Sergeant Ed Coulter Accused of Drunk Driving Retires

BATON ROUGE, LA

A long-time Baton Rouge police officer accused of driving drunk and crashing his patrol car is retiring from the police force.

Sergeant Ed Coulter crashed into a truck on South Choctaw while off-duty in October of this year.

Investigators say Coulter had a blood-alcohol level of .11, which is over the legal limit.

His retirement takes effect on Saturday.

He will stay on unpaid administrative leave until his retirement.

Officer Tiffany Morris Arrrested for Domestic Battery

NEW PORT RICHEY

A 26-year-old Temple Terrace police officer was arrested by Pasco County deputies this morning, accused of battering her husband, a paramedic for Clearwater Fire Rescue.

Tiffany Morris of New Port Richey was taken to the Land O' Lakes Jail on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery. A judge released Morris without bail this afternoon after she acknowledged the charge and agreed to return for court appearances.

Morris has been with the Temple Terrace Police Department since May and is still in her yearlong probationary period, police spokesman Michael Dunn said. She doesn't face immediate disciplinary action, but the department will conduct an internal affairs investigation once formal charges are filed.

According to a sheriff's office report, Morris and her husband, Fred, went for dinner with friends and then to a friend's house, where she became upset over some of her husband's comments. She yelled at him and said he was being "rude and discourteous to women."

Fred Morris told deputies his wife drank a screwdriver, four margaritas and a bottle of wine during the night and was drunk.

As her husband drove home, Tiffany Morris grabbed his head, ears and arms and then bit his right wrist, the report states. At their home, Fred Morris, 28, hid his handgun and his wife's service weapon because he didn't know what she might do.

Tiffany Morris demanded to know where her gun was and grabbed her husband's head, the report states. When he wouldn't tell her, she started throwing things around the bedroom. He called deputies.

Tiffany Morris denied having inappropriate physical contact with her husband and said they just argued, the report states.

Deputy Thomas Hutchins Charged with Attempted Murder

A Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy was being held Tuesday on a possible charge of attempted homicide in connection with a double shooting Monday night that wounded a 31-year-old woman and a 12-year-old neighbor girl, police records show.

A neighbor of the woman said the victim had pounded on her door before fleeing to the girl's apartment, and the neighbor described the incident as "chaos."

Thomas D. Hutchins, a 12-year-veteran of the sheriff's office, was in custody at the Waukesha County Jail on Tuesday night.

Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Kim Brooks confirmed Tuesday that department officials learned of the arrest of a 39-year-old deputy, but did not name him.

An arrest log at the Milwaukee Police Department lists Hutchins as the suspect in the shooting, which occurred at 8:50 p.m. on Monday. Police said the woman was shot in the cheek after a domestic argument in the 8800 block of N. Swan Road.

She ran to the girl's apartment, where the 12-year-old was shot in the leg.

Police later arrested Hutchins in the 4300 block of N. 73rd St., according to arrest records.

Sherrelia King, who lives next door to the woman who was shot, said she heard "arguing and the gunshots and the glass shattering, and then she must have come over here, because I heard banging on my door."

But when she got to the door, nobody was there.

She said she heard more shooting after the initial shots were fired.

King thought the deputy didn't live with the shooting victim, but she said he was there often, and she'd heard arguing.

The buildings are part of the multi-unit Woodlands complex, northwest of Swan and Brown Deer roads. King and the woman shot in the cheek live in adjacent units of one building. The 12-year-old lives in an adjacent building about 15 feet away.

"That had to be traumatic for that baby, that child," said King of the girl. "You just go to the door and the wild, wild west comes in."

The Sheriff's Department's Brooks reported that the deputy is suspended without pay pending the completion of an internal investigation.

Roy Felber, president of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs' Association, said Tuesday afternoon that he and association vice president Rich Graber were on their way to speak with the arrested deputy.

He said they were advised to be there because internal affairs would be speaking with the deputy.

"I just want to make sure he's all right, that he has what he needs," Felber said. "As far as anything else, I don't want to know what happened. It was off-duty. That's between him and his attorney."

More Information: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-deputyshooting,0,3151684.story

76-year-old-Man Files Lawsuit Against Officer Who Broke his Arm

SAN FRANCISCO

A jury heard opening statements Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a 76-year-old man who says San Francisco police broke his arm after his wife called 911 from their Potrero Hill home as he watched a pornographic movie.

The unusual case began when Raymond J. Miller, a retired city employee who served as a Municipal Railway superintendent and worked at the port, was sitting in an easy chair in the living room of his home on Texas Street, drinking and watching the movie the night of Jan. 7, 2006, according to witness testimony.

His wife of 35 years, Jean Miller, called police but the line soon went dead. It's unclear whether she hung up on her own or her husband forced her to get off the phone, but in any case, the cutoff automatically prompted a police response.

Four officers soon arrived at the Millers' home. Raymond Miller, wearing only shorts, continued to watch the movie and ignored the officers as they walked past him and spoke to his wife, who said she feared he would kill her at any time, authorities said.

When police tried to arrest Raymond Miller for allegedly threatening his wife, he ordered officers to get out, Deputy City Attorney Daniel Zaheer said in his opening statement in San Francisco Superior Court.

Miller testified that his wife's accusations mystified him. He said he had simply invited her to watch a "sexually explicit" movie, but that "she decided she didn't like it."

"All of a sudden, she decided to call 911," he told the jury. "She had no reason to call police - I told her, 'If you don't want to watch it, it's up to you.' "

Miller said he felt his world was coming apart when the officers moved to arrest him.

"I felt that all of a sudden the world had turned around, there was a revolution," Miller said. "There was a police state."

He wants the jury to award him $50,000, claiming the officers used excessive force.

The 270-pound Miller claims the officers pushed him to the ground to handcuff him, then lifted him up by the cuffs, breaking his left arm and cutting his wrists.

"He was upset," his attorney, Norman Newhouse, said outside court. "But however he acted, that doesn't give them the right to pull him up by the handcuffs."

Zaheer, however, told the jury that any injuries Miller suffered were his own fault because he had resisted a lawful arrest. Zaheer said the officers had tried to "subtly glide" Miller's hands back to be handcuffed, but that Miller had pushed them away.

Two of the officers, Kevin Rightmire and Stephen Coleman, then "did what they were trained to do," Zaheer said. "They grabbed him by the wrist and applied pressure," in an officially sanctioned method, to bring a resisting suspect to the ground.

Zaheer downplayed the injuries, saying Miller had suffered only "a minor chip fracture" on the elbow and "a little cut on his wrist and a tiny cut on the side of his lip."

Doctors concluded the injuries were treatable with painkillers and ice, Zaheer said, adding that Miller had not bothered to return for a follow-up medical visit.

Coleman testified that he had taken Miller to the floor because Miller was drunk, angry and moving toward him in a threatening way.

He told the jury that even though he knew Miller was in his 70s, he saw him as a potential risk.

"He was a large, 275-pound man, who was upset and wanted us out of the house," Coleman said. "He was screaming and cussing. I thought he might try to attack me, try to hurt me."

The officer said he did not know how Miller suffered his injuries and did not remember how he and the other officers had gotten Miller off the floor.

Deputy Arthur Staples Arrested for Possessing Child porn

MANASSAS, Va.

A Prince William County Sheriff's Deputy is under arrest, accused of possessing child pornography.

Investigators say they found more than 900 images on 65-year-old Arthur Staples' computer.

The investigation began last week when the St. Lucie County, Florida, Sheriff's Office contacted the Manassas City Police Department about a child pornography suspect living in Manassas City. Manassas police searched Staples' home in the 8600 block of Liberty Trail in Manassas on Friday. Police say they were looking for evidence he was distributing child porn.

Staples was taken into custody and charged with being a fugitive from justice. He is being held without bond pending extradition to St. Lucie, Florida, where he will then be charged with distribution of child pornography over the Internet.

Former County Jailer & Husband Tortured their 12-year-old Son

Oconee County authorities arrested a Bogart couple they say tortured their 12-year-old son, meting out horrific punishment that that included handcuffing him in a closet, shooting him with a pellet gun and pepper-spraying him.

The abuse was "systemic" and happened regularly before the family moved from Athens to Bogart two weeks ago, according to Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry.

Sheriff's deputies arrested the child's mother - a 35-year-old jailer with the Walton County Sheriff's Office - and his 37-year-old stepfather Thursday afternoon, hours after the boy's younger brother told a teacher about the abuse, Berry said Friday.

"This is a very serious case, and as soon as it was brought to our attention we put all available investigative effort into it," Berry said. "Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of horrible things done to children, and this is just as bad, if not worse."

The parents were each charged with first-degree cruelty to children and were held without bail at the Oconee County Jail.

The Banner-Herald is withholding their names to protect the identity of the victim and his brother.

The Department of Family and Children Services took custody of both boys Thursday, the sheriff said.

Though the victim had attended school in both Clarke and Oconee counties, no one noticed the abuse because the boy's clothes covered his injuries, Berry said.

Berry didn't know why the boy never told anyone about the abuse, he said, but it's not uncommon for an abused child to fear retribution if he tells.

The victim's 6-year-old brother told a teacher at his Oconee County school Thursday morning.

"Whatever motivated this case coming to light, I am extremely happy about it," the sheriff said.

The younger boy might have felt more comfortable telling a teacher at a new school or worried that his parents would hurt his brother worse, Berry said.

School officials notified the Oconee County Sheriff's Office about the allegations, and deputies arrested the victim's mother and stepfather at their home shortly after 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Berry said.

Investigators examined the boy and found him covered with marks similar to the wounds a person would have if he was shot with plastic pellets, the sheriff said.

The boy's abusers handcuffed him to a coat rack in a closet then shot him, according to Berry, who said the victim's body was covered with pellet marks, including on his genitals.

He was confined in the closet with the door shut for "significant periods of time," Berry said, and restrained in other parts of the house with ligatures that the sheriff would not describe.

Some of the abuse happened while the boy and his family lived in an extended-stay hotel on Macon Highway, Berry said, but Athens-Clarke police had not joined the investigation as of Friday afternoon.

Berry didn't know how long the family lived in Athens. They moved to Georgia from Florida, and investigators found they lived in Loganville in June 2006, he said.

The victim's mother worked as a Walton County jailer for about five months, Berry said.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, December 13, 2008

Former Officer Victor Munn Charged with Hiding Girlfriend

Two people arrested in Effingham county this afternoon - one a former Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police officer. The former officer is charged with hindering law enforcement in the apprehension of a criminal - and authorities say more charges could be forthcoming. The Effingham County Sheriff's Office had gotten a tip that a woman wanted on contempt of court warrants in Chatham county was staying in a home in a new subdivision off highway 275.

The Federal Marshalls were called and authorities went to the home in search of Catherine Hickling - they say former Metro Police officer Victor Munn met them at the door.

According to the Effingham County Sheriff - Munn told authorities that Hickling - who is his girlfriend - was not in the home...but a search found her hiding in the attic. Both were taken into custody. The Sheriff says, "You would think that he would be man enough to say - yes, she's here and we're gonna do the right thing - but for whatever reason - he chose the other path and denied it and so he's got a 17 year career that's basically shot down the drain."

Munn is now being held in the Effingham county jail on a charge of hindering the apprehension of a criminal. He had been suspended from metro police back in June due to an investigation of some dealings he was being implicated in with Hickling who is a convicted felon. He resigned from the force on November 28th. Hickling had been supposed to report to jail on November 4th to begin serving a three year sentence for fraud, but never showed up. She has now been transferred to the Chatham County jail.

More Information: http://www.wsav.com/midatlantic/sav/news.apx.-content-articles-SAV-2008-12-16-0012.html

Trooper Jose Perez Charged with Assaulting Minors

EAST HARTFORD, Conn.

A Connecticut state trooper was arrested Monday night and charged with assaulting two minors.

East Hartford police said Jose Perez was arrested at about 7 p.m. and charged with four counts each of fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

The incidents, they claim, occurred over a one-year period.

The officer's neighbors said they're shocked by the allegations. One woman even called him the nicest guy on their street.

Perez was released on bond and is slated to appear in court Jan. 5.

The warrant for his arrest has been sealed by the court.

Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said Perez is separating from his state police unit.

Officer Patrick Pogan Pleads Not Guilty to Knocking Down Bicyclist

A city police officer seen in a YouTube video knocking down a bicyclist taking part in a mass bike ride pled not guilty this afternoon to felony and assault charges stemming from the incident.

Officer Patrick Pogan, 23, surrendered at the Manhattan district attorney's office this morning.

He was then arraigned on a misdemeanor assault charge and a felony charge of filing a false report. If convicted, he could face jail time.

He was released without bail.

The charges stem from a video posted back in July, which shows bicyclist Christopher Long being knocked down in Times Square by the officer.

Long was riding with the group Critical Mass when the incident occurred. Critics of the group say participants in those demonstrations often ignore stop lights and instructions by police to send a message about their right to use the streets.

Long was charged with blocking traffic, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and assault, but a judge dismissed those charges in September.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the "situation sad and disappointing."

"It's certainly sad and disappointing to see any officer indicted, but especially one who had only been out of the police academy for three weeks," said Kelly.

Pogan was stripped of his badge and gun and assigned to desk duty after the incident.


More Information: http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/law_enforcement/84281/online-video-shows-city-policeman-pushing-cyclist-in-protest/Default.aspx

Retired Sergeant Jairo Franco Arrested for Being "Rainbow Maniac" Killer

A retired state police sergeant has been arrested in Brazil in connection with the murders of 13 gay men in Sao Paulo.

Jairo Francisco Franco was taken in for questioning on Wednesday night and is thought to have acted alone.

All the men bar one were shot to death, the other was beaten, in a park known as a cruising ground.

He denies the charges.

A witness said the former police officer, who works as a private security guard, was a regular visitor to the park.

"We have a credible witness who says he saw Franco pump 12 bullets into a black gay man inside the park," police inspector Paulo Fortunato told AP.

"We are convinced he is the rainbow maniac we have been looking for."

Police have dubbed the serial killer the Rainbow Maniac, a reference to the multi-coloured Pride flag, an international symbol of the gay community.

The first body was found in July 2007 and the most recent in August this year.

All the victims were aged between 20 and 50.

One died from blows to the head - the other 12 had been shot.

In May the world's largest gay pride parade took place in Sao Paulo when five million people attended.

Family Suing Collier County Sheriff Officers

NAPLES

Two brothers and their wives are suing Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter and two deputies in federal court after they say they were illegally arrested in 2004 during a traffic stop by one of the deputies who was acting erratically, shaking, and repeatedly told them to “shut up.”

But in his arrest report, Cpl. Shaun M. George said the four occupants of the GMC truck he pulled over for failing to dim its high beams yelled at him and obstructed his investigation.

Around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2004, George was traveling east on Randall Boulevard in Golden Gate Estates when he saw an oncoming vehicle with its high beams on.

The driver of the 2003 GMC Yukon, James T. DeRosa, was out with his wife, Kathleen DeRosa, brother, Louis DeRosa, and sister-in-law, Mary Elizabeth DeRosa, looking at properties for sale in the area.

According to a lawsuit filed recently in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers, James DeRosa flipped on his brights after he thought he saw a pedestrian in the road. He turned off his high beams when he saw an approaching vehicle, the lawsuit states.

George wrote in his report that the GMC did not dim its lights.

“I flashed my lights toward the vehicle several times in an attempt to get the driver to dim the lights,” George wrote. “The vehicle did not dim the lights and passed my vehicle.”

George turned around and stopped the GMC truck.

The lawsuit, filed by Naples attorney Colleen J. MacAlister, states that George approached the truck and asked James DeRosa for his license, registration and proof of insurance. He asked his wife, Kathleen DeRosa, who was in the back seat, if she had his wallet in her purse.

When she attempted to respond, George told her to “shut up,” the lawsuit says.

James DeRosa also asked his wife where she kept the insurance and registration information in the GMC, and when she attempted to respond she was repeatedly told by George to “shut up.” The lawsuit states that Kathleen DeRosa told George that he “needed to work on his community service skills,” and then made no other comments during the stop.

George “was physically shaking, and kept putting his hand on his gun,” according to the lawsuit.

In his report, George wrote that James DeRosa only rolled down his window about three inches. Kathleen DeRosa began talking in a loud manner, George wrote, saying “I hope you feel good about yourself” and “Is this what you pull people over for in this town?”

George said he told Kathleen DeRosa that she could be arrested if she continued obstructing his investigation.

“Go ahead and see what happens,” she said, according to George.

The lawsuit states that when George returned and handed James DeRosa a ticket for failure to dim his headlights, he started to hand James a pen, but then withdrew it and clipped it to his lapel. James DeRosa signed the ticket with a pencil because he couldn’t find a pen.

When George handed him his copy of the ticket, registration and insurance information, James DeRosa pulled away from the shoulder.

“Normally, when the officer gives you your documents and your copy of the ticket, you’re done,” MacAlister said.

George wrote in his arrest report that when he approached the GMC with the ticket, James DeRosa again only opened the window about three inches. James DeRosa said “Give me the ticket,” and then aggressively pulled it from George’s hands, George said.

Kathleen DeRosa again made loud statements, George wrote, and he began calling for backup to place her under arrest.

“As I called for backup, James dropped the ticket out the window,” George wrote.

After James DeRosa pulled away, George began another pursuit and “began to weave back and forth in an attempt to run James off the road,” the lawsuit states.

Concerned about why George was attempting to pull them over, and afraid to stop again on a dark road, Kathleen DeRosa called 911 and told the dispatcher they would stop at the gas station two miles down the road at the intersection with Immokalee Road. At the same time George was on the radio with dispatch supervisor Sgt. Andrew Orcutt advising him about the pursuit.

When the GMC truck stopped at the gas station around 7:45 p.m., “several deputies, including off-duty deputies, were waiting to arrest them,” the lawsuit states.

With his Taser drawn George ordered James DeRosa out of the truck. He was “thrown against the patrol car, cuffed and placed in a police vehicle with the windows up, the air conditioning off, and the engine running,” the lawsuit states.

Kathleen DeRosa was “dragged from the vehicle by her shirt, shoved against the police car hood with her bra exposed to the public ... and then placed in a separate patrol vehicle,” according to the lawsuit.

Mary DeRosa was arrested after George said she tried to prevent deputies from having the vehicle towed. Louis DeRosa refused to give George the keys to the vehicle, but was not arrested after he began complaining of chest pains and had to be transported to the hospital, reports said.

“I think this is a case of police misconduct,” MacAlister said. “There is absolutely no justification for a simple traffic stop escalating the way it did if an officer is acting professionally and is in control of the traffic stop.”

James DeRosa was charged with fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest without violence and failing to sign a citation. Kathleen DeRosa was charged with resisting arrest without violence. Mary DeRosa was charged with obstructing an investigation.

However, the charges against all three were eventually dismissed in Collier County court.

The lawsuit claims several counts of civil rights violations, false arrest, negligence and malicious prosecution against Hunter, George and Orcutt.

Attempts to reach the DeRosas for comment were unsuccessful. The Sheriff’s Office declined comment.

MacAlister said her clients deny “great portions” of George’s report. She said they have not specified yet how much they are seeking in the lawsuit.

MacAlister said she expects the case to go to trial in late spring of 2010.

“I’m very selective about the cases I choose to file,” she said. “I generally only take cases that I feel have a great deal of merit. I don’t sue the Collier County Sheriff’s Office lightly.”

Philadelphia Officer Accused of Sexual Assault

Philadelphia police are investigating a massage parlor sexual assault involving one of their own.

Police say that three months ago, an officer was one of three men in a massage parlor waiting room when a woman inside claimed she was sexually assaulted.

As the investigation into this encounter got underway, the officer in question was reassigned to desk duty at police headquarters where he spent the last three months.

Sources say that sometime late Thursday or early Friday, that same officer went to a different massage parlor on the 300 block on north 13th Street in Chinatown. The officer, off-duty at the time, showed a woman in the establishment his badge and handcuffs before demanding sexual acts.

Police believe there was sexual contact during the latest encounter and crime scene investigators were able to recover DNA samples.

This case remains under investigation and the officer in question has not been formally charged.

Officer Arrested for Possession of Unlicensed Guns

The PSNI has confirmed that a serving police officer has been arrested in Northern Ireland and questioned about the illegal possession of guns.

Police say that a number of firearms were recovered following a search of premises in Aghadooey, outside Coleraine in Co Derry.

They said the serving policeman, in his late 20s, was arrested in connection with the possession of a number of unlicensed guns.

It is understood the officer graduated from the PSNI training college and joined the force last year.

In a follow up search, an inspection was carried out at a gun shop in the village of Portgelnown in Co Antrim, and a number of firearms taken away for examination.

The police officer who was arrested was released on bail pending further inquiries.

The PSNI do not believe this incident is terrorism-related.

More Information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7781620.stm

Officer Christopher Garcia Arrested for Burglary and Harassment

A Colorado Springs police officer was arrested in Pueblo early Friday after opening his ex-girlfriend's window and breaking a lamp, telling cops he was angry that a Pueblo police patrol car was parked outside.

Christopher Garcia, 38, faces burglary and harassment charges and was placed on administrative leave from CSPD pending adjudication, Lt. David Whitlock said in a news release.

Louisa Delatorre, 39, told police she received a series of harassing text messages and phone calls from Garcia after she stopped responding to his texts. The two had lived together at her home on Seminole Lane for several years and have a child together, according to the police report.

She called Sgt. L.B. Unger to the house to ask about "options she had to stop Garcia from contacting her because she was feeling harassed by his accusations of her going out with other men, according to the report.

"Delatorre said she wanted to know how to take action without Garcia ‘getting in trouble,'" the report reads.

With Unger and Delatorre inside, Garcia arrived, rang the doorbell and opened the window next to the front door, knocking over a glass lamp. Delatorre said his hand was reaching to unlock the front door when Delatorre and Unger pushed his hand out..
Garcia denied trying to open the door.

"I just wanted to see what was happening inside," he told police.

Unger called for backup and when another officer arrived, Garcia, standing in the driveway, said he called acting Pueblo police Captain D. Ingraham.

Ingraham arrived, spoke briefly with Garcia, and another officer took Garcia to the police station, according to the report.

More Information: http://www.koaa.com/aaaa_top_stories/x1949205054/Colorado-Springs-Officer-Arrested-in-Pueblo

Former Officer Macario Venegas Charged with Molesting Child

HOLLISTER, Calif.

A former police officer has been arrested in connection with the molestation of a 16-year-old girl, Hollister police said Friday.

Macario Venegas, 30, was charged with annoying or molesting a child under 18 and booked at the San Benito County Jail.

Venegas is accused of fondling a girl while she was inside his patrol car on Dec. 9.

Venegas, who served as a patrol officer for less than eight months, was released from the Hollister Police Department on Thursday, officials said.

His bail has been set at $6,000.

Probation Officer Nkosi Littleton Charged with Molesting Teen

LOS ANGELES

A Los Angeles County probation officer has been charged with sexually molesting a 15-year-old girl after they were found in a car earlier this week.

Nkosi Littleton pleaded not guilty Friday to two felony counts in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Prosecutors say officers caught the 36-year-old Littleton in a car with the girl on Wednesday near downtown Los Angeles.

Probation Department spokeswoman Kerri Web says Littleton has been suspended without pay from his job at a juvenile probation camp for boys in Malibu.

He faces three years and eight months in prison if convicted.

The judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for a trial at a hearing Dec. 24.


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/12/county-probatio.html

Former Lt Scott Fross Convicted of Bribery Get's Just One Year of HOME Detention

A former police officer has been sentenced to one year home detention after pleading guilty to taking cash from Hispanic drivers who wanted to avoid traffic tickets or jail.

Former Westfield Police Lt. Scott Fross pleaded guilty to bribery in August and was sentenced Thursday.

Fross was a 10-year veteran of police force in the northern Indianapolis suburb but resigned in November 2007 after being charged with four counts of armed robbery while on patrol.

Investigators said Fross was armed and in uniform when he took money from Hispanic motorists he stopped for traffic infractions.

The sentence did not include fines or restitution.

Trooper Steven Spoonire Charged with Possession of Marijuana

A 16-year veteran of the Maryland State Police is due in Frederick County Circuit Court on Friday for a pre-trial conference for his July arrest on drug charges.

Steven W. Spoonire, 36, is facing one year in jail and/or a $1,500 fine for possessing marijuana and paraphernalia when he goes on trial on Jan. 26.

Three Maryland State troopers arrived at Spoonire's house on Woodsboro Pike on July 9 to investigate a tip about marijuana growing there.

When they arrived, they immediately saw the marijuana plant growing by the back steps of the house, along with Spoonire's cruiser parked in the driveway. The troopers knew Spoonire lived at the house, according to court documents.

Spoonire climbed out of a second car parked in the driveway, and the troopers told him why they were there.

According to court documents, Spoonire responded by telling them that he did not own the house and that he was renting it.

The troopers told Spoonire they were going to obtain a search warrant. At Spoonire's request, they allowed his wife to leave, according to court documents. Inside the house were Spoonire's sister-in-law and two young children; they were also allowed to leave.

The troopers searched the house, and found in the master bedroom two smoking devices with suspected marijuana residue, rolling papers and a prescription bottle with suspected marijuana residue. They also found a small clay pot with suspected marijuana seeds and potting soil in the bedroom window and the marijuana plant outside. The troopers found a drug test kit in a second-floor bathroom.

They arrested Spoonire, who was released on a $10,000 bond. Spoonire told police he had lived at the house for about a year, and made $61,000 per year working as a patrol officer in Westminster. He has since changed his address to one in Union Bridge.

Elena Russo, a State Police spokeswoman, said Spoonire has been suspended with pay.

***********************************

$10,000 for some fucking weed!!! Come'on people!!! Wake UP!!! Legalize this shit!!! It's safer than drinking, and apparently this officer was able to do his job for 16 years without a problem!!!

Officer Dominich Fuentes Accused of Jury Tampering

Prosecutors are considering jury tampering charges against a Los Angeles policeman who allegedly told alternate jurors in a robbery trial that the defendant had a long criminal history.

Officer Dominick Fuentes allegedly approached the alternates a day after testifying in the trial of 49-year-old Ralph Robinson, who was eventually acquitted of robbery but convicted of attempted robbery and grand theft.

Court records show the alternate jurors complained to the judge.

District attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison says prosecutors are considering criminal charges. Police Deputy Chief Kenny Garner says there is also an internal affairs investigation.

Fuentes, a 20-year LAPD veteran, has declined comment. He's now on patrol duty.

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com

More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-jury12-2008dec12,0,6559503.story

Former Officer William Bergin Appeared in Court for Identity Theft & Misconduct

SANDY, Ore.

A former Sandy police officer appeared in court on identity theft and official misconduct charges Thursday but his arraignment was abruptly halted after concerns were raised over a possible conflict of interest involving the defense lawyer in the case.

William Bergin, 27, stood quietly during the abbreviated hearing in Clackamas County.

The former Sandy police officer was charged with identity theft, official misconduct and misuse of a license.

According to a search warrant, Bergin collected confiscated driver's licenses and then passed them along to underage girls, who used the fake IDs to get into bars.

The Sandy Police Department issued a statement regarding the crimes.

"Whenever someone in the law enforcement community, past or present, is accused of wrongdoing, law enforcement officers are hurt by it. We are saddened and embarrassed by this," the statement said.

The department union president, who represents police, said Bergin’s fellow officers were unaware of the alleged criminal activity and "disappointed."

Bergin also faced a civil lawsuit in federal court.

In 2005, Bergin was one of two officers who shot and killed a naked, unarmed Portland man named Fouad Kaady.

For a short time after the shooting, the Kaady family retained well-known attorney Des Connell.

Connell was originally supposed to represent Bergin in court Thursday.

However, conflict-of-interest questions were raised during the hearing.

Kaady’s civil lawyer filed a motion asking that Connell be removed from the case.

The judge rescheduled Bergin's formal arraignment for Jan. 5 so that the lawyers can straighten things out.

Officer Jim Crowley Charged with Reporting to Work Drunk

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.

An arraignment hearing has been rescheduled for next month for a former Aspen police officer accused of reporting to work drunk.

Forty-three-year-old Jim Crowley had been expected in Garfield County Court Thursday, but the arraignment was reset for Jan. 15. No reason was given for the delay.

Crowley was an 18-year veteran of the Aspen Police Department when he was arrested Aug. 28 on suspicion of driving while ability-impaired and prohibited use of a weapon.

Police Chief Richard Pryor fired Crowley the next day.

Attorney Lawson Willis, who has provided legal advice to Crowley as a friend, has said Crowley told him he went to work with a hangover.

The case was moved to Garfield County after a Pitkin County judge disqualified herself.

Officer Robert Jacobs Charged with DUI

NORFOLK

A Norfolk police officer who was relieved of duty after being charged with obstruction of justice was charged with driving under the influence in Hampton just days later.

Robert Antwan Jacobs, 28, was one of three officers who was arrested this month. Three days later, at 2:10 a.m. Dec. 6, he was pulled over by a state trooper on Interstate 64 at the Hampton Creek Bridge, said state police spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Cotten.

Jacobs had been "weaving out of his traffic lane" and showing signs of impairment, she said.

There was a "strong odor of alcohol," and he failed a DUI test, Cotten said.

On Dec. 3, Norfolk Police Chief Bruce Marquis announced that Jacobs had been charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice and relieved of duty. He was assigned to the Second Patrol Division and had been with the department for three years.

In addition, Gregory W. Dudley, 24, of Rugby Street in Virginia Beach, was charged with felony procuring another to give false testimony and misdemeanor making a false report to police. Dudley resigned from the police department on Oct. 31. He was assigned to the First Patrol Division and had been with the department for two years.

And Andrew T. Wenzel, 29, of Captain Carter Drive in Chesapeake, was charged with two counts of felony perjury and one count of misdemeanor making a false report to police. Wenzel, who was also relieved of duty, had been assigned to the Second Patrol Division and had been with the Norfolk Police Department for three years.

The cases are said to be unrelated and occurred while the three were on street duty.

Retired Officer Janine Gebhardt Arrested for Stealing from Kohls

CONCORD, N.C.

A retired Concord police officer is accused of stealing $900 worth of clothing and jewelry from a Kohl's department store.

She said she is disgraced by what she did and doesn't expect any special treatment from the justice system.

Remorseful Janine Gebhardt said, "In a million years I would never have thought I'd have done something like this."

Police say Gebhardt walked into Kohl's with an empty handbag. But when she paid for a few items and left the store, that handbag was then bulging.

"I’m willing to admit that I did something wrong," Gebhardt said.

When she got back to her car, she explains that a loss prevention officer asked to see her handbag.

"I said, 'No, you have no right. Why do you want to see my pocket book?' And we started fighting over it," she said.

After a short scuffle, Gebhardt says she pulled out her retired Concord Police Department badge.

"I said, 'No, don't. I'm a retired police officer. I'm not going to cause you any more problems, I promise,'" Gebhardt said.

In her handbag, police found $900 worth of stolen watches, clothing, and earrings. She was arrested and charged with larceny and assault.

She says she has prayed for forgiveness ever since.

"I've just disgraced myself ... my family, the police department, the whole police profession," Gebhardt said.

Officers with the Concord Police Department say Gebhardt was allowed to keep her badge when she retired several years ago. They say that is a fairly common practice among departments.

Gebhardt says she wishes she never showed the badge that day.

Trooper Derek Snavely Resigns After Being Accused of Rape

The West Virginia State Police officer accused of rape by a Charleston woman has resigned.

Trooper Derek S. Snavely resigned from the department Friday, said Lt. Col. Steve Tucker.

Col. David Lemmon confirmed that the personnel investigation into Snavely was complete but that the criminal investigation is ongoing.

The woman alleges she was drunk and was forced to have sex with Snavely last month after he followed her to a friend's house where she was staying.

She and her lawyer, Mike Clifford, showed a Gazette reporter part of a videotape that apparently shows the woman and a man wearing a State Police uniform inside the woman's residence.

"I think it's appropriate," Clifford said of Snavely's resignation. "I also surmise that the officer was given the choice between resigning and being fired."

Snavely had been on restrictive duty pending the outcome of the investigations.

Clifford said he has been in contact with the State Police about civil remedies to the case and is waiting to see the result of the criminal investigation.

The woman, who is not being identified because she is an alleged rape victim, said she left The Vault, a bar in downtown Charleston, about 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16. She and a bar employee were driving to a restaurant when she was stopped by Snavely near the parking lot of Smiley's Restaurant and Lounge in Jefferson.

The woman said Snavely told her she was driving in the middle of the road, then performed a field sobriety test on her. She asked him if she was going to get a DUI, and he told her he didn't think she was that drunk.

Eventually they drove in separate cars to another spot, where Snavely, who is in his early 20s, began kissing and fondling her, she said. Then they drove in separate cars to her house, she said. "I went in survival mode," she said last week. "I couldn't call anybody because he was the police."

The surveillance video allegedly shows the scene inside the house where the woman was staying with a friend and her friend's husband. It was not clear why the surveillance video was set up.

The video segment begins at about 5:30 a.m. A man is lying on a couch smoking a cigarette when a woman and another man, apparently in a State Police uniform, enter the picture. The woman and trooper greet the man, then go off-screen.

The woman said she and Snavely went into the guest bedroom of the house, where she was forced to perform oral sex on him, then have sex with him.

More Information: http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=27876

Correction Officer Dana Williams Arrested for Grand Larceny

A New York City correction officer from Huntington Station was arrested yesterday on charges that she submitted false doctor's reports and illegally collected about $50,000 in sick pay, officials said.

The charges against Dana Williams, 36, include third-degree grand larceny, 14 counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, and 14 counts of falsifying business records, officials said.

The Department of Investigation said Williams submitted documents that contained false doctor's reports.

Williams, who makes $68,475 a year, was suspended without pay pending resolution of the charges, officials said.

El Reno Police Apologize for Tasering Diabetic Man

Video: http://cfc.ktul.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=29298

El Reno

Police in El Reno are apologizing for a mistake that was made under difficult circumstances. Last month, they arrested a driver who lost control of his pickup on the interstate. He appeared to be drunk, but he turned out to be suffering from diabetic shock.

"Step out of the vehicle! Step out of the vehicle! Sir, step out of the vehicle!"

The man who's being wrestled out of his truck is combative and uncooperative, so officers resort to using a taser gun.

"Sir. Cooperate!"

Only after questioning the suspect in a police cruiser do officers learn that the man had a medical problem. Paramedics were called and the man was taken to an emergency room.

Doctors say the man's blood sugar was so low he wasn't able to respond. El Reno's police chief says the medical emergency wasn't obvious because the man was agitated.

"It's unfortunate for the officers I expect and I know they feel extremely bad. After they learned that in fact it was a medical need and not someone who was under the influence of intoxicant drugs or alcohol."

El Reno's police are trained to recognize medical problems like diabetes. But, this shows some cases aren't clear cut

Officer William Edwards Sr Charged with Sexual Assault Against Minor

New London

State police have obtained an arrest warrant charging William R. Edwards Sr., a well-known city patrolman, with sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

Edwards, 45, has been hospitalized under psychiatric care for several days, preventing state police from serving a warrant that charges him with risk of injury to a minor, third-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint and tampering with a witness, according to several law enforcement sources. Details of the alleged crimes are not available.

Over the weekend, New London City Manager Martin Berliner sent an e-mail to members of the City Council to inform them of the pending charges. Berliner wrote that police Chief Bruce F. Rinehart informed him on Dec. 4 that state police were investigating Edwards for an off-duty incident. The city manager said he did not plan to tell the councilors until Edwards was arrested “in fairness to Officer Edwards.”

”Unfortunately, since the process has taken so long, you may have heard about this situation from someone else. For that I am sorry,” Berliner wrote. “At this point, a signed arrest warrant is on file with state police. You will be informed when the warrant is executed.”

Rinehart said Edwards requested and is currently on paid leave. He said he could not comment on the allegations since the investigation is ongoing.

Edwards is a 20-year veteran of the police department who serves as the city's crime prevention officer, working with various groups of city residents, including children, the elderly, neighborhood watch groups and business owners. His family is well known in New London, where Edwards' father, Kenneth W. Edwards Sr., is a retired deputy fire chief, and his brother, Kenneth W. Edwards Jr., is a retired police captain.

Members of the police union discussed the situation at a meeting on Tuesday so officers would be aware of Edwards' impending arrest and be prepared to respond to any backlash they might hear during the course of their duties in the community, according to a police source.

Edwards is the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and was in charge of its finances, according to a source, who said a committee of patrolmen are checking the PBA's finances. He is also a past president of the New London Rotary Club.

Edwards is married and has two children. Court records indicate that Deutsche Bank foreclosed on the family home at 68 Cedar Grove Ave. in July and that the bank repossessed the home.

The New London Police Department and the county's state's attorneys have not been involved in the investigation. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, state police detectives at Troop E investigated the allegations involving Edwards and presented a warrant affidavit to be signed by officials in Windham County.

Former Trooper Charlene Green Arrested for Writing Fraudulent Citations

FALL BRANCH, Tenn.

Former Claiborne County Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Charlene Green, 32, was arrested and currently faces 77 felony counts on charges that she wrote fraudulