
A Canton man, Joseph Iantosca, 52, was arrested for allegedly supplying the pills to Johnson.
Johnson is also charged with violation of drug laws within 1,000 feet of a school and conspiracy to violate the federal Controlled Substances Act.
An investigation began when authorities received information that Johnson was selling prescription drugs at the Stoughton courthouse.
Officer John Sickels Charged with Rape WILL NOT get his Job Back
August 11, 2008
A former Creston police officer accused of sexually abusing a woman is still off the force after losing an appeal to get his job back. Former assistant police chief John Sickels is charged with raping a woman at the Crestmoor Golf Club in April and was fired shortly thereafter.
On Monday, Creston's civil service commission upheld that firing, saying that Sickels admitted to lying to investigators. Those lies are grounds for termination.
Former Creston police chief James Christensen is accused of looking on as the rape happened. Christensen was also removed from his job. Both are scheduled to go on trial November 17.
A former Creston police officer accused of sexually abusing a woman is still off the force after losing an appeal to get his job back. Former assistant police chief John Sickels is charged with raping a woman at the Crestmoor Golf Club in April and was fired shortly thereafter.
On Monday, Creston's civil service commission upheld that firing, saying that Sickels admitted to lying to investigators. Those lies are grounds for termination.
Former Creston police chief James Christensen is accused of looking on as the rape happened. Christensen was also removed from his job. Both are scheduled to go on trial November 17.
Officer Bruce Green Arrested for Making Fake Money
RALEIGH
A Holly Springs police officer is free on bond after his arrest on charges of manufacturing phony money.
Records filed with the City-County Bureau of Identification in Wake County show 27-year-old Bruce Renard Green is charged with one count each of uttering a forged instrument, forgery of notes, checks and other securities, and felony obtaining property by false pretenses.
A spokeswoman for CCBI told The News & Observer of Raleigh that Green was picked up for questioning around 8 p.m. Monday and arrested about 90 minutes later. He was released under a $10,000 unsecured bond.
His arrest followed a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.
A town spokesman said Green, who started with Holly Springs police in April, 2006, resigned from the force on Tuesday.
A Holly Springs police officer is free on bond after his arrest on charges of manufacturing phony money.
Records filed with the City-County Bureau of Identification in Wake County show 27-year-old Bruce Renard Green is charged with one count each of uttering a forged instrument, forgery of notes, checks and other securities, and felony obtaining property by false pretenses.
A spokeswoman for CCBI told The News & Observer of Raleigh that Green was picked up for questioning around 8 p.m. Monday and arrested about 90 minutes later. He was released under a $10,000 unsecured bond.
His arrest followed a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.
A town spokesman said Green, who started with Holly Springs police in April, 2006, resigned from the force on Tuesday.
Officer Alph Coleman Arrested for Robbery
A Dallas police officer helped plan a June robbery in which he was taken hostage as part of a ruse, police said Tuesday.
Alph Coleman was arrested Tuesday and has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation into the robbery at a Sam's Club, said Lt. Vernon Hale, police spokesman.
The store is located at 2900 W. Wheatland Road in southwest Dallas. The area is south of the intersection of U.S. 67 and Interstate 20.
Coleman, Hale said, was working off-duty security in his police uniform June 27 at the store when an "unknown suspect wearing a face mask entered the store and took him hostage during an attempt to rob the business."
"The robbery failed when other employees barricaded themselves inside of a storage room," Hale said. "The officer was later escorted out of the store and reportedly was involved in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect prior to his escape."
Hale declined to give details about the investigation but he did note that "evidence has been obtained implicating Officer Coleman in the planning and execution of the attempted robbery."
Hale said Coleman would be charged with aggravated robbery.
"There have been no other persons charged in connection with this case although the investigation is ongoing," he said in a news release.
Alph Coleman was arrested Tuesday and has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation into the robbery at a Sam's Club, said Lt. Vernon Hale, police spokesman.
