FRANKLIN, N.H.
An off-duty New Hampshire police officer turned down a chance to avoid a sobriety checkpoint and ended up getting charged with drunken driving.
Franklin police say they arrested Brad Wheeler - a police corporal in Newbury - after he failed a sobriety test during the weekend.
State law requires police to warn drivers they are approaching checkpoints so they can choose alternate routes. Franklin police say they assume Wheeler saw a warning sign but chose to go through the checkpoint.
They say he was put in a holding cell and his car was towed after his arrest.
Newbury police declined to say whether the arrest would affect Wheeler's job.
Information from: WMUR-TV, http://wmur.com
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Police Deny Using Excessive Force
Authorities in Minnesota's Twin Cities have created "a climate of intense police intimidation," protesters at the Republican National Convention contend, but officials say they're merely preserving the peace.
As of 9 a.m. CT Thursday, 422 people had been arrested since the convention began, according to law enforcement's Joint Information Center. Only 40 were still in custody earlier in the day.
St. Paul police had arrested 145 individuals on felony charges, 107 on misdemeanors, and 53 on gross misdemeanors, said Deputy Tracy Martin of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department. She did not know the charges against 15 others.
More than 100 were detained Wednesday night after a Rage Against the Machine concert, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan said Thursday. None were charged with felonies.
Most were given citations and released, but about 15 remained in jail after refusing to identify themselves, he said.
"The bottom line with those individuals is they wanted to be arrested," Dolan said.
Another demonstration is due to begin at 5 p.m. before Arizona Sen. John McCain gives his nomination acceptance speech at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The RNC Welcoming Committee, a self-described anarchist/anti-authoritarian organizing body that has been behind many of the protests, said more than 300 demonstrators were being held as of Wednesday at the Ramsey and Hennepin county jails.
Numerous federal agencies are helping with convention security, but the anarchist group is focusing its outrage at Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher.
"We demand the immediate end to the brutality of Sheriff Bob Fletcher -- who has personally harassed our organizers both in jail and out," the group said.
Fletcher spokeswoman Holli Drinkwine said the hard-core protesters deserved special attention from the police. Eight people arrested during raids last weekend face felony charges including second-degree conspiracy to commit riot in furtherance of terrorism, she said.
Convictions could result in more than 10 years in prison, she said.
"This group had been planning for over a year the destruction that they were going to place on the city during the RNC," Drinkwine said.
Among the acts of terror the group allegedly planned, according to court documents, were kidnapping delegates, sabotaging a local airport, damaging bridges and taking over federal buildings.
"Their ultimate goal was to crash the convention," she said.
The American Civil Liberties Union said it was providing limited representation to many of those arrested during street demonstrations and raids on meeting places.
"Free speech has to be safeguarded during the Republican National Convention, as the workings of our democracy in the streets are as important as those in convention halls," ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said in a written statement. Watch a woman's shock at being arrested »
iReporter Bob Stewart, a student in Minneapolis, said he saw a group of about 40 protesters in St. Paul vandalize a garbage bin and a bus as they marched toward the Xcel Energy Center earlier this week.
"The cops were pretty cautious. They were holding back," Stewart said. "It wasn't until we got downtown in the streets where they started to more aggressively approach the protesters."
Things started to get out of hand at that point, and police fired bean bags into the crowd, which took off in two directions, he said.
St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington said officers with all the agencies working the convention are trained to give protesters an opportunity to leave the area and issue verbal warnings before using chemical agents or projectiles.
Officers who are attacked are authorized to use pepper spray or Mace without issuing a warning, Harrington said.
An iReporter captured video of a police officer being tackled by a protester while trying to make an arrest; while still on his knees, the officer randomly sprays the surrounding crowd with a chemical agent, then walks away without his detainee. Watch the officer hit the deck »
"There were 10,000 protesters here on Monday -- peaceful protesters -- and there were right around 300 arrests for people who were not peaceful protesters," Drinkwine, the Ramsey County sheriff's spokeswoman, said. "These were people who were doing damages to the city that are criminal.
"There were moms and dads with little kids walking down the street, and then there were people that were setting fire to Dumpsters and throwing feces on state troopers' vehicles and things like that.
"The police showed great restraint in what they were doing," she continued. "They were dealing with 300 criminals on the street while trying to protect the 10,000 peaceful protesters that were in St. Paul that day."
Harrington said having the convention in St. Paul has been worthwhile despite the trouble in the streets.
"Yes, we were tested. But I think that's part of the experience of developing and growing," he said. "... On balance, this has been a great event."
Video http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/04/convention.protests/#cnnSTCVideo
CNN
As of 9 a.m. CT Thursday, 422 people had been arrested since the convention began, according to law enforcement's Joint Information Center. Only 40 were still in custody earlier in the day.
St. Paul police had arrested 145 individuals on felony charges, 107 on misdemeanors, and 53 on gross misdemeanors, said Deputy Tracy Martin of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department. She did not know the charges against 15 others.
More than 100 were detained Wednesday night after a Rage Against the Machine concert, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan said Thursday. None were charged with felonies.
Most were given citations and released, but about 15 remained in jail after refusing to identify themselves, he said.
"The bottom line with those individuals is they wanted to be arrested," Dolan said.
Another demonstration is due to begin at 5 p.m. before Arizona Sen. John McCain gives his nomination acceptance speech at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The RNC Welcoming Committee, a self-described anarchist/anti-authoritarian organizing body that has been behind many of the protests, said more than 300 demonstrators were being held as of Wednesday at the Ramsey and Hennepin county jails.
Numerous federal agencies are helping with convention security, but the anarchist group is focusing its outrage at Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher.
"We demand the immediate end to the brutality of Sheriff Bob Fletcher -- who has personally harassed our organizers both in jail and out," the group said.
Fletcher spokeswoman Holli Drinkwine said the hard-core protesters deserved special attention from the police. Eight people arrested during raids last weekend face felony charges including second-degree conspiracy to commit riot in furtherance of terrorism, she said.
Convictions could result in more than 10 years in prison, she said.
"This group had been planning for over a year the destruction that they were going to place on the city during the RNC," Drinkwine said.
Among the acts of terror the group allegedly planned, according to court documents, were kidnapping delegates, sabotaging a local airport, damaging bridges and taking over federal buildings.
"Their ultimate goal was to crash the convention," she said.
The American Civil Liberties Union said it was providing limited representation to many of those arrested during street demonstrations and raids on meeting places.
"Free speech has to be safeguarded during the Republican National Convention, as the workings of our democracy in the streets are as important as those in convention halls," ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said in a written statement. Watch a woman's shock at being arrested »
iReporter Bob Stewart, a student in Minneapolis, said he saw a group of about 40 protesters in St. Paul vandalize a garbage bin and a bus as they marched toward the Xcel Energy Center earlier this week.
"The cops were pretty cautious. They were holding back," Stewart said. "It wasn't until we got downtown in the streets where they started to more aggressively approach the protesters."
Things started to get out of hand at that point, and police fired bean bags into the crowd, which took off in two directions, he said.
St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington said officers with all the agencies working the convention are trained to give protesters an opportunity to leave the area and issue verbal warnings before using chemical agents or projectiles.
Officers who are attacked are authorized to use pepper spray or Mace without issuing a warning, Harrington said.
An iReporter captured video of a police officer being tackled by a protester while trying to make an arrest; while still on his knees, the officer randomly sprays the surrounding crowd with a chemical agent, then walks away without his detainee. Watch the officer hit the deck »
"There were 10,000 protesters here on Monday -- peaceful protesters -- and there were right around 300 arrests for people who were not peaceful protesters," Drinkwine, the Ramsey County sheriff's spokeswoman, said. "These were people who were doing damages to the city that are criminal.
"There were moms and dads with little kids walking down the street, and then there were people that were setting fire to Dumpsters and throwing feces on state troopers' vehicles and things like that.
"The police showed great restraint in what they were doing," she continued. "They were dealing with 300 criminals on the street while trying to protect the 10,000 peaceful protesters that were in St. Paul that day."
Harrington said having the convention in St. Paul has been worthwhile despite the trouble in the streets.
"Yes, we were tested. But I think that's part of the experience of developing and growing," he said. "... On balance, this has been a great event."
Video http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/04/convention.protests/#cnnSTCVideo
CNN
Officer David Flaig Was Not Charged
A Williamsburg Borough Police officer currently suspended with pay will not be charged for any criminal misconduct.
State Police say their investigation into Officer David Flaig’s actions has concluded. Flaig was suspended form the department after Williamsburg Mayor John Traxler contacted State Police and requested the investigation.
State Police say the investigation focused on three areas. First, Flaig was accused of showing a minor a cartoon video that included sexual references. The boy and his mother declined prosecution. Next, Flaig was accused of making inappropriate comments to several women while on duty. State Police interviewed the women, each of whom declined any prosecution. The third accusation was that Flaig tampered with official police documents. It involved two traffic tickets issued by a former police officer. State Police say nothing illegal occurred.
State Police say the case has now been turned back over to the Williamsburg Mayor and City Council.
http://wearecentralpa.com/content/fulltext/?cid=27631
State Police say their investigation into Officer David Flaig’s actions has concluded. Flaig was suspended form the department after Williamsburg Mayor John Traxler contacted State Police and requested the investigation.
State Police say the investigation focused on three areas. First, Flaig was accused of showing a minor a cartoon video that included sexual references. The boy and his mother declined prosecution. Next, Flaig was accused of making inappropriate comments to several women while on duty. State Police interviewed the women, each of whom declined any prosecution. The third accusation was that Flaig tampered with official police documents. It involved two traffic tickets issued by a former police officer. State Police say nothing illegal occurred.
State Police say the case has now been turned back over to the Williamsburg Mayor and City Council.
http://wearecentralpa.com/content/fulltext/?cid=27631
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Deputy Charged with Sexual Assault of 16 year old
An Outagamie County sheriff's deputy is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl and two counts of disorderly conduct while off-duty.
Police say the girl attended the same high school in Freedom where 35-year-old Adam Burrows was the police school liaison officer.
The criminal complaint in the case accuses the deputy of inappropriately touching the girl while she was camping with another family near Lake Poygan in July.
According to the complaint, while the 16-year-old girl alleges Burrows kissed her inside his cabin, investigators say the teenager told them Burrows put his hand down her pants out by a campfire in front of at least one other person.
According to the complaint, the girl "says she kept trying to move around the fire but the defendant kept following her. She thought the defendant was pretty drunk."
Police say the teen said she knows the sheriff's deputy because she goes to school at Freedom High School where Burrows was the police school liaison officer.
It's a position at the school Burrows no longer holds.
Burrows is on paid administrative leave pending the criminal and an internal investigation.
"The misconduct in question here took place when he was off-duty and out of the county, and not related to his assignment (as liaison officer). Still, any alleged conduct of that nature is of great concern to the department," Captain Mike Jobe, Outagamie County Sheriff's Department, said.
Burrows was not home when we tried to talk to him, but his attorney says the allegations are simply not true.
"I think you know when everything comes out we're fairly confident that Adam is going to be vindicated," attorney Rob Bellin said. "There's going to be plenty of evidence that that story is just not believable."
But the 16-year old isn't the only one alleging misconduct by the off-duty officer, according to this criminal complaint. A woman says Burrows kept putting his arm around her and then tackled her to the ground.
She's the same woman who told police that she removed Burrows's hand from the pants of the 16-year-old girl.
According to the criminal complaint, police say she told him, "She's 16, and if you ever touch her again, I'll kill you."
If he is found guilty, the deputy could spend more than a year behind bars.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-deputy-assault,0,4092128.story
Police say the girl attended the same high school in Freedom where 35-year-old Adam Burrows was the police school liaison officer.
The criminal complaint in the case accuses the deputy of inappropriately touching the girl while she was camping with another family near Lake Poygan in July.
According to the complaint, while the 16-year-old girl alleges Burrows kissed her inside his cabin, investigators say the teenager told them Burrows put his hand down her pants out by a campfire in front of at least one other person.
According to the complaint, the girl "says she kept trying to move around the fire but the defendant kept following her. She thought the defendant was pretty drunk."
Police say the teen said she knows the sheriff's deputy because she goes to school at Freedom High School where Burrows was the police school liaison officer.
It's a position at the school Burrows no longer holds.
Burrows is on paid administrative leave pending the criminal and an internal investigation.
"The misconduct in question here took place when he was off-duty and out of the county, and not related to his assignment (as liaison officer). Still, any alleged conduct of that nature is of great concern to the department," Captain Mike Jobe, Outagamie County Sheriff's Department, said.
Burrows was not home when we tried to talk to him, but his attorney says the allegations are simply not true.
"I think you know when everything comes out we're fairly confident that Adam is going to be vindicated," attorney Rob Bellin said. "There's going to be plenty of evidence that that story is just not believable."
But the 16-year old isn't the only one alleging misconduct by the off-duty officer, according to this criminal complaint. A woman says Burrows kept putting his arm around her and then tackled her to the ground.
She's the same woman who told police that she removed Burrows's hand from the pants of the 16-year-old girl.
According to the criminal complaint, police say she told him, "She's 16, and if you ever touch her again, I'll kill you."
If he is found guilty, the deputy could spend more than a year behind bars.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-deputy-assault,0,4092128.story
UPDATE: Officer William Wike Junior Accused of Fondling 15-year old
HUNTINGTON, Ind.
A Huntington city police officer accused of fondling a 15-year old girl has now been taken off the city pay roll.
The Huntington Board Of Public Works voted to suspend William Wike Junior without pay pending the outcome of his trial.
The eight-year department veteran is charged with one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a class "C" felony.
According to court documents, Wike allegedly fondled a 15-year old girl several times, between November of 2006 and January of 2007.
But since Wike has not gone to trial yet and the city has to be careful with each step it takes.
Huntington mayor steve updike said, “the procedure is to give the officer, innocent or guilty, the right to go through all the steps to protect himself and to protect our rights as far as the city is concerned. This is just one of the steps that cities and towns take in actions like this.”
Wike's next court appearance is October 30th.
He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080903/LOCAL07/809030350
A Huntington city police officer accused of fondling a 15-year old girl has now been taken off the city pay roll.
The Huntington Board Of Public Works voted to suspend William Wike Junior without pay pending the outcome of his trial.
The eight-year department veteran is charged with one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a class "C" felony.
According to court documents, Wike allegedly fondled a 15-year old girl several times, between November of 2006 and January of 2007.
But since Wike has not gone to trial yet and the city has to be careful with each step it takes.
Huntington mayor steve updike said, “the procedure is to give the officer, innocent or guilty, the right to go through all the steps to protect himself and to protect our rights as far as the city is concerned. This is just one of the steps that cities and towns take in actions like this.”
Wike's next court appearance is October 30th.
He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080903/LOCAL07/809030350
Officer T. A. Paylor Accused of Hitting Woman in Face
DURHAM
A Durham police officer has been placed on paid leave after being arrested on assault charges Sunday.
Officer T.A. Paylor is accused of hitting a woman in the face, causing her nose to bleed and splitting her lip, and holding her against her will, according to an arrest warrant.
Paylor, 42, was released from the Durham County jail after posting a $30,000 bond the same day. The department's Professional Standards Division is reviewing the case, which is standard procedure.
Paylor is a crime prevention officer who joined the department in 1996. His next court appearance will be Oct. 13.
A Durham police officer has been placed on paid leave after being arrested on assault charges Sunday.
Officer T.A. Paylor is accused of hitting a woman in the face, causing her nose to bleed and splitting her lip, and holding her against her will, according to an arrest warrant.
Paylor, 42, was released from the Durham County jail after posting a $30,000 bond the same day. The department's Professional Standards Division is reviewing the case, which is standard procedure.
Paylor is a crime prevention officer who joined the department in 1996. His next court appearance will be Oct. 13.
Officer Henry Smallwood Caught Smoking Marijuana at Park
WASHINGTON
An off-duty D.C. police officer is facing drug charges after authorities say he was caught smoking marijuana and tried to run.
Sergeant Robert Lachance of the U.S. Park Police say two suspicious men were found smoking in a Rock Creek Park picnic area. Police found marijuana on the scene.
D.C. police confirmed that one of the men is an officer in the department. They identified him as Henry Smallwood and said he has been on the force for 18 years.
Lachance says that after park police confronted them, Smallwood ran to the parking lot and drove a few blocks. He then ditched his vehicle and tried to flee on foot, but was caught.
The officer faces charges for narcotics violations and possibly fleeing to elude. He is currently on administrative leave.
An off-duty D.C. police officer is facing drug charges after authorities say he was caught smoking marijuana and tried to run.
Sergeant Robert Lachance of the U.S. Park Police say two suspicious men were found smoking in a Rock Creek Park picnic area. Police found marijuana on the scene.
D.C. police confirmed that one of the men is an officer in the department. They identified him as Henry Smallwood and said he has been on the force for 18 years.
Lachance says that after park police confronted them, Smallwood ran to the parking lot and drove a few blocks. He then ditched his vehicle and tried to flee on foot, but was caught.
The officer faces charges for narcotics violations and possibly fleeing to elude. He is currently on administrative leave.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Officer Charged with Manslaughter
SOLOMON ISLANDS
The Samoan RAMSI police officer was today formally charged with manslaughter and dangerous driving causing death in relation to the accident that killed Solomon Islands nurse, Hilda Ilabae on the 13th of June 2008.
Police have alleged that the 29-year-old Samoan off-duty RAMSI officer was driving the vehicle that collided with Ms. Hilda Ilibae.
The RAMSI officer appeared in the Honiara Magistrates Court this morning after the Samoan Government confirmed that it would not be asserting jurisdiction in this case.
Under the Facilitation of International Assistance Act which governs RAMSI's presence in Solomon Islands, a contributing country such as Samoa has the option of prosecuting its personnel charged with an offence in Solomon Islands in its own courts.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Johnson Siapu, welcomed Samoa's decision which has cleared the way for the case to be dealt with by the Solomon Islands legal system.
Acting Commissioner Siapu said that the SIPF had worked hard on the investigation.
"Solomon Islands detectives have spoken with many witnesses, and have also travelled to Australia to speak with the other Samoan police officer involved in the incident. A specialist crash scene investigator was also sourced from New Zealand to assist with the investigation," says Acting Commissioner Siapu.
Commissioner Siapu continues to say that a very comprehensive brief of evidence was given to the Director of Public Prosecutions and we have been waiting for the jurisdiction matter to be finalised before we could charge the Samoan in the Solomon Islands.
"When the advice was received this morning that the Samoan Government was not going to assert jurisdiction, the Solomon Islands Police Force immediately arranged for the charges to be laid against the 29-year-old," he said.
Acting Commissioner Siapu said the SIPF appreciated the full cooperation provided by RAMSI during the investigation.
The 29-year-old appeared in the Honiara Magistrates Court today and was bailed to reappear on 1 October 2008.
Arrangements between the Solomon Islands and Samoan Government will permit the 29-year-old to travel to Samoa briefly whilst on bail before he reappears in the Honiara Magistrates Court.
The 29-year-old's travel documents including his passport will be held by the Commissioner of Samoa Police during his brief trip.
Bail conditions imposed today include that the 29-year-old must return from Samoa to Solomon Islands on 29 September 2008, reappear in the Honiara Magistrates Court on the 1st of October 2008, and upon his return must remain at the Guadalacanal Beach Resort and surrender his passport to the Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Police Force.
PRESS RELEASE (POLICE MEDIA UNIT)
The Samoan RAMSI police officer was today formally charged with manslaughter and dangerous driving causing death in relation to the accident that killed Solomon Islands nurse, Hilda Ilabae on the 13th of June 2008.
Police have alleged that the 29-year-old Samoan off-duty RAMSI officer was driving the vehicle that collided with Ms. Hilda Ilibae.
The RAMSI officer appeared in the Honiara Magistrates Court this morning after the Samoan Government confirmed that it would not be asserting jurisdiction in this case.
Under the Facilitation of International Assistance Act which governs RAMSI's presence in Solomon Islands, a contributing country such as Samoa has the option of prosecuting its personnel charged with an offence in Solomon Islands in its own courts.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Johnson Siapu, welcomed Samoa's decision which has cleared the way for the case to be dealt with by the Solomon Islands legal system.
Acting Commissioner Siapu said that the SIPF had worked hard on the investigation.
"Solomon Islands detectives have spoken with many witnesses, and have also travelled to Australia to speak with the other Samoan police officer involved in the incident. A specialist crash scene investigator was also sourced from New Zealand to assist with the investigation," says Acting Commissioner Siapu.
Commissioner Siapu continues to say that a very comprehensive brief of evidence was given to the Director of Public Prosecutions and we have been waiting for the jurisdiction matter to be finalised before we could charge the Samoan in the Solomon Islands.
"When the advice was received this morning that the Samoan Government was not going to assert jurisdiction, the Solomon Islands Police Force immediately arranged for the charges to be laid against the 29-year-old," he said.
Acting Commissioner Siapu said the SIPF appreciated the full cooperation provided by RAMSI during the investigation.
The 29-year-old appeared in the Honiara Magistrates Court today and was bailed to reappear on 1 October 2008.
Arrangements between the Solomon Islands and Samoan Government will permit the 29-year-old to travel to Samoa briefly whilst on bail before he reappears in the Honiara Magistrates Court.
The 29-year-old's travel documents including his passport will be held by the Commissioner of Samoa Police during his brief trip.
Bail conditions imposed today include that the 29-year-old must return from Samoa to Solomon Islands on 29 September 2008, reappear in the Honiara Magistrates Court on the 1st of October 2008, and upon his return must remain at the Guadalacanal Beach Resort and surrender his passport to the Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Police Force.
PRESS RELEASE (POLICE MEDIA UNIT)
Chief's Son, Officer Marquis Williams Charged with Drunk Driving
Ohio,MASSILLON
Massillon police Officer Marquis D. Williams, son of Chief Robert Williams, was charged with drunken driving Saturday by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Several motorists spotted Williams driving out of control in the southbound lanes of I-77 around 3:52 a.m., according to Lt. Eric Sheppard of the Canton Post.
"We had received several citizen's band radio reports of a vehicle traveling southbound on I-77," Sheppard said. "The vehicle exited Everhard Road and was subsequently observed by one of our officers.
"The officer had observed further marked lanes violations, initiated the traffic stop, just east of Belden Village Avenue on Everhard. The officer had seen obvious signs of impairment and placed him under arrest."
Williams, 24, was transported to the Canton Post of the Highway Patrol, where he submitted to an alcohol breath test.
Williams' breath-alcohol content was 0.11 percent, just above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He faces charges of operating a vehicle impaired and marked lanes violations, both misdemeanors.
Sheppard said he did not know where Williams was coming from or where he was headed or if anyone else was in the car at the time of the arrest. He also did not have the make or model of the vehicle Williams was driving at the time.
Safety Services Director Mike Loudiana said the city was made aware of the incident, but is waiting to see a police report and learn the outcome of a court trial before disciplining Williams.
"I don't have all of the facts," Loudiana said. "I know he was picked up by the State Highway Patrol, but he was released. He was not jailed."
Loudiana said Williams isn't due back to work until Wednesday, the same day he is scheduled for arraignment in Massillon Municipal Court. Loudiana said until then he has no other comment.
Loudiana added that the police chief will have no role in any potential punishment his son may face.
Williams was hired by the city along with two other patrolmen a year ago. He has prior driving violations of speeding (2004) and driving with expired plates (2007), according to court records.
Chief Williams did not return calls Monday seeking comment.
The arrest marks the second time in as many months that a city safety services employee has been arrested for drunken driving. In July, the State Highway Patrol arrested 34-year-old Paul Harbaugh, a firefighter, for driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.091 percent.
Harbaugh, who was also charged with felonies for drug possession and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, failed several field sobriety tests, according to reports.
His case has been transferred to a Stark County grand jury.
Massillon police Officer Marquis D. Williams, son of Chief Robert Williams, was charged with drunken driving Saturday by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Several motorists spotted Williams driving out of control in the southbound lanes of I-77 around 3:52 a.m., according to Lt. Eric Sheppard of the Canton Post.
"We had received several citizen's band radio reports of a vehicle traveling southbound on I-77," Sheppard said. "The vehicle exited Everhard Road and was subsequently observed by one of our officers.
"The officer had observed further marked lanes violations, initiated the traffic stop, just east of Belden Village Avenue on Everhard. The officer had seen obvious signs of impairment and placed him under arrest."
Williams, 24, was transported to the Canton Post of the Highway Patrol, where he submitted to an alcohol breath test.
Williams' breath-alcohol content was 0.11 percent, just above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He faces charges of operating a vehicle impaired and marked lanes violations, both misdemeanors.
Sheppard said he did not know where Williams was coming from or where he was headed or if anyone else was in the car at the time of the arrest. He also did not have the make or model of the vehicle Williams was driving at the time.
Safety Services Director Mike Loudiana said the city was made aware of the incident, but is waiting to see a police report and learn the outcome of a court trial before disciplining Williams.
"I don't have all of the facts," Loudiana said. "I know he was picked up by the State Highway Patrol, but he was released. He was not jailed."
Loudiana said Williams isn't due back to work until Wednesday, the same day he is scheduled for arraignment in Massillon Municipal Court. Loudiana said until then he has no other comment.
Loudiana added that the police chief will have no role in any potential punishment his son may face.
Williams was hired by the city along with two other patrolmen a year ago. He has prior driving violations of speeding (2004) and driving with expired plates (2007), according to court records.
Chief Williams did not return calls Monday seeking comment.
The arrest marks the second time in as many months that a city safety services employee has been arrested for drunken driving. In July, the State Highway Patrol arrested 34-year-old Paul Harbaugh, a firefighter, for driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.091 percent.
Harbaugh, who was also charged with felonies for drug possession and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, failed several field sobriety tests, according to reports.
His case has been transferred to a Stark County grand jury.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Russian Officers Accused of Killing Website Owner
MOSCOW
The owner of an independent website critical of authorities was shot and killed Sunday by police in a volatile province in southern Russia, his colleague said.
Police arrested Ingushetiya.ru owner Magomed Yevloyev on Sunday, taking him off a plane that had just landed in Ingushetia province near Chechnya, said the site's deputy editor, Ruslan Khautiyev.
Police whisked Yevloyev away in a car and later dumped him on the road with a gunshot wound in the head, Khautiyev said. He said Yevloyev died in a hospital shortly afterward.
In Moscow, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement that Yevloyev was detained by police and died in an "incident" while being taken to police headquarters for an interrogation. Markin did not elaborate, saying that a check to clarify the circumstances of Yevloyev's death had begun. The committee is under the Prosecutor General's office.
Yevloyev has angered regional authorities with bold criticism of police treatment of civilians in the region. A court in June ordered him to shut his site on charges of spreading "extremist" statements, but it reappeared under a different name.
Khautiyev said that Yevloyev arrived in Ingushetia from Moscow on Sunday on the same plane with regional President Murat Zyazikov. Police blocked the jet on the runway after it landed in Ingushetia's provincial capital, Magas, entered the plane and took Yevloyev out.
Yevloyev's death is likely to further stir up passions in Ingushetia, which has been plagued by frequent raids and ambushes against federal forces and local authorities. Government critics attribute the attacks to anger fueled by abductions, beatings, unlawful arrests and killings of suspects by government forces and local allied paramilitaries.
Many in Ingushetia are intensely unhappy with Zyazikov, a former KGB officer and a close ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Immediately after Yevloyev's detention, his website urged Ingushetia's residents to gather outside the headquarters of a leading opposition group.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083101846.html?hpid=moreheadlines
The owner of an independent website critical of authorities was shot and killed Sunday by police in a volatile province in southern Russia, his colleague said.
Police arrested Ingushetiya.ru owner Magomed Yevloyev on Sunday, taking him off a plane that had just landed in Ingushetia province near Chechnya, said the site's deputy editor, Ruslan Khautiyev.
Police whisked Yevloyev away in a car and later dumped him on the road with a gunshot wound in the head, Khautiyev said. He said Yevloyev died in a hospital shortly afterward.
In Moscow, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement that Yevloyev was detained by police and died in an "incident" while being taken to police headquarters for an interrogation. Markin did not elaborate, saying that a check to clarify the circumstances of Yevloyev's death had begun. The committee is under the Prosecutor General's office.
Yevloyev has angered regional authorities with bold criticism of police treatment of civilians in the region. A court in June ordered him to shut his site on charges of spreading "extremist" statements, but it reappeared under a different name.
Khautiyev said that Yevloyev arrived in Ingushetia from Moscow on Sunday on the same plane with regional President Murat Zyazikov. Police blocked the jet on the runway after it landed in Ingushetia's provincial capital, Magas, entered the plane and took Yevloyev out.
Yevloyev's death is likely to further stir up passions in Ingushetia, which has been plagued by frequent raids and ambushes against federal forces and local authorities. Government critics attribute the attacks to anger fueled by abductions, beatings, unlawful arrests and killings of suspects by government forces and local allied paramilitaries.
Many in Ingushetia are intensely unhappy with Zyazikov, a former KGB officer and a close ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Immediately after Yevloyev's detention, his website urged Ingushetia's residents to gather outside the headquarters of a leading opposition group.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083101846.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Officer Accused of Misconduct Allowed to keep Working
SAN BERNARDINO
When Sgt. Bradley Lawrence was accused of criminal misconduct by a fellow police officer July 2, he was allowed to continue working.
About a month later, a complaint lodged by another officer, alleging more constitutional violations, resulted in police leaders putting Lawrence on paid leave effective Aug. 7.
Lawrence is now the subject of an internal investigation, police leaders have said.
But questions have grown louder in recent weeks about whether an internal investigation is appropriate in this case, or consistent with common police practices.
A survey of several area policing agencies shows a general alignment in the way each handles criminal or procedural complaints against officers.
For the most part, agencies stick to a practice of investigating complaints of non-criminal behavior internally while bringing in an outside agency, usually the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, when the behavior would be criminal.
"Most of our policy violations are done in-house through an internal- affairs department that reports to the chief," said Fontana police Sgt. Jeff Decker. "As a general rule, if there was a criminal allegation, there would be an internal and separate investigation into criminal activity done by an outside agency."
But Decker, like leaders in other departments, stressed that the rule isn't immutable.
"There is some room for flexibility," Decker said.
But recently,fresh attention has been aimed at investigations of officer misconduct.
A number of officers have groused privately about the way in which Lawrence's situation has been handled.
Some, including retired Lt. Don Soderbloom and Police Association President Sgt. Rich Lawhead, have openly suggested that unequal treatment - or the perception of favoritism - may be at play, with Lawrence's investigation kept in-house and casting a shadow over its progress and ultimate conclusions.
But other department leaders' statements about the criteria by which investigations are conducted internally or by an outside agency suggest that San Bernardino police are out of step in their internal handling of Lawrence.
"There are allegations of criminal conduct, without question," said Gary Smith, a local attorney representing Greg Parker, whom Lawrence is accused of illegally detaining in September 2007. An internal booking log obtained by The Sun lists Parker as held "on ice," and does not list charges.
Smith noted that if internal documents use such terms to describe Lawrence's detentions, there is no telling how many may have been complicit.
"It is my expectation that the department must go to an outside, independent agency for the investigation," he said. "Lawrence isn't operating alone."
In the case of San Bernardino, some discretion has clearly been exercised in who faces outside or inside investigations, Soderbloom said.
Soderbloom points to his own investigation, in which he was accused of dissuading another officer from filing charges against a bartender who served alcohol to a minor. That was conducted by District Attorney's Office at the administration's request, he said.
Soderbloom was cleared of wrongdoing.
But Lawrence is being investigated in-house.
Soderbloom names other officers accused of serious crimes - including former officer Ronald VanRossum, who was convicted of rape - whose initial investigations were conducted in-house.
Rialto police Capt. Tony Farrar, like Decker and Redlands Police Chief Jim Bueermann, said it is important to maintain the perception that investigations are open and impartial by investigating criminal allegations through an outside agency.
"We definitely don't want to lose the public's trust," Farrar said.
Assistant District Attorney Dennis Christy, who has said the Lawrence investigation is proceeding normally, said San Bernardino police are in line with protocol with their internal investigations.
"There are occasions when an outside department will do an investigation, but that is the exception rather than the rule," Christy said. Larger departments tend to do internal investigations into criminal wrongdoing more often than smaller ones, he added.
But Bueermann said conducting internal investigations can be problematic and raise questions about the integrity of the process.
"For us, it's very simple," Bueermann said. "If there's any indication that an employee may have committed a crime, we ask an outside agency to investigate," Bueermann said.
In San Bernardino, Billdt has steadfastly declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Lawrence and the investigation into his conduct, citing state law prohibiting him from discussing personnel matters.
Lawrence has a checkered history, including standing trial for allegedly threatening to tie a child to the back of his patrol car during an interrogation in 1989.
And new questions as to the probity of the department's internal investigations were raised, when it was revealed last week that an investigation into alleged police brutality on the Westside was unfinished after a year, meaning the statute of limitations for internal discipline had expired.
Lt. Scott Paterson said a lack of cooperation from the community was partly to blame for the protracted investigation.
When Sgt. Bradley Lawrence was accused of criminal misconduct by a fellow police officer July 2, he was allowed to continue working.
About a month later, a complaint lodged by another officer, alleging more constitutional violations, resulted in police leaders putting Lawrence on paid leave effective Aug. 7.
Lawrence is now the subject of an internal investigation, police leaders have said.
But questions have grown louder in recent weeks about whether an internal investigation is appropriate in this case, or consistent with common police practices.
A survey of several area policing agencies shows a general alignment in the way each handles criminal or procedural complaints against officers.
For the most part, agencies stick to a practice of investigating complaints of non-criminal behavior internally while bringing in an outside agency, usually the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, when the behavior would be criminal.
"Most of our policy violations are done in-house through an internal- affairs department that reports to the chief," said Fontana police Sgt. Jeff Decker. "As a general rule, if there was a criminal allegation, there would be an internal and separate investigation into criminal activity done by an outside agency."
But Decker, like leaders in other departments, stressed that the rule isn't immutable.
"There is some room for flexibility," Decker said.
But recently,fresh attention has been aimed at investigations of officer misconduct.
A number of officers have groused privately about the way in which Lawrence's situation has been handled.
Some, including retired Lt. Don Soderbloom and Police Association President Sgt. Rich Lawhead, have openly suggested that unequal treatment - or the perception of favoritism - may be at play, with Lawrence's investigation kept in-house and casting a shadow over its progress and ultimate conclusions.
But other department leaders' statements about the criteria by which investigations are conducted internally or by an outside agency suggest that San Bernardino police are out of step in their internal handling of Lawrence.
"There are allegations of criminal conduct, without question," said Gary Smith, a local attorney representing Greg Parker, whom Lawrence is accused of illegally detaining in September 2007. An internal booking log obtained by The Sun lists Parker as held "on ice," and does not list charges.
Smith noted that if internal documents use such terms to describe Lawrence's detentions, there is no telling how many may have been complicit.
"It is my expectation that the department must go to an outside, independent agency for the investigation," he said. "Lawrence isn't operating alone."
In the case of San Bernardino, some discretion has clearly been exercised in who faces outside or inside investigations, Soderbloom said.
Soderbloom points to his own investigation, in which he was accused of dissuading another officer from filing charges against a bartender who served alcohol to a minor. That was conducted by District Attorney's Office at the administration's request, he said.
Soderbloom was cleared of wrongdoing.
But Lawrence is being investigated in-house.
Soderbloom names other officers accused of serious crimes - including former officer Ronald VanRossum, who was convicted of rape - whose initial investigations were conducted in-house.
Rialto police Capt. Tony Farrar, like Decker and Redlands Police Chief Jim Bueermann, said it is important to maintain the perception that investigations are open and impartial by investigating criminal allegations through an outside agency.
"We definitely don't want to lose the public's trust," Farrar said.
Assistant District Attorney Dennis Christy, who has said the Lawrence investigation is proceeding normally, said San Bernardino police are in line with protocol with their internal investigations.
"There are occasions when an outside department will do an investigation, but that is the exception rather than the rule," Christy said. Larger departments tend to do internal investigations into criminal wrongdoing more often than smaller ones, he added.
But Bueermann said conducting internal investigations can be problematic and raise questions about the integrity of the process.
"For us, it's very simple," Bueermann said. "If there's any indication that an employee may have committed a crime, we ask an outside agency to investigate," Bueermann said.
In San Bernardino, Billdt has steadfastly declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Lawrence and the investigation into his conduct, citing state law prohibiting him from discussing personnel matters.
Lawrence has a checkered history, including standing trial for allegedly threatening to tie a child to the back of his patrol car during an interrogation in 1989.
And new questions as to the probity of the department's internal investigations were raised, when it was revealed last week that an investigation into alleged police brutality on the Westside was unfinished after a year, meaning the statute of limitations for internal discipline had expired.
Lt. Scott Paterson said a lack of cooperation from the community was partly to blame for the protracted investigation.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Probation Officer Russell Springs Accused of Sexual Misconduct with Client
Gonzales County probation officer Russell Springs has been accused of an inappropriate relationship and sexual conduct with a client.
“On Aug. 13, I was contacted by the Gonzales County District Attorney’s office about allegations against Mr. Springs,” Department of Public Safety agent Dwayne Goll said. Goll is in charge of the investigation in cooperation with the Texas Rangers.
“That day I also spoke with Linda Smith, the chief probation officer of the 25th district,” he said.
As director of the Second 25th Judicial District, including the probation department, which covers Gonzales, Lavaca and Colorado counties, Smith is Springs’ supervisor. Her office is in Hallettsville.
“The buck stops here at my desk, unfortunately,” said Smith during a telephone interview, Aug. 22. The Inquirer contacted Smith to ask for comment on the position of her department in this situation, but she declined offering an explanation of the allegations or any information on the status of the alleged victim’s claim.
“I am not going to comment on this issue,” she said. “Not now, not ever.”
Goll is moving forward with the investigation to determine if formal charges will be filed.
“I have spoken with both he (Springs) and the alleged victim,” said Goll. “It is too early to say when and what charges may be filed against him.”
Goll said the name of the victim is being withheld from the public to protect her identity.
Gonzales attorney Houston Munson is representing Springs in this case. Munson told Inquirer that on Friday afternoon (Aug. 22), Springs met with Linda Smith in her office to discuss the situation.
“After considering his seniority with the probation department, she decided to allow him to retire in lieu of termination, due to the allegations,” said Munson.
According to the Lavaca County Auditor’s office, which manages the district’s payroll, Spring’s has been an employee of the second 25th district since July, 15, 1995.
“During the course of the investigation, he submitted his application to retire,” said Smith during a second interview Tuesday. “He’s been an employee with us for a long time, and he elected to retire instead of being terminated.”
Smith said Springs’ retirement is effective immediately, and that although the paperwork will not be finalized until Aug. 30, he is no longer a probation officer or employee of the Second 25th Judicial District.
"As a county employee, he has been paying into his retirement fund, and can request to withdraw that money at any time," Smith said. "We are not writing him a check to retire, the County matches the amount deposited into the account by each individual."
Munson said no charges have been filed against his client, and he does not know when or if there will be any, now that Springs is retired from the probation department.
“I am not sure if they will take his retirement and service into consideration or what part it will play in this,” said Munson.
When asked when the case against Springs may become official and go to court, Munson reiterated that official charges have not been filed.
“Since the Grand Jury just met in Gonzales last Friday, it may be a while before anything moves forward on this case,” said Munson.
“On Aug. 13, I was contacted by the Gonzales County District Attorney’s office about allegations against Mr. Springs,” Department of Public Safety agent Dwayne Goll said. Goll is in charge of the investigation in cooperation with the Texas Rangers.
“That day I also spoke with Linda Smith, the chief probation officer of the 25th district,” he said.
As director of the Second 25th Judicial District, including the probation department, which covers Gonzales, Lavaca and Colorado counties, Smith is Springs’ supervisor. Her office is in Hallettsville.
“The buck stops here at my desk, unfortunately,” said Smith during a telephone interview, Aug. 22. The Inquirer contacted Smith to ask for comment on the position of her department in this situation, but she declined offering an explanation of the allegations or any information on the status of the alleged victim’s claim.
“I am not going to comment on this issue,” she said. “Not now, not ever.”
Goll is moving forward with the investigation to determine if formal charges will be filed.
“I have spoken with both he (Springs) and the alleged victim,” said Goll. “It is too early to say when and what charges may be filed against him.”
Goll said the name of the victim is being withheld from the public to protect her identity.
Gonzales attorney Houston Munson is representing Springs in this case. Munson told Inquirer that on Friday afternoon (Aug. 22), Springs met with Linda Smith in her office to discuss the situation.
“After considering his seniority with the probation department, she decided to allow him to retire in lieu of termination, due to the allegations,” said Munson.
According to the Lavaca County Auditor’s office, which manages the district’s payroll, Spring’s has been an employee of the second 25th district since July, 15, 1995.
“During the course of the investigation, he submitted his application to retire,” said Smith during a second interview Tuesday. “He’s been an employee with us for a long time, and he elected to retire instead of being terminated.”
Smith said Springs’ retirement is effective immediately, and that although the paperwork will not be finalized until Aug. 30, he is no longer a probation officer or employee of the Second 25th Judicial District.
"As a county employee, he has been paying into his retirement fund, and can request to withdraw that money at any time," Smith said. "We are not writing him a check to retire, the County matches the amount deposited into the account by each individual."
Munson said no charges have been filed against his client, and he does not know when or if there will be any, now that Springs is retired from the probation department.
“I am not sure if they will take his retirement and service into consideration or what part it will play in this,” said Munson.
When asked when the case against Springs may become official and go to court, Munson reiterated that official charges have not been filed.
“Since the Grand Jury just met in Gonzales last Friday, it may be a while before anything moves forward on this case,” said Munson.
NYPD Detective Charged with Bank Robbery
NEW YORK
A highly respected former NYPD detective with inoperable liver cancer was charged with bank robbery Friday after authorities identified him as the so-called Bling Bandit suspected of pulling off nine heists while wearing a flashy watch and ring.
Athelson Kelson, 59, was arraigned Friday afternoon in connection to a robbery at a Queens bank on July 10. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the one charge. Judge Elisa Koenderman ordered Kelson be held and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. His next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 12.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who described the case as "sad and shocking," said Kelson _ a former member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force _ was terminally ill with cancer. Kelly said he was awarded a Purple Heart for his service during the Vietnam War.
The police commissioner said Kelson had been implicated in four of the string of robberies in Queens and Long Island over the past 2 1/2 months by bank employees who picked him out of a police lineup.
He had an "excellent reputation," Kelly said. "He was very well thought of in the department."
Kelly said he didn't know why Kelson apparently turned to a life of crime. Asked if the ex-detective might have been trying to commit "suicide by cop," Kelly told reporters: "We can't exclude that."
Kelson surrendered Thursday to authorities and hasn't made any statements to police, Kelly said. A message left with Kelson's lawyer wasn't immediately returned.
The bank robber was dubbed the Bling Bandit because of surveillance videotape showing him wearing a gold watch and a flashy ring. In some of the robberies, which began on June 12, the bandit displayed a black, semiautomatic handgun. The most recent one was Tuesday.
Police said the ring appeared to be the type given to detectives when they retire, with a replica of a detective's shield on it. Kelson retired in 2005 after 33 years with the NYPD.
In the Queens robbery on July 10, prosecutors said Kelson walked into the bank and handed a note to the teller that read, "Do not press the alarm, give me all the large bills in your drawer, I have a gun, I do not want to hurt anyone, no dye, no bait money, you have 10 seconds."
The teller gave him $600 and he fled the bank, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said.
Police said the Bling Bandit did little to disguise his identity. The robber wore only a baseball cap and sunglasses when he entered the banks and was easily identifiable in bank surveillance tapes.
Kelson has not been charged in the Long Island robberies but remains an "active suspect," Nassau County police said.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, said Kelson had been a member of the police union. Palladino said he spoke to him in June at the annual union picnic and described him as "very happy."
"I am shocked by these developments," Palladino said. "He served in some of the most sensitive and dangerous undercover assignments in the NYPD. It's very disheartening."
In a separate case in March, a rookie police officer was charged with robbing banks in Manhattan and Pennsylvania.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h3K2-js4s-iurwM5KT21vh_-uEsQD92SH2KO0
A highly respected former NYPD detective with inoperable liver cancer was charged with bank robbery Friday after authorities identified him as the so-called Bling Bandit suspected of pulling off nine heists while wearing a flashy watch and ring.
Athelson Kelson, 59, was arraigned Friday afternoon in connection to a robbery at a Queens bank on July 10. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the one charge. Judge Elisa Koenderman ordered Kelson be held and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. His next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 12.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who described the case as "sad and shocking," said Kelson _ a former member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force _ was terminally ill with cancer. Kelly said he was awarded a Purple Heart for his service during the Vietnam War.
The police commissioner said Kelson had been implicated in four of the string of robberies in Queens and Long Island over the past 2 1/2 months by bank employees who picked him out of a police lineup.
He had an "excellent reputation," Kelly said. "He was very well thought of in the department."
Kelly said he didn't know why Kelson apparently turned to a life of crime. Asked if the ex-detective might have been trying to commit "suicide by cop," Kelly told reporters: "We can't exclude that."
Kelson surrendered Thursday to authorities and hasn't made any statements to police, Kelly said. A message left with Kelson's lawyer wasn't immediately returned.
The bank robber was dubbed the Bling Bandit because of surveillance videotape showing him wearing a gold watch and a flashy ring. In some of the robberies, which began on June 12, the bandit displayed a black, semiautomatic handgun. The most recent one was Tuesday.
Police said the ring appeared to be the type given to detectives when they retire, with a replica of a detective's shield on it. Kelson retired in 2005 after 33 years with the NYPD.
In the Queens robbery on July 10, prosecutors said Kelson walked into the bank and handed a note to the teller that read, "Do not press the alarm, give me all the large bills in your drawer, I have a gun, I do not want to hurt anyone, no dye, no bait money, you have 10 seconds."
The teller gave him $600 and he fled the bank, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said.
Police said the Bling Bandit did little to disguise his identity. The robber wore only a baseball cap and sunglasses when he entered the banks and was easily identifiable in bank surveillance tapes.
Kelson has not been charged in the Long Island robberies but remains an "active suspect," Nassau County police said.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, said Kelson had been a member of the police union. Palladino said he spoke to him in June at the annual union picnic and described him as "very happy."
"I am shocked by these developments," Palladino said. "He served in some of the most sensitive and dangerous undercover assignments in the NYPD. It's very disheartening."
In a separate case in March, a rookie police officer was charged with robbing banks in Manhattan and Pennsylvania.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h3K2-js4s-iurwM5KT21vh_-uEsQD92SH2KO0
Veteran Officer Jim Crowley Drunk on the Job
The Aspen Police Department fired an 18-year veteran of its force Friday after another officer suspected he had been under the influence of alcohol on the job. A breath test allegedly confirmed it.
Jim Crowley, a patrol officer and former detective, was arrested for suspicion of driving while ability impaired (DWAI) and prohibited use of a weapon, both of which are misdemeanor charges, at 9:45 a.m. Thursday — just a little over two hours after he had reported to duty at the police station.
“It’s my responsibility to keep people safe, and to have an intoxicated officer come to work in uniform and drive a police car is not acceptable,” Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor said.
Crowley is suspected of driving to work in his own vehicle, although the chief noted that he is not aware of anyone who actually saw him driving. Crowley lives on Water Place near Aspen Valley Hospital, not too far from downtown.
Crowley arrived at work at about 7:30 a.m. He was wearing his uniform and had a holstered gun.
“We happened to be in small room together having a conversation with one of his supervisors and I smelled what I believed to be alcohol,” said Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn, who is also the department’s spokesman. “We excused ourselves from Jim’s presence and I asked his supervisor what he had noticed. He was sitting next to a fan blowing in the room and said he didn’t notice anything. I said, ‘Well, we need to conduct a little further investigation.’”
Linn informed Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor, who said he elected to bring in the Snowmass Village Police Department to ensure the investigation remained impartial. Pryor said there is a two-hour window to obtain evidence in alcohol-related cases like this one and he had to make decisions fast.
“I felt I had to move as quickly as possible to preserve the integrity of any possible criminal issues. That’s why I called Snowmass," Pryor said.
Crowley submitted to a Breathalyzer test, which reportedly showed his blood-alcohol content was just over .06 percent. Snowmass Village Police Sgt. Brian Olson placed Crowley under arrest at about 9:45 a.m. and took him to the Pitkin County Jail, where he was later released.
It is unclear whether Crowley, who is in his early 40s, was drinking while on the job or if he might have shown up to work hungover.
“There’s a pretty big difference between the intentional act of consuming alcohol before work and the unintentional act of having drank before and coming to work when perhaps you may have been carrying alcohol in your system,” Linn said. “I wasn’t party to what was going on in his life but I know that Jim is an honorable, very good guy. I don’t believe this was an intentional act.”
Needless to say, the past two days have been extremely difficult ones for the Aspen Police Department.
“It is an incredibly painful experience for a bunch of people who are perceived as tough guys. There have been an awful lot of tears flowing around here there’s no way to feel good about it. The fact is Jim is someone I’ve worked with for the 15 years of my career here. I respect him and think very highly of him. I am so sad to have any role in this at all,” Linn said. “Ultimately we’re held to a very high standard as police officers. We’re not above the laws that we enforce. He’s held numerous positions in the department, investigator positions of very high responsibility because he was been a very good police officer in his career.”
Crowley has no other criminal history. It is unclear whether he has been suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at work in the past. Pryor said he was unaware of any prior issues while Linn said there has “never been any other incident like this that we felt we could have acted upon.”
Pryor, who took over as police chief earlier this year after his predecessor resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment, said terminating Crowley was a difficult decision that he considered for two days. Building trust between Aspen police and the community has been the theme of Pryor’s administration.
“I want to apologize to the community for another incident like this cropping up at the police department,” the chief said. “It’s an incredibly difficult situation. I feel like things are going really well to date and part of me feels like we’ve let people down. I feel really sorry about that and I will do everything I can to make sure this sort of incident doesn’t happen again in the future.”
Other troubles the department has suffered through in recent years include an officer who was fired for using a Taser on an elderly woman who was never charged with a crime, and its assistance with a Drug Enforcement Agency raid on downtown restaurants that divided many in the community.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20080830/NEWS/808299886/0/FRONTPAGE
Jim Crowley, a patrol officer and former detective, was arrested for suspicion of driving while ability impaired (DWAI) and prohibited use of a weapon, both of which are misdemeanor charges, at 9:45 a.m. Thursday — just a little over two hours after he had reported to duty at the police station.
“It’s my responsibility to keep people safe, and to have an intoxicated officer come to work in uniform and drive a police car is not acceptable,” Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor said.
Crowley is suspected of driving to work in his own vehicle, although the chief noted that he is not aware of anyone who actually saw him driving. Crowley lives on Water Place near Aspen Valley Hospital, not too far from downtown.
Crowley arrived at work at about 7:30 a.m. He was wearing his uniform and had a holstered gun.
“We happened to be in small room together having a conversation with one of his supervisors and I smelled what I believed to be alcohol,” said Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn, who is also the department’s spokesman. “We excused ourselves from Jim’s presence and I asked his supervisor what he had noticed. He was sitting next to a fan blowing in the room and said he didn’t notice anything. I said, ‘Well, we need to conduct a little further investigation.’”
Linn informed Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor, who said he elected to bring in the Snowmass Village Police Department to ensure the investigation remained impartial. Pryor said there is a two-hour window to obtain evidence in alcohol-related cases like this one and he had to make decisions fast.
“I felt I had to move as quickly as possible to preserve the integrity of any possible criminal issues. That’s why I called Snowmass," Pryor said.
Crowley submitted to a Breathalyzer test, which reportedly showed his blood-alcohol content was just over .06 percent. Snowmass Village Police Sgt. Brian Olson placed Crowley under arrest at about 9:45 a.m. and took him to the Pitkin County Jail, where he was later released.
It is unclear whether Crowley, who is in his early 40s, was drinking while on the job or if he might have shown up to work hungover.
“There’s a pretty big difference between the intentional act of consuming alcohol before work and the unintentional act of having drank before and coming to work when perhaps you may have been carrying alcohol in your system,” Linn said. “I wasn’t party to what was going on in his life but I know that Jim is an honorable, very good guy. I don’t believe this was an intentional act.”
Needless to say, the past two days have been extremely difficult ones for the Aspen Police Department.
“It is an incredibly painful experience for a bunch of people who are perceived as tough guys. There have been an awful lot of tears flowing around here there’s no way to feel good about it. The fact is Jim is someone I’ve worked with for the 15 years of my career here. I respect him and think very highly of him. I am so sad to have any role in this at all,” Linn said. “Ultimately we’re held to a very high standard as police officers. We’re not above the laws that we enforce. He’s held numerous positions in the department, investigator positions of very high responsibility because he was been a very good police officer in his career.”
Crowley has no other criminal history. It is unclear whether he has been suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at work in the past. Pryor said he was unaware of any prior issues while Linn said there has “never been any other incident like this that we felt we could have acted upon.”
Pryor, who took over as police chief earlier this year after his predecessor resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment, said terminating Crowley was a difficult decision that he considered for two days. Building trust between Aspen police and the community has been the theme of Pryor’s administration.
“I want to apologize to the community for another incident like this cropping up at the police department,” the chief said. “It’s an incredibly difficult situation. I feel like things are going really well to date and part of me feels like we’ve let people down. I feel really sorry about that and I will do everything I can to make sure this sort of incident doesn’t happen again in the future.”
Other troubles the department has suffered through in recent years include an officer who was fired for using a Taser on an elderly woman who was never charged with a crime, and its assistance with a Drug Enforcement Agency raid on downtown restaurants that divided many in the community.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20080830/NEWS/808299886/0/FRONTPAGE
Friday, August 29, 2008
Officer Shaun Murray Arrested for Stealing Painkillers for Evidence Room
An Elwood police officer is out of jail on bond after his arrest on charges of stealing painkillers from his department’s evidence room, state authorities said.
Elwood evidence tech and patrol officer Shaun Andy Murray, 28, Anderson, was charged with official misconduct, theft and possession of a controlled substance, according to a news release issued Friday night by Sgt. Michael Burns, a spokesman with the Indiana State Police post at Pendleton. Burns did not immediately reply to a call to find out the severity of the charges.
Murray is alleged to have taken narcotic pain relievers from the evidence room for the past year for his personal use, the release said. Murray is the department’s evidence room technician and worked for other police agencies in Madison County, according to Burns.
State police Detective Keith O’Donnell told the Anderson Herald Bulletin that investigators learned in July Murray had become addicted to prescription painkillers. An investigation only began when Elwood police Lt. Jason Brizendine noticed evidence missing Aug. 23.
Brizendine temporarily had placed 62 confiscated hydrocodone pills into an evidence locker Aug. 21, O’Donnell said in today’s newspaper. When Brizendine returned to the evidence room Aug. 23, he noticed 10 pills missing, O’Donnell said.
Murray was arrested Friday at his home. He posted a $5,000 bond, the release said.
Murray’s phone was not listed, and he could not be reached for comment.
Murray’s status with the Elwood Police Department is not known. Patrolman Jim Robertson said today the police chief, Jack Miller, was not on duty and could not be reached for comment.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/17339387/detail.html
Elwood evidence tech and patrol officer Shaun Andy Murray, 28, Anderson, was charged with official misconduct, theft and possession of a controlled substance, according to a news release issued Friday night by Sgt. Michael Burns, a spokesman with the Indiana State Police post at Pendleton. Burns did not immediately reply to a call to find out the severity of the charges.
Murray is alleged to have taken narcotic pain relievers from the evidence room for the past year for his personal use, the release said. Murray is the department’s evidence room technician and worked for other police agencies in Madison County, according to Burns.
State police Detective Keith O’Donnell told the Anderson Herald Bulletin that investigators learned in July Murray had become addicted to prescription painkillers. An investigation only began when Elwood police Lt. Jason Brizendine noticed evidence missing Aug. 23.
Brizendine temporarily had placed 62 confiscated hydrocodone pills into an evidence locker Aug. 21, O’Donnell said in today’s newspaper. When Brizendine returned to the evidence room Aug. 23, he noticed 10 pills missing, O’Donnell said.
Murray was arrested Friday at his home. He posted a $5,000 bond, the release said.
Murray’s phone was not listed, and he could not be reached for comment.
Murray’s status with the Elwood Police Department is not known. Patrolman Jim Robertson said today the police chief, Jack Miller, was not on duty and could not be reached for comment.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/17339387/detail.html
Veteran Officer Arrested for 13 Counts of Larceny
The Rochester Police Department has released the results of a criminal investigation into allegations of Sgt. Carlos Garcia’s misappropriation of city property. The investigation spanned almost five months.
Today, the RPD filed a criminal complaint in Rochester City Court charging Sgt. Garcia, a 21 ½ year veteran of the RPD, with 13 counts of petit larceny for using his department issued gas credit card to obtain gasoline for his personal use, convenience or profit.
Rochester Police Chief David Moore is quoted in a written statement saying, “The RPD is very vigilant against any misconduct and will abide by the same zero tolerance that we proclaim in our efforts to combat violence. This serves as a testament of our commitment to thoroughly police ourselves.”
http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=0f43ee1c-7d25-49cb-881f-93f8b0596201
Today, the RPD filed a criminal complaint in Rochester City Court charging Sgt. Garcia, a 21 ½ year veteran of the RPD, with 13 counts of petit larceny for using his department issued gas credit card to obtain gasoline for his personal use, convenience or profit.
Rochester Police Chief David Moore is quoted in a written statement saying, “The RPD is very vigilant against any misconduct and will abide by the same zero tolerance that we proclaim in our efforts to combat violence. This serves as a testament of our commitment to thoroughly police ourselves.”
http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=0f43ee1c-7d25-49cb-881f-93f8b0596201
Officer Paul Hubka Placed on Probation for Killing Drug Dog
A San Diego police officer charged in the death of his canine partner pleaded no contest yesterday to a misdemeanor charge of animal endangerment and was ordered to pay for the dog.
Paul Hubka, who was not at the hearing, was placed on three years' probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service at any nonprofit agency within six months.
San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne said yesterday that the officer will no longer work with canines.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring also ordered Hubka to pay the department $5,000 for the dog. The amount was outlined in a memo issued by Lansdowne and referenced in court.
The prosecutor said the department paid $8,000 for the animal, which was more than 4 years old and fully trained at the time of purchase. The dog was expected to retire at age
8½.
Hubka was charged this month in connection with the dog's June 20 death. Authorities determined that Forrest, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, died of heatstroke at the officer's home in Alpine.
The officer, a 22-year veteran of the department, is accused of leaving the dog in a police cruiser with the windows rolled up on a day when East County temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.
Deputy District Attorney Julie Korsmeyer said her office would not oppose allowing Hubka to end his probation early if he completes the requirements in the plea agreement.
Hubka's lawyer, Rick Pinckard, said after the hearing that his client is eager to put the case behind him. The misdemeanor charge Hubka was convicted of carried a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $500 fine.
“This was unintentional,” Pinckard said. “It was essentially a mistake, but it has absolutely devastated him.”
Lansdowne said the internal investigation of the incident is done and he is in the process of deciding what punitive action to take against Hubka.
The chief said the officer won't be fired.
“Paul Hubka as been a good officer for 22 years,” Lansdowne said. “He is very remorseful and will take full responsibility.”
City Attorney Michael Aguirre filed a lawsuit this month that seeks to recover the cost of the dog. Aguirre did not specify the amount he was seeking but said it would be in excess of $25,000.
Aguirre disagreed with the amount Hubka was ordered to pay.
“We think the number was significantly higher than that; that's why the city brought its own case,” he said in an interview yesterday.
The department's K-9 unit has received a replacement dog thanks to private donations. The San Diego Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization, bought the dog in July for $10,000, said Wenda Alvarez, the foundation's president and chief executive officer.
“Several individuals approached us in response to the loss of the dog and wanted to help,” Alvarez said.
The new canine has not yet been assigned to a handler.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/17326535/detail.html
Paul Hubka, who was not at the hearing, was placed on three years' probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service at any nonprofit agency within six months.
San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne said yesterday that the officer will no longer work with canines.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring also ordered Hubka to pay the department $5,000 for the dog. The amount was outlined in a memo issued by Lansdowne and referenced in court.
The prosecutor said the department paid $8,000 for the animal, which was more than 4 years old and fully trained at the time of purchase. The dog was expected to retire at age
8½.
Hubka was charged this month in connection with the dog's June 20 death. Authorities determined that Forrest, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, died of heatstroke at the officer's home in Alpine.
The officer, a 22-year veteran of the department, is accused of leaving the dog in a police cruiser with the windows rolled up on a day when East County temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.
Deputy District Attorney Julie Korsmeyer said her office would not oppose allowing Hubka to end his probation early if he completes the requirements in the plea agreement.
Hubka's lawyer, Rick Pinckard, said after the hearing that his client is eager to put the case behind him. The misdemeanor charge Hubka was convicted of carried a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $500 fine.
“This was unintentional,” Pinckard said. “It was essentially a mistake, but it has absolutely devastated him.”
Lansdowne said the internal investigation of the incident is done and he is in the process of deciding what punitive action to take against Hubka.
The chief said the officer won't be fired.
“Paul Hubka as been a good officer for 22 years,” Lansdowne said. “He is very remorseful and will take full responsibility.”
City Attorney Michael Aguirre filed a lawsuit this month that seeks to recover the cost of the dog. Aguirre did not specify the amount he was seeking but said it would be in excess of $25,000.
Aguirre disagreed with the amount Hubka was ordered to pay.
“We think the number was significantly higher than that; that's why the city brought its own case,” he said in an interview yesterday.
The department's K-9 unit has received a replacement dog thanks to private donations. The San Diego Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization, bought the dog in July for $10,000, said Wenda Alvarez, the foundation's president and chief executive officer.
“Several individuals approached us in response to the loss of the dog and wanted to help,” Alvarez said.
The new canine has not yet been assigned to a handler.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/17326535/detail.html
Officer Arrested for Double Murder is Released on $150,000 Bond
Former DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy Derrick Yancey can await his double murder trial under house arrest and a $150,000 bond, a judge ruled Thursday.
The ruling drew a response from a representative for two siblings of Yancey’s wife, whom Yancey is accused of killing. An attorney who said she spoke on behalf of the siblings of Linda Yancey said the DeKalb district attorney’s office failed to do enough to prevent Yancey’s release.
“It appears Mr. Yancey is receiving preferential treatment as a result of his previous employment with the DeKalb County court system,” said a statement issued by lawyer Loletha Denise Hale, who said she spoke for Eugene Thomas and Gloria Thomas Sanders.
Asked about the statement, chief assistant district attorney Don Geary said Yancey “will be treated as any other criminal defendant charged in DeKalb County. We will vigorously prosecute within the limits of the law, and we will do everything we can to be mindful and considerate of the wishes of the victims’ family.”
Linda Yancey, 44, and day laborer Marcial Cax Puluc, about 20, were killed at the Yanceys’ home near Stone Mountain June 9.
Yancey told police that Cax Puluc killed his wife in an armed robbery attempt, forcing Yancey to shoot him. But authorities say lab tests showed Yancey shot both victims.
Derrick Yancey, 49, escorted prisoners to appearances in the county courthouse for 11 years until he was placed on leave because of the shootings. He resigned Aug. 11 and was jailed Aug. 14, when a grand jury indicted him.
Superior Court Judge Linda Workman issued a bond order Thursday, specifying that Yancey must wear an ankle monitor and leave his mother’s Clayton County home only for legal or medical appointments.
Workman’s order quoted a Georgia law which makes defendants eligible for release on bond if they pose “no significant risk” of fleeing, intimidating witnesses or committing other crimes. Unlike many other states, Workman wrote, Georgia does not further restrict bond for murder defendants unless they have been convicted of a prior violent crime.
Geary opposed bond in a Wednesday hearing, telling Workman that Yancey became more of a risk to flee after quitting his job and placing his 8-year-old son with his mother. Workman’s order noted, however, that Yancey had taken those steps before his indictment and still reported to jail voluntarily when an arrest warrant was issued.
Geary did not offer evidence about the shootings or suggest that Yancey might be a threat to others.
Defense attorney Keith Adams said Thursday he expected it would take “a couple of days” to arrange the bond and electronic monitoring. Yancey is being held in an undisclosed jail.
Yancey was a 17-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. Linda Yancey also worked for the sheriff’s office for 13 years, most recently as an intake officer in Juvenile Court.
Workman’s order said she expects Yancey to be tried by the end of the year.
The ruling drew a response from a representative for two siblings of Yancey’s wife, whom Yancey is accused of killing. An attorney who said she spoke on behalf of the siblings of Linda Yancey said the DeKalb district attorney’s office failed to do enough to prevent Yancey’s release.
“It appears Mr. Yancey is receiving preferential treatment as a result of his previous employment with the DeKalb County court system,” said a statement issued by lawyer Loletha Denise Hale, who said she spoke for Eugene Thomas and Gloria Thomas Sanders.
Asked about the statement, chief assistant district attorney Don Geary said Yancey “will be treated as any other criminal defendant charged in DeKalb County. We will vigorously prosecute within the limits of the law, and we will do everything we can to be mindful and considerate of the wishes of the victims’ family.”
Linda Yancey, 44, and day laborer Marcial Cax Puluc, about 20, were killed at the Yanceys’ home near Stone Mountain June 9.
Yancey told police that Cax Puluc killed his wife in an armed robbery attempt, forcing Yancey to shoot him. But authorities say lab tests showed Yancey shot both victims.
Derrick Yancey, 49, escorted prisoners to appearances in the county courthouse for 11 years until he was placed on leave because of the shootings. He resigned Aug. 11 and was jailed Aug. 14, when a grand jury indicted him.
Superior Court Judge Linda Workman issued a bond order Thursday, specifying that Yancey must wear an ankle monitor and leave his mother’s Clayton County home only for legal or medical appointments.
Workman’s order quoted a Georgia law which makes defendants eligible for release on bond if they pose “no significant risk” of fleeing, intimidating witnesses or committing other crimes. Unlike many other states, Workman wrote, Georgia does not further restrict bond for murder defendants unless they have been convicted of a prior violent crime.
Geary opposed bond in a Wednesday hearing, telling Workman that Yancey became more of a risk to flee after quitting his job and placing his 8-year-old son with his mother. Workman’s order noted, however, that Yancey had taken those steps before his indictment and still reported to jail voluntarily when an arrest warrant was issued.
Geary did not offer evidence about the shootings or suggest that Yancey might be a threat to others.
Defense attorney Keith Adams said Thursday he expected it would take “a couple of days” to arrange the bond and electronic monitoring. Yancey is being held in an undisclosed jail.
Yancey was a 17-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. Linda Yancey also worked for the sheriff’s office for 13 years, most recently as an intake officer in Juvenile Court.
Workman’s order said she expects Yancey to be tried by the end of the year.
Officer Ron Smith Charged with Aggravated Assault
A grand jury indicted a Seattle police detective and a Hells Angels member whom the detective shot and wounded in a bar fight at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
The detective, Ron Smith, 43, was charged with aggravated assault, perjury and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. The Hells Angel, Joseph McGuire, 33, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was charged with aggravated assault, the Meade County state's attorney reported Thursday.
In addition, four other members of a law enforcement-oriented motorcycle club -- a second Seattle police officer, two U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, and a U.S. Defense Department firefighter -- were charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, a misdemeanor, according to State's Attorney Jesse Sondreal.
The shooting happened about 1 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Loud American Roadhouse, a crowded bar in Sturgis. The detective, a member of the Iron Pigs motorcycle club, said several Hells Angels jumped him and that he fired in self-defense after being beaten.
The other four Iron Pigs members indicted are Dennis McCoy, 59, a North Precinct patrol sergeant in Seattle; Scott Lazalde, 38; James Rector, 44; and Erik Pingel, 35.
Should the case reach a jury, the weapons charge carries an alternative offense of failing to abide by the gun permit of a reciprocal state, according to the statement.
Lazalde, of Bellingham, and Rector, of Ferndale, are stationed in Blaine with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Both remain on duty while the agency awaits formal notification of the charges, spokesman Mike Milne said.
Rector is a 20-year veteran and assistant port director of passenger vehicles, he said.
Pingel is a civilian firefighter at Buckley Air Force Base outside Aurora, Colo., according to an Air Force spokesman.
The South Dakota grand jury met Wednesday to hear from 10 more witnesses before the indictments were issued. It was the grand jury's second hearing since 25 witnesses, including Smith and other officers, appeared on Aug. 10.
Smith's testimony is apparently the basis for the perjury charge.
No court date had been set.
Either warrants or summonses would be "issued and served as appropriate," according to the state's attorney.
Smith and McGuire could face up to 15 years' imprisonment if convicted of aggravated assault. The grand jury also indicted on an alternative charge of misdemeanor assault, which would give a jury the choice of a lesser crime.
The misdemeanor version is punishable by up to a year in jail. The perjury charge could carry a penalty of up to five years.
Smith was one of five Seattle officers with the Iron Pigs at the bar while vacationing at the rally. Witnesses told the Seattle P-I that the confrontation might have started because some Hells Angels members took umbrage to the officers wearing their "colors," or three-piece patches, into the bar.
A Seattle police spokesman said Thursday that Smith and McCoy would remain on administrative leave while the department conducts its investigation. The three Seattle officers who aren't facing charges would be returned to duty, according to a department source.
Smith, of the pawnshop unit, is on the Seattle Police Officers' Guild's board of directors and is editor of the guild's newspaper, The Guardian. In a statement, police guild Vice President Ty Elster urged the community not to pass judgment until the officers have had their day in court.
"We are certain that once all the facts are known, the involved SPOG members will be vindicated and absolved of any wrongdoing," he said.
Federal law allows off-duty and retired police officers to carry their weapons anywhere in the country, overriding any state or local gun regulations. But officers are not covered by the law if under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or have been removed from duty, or have certain disabilities.
There have been cases around the country where officers were charged with weapons violations under a local regulation and relied on the federal law to get the case dismissed, said Ted Deeds, spokesman for the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, which spearheaded the drive to pass the law in 2004.
McGuire was shot twice, with one round striking his abdomen and another shattering his femur. He spent several days in intensive care after making the trip to the rally from the San Diego area. His brother said it was McGuire's first trip to Sturgis.
He left California despite pending marijuana charges against him in San Diego County. McGuire and several other Hells Angels members, including the San Diego chapter president, were arrested during drug raids conducted by federal agents and San Diego police in January 2007.
McGuire has prior convictions for burglary and possession of an illegal knife, according to San Diego County Superior Court records.
Smith had a previous tangle with a Hells Angels member in 2005. He filed a report of possible harassment against Anthony J. Magnesi, whom he said had threatened him during a telephone conversation.
Magnesi had called Smith after hearing from friends that the detective was asking about him. He wanted to find out if he were under investigation, according to Magnesi's attorney, Paul Bernstein.
At the time, Magnesi owned Lucky's Choppers, a custom motorcycle shop in Georgetown. He'd been charged before with first-degree assault for shooting near a man's feet during a scuffle in an unrelated case. But it was dismissed when the state's witnesses backed out of testifying, according to court records.
Magnesi taped one of his conversations with Smith and argued it was proof that Smith had threatened him. After hearing the tape, city prosecutors dropped the harassment charge against Magnesi, according to Bernstein and court records.
At one point on tape, Smith tells him: "Yeah, you better watch your back." Later, he tells Magnesi he has no reason to be calling and asks if he's laundering money, according to a copy that Magnesi's friend played for the P-I.
Smith tells Magnesi that "playing on the phone" is a crime and that belonging to the Hells Angels is a bigger crime, according to the tape.
Magnesi filed a complaint with the department's Office of Professional Accountability, which handles internal investigations. The complaint was referred to Smith's supervisor.
Smith has been disciplined twice before for unprofessional behavior.
He was suspended for two days for conduct unbecoming of an officer after an incident at a Seahawks game in January 2005.
He received a written reprimand after he was accused in August 2005 of threatening to shoot a man at a Tacoma bar while off-duty.
Internal records show that the man was bothering some of the officer's friends. But witnesses also heard the officer utter a racial remark at the restaurant manager, who had asked him to leave, according to department records.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/377182_sturgis30.html
The detective, Ron Smith, 43, was charged with aggravated assault, perjury and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. The Hells Angel, Joseph McGuire, 33, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was charged with aggravated assault, the Meade County state's attorney reported Thursday.
In addition, four other members of a law enforcement-oriented motorcycle club -- a second Seattle police officer, two U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, and a U.S. Defense Department firefighter -- were charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, a misdemeanor, according to State's Attorney Jesse Sondreal.
The shooting happened about 1 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Loud American Roadhouse, a crowded bar in Sturgis. The detective, a member of the Iron Pigs motorcycle club, said several Hells Angels jumped him and that he fired in self-defense after being beaten.
The other four Iron Pigs members indicted are Dennis McCoy, 59, a North Precinct patrol sergeant in Seattle; Scott Lazalde, 38; James Rector, 44; and Erik Pingel, 35.
Should the case reach a jury, the weapons charge carries an alternative offense of failing to abide by the gun permit of a reciprocal state, according to the statement.
Lazalde, of Bellingham, and Rector, of Ferndale, are stationed in Blaine with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Both remain on duty while the agency awaits formal notification of the charges, spokesman Mike Milne said.
Rector is a 20-year veteran and assistant port director of passenger vehicles, he said.
Pingel is a civilian firefighter at Buckley Air Force Base outside Aurora, Colo., according to an Air Force spokesman.
The South Dakota grand jury met Wednesday to hear from 10 more witnesses before the indictments were issued. It was the grand jury's second hearing since 25 witnesses, including Smith and other officers, appeared on Aug. 10.
Smith's testimony is apparently the basis for the perjury charge.
No court date had been set.
Either warrants or summonses would be "issued and served as appropriate," according to the state's attorney.
Smith and McGuire could face up to 15 years' imprisonment if convicted of aggravated assault. The grand jury also indicted on an alternative charge of misdemeanor assault, which would give a jury the choice of a lesser crime.
The misdemeanor version is punishable by up to a year in jail. The perjury charge could carry a penalty of up to five years.
Smith was one of five Seattle officers with the Iron Pigs at the bar while vacationing at the rally. Witnesses told the Seattle P-I that the confrontation might have started because some Hells Angels members took umbrage to the officers wearing their "colors," or three-piece patches, into the bar.
A Seattle police spokesman said Thursday that Smith and McCoy would remain on administrative leave while the department conducts its investigation. The three Seattle officers who aren't facing charges would be returned to duty, according to a department source.
Smith, of the pawnshop unit, is on the Seattle Police Officers' Guild's board of directors and is editor of the guild's newspaper, The Guardian. In a statement, police guild Vice President Ty Elster urged the community not to pass judgment until the officers have had their day in court.
"We are certain that once all the facts are known, the involved SPOG members will be vindicated and absolved of any wrongdoing," he said.
Federal law allows off-duty and retired police officers to carry their weapons anywhere in the country, overriding any state or local gun regulations. But officers are not covered by the law if under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or have been removed from duty, or have certain disabilities.
There have been cases around the country where officers were charged with weapons violations under a local regulation and relied on the federal law to get the case dismissed, said Ted Deeds, spokesman for the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, which spearheaded the drive to pass the law in 2004.
McGuire was shot twice, with one round striking his abdomen and another shattering his femur. He spent several days in intensive care after making the trip to the rally from the San Diego area. His brother said it was McGuire's first trip to Sturgis.
He left California despite pending marijuana charges against him in San Diego County. McGuire and several other Hells Angels members, including the San Diego chapter president, were arrested during drug raids conducted by federal agents and San Diego police in January 2007.
McGuire has prior convictions for burglary and possession of an illegal knife, according to San Diego County Superior Court records.
Smith had a previous tangle with a Hells Angels member in 2005. He filed a report of possible harassment against Anthony J. Magnesi, whom he said had threatened him during a telephone conversation.
Magnesi had called Smith after hearing from friends that the detective was asking about him. He wanted to find out if he were under investigation, according to Magnesi's attorney, Paul Bernstein.
At the time, Magnesi owned Lucky's Choppers, a custom motorcycle shop in Georgetown. He'd been charged before with first-degree assault for shooting near a man's feet during a scuffle in an unrelated case. But it was dismissed when the state's witnesses backed out of testifying, according to court records.
Magnesi taped one of his conversations with Smith and argued it was proof that Smith had threatened him. After hearing the tape, city prosecutors dropped the harassment charge against Magnesi, according to Bernstein and court records.
At one point on tape, Smith tells him: "Yeah, you better watch your back." Later, he tells Magnesi he has no reason to be calling and asks if he's laundering money, according to a copy that Magnesi's friend played for the P-I.
Smith tells Magnesi that "playing on the phone" is a crime and that belonging to the Hells Angels is a bigger crime, according to the tape.
Magnesi filed a complaint with the department's Office of Professional Accountability, which handles internal investigations. The complaint was referred to Smith's supervisor.
Smith has been disciplined twice before for unprofessional behavior.
He was suspended for two days for conduct unbecoming of an officer after an incident at a Seahawks game in January 2005.
He received a written reprimand after he was accused in August 2005 of threatening to shoot a man at a Tacoma bar while off-duty.
Internal records show that the man was bothering some of the officer's friends. But witnesses also heard the officer utter a racial remark at the restaurant manager, who had asked him to leave, according to department records.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/377182_sturgis30.html
Officer William Wike Accused of Touching 15 year old Girl
HUNTINGTON, Ind.The Huntington Police Officer accused of sexual misconduct with a minor was in court for the first time.
"Sexual misconduct with a minor's categorized by either a devious sexual conduct or some kind of illegal touching and that's what we've alleged here," explains D.J. Sigler, the special prosecutor assigned to the case.
Officer William C. Wike is accused of touching a fondling a 15 year old girl. The incident allegedly happened in Whitley County between November, 2006 and January, 2007. The alleged victim is now 17 years old.
According to the Whitley County Prosecutor, 2 friends of the girl told police about an inappropriate relationship. That sparked a State Police investigation.
Wike was charged with one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class C Felony. On Wednesday, State Police arrested the 8 year veteran of the Huntington Police Department.
"It takes away from our public trust, casts a shadow over us and certainly, I guess the bottom line is we hope it's not true," says Huntington Police Chief Tom Emely.
On Thursday, Wike was escorted into the Huntington County Court in handcuffs for an initial hearing. The Huntington County judge set the bond for Wike at $20,000. That is standard for a Class C Felony. The judge also set Wike's next court date for October 30.
Back in 2006, a report with similar accusations was filed. Court documents said the alleged victim denied those reports at that time. She told investigators she was afraid of what would happen if people didn't believe her story.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-officercharged,0,7836848.story
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Australian Officer Arrested for Having Sex with Child
A NSW Police officer on secondment with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) will face court next month after allegedly having sex with a child.
An AFP media spokeswoman said the 43-year-old Penshurst man had been charged with allegedly having sexual intercourse with a child between the ages of 14 and 16 years and possessing child pornography.
Police have also charged the man with using a carriage service to access child pornography.
He will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on September 9.
An AFP media spokeswoman said the 43-year-old Penshurst man had been charged with allegedly having sexual intercourse with a child between the ages of 14 and 16 years and possessing child pornography.
Police have also charged the man with using a carriage service to access child pornography.
He will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on September 9.
Officer Gerardo Dimas Arrested for Assaulting Family Member
A fourteen-year veteran police officer is arrested after he allegedly assaults a family member.
41-year-old Gerardo Dimas was taken to Webb county jail on charges of assault family violence.
The emergency call was taken at about 7 this morning from his South Laredo home.
He is now on administrative reassignment until internal affairs finishes investigating.
He posted a 10-thousand dollar bond shortly after being arrested.
Demonstrators Arrested at the Democratic National Convention
Police officers use excessive force and brutality in arresting two young women, aged 17 and 15 years old, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver for peacefully demonstrating yards away from where Senator Obama is staying.
View video of arrests
Also arrested was the Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition of Washington, DC.
Jayne White, 17, and Julia Giacopuzzi, 15, both from Lake Arrowhead, California, were arrested in front of the Westin Hotel where Senator Barack Obama is staying while at the Democratic National Convention.
View pictures of the young women arrested
The two young women were arrested, without warning, while peacefully writing pro-life messages on the sidewalk in front of the Westin Hotel with sidewalk chalk where Senator Obama is staying.
Rev. Mahoney was arrested and threatened with a felony for leading the event.
After being arrested, the group was later released.
The group had received permission to sidewalk chalk from Denver City Attorney David Fine and Denver Deputy Chief Police John Lamb and had been "sidewalk chalking" for six days prior to the arrests.
Jayne White, age 17, was rushed from behind, physically forced to the ground, had a police officer dig his knee into the back of her neck, pulled her arms and cuffed her behind her back.
Julia Giacopuzzi, age 15, was rushed by a police officer, had her arms twisted behind her back, lifted up off the ground and then cuffed.
Jayne White, age 17, states, "I was peacefully sidewalk chalking when I was forcefully pushed to ground by a police officer from behind. As I was being cuffed on the ground, the police officer pushed his knee into the back of my neck. I was pulled roughly off the ground and taken away. I was given no warning to stop and was completely shocked when I was arrested. My back was throbbing from his knee."
Julia Giacopuzzi, age 15, comments, "As I was sidewalk chalking, I was rushed by a police officer without warning and lifted up off the ground and was cuffed. I was then dragged by the police into the Westin Hotel."
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, adds, "I am absolutely stunned, sickened and appalled by the excessive use of force by these police officers against these two young women at the Democratic National Convention. They were rushed without warning, physically forced to the ground, had a knee driven into their back, cuffed and dragged away. Their crime was simply writing pro-life messages on the sidewalk yards away from the hotel where Senator Barack Obama is staying. It must be stressed that they had permission from the Denver City Attorney and Police Department to do this and they were given no warning to stop.
I was arrested for simply being accused of being "the leader" of the event.
For the past ten months, I have had numerous news conferences in Denver expressing concerns that free speech rights and the First Amendment might be crushed during the Democratic National Convention. I have said repeatedly that demonstrators are not terrorists and that the city of Denver should do all within their power to ensure civil liberties would be protected.
Sadly, the city of Denver ignored these warnings and the civil rights of two young women and myself were trampled. How is it possible that at the Democratic National Convention two young women could be brutalized by the police just yards away where Senator Obama is staying for writing a political message on the sidewalk? Upon my return to Washington, DC, I will be meeting with our legal team to discuss our legal options against the city of Denver and the Democratic National Convention."
Officer William Wike Jr. Arrested for Sexual contact with Minor
HUNTINGTON, Ind.
A judge has ordered a Huntington police officer held on $20,000 bond on a charge that he engaged in sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl.
Forty-one-year-old William Wike Jr. appeared in Huntington County Court on Thursday.
Whitley County Chief Deputy Prosecutor D.J. Sigler says Wike is accused of touching the girl, then 15, in a sexual manner sometime in late 2006 or early 2007. Sigler says the charges do not relate to Wike's work as a police officer in the city about 25 miles southwest of Fort Wayne.
Huntington Police Chief S. Thomas Emely says Wike faces suspension pending the outcome of the case.
A judge has ordered a Huntington police officer held on $20,000 bond on a charge that he engaged in sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl.
Forty-one-year-old William Wike Jr. appeared in Huntington County Court on Thursday.
Whitley County Chief Deputy Prosecutor D.J. Sigler says Wike is accused of touching the girl, then 15, in a sexual manner sometime in late 2006 or early 2007. Sigler says the charges do not relate to Wike's work as a police officer in the city about 25 miles southwest of Fort Wayne.
Huntington Police Chief S. Thomas Emely says Wike faces suspension pending the outcome of the case.
Vincent Cantu Arrested for Bank Robbery
WHITTIER
FBI agents arrested a former Pasadena police officer suspected of robbing four local banks and searched his home Wednesday.
Vincent Cantu, 44, is in custody on a federal arrest warrant, according to FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. She said he is expected to be charged with one or more bank robberies in La Habra.
Cantu, who was being held in a Santa Ana federal facility, is scheduled to appear before a judge today at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana.
Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said Cantu hasn't been charged yet.
At their first appearance in federal court, Mrozek said defendants aren't asked to enter a plea but bail is expected to be set.
Cantu's lawyer, Grant Hoagland, said they will ask for bail and hopefully get Cantu out this weekend.
"He's under investigation for multiple robberies," Eimiller said.
Federal authorities suspect Cantu of being the "Polite Bandit" who robbed the Banco Popular at 12333 S. La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada twice and also hit the Banco Popular at 3160 Colima Road in Hacienda Heights. The armed bandit earned the moniker because he apologized to tellers.
Until Wednesday, Cantu had been out on $50,000 bond. La Habra police originally arrested him Aug. 15 on suspicion of robbing a Banco Popular at 401 E. Whittier Blvd.
Officers got a description of a getaway vehicle. They pulled over Cantu, who was driving a silver Toyota FJ Cruiser, at Las Lomas Drive, west of Euclid Street.
Hoagland said officers found no weapon, no money and no "indication of a crime" in the vehicle.
Eimiller said Cantu is also a suspect in the June 24 robbery of the Pacific Mercantile Bank at 1530 W. Whittier Blvd. in La Habra.
An armed man wearing sunglasses, a hat and a bandanna robbed this La Habra bank at 5:17 p.m. He apologized for the heist.
"He said, 'I'm sorry to do this to you guys but give me all your money. ... Just call the cops in about five minutes,'" Eimiller said.
On Wednesday morning, Hoagland said Cantu got in his wife's vehicle, was followed by officers and pulled over.
"I had a cell call from him at 10 a.m. ... He was pulled over. He indicated 20 officers with drawn guns (were) ordering him out of his car. He was afraid," Hoagland said.
Agents walked out of the Cantu's house in the 16400 block of Janine Drive on Wednesday carrying a computer, paper bags and a small safe. Officers from the La Habra Police Department and sheriff's deputies were also at the house.
FBI officials declined to say what evidence, if any, was found.
Resident Chris George had forgotten something at his home, returned and saw about 10 officers at his neighbor's house.
"He is a good neighbor, a good father. He's a good friend. I am shocked at the allegations that he's a bank robber," George said.
He said one could count on Cantu to help out like taking his kids to school or him to the garage when his car needed service.
Cantu worked eight years as a Pasadena police officer and retired in 1996 after injuring a knee. He has no criminal record.
He has two sons and reportedly coached at Murphy Ranch Little League. The league has declined comment.
Records with the state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services show Cantu was issued a firearm permit on April 21. He is registered as a guard/patrolperson with the state.
Both licenses are valid until April 30, 2010.
FedEx spokeswoman Denise Lauer said that Cantu had worked for their company but left several years ago.
FBI agents arrested a former Pasadena police officer suspected of robbing four local banks and searched his home Wednesday.
Vincent Cantu, 44, is in custody on a federal arrest warrant, according to FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. She said he is expected to be charged with one or more bank robberies in La Habra.
Cantu, who was being held in a Santa Ana federal facility, is scheduled to appear before a judge today at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana.
Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said Cantu hasn't been charged yet.
At their first appearance in federal court, Mrozek said defendants aren't asked to enter a plea but bail is expected to be set.
Cantu's lawyer, Grant Hoagland, said they will ask for bail and hopefully get Cantu out this weekend.
"He's under investigation for multiple robberies," Eimiller said.
Federal authorities suspect Cantu of being the "Polite Bandit" who robbed the Banco Popular at 12333 S. La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada twice and also hit the Banco Popular at 3160 Colima Road in Hacienda Heights. The armed bandit earned the moniker because he apologized to tellers.
Until Wednesday, Cantu had been out on $50,000 bond. La Habra police originally arrested him Aug. 15 on suspicion of robbing a Banco Popular at 401 E. Whittier Blvd.
Officers got a description of a getaway vehicle. They pulled over Cantu, who was driving a silver Toyota FJ Cruiser, at Las Lomas Drive, west of Euclid Street.
Hoagland said officers found no weapon, no money and no "indication of a crime" in the vehicle.
Eimiller said Cantu is also a suspect in the June 24 robbery of the Pacific Mercantile Bank at 1530 W. Whittier Blvd. in La Habra.
An armed man wearing sunglasses, a hat and a bandanna robbed this La Habra bank at 5:17 p.m. He apologized for the heist.
"He said, 'I'm sorry to do this to you guys but give me all your money. ... Just call the cops in about five minutes,'" Eimiller said.
On Wednesday morning, Hoagland said Cantu got in his wife's vehicle, was followed by officers and pulled over.
"I had a cell call from him at 10 a.m. ... He was pulled over. He indicated 20 officers with drawn guns (were) ordering him out of his car. He was afraid," Hoagland said.
Agents walked out of the Cantu's house in the 16400 block of Janine Drive on Wednesday carrying a computer, paper bags and a small safe. Officers from the La Habra Police Department and sheriff's deputies were also at the house.
FBI officials declined to say what evidence, if any, was found.
Resident Chris George had forgotten something at his home, returned and saw about 10 officers at his neighbor's house.
"He is a good neighbor, a good father. He's a good friend. I am shocked at the allegations that he's a bank robber," George said.
He said one could count on Cantu to help out like taking his kids to school or him to the garage when his car needed service.
Cantu worked eight years as a Pasadena police officer and retired in 1996 after injuring a knee. He has no criminal record.
He has two sons and reportedly coached at Murphy Ranch Little League. The league has declined comment.
Records with the state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services show Cantu was issued a firearm permit on April 21. He is registered as a guard/patrolperson with the state.
Both licenses are valid until April 30, 2010.
FedEx spokeswoman Denise Lauer said that Cantu had worked for their company but left several years ago.
Officer Cantu Accused of Bank Robbery Appeared in Court
SANTA ANA
A former Pasadena police officer made his first appearance Thursday in federal court in Santa Ana to face a criminal complaint for two bank robberies that took place in La Habra.
Wearing tan, prison-issued clothing, Vincent Edward Cantu, 44, of Whittier, stood handcuffed in front of Magistrate Judge Marc L. Goldman. He is suspected of robbing Pacific Mercantile Bank on Whittier Boulevard of $10,978 on June 24 and a Banco Popular branch of $10,679 on Aug. 15.
Cantu wasn't required to enter a plea and a bail hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3. Cantu remains in custody at least until then.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12.
"By that date, we'll have to have a probable-cause hearing or an indictment, which may be issued beforehand," said Thom Mrozek, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office.
Cantu's court-appointed attorney, John Early, would not comment on specifics of the case.
On Wednesday, Cantu was taken into custody by federal agents close to his Whittier home. After issuing search warrants, agents searched the home and seized at least two computers, along with personal items believed to link Cantu to the crimes.
Cantu was a Pasadena police officer for eight years before retiring in 1996 in "good standing," according to a department spokesperson.
He is now under investigation for a series of robberies committed by the "polite bandit," including the two robberies named in the complaint, FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller said.
The polite bandit was so dubbed because he apologized to his victims.
Cantu also is under investigation for robberies at two Banco Popular branches in La Mirada between August 2006 and May 2008 and one in Hacienda Heights in November 2006, Eimiller said.
"There are similarities in M.O. and description," Eimiller said. "During some of his robberies, he was apologetic and said he needed the money for his family."
According to witnesses of the Aug. 15 robbery, the robber entered the Banco Popular in the 400 block of East Whittier Boulevard shortly after 11 a.m., drew a handgun and asked for money, La Habra Police Department spokeswoman Cindy Knapp said.
At about 11:14 a.m., officers were responding to the call at the bank when they saw a vehicle matching the description of one believed to have been used in the robbery.
The silver Toyota FJ Cruiser driven by Cantu was pulled over on Las Lomas, just west of Euclid Street, police said.
La Habra police recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, along with a cap and bandana, which were similar to those used by the robber, according to the complaint.
Cantu was arrested on suspicion of bank robbery and booked into Orange County Jail. He posted bond Aug. 16 and was released, until FBI agents arrested him Wednesday.
Cantu had a permit to carry a firearm issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, that agency's records show. The permit was valid through April 30, 2010.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10320598
A former Pasadena police officer made his first appearance Thursday in federal court in Santa Ana to face a criminal complaint for two bank robberies that took place in La Habra.
Wearing tan, prison-issued clothing, Vincent Edward Cantu, 44, of Whittier, stood handcuffed in front of Magistrate Judge Marc L. Goldman. He is suspected of robbing Pacific Mercantile Bank on Whittier Boulevard of $10,978 on June 24 and a Banco Popular branch of $10,679 on Aug. 15.
Cantu wasn't required to enter a plea and a bail hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3. Cantu remains in custody at least until then.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12.
"By that date, we'll have to have a probable-cause hearing or an indictment, which may be issued beforehand," said Thom Mrozek, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office.
Cantu's court-appointed attorney, John Early, would not comment on specifics of the case.
On Wednesday, Cantu was taken into custody by federal agents close to his Whittier home. After issuing search warrants, agents searched the home and seized at least two computers, along with personal items believed to link Cantu to the crimes.
Cantu was a Pasadena police officer for eight years before retiring in 1996 in "good standing," according to a department spokesperson.
He is now under investigation for a series of robberies committed by the "polite bandit," including the two robberies named in the complaint, FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller said.
The polite bandit was so dubbed because he apologized to his victims.
Cantu also is under investigation for robberies at two Banco Popular branches in La Mirada between August 2006 and May 2008 and one in Hacienda Heights in November 2006, Eimiller said.
"There are similarities in M.O. and description," Eimiller said. "During some of his robberies, he was apologetic and said he needed the money for his family."
According to witnesses of the Aug. 15 robbery, the robber entered the Banco Popular in the 400 block of East Whittier Boulevard shortly after 11 a.m., drew a handgun and asked for money, La Habra Police Department spokeswoman Cindy Knapp said.
At about 11:14 a.m., officers were responding to the call at the bank when they saw a vehicle matching the description of one believed to have been used in the robbery.
The silver Toyota FJ Cruiser driven by Cantu was pulled over on Las Lomas, just west of Euclid Street, police said.
La Habra police recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, along with a cap and bandana, which were similar to those used by the robber, according to the complaint.
Cantu was arrested on suspicion of bank robbery and booked into Orange County Jail. He posted bond Aug. 16 and was released, until FBI agents arrested him Wednesday.
Cantu had a permit to carry a firearm issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, that agency's records show. The permit was valid through April 30, 2010.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10320598
Trooper Steven Garren Accused of Hitting Man Due In Court Today
Attorneys for SC State Trooper, Steven Garren, are expected to be in court today bringing several requests before a judge in Columbia SC.
Lance Cpl. Garren was shown on his patrol unit’s dash camera chasing and ultimately hitting a man who fled after a traffic stop in Greenwood in 2007. The suspect is shown on video flipping over Garren’s car. Garren is later heard in the video saying to another officer "I nailed the (expletive) out of him."
Along with other requests, Garren’s attorneys are set to ask that prosecutors turn over dash camera video from other officer’s patrol units who were also on scene.
Garren’s trial is scheduled to begin September 29, 2008, in Greenville, SC.
Garren was suspended after he was indicted by a federal grand jury with a charge of willfully depriving a man of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer. If found guilty Garren faces up to 10 years in prison.
Lance Cpl. Garren was shown on his patrol unit’s dash camera chasing and ultimately hitting a man who fled after a traffic stop in Greenwood in 2007. The suspect is shown on video flipping over Garren’s car. Garren is later heard in the video saying to another officer "I nailed the (expletive) out of him."
Along with other requests, Garren’s attorneys are set to ask that prosecutors turn over dash camera video from other officer’s patrol units who were also on scene.
Garren’s trial is scheduled to begin September 29, 2008, in Greenville, SC.
Garren was suspended after he was indicted by a federal grand jury with a charge of willfully depriving a man of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer. If found guilty Garren faces up to 10 years in prison.
Reserve Officer Mark Rutherford Charged with Sexually Assaulting Teenaged Girls
FLINT
Genesee County District Court records show 37-year-old Mark Rutherford, of Flint, faces charges of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting at least three teenaged girls. Rutherford, who is also a Birch Run reserve police officer, allegedly touched the girls during a church camping trip, in Mount Morris Township. The incident allegedly happened over the Memorial Day weekend. Rutherford, who also works as a security guard and Kettering University, was chaperoning the Valley Church of Christ in Burton.
Rutherford's case has been bound over to Genesee County Circuit Court and he will likely face trial. He'll be in court again September 8th. We will continue to follow this investigation as it develops. Right now, he's out on bond.
Genesee County District Court records show 37-year-old Mark Rutherford, of Flint, faces charges of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting at least three teenaged girls. Rutherford, who is also a Birch Run reserve police officer, allegedly touched the girls during a church camping trip, in Mount Morris Township. The incident allegedly happened over the Memorial Day weekend. Rutherford, who also works as a security guard and Kettering University, was chaperoning the Valley Church of Christ in Burton.
Rutherford's case has been bound over to Genesee County Circuit Court and he will likely face trial. He'll be in court again September 8th. We will continue to follow this investigation as it develops. Right now, he's out on bond.
Hearing for Officer Charged with Shooting Woman and Son Delayed
VISTA
A preliminary hearing for a police officer charged with shooting a woman and her son has been delayed so both sides can have more time to review the evidence.
The evidence includes 3,000 pages of documents and 131 CDs and DVDs, said Rick Pinckard, an attorney for San Diego police Officer Frank White.
"The investigation that was conducted by the Oceanside Police Department was probably one of the most thorough investigations that I've ever reviewed,” Pinckard said.
At a Vista Superior Court hearing Tuesday, Judge Aaron Katz set White's preliminary hearing for Nov. 5. It had been scheduled for Sept. 17.
The District Attorney's Office charged White, 28, with grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, a felony and a misdemeanor count of exhibiting a firearm. The felony charge carries two enhancements for causing great bodily injury to Rachel Silva, who was shot twice in the right arm, and her then-8-year-old son, who was shot once in the left leg.
White, who pleaded not guilty, faces up to nine years in prison. He has been put on unpaid leave.
After the hearing, Pinckard said the couple is disappointed that charges were filed against White.
“Frank believes that what he did was reasonable and necessary under the circumstances,” Pinckard said. “We believe that the evidence at trial is going to bear that out.”
Pinckard said White and his wife were victims of a road rage incident.
“That's probably the hardest part of this for them is the failure to recognize them as a victim,” Pinckard said. “Frank and his wife didn't initiate this contact. They were trying to get away from this woman.”
Pinckard said he hasn't discussed a settlement with prosecutors.
In court documents, police say Silva pulled in front of White on Old Grove Road in Oceanside shortly after 9 p.m. March 15. White, who was off duty in a Mercury Milan with his wife, swerved to avoid her Silva.
White turned into a shopping center, and Silva, who was with her son in a Honda Accord, followed into the parking lot of a Lowe's store, tailgating him.
Silva pulled alongside White, shouting at him. He pointed a five-shot .38 revolver at her and backed up. She called 911 and then drove in reverse toward White car. The vehicles mirrors touched, and the right front of her car hit the left side of White's. White fired five shots into Silva's car as their vehicles passed each other.
Police said Silva's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. The state Attorney General's Office charged Silva, 28, with one felony count of child endangerment and five misdemeanor counts. She pleaded not guilty.
Silva's attorney, Michael Pancer, declined to comment.
A preliminary hearing for a police officer charged with shooting a woman and her son has been delayed so both sides can have more time to review the evidence.
The evidence includes 3,000 pages of documents and 131 CDs and DVDs, said Rick Pinckard, an attorney for San Diego police Officer Frank White.
"The investigation that was conducted by the Oceanside Police Department was probably one of the most thorough investigations that I've ever reviewed,” Pinckard said.
At a Vista Superior Court hearing Tuesday, Judge Aaron Katz set White's preliminary hearing for Nov. 5. It had been scheduled for Sept. 17.
The District Attorney's Office charged White, 28, with grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, a felony and a misdemeanor count of exhibiting a firearm. The felony charge carries two enhancements for causing great bodily injury to Rachel Silva, who was shot twice in the right arm, and her then-8-year-old son, who was shot once in the left leg.
White, who pleaded not guilty, faces up to nine years in prison. He has been put on unpaid leave.
After the hearing, Pinckard said the couple is disappointed that charges were filed against White.
“Frank believes that what he did was reasonable and necessary under the circumstances,” Pinckard said. “We believe that the evidence at trial is going to bear that out.”
Pinckard said White and his wife were victims of a road rage incident.
“That's probably the hardest part of this for them is the failure to recognize them as a victim,” Pinckard said. “Frank and his wife didn't initiate this contact. They were trying to get away from this woman.”
Pinckard said he hasn't discussed a settlement with prosecutors.
In court documents, police say Silva pulled in front of White on Old Grove Road in Oceanside shortly after 9 p.m. March 15. White, who was off duty in a Mercury Milan with his wife, swerved to avoid her Silva.
White turned into a shopping center, and Silva, who was with her son in a Honda Accord, followed into the parking lot of a Lowe's store, tailgating him.
Silva pulled alongside White, shouting at him. He pointed a five-shot .38 revolver at her and backed up. She called 911 and then drove in reverse toward White car. The vehicles mirrors touched, and the right front of her car hit the left side of White's. White fired five shots into Silva's car as their vehicles passed each other.
Police said Silva's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. The state Attorney General's Office charged Silva, 28, with one felony count of child endangerment and five misdemeanor counts. She pleaded not guilty.
Silva's attorney, Michael Pancer, declined to comment.
Officer On Paid Leave Pending Investigation
Curt Suskevich, the Cape Coral police officer who was arrested last week in Key West on a drug-possession charge, generally has had a good record during his nine years of work in Cape Coral, according to his personnel file.
Suskevich and his wife, Christine, were arrested Aug. 19 on charges for possession of marijuana. Christine Suskevich, 34, was also charged with discharging a firearm under the influence of alcohol, according to a Key West police arrest report.
Christine Suskevich told police she was trying to get her husband's attention after an argument when she fired a gun from the kitchen toward a back bedroom, the report states. No one was hit by the gunshot.
Cape Coral police spokeswoman Connie Barron said the department will conduct an internal investigation of Suskevich after the process related to the Key West criminal charges is resolved. Until then, he has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Barron said it's too early to tell whether Suskevich's positive work record will have an impact on the investigation.
"That is up to the investigators," she said. "Since the internal investigation doesn't take place until after the criminal process is over, it's hard to say what factors they will take into consideration."
Suskevich's salary is $59,945, which includes a 1.18 percent merit raise based on his most recent evaluation on June 26.
On that evaluation, he was rated excellent on all criteria, including investigative skills, attitude, communication skills and knowledge. The highest rating is superior, and excellent is the second-highest.
Suskevich received commendations over the years for his help with several incidents in Cape Coral, including responding to a neighborhood disturbance. He received a letter of thanks from someone he cited for a boating violation while he was a member of the Cape Police Department's marine unit, according to the personnel file.
"I'm writing to commend Officer Suskevich on his professional demeanor when he stopped me," Carl Schultz of Fort Myers wrote to the Cape Coral Police Department in a letter dated Nov. 25, 2003. "He could easily have read me the riot act for 'senselessly endangering' my children. He could have levied a big fine. In fact, I expected both. Instead, he was courteous, helpful (discovering that one of my fire extinguishers was expired), and left a positive impression on my children and my guests."
In 2005, Suskevich received his lowest evaluation rating, good, which is third-highest on the scale. His supervisors said he needed to "increase his activity," meaning he hadn't issued enough citations on the marine unit. But they noted that other officers also had not done enough. He was also issued a "performance deficiency notice" that year for taking his assigned Cape Coral police boat outside of city limits.
Those appear to be the only blemishes on his performance record. On the 2008 evaluation, Suskevich was praised for the leadership role he was taking in training younger, less-experienced officers.
He also was cited for his role in the Police Department's quick arrest of Robert Dunn in the fatal shooting of Dunn's estranged wife, Christine Lozier Dunn, at Bobbie Noonan's Child Care in January.
"Officer Suskevich is a well rounded police officer and a valued member of our team," this year's evaluation states. "He is always eager to provide assistance both professionally and personally whenever he has been asked. He has worked hard to earn a positive image in the agency and has increased his responsibilities within the (field training officer) and firearms programs."
Suskevich also was cited for being part of a group of Cape Coral police officers who helped in Port St. Lucie after Hurricane Jeanne struck there in 2004.
Suskevich and his wife, Christine, were arrested Aug. 19 on charges for possession of marijuana. Christine Suskevich, 34, was also charged with discharging a firearm under the influence of alcohol, according to a Key West police arrest report.
Christine Suskevich told police she was trying to get her husband's attention after an argument when she fired a gun from the kitchen toward a back bedroom, the report states. No one was hit by the gunshot.
Cape Coral police spokeswoman Connie Barron said the department will conduct an internal investigation of Suskevich after the process related to the Key West criminal charges is resolved. Until then, he has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Barron said it's too early to tell whether Suskevich's positive work record will have an impact on the investigation.
"That is up to the investigators," she said. "Since the internal investigation doesn't take place until after the criminal process is over, it's hard to say what factors they will take into consideration."
Suskevich's salary is $59,945, which includes a 1.18 percent merit raise based on his most recent evaluation on June 26.
On that evaluation, he was rated excellent on all criteria, including investigative skills, attitude, communication skills and knowledge. The highest rating is superior, and excellent is the second-highest.
Suskevich received commendations over the years for his help with several incidents in Cape Coral, including responding to a neighborhood disturbance. He received a letter of thanks from someone he cited for a boating violation while he was a member of the Cape Police Department's marine unit, according to the personnel file.
"I'm writing to commend Officer Suskevich on his professional demeanor when he stopped me," Carl Schultz of Fort Myers wrote to the Cape Coral Police Department in a letter dated Nov. 25, 2003. "He could easily have read me the riot act for 'senselessly endangering' my children. He could have levied a big fine. In fact, I expected both. Instead, he was courteous, helpful (discovering that one of my fire extinguishers was expired), and left a positive impression on my children and my guests."
In 2005, Suskevich received his lowest evaluation rating, good, which is third-highest on the scale. His supervisors said he needed to "increase his activity," meaning he hadn't issued enough citations on the marine unit. But they noted that other officers also had not done enough. He was also issued a "performance deficiency notice" that year for taking his assigned Cape Coral police boat outside of city limits.
Those appear to be the only blemishes on his performance record. On the 2008 evaluation, Suskevich was praised for the leadership role he was taking in training younger, less-experienced officers.
He also was cited for his role in the Police Department's quick arrest of Robert Dunn in the fatal shooting of Dunn's estranged wife, Christine Lozier Dunn, at Bobbie Noonan's Child Care in January.
"Officer Suskevich is a well rounded police officer and a valued member of our team," this year's evaluation states. "He is always eager to provide assistance both professionally and personally whenever he has been asked. He has worked hard to earn a positive image in the agency and has increased his responsibilities within the (field training officer) and firearms programs."
Suskevich also was cited for being part of a group of Cape Coral police officers who helped in Port St. Lucie after Hurricane Jeanne struck there in 2004.
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