The store is located at 2900 W. Wheatland Road in southwest Dallas. The area is south of the intersection of U.S. 67 and Interstate 20.
Coleman, Hale said, was working off-duty security in his police uniform June 27 at the store when an "unknown suspect wearing a face mask entered the store and took him hostage during an attempt to rob the business."
"The robbery failed when other employees barricaded themselves inside of a storage room," Hale said. "The officer was later escorted out of the store and reportedly was involved in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect prior to his escape."
Hale declined to give details about the investigation but he did note that "evidence has been obtained implicating Officer Coleman in the planning and execution of the attempted robbery."
Hale said Coleman would be charged with aggravated robbery.
"There have been no other persons charged in connection with this case although the investigation is ongoing," he said in a news release.
Deputy Timothy Reichmuth Arrested for Sexually Molesting Child
INDIANAPOLIS
For the past five years, 51-year-old Timothy Reichmuth has worked for the Marion County Sheriff's Department. But now the special deputy finds himself on the other side of the law. Reichmuth is in jail for sexually molesting a child. Police said the alleged abuse occurred more than 10 years ago.
"It's always disheartening when members of the law enforcement community...have been accused of committing a crime and it certainly doesn't put us in a good light," said IMPD Sgt. Paul Thompson.
Investigators said between 1993 and 1996, Reichmuth repeatedly molested a young family friend. They said the abuse began when the girl was just 10 years old and didn't stop until she was 13. Reichmuth was in his 30s at the time.
"Apparently it came to light to the mother of the victim, who is now 25 years old, that there was some inappropriate conduct on the suspect's part," said Sgt. Thompson.
Police said the victim's mother then approached Reichmuth.
"He allegedly stated that he did in fact molest her," said Sgt. Thompson.
Reichmuth has been charged with three counts of felony child molestation.
"It's not unusual for these types of incidents to come to light several years later. Someone is uncomfortable talking about it. The memory has been repressed for whatever reason. So it does happen from time to time that the case is several years old," said Sgt. Thompson.
Reichmuth has resigned from the sheriff's department and will be in court on October 6. He is currently in the Marion County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
He could face up to 50 years behind bars.
Officer James Fraser Fired After Running From other Officers
CITRUS HEIGHTS, Calif.
A Citrus Heights police officer has been fired after leading officers from another agency on a 40-mile, high-speed chase over the weekend.
Authorities say James M. Fraser also ran over the foot of a Folsom police officer with his motorcycle during the pursuit.
Folsom police tried to pull over the 27-year-old at 2 a.m. Saturday for traffic violations. Authorities say Fraser was speeding on his motorcycle and had run a red light.
Fraser, who was off-duty, exceeded speeds of 100 mph during the chase and eventually was arrested.
A spokeswoman at the Citrus Heights Police Department says Fraser has been fired. He had been employed at the department for eight months.
Citrus Heights and Folsom are suburbs of Sacramento.
A Citrus Heights police officer has been fired after leading officers from another agency on a 40-mile, high-speed chase over the weekend.
Authorities say James M. Fraser also ran over the foot of a Folsom police officer with his motorcycle during the pursuit.
Folsom police tried to pull over the 27-year-old at 2 a.m. Saturday for traffic violations. Authorities say Fraser was speeding on his motorcycle and had run a red light.
Fraser, who was off-duty, exceeded speeds of 100 mph during the chase and eventually was arrested.
A spokeswoman at the Citrus Heights Police Department says Fraser has been fired. He had been employed at the department for eight months.
Citrus Heights and Folsom are suburbs of Sacramento.
Officers Involved in Three Shootings over Weekend
Phoenix detectives continued Monday to investigate a series of weekend officer-involved shootings that left three people hospitalized.
In one of the incidents, officers shot a 16-year-old boy after they said he ignored warnings to stop as he drove a stolen vehicle toward them.
Six officers are on routine paid administrative leave in the wake of the three shootings, the latest of which involved three officers who fired on a man in the doorway of his north Phoenix apartment after he raised a firearm, police officials said.
The Sunday incident at Presidio North Apartments near 11th Avenue and Bell Road began after neighbors told police 45-year-old William Ray Griffin made threats with a gun after they had asked him to turn down his music around 10 p.m. As Griffin lay wounded on the ground from multiple gunshot wounds, he told officers he "had mental illness and had been drinking," according to Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson.
Griffin was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but authorities said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Phoenix police said each of three officers from the 11th Avenue shooting has less than two years of experience. The department did not release their names.
Thompson said the three officers, and three other officers from two separate shootings on Saturday, were faced with the most difficult decision a police officer ever has to make - whether to use deadly force.
Each of the officer's actions is under review by Phoenix police homicide detectives, who commonly review officer- involved shootings, in addition to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Criminal investigations are also pending.
"As police officers, every day we have the potential to have our lives in danger," Thompson said. "That's part of the business of being a police officer. We know at any time we can be in a situation where we have to make a life-or-death decision in a matter of seconds."
On Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest about 10 p.m. after he reportedly failed to heed police commands to stop driving a stolen vehicle toward officers at an automobile-auction yard in the 3400 block of South 48th Street.
The two officers, Bryant Clover and Todd Guilford, suffered minor injuries after firing at the vehicle.
The teen was listed in critical condition at Maricopa Medical Center on Sunday night. However, police and hospital officials could not confirm his condition Monday.
The teen and his stepfather, Robert Morales, 48, were arrested at the scene of the shooting on suspicion of attempted theft and possession of burglary tools, police said. The teen was also wanted on an outstanding felony auto theft warrant, according to Phoenix police.
Morales had served a short prison term for possession of dangerous drugs before gaining freedom in 2007, court records indicate.
Earlier on Saturday, 22-year-old Francisco Soto was shot in the 16400 block of North 28th Street at 2 a.m. after officers responded to a shooting call.
Officer Kennard Brown fired on Soto after he reportedly stepped out of a vehicle and pointed a gun toward officers. Soto's injuries were not considered life-threatening.
In one of the incidents, officers shot a 16-year-old boy after they said he ignored warnings to stop as he drove a stolen vehicle toward them.
Six officers are on routine paid administrative leave in the wake of the three shootings, the latest of which involved three officers who fired on a man in the doorway of his north Phoenix apartment after he raised a firearm, police officials said.
The Sunday incident at Presidio North Apartments near 11th Avenue and Bell Road began after neighbors told police 45-year-old William Ray Griffin made threats with a gun after they had asked him to turn down his music around 10 p.m. As Griffin lay wounded on the ground from multiple gunshot wounds, he told officers he "had mental illness and had been drinking," according to Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson.
Griffin was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but authorities said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Phoenix police said each of three officers from the 11th Avenue shooting has less than two years of experience. The department did not release their names.
Thompson said the three officers, and three other officers from two separate shootings on Saturday, were faced with the most difficult decision a police officer ever has to make - whether to use deadly force.
Each of the officer's actions is under review by Phoenix police homicide detectives, who commonly review officer- involved shootings, in addition to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Criminal investigations are also pending.
"As police officers, every day we have the potential to have our lives in danger," Thompson said. "That's part of the business of being a police officer. We know at any time we can be in a situation where we have to make a life-or-death decision in a matter of seconds."
On Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest about 10 p.m. after he reportedly failed to heed police commands to stop driving a stolen vehicle toward officers at an automobile-auction yard in the 3400 block of South 48th Street.
The two officers, Bryant Clover and Todd Guilford, suffered minor injuries after firing at the vehicle.
The teen was listed in critical condition at Maricopa Medical Center on Sunday night. However, police and hospital officials could not confirm his condition Monday.
The teen and his stepfather, Robert Morales, 48, were arrested at the scene of the shooting on suspicion of attempted theft and possession of burglary tools, police said. The teen was also wanted on an outstanding felony auto theft warrant, according to Phoenix police.
Morales had served a short prison term for possession of dangerous drugs before gaining freedom in 2007, court records indicate.
Earlier on Saturday, 22-year-old Francisco Soto was shot in the 16400 block of North 28th Street at 2 a.m. after officers responded to a shooting call.
Officer Kennard Brown fired on Soto after he reportedly stepped out of a vehicle and pointed a gun toward officers. Soto's injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Former Officer Bruce Bochicchio Charged with Stealing Stun Gun
Former Waterbury police officer Bruce Bochicchio was charged Monday with keeping a municipally issued electronic stun gun after he left the force.
The second-degree larceny charge lodged by Waterbury police against Bochicchio was added to weapons and domestic disturbance charges he already faces.
Police say Bochicchio, 41, of Morris kept the stun gun, a device that can deliver an electric shock, long after he left the force in August 2006.
Bochicchio's defense attorney, Tom Waterfall of Torrington, said his client returned all his other job materials to the city when he left the department, but simply forgot to return the stun gun.
"In order for the court to prove larceny, you must prove the intention to permanently deprive the other of the property," he said. "If you forget, it doesn't meet the statute."
Police seized the stun gun and 10 other weapons, including an assault rifle, and two fully automatic submachine guns, during a search of his home in late June. They recently discovered the stun gun was among the items Bochicchio should have returned to Waterbury police.
Officers searched Bochicchio's house after his wife, Christine, told them she feared for her safety and believed her husband had weapons in the house in violation of a previous restraining order filed against him.
Bochicchio ultimately was charged with violating the restraining order. Around the same time, state police charged him with threatening based on a complaint by his wife in the wake of domestic disputes.
He is under orders to stay away from his wife and the home where they lived.
Bochicchio is scheduled for an appearance Aug. 26 at Waterbury Superior Court. He will likely be arraigned and have his case transferred to New Britain Superior Court and combined with his other arrest cases, said Paul Murray of the Chief State's Attorney's Office.
Bochicchio's brother, Michael, a former state police trooper, shot and killed his wife, Donna, and critically injured her attorney, Julie Porzio, outside a courthouse in Middletown during a contentious divorce in 2005.
The second-degree larceny charge lodged by Waterbury police against Bochicchio was added to weapons and domestic disturbance charges he already faces.
Police say Bochicchio, 41, of Morris kept the stun gun, a device that can deliver an electric shock, long after he left the force in August 2006.
Bochicchio's defense attorney, Tom Waterfall of Torrington, said his client returned all his other job materials to the city when he left the department, but simply forgot to return the stun gun.
"In order for the court to prove larceny, you must prove the intention to permanently deprive the other of the property," he said. "If you forget, it doesn't meet the statute."
Police seized the stun gun and 10 other weapons, including an assault rifle, and two fully automatic submachine guns, during a search of his home in late June. They recently discovered the stun gun was among the items Bochicchio should have returned to Waterbury police.
Officers searched Bochicchio's house after his wife, Christine, told them she feared for her safety and believed her husband had weapons in the house in violation of a previous restraining order filed against him.
Bochicchio ultimately was charged with violating the restraining order. Around the same time, state police charged him with threatening based on a complaint by his wife in the wake of domestic disputes.
He is under orders to stay away from his wife and the home where they lived.
Bochicchio is scheduled for an appearance Aug. 26 at Waterbury Superior Court. He will likely be arraigned and have his case transferred to New Britain Superior Court and combined with his other arrest cases, said Paul Murray of the Chief State's Attorney's Office.
Bochicchio's brother, Michael, a former state police trooper, shot and killed his wife, Donna, and critically injured her attorney, Julie Porzio, outside a courthouse in Middletown during a contentious divorce in 2005.
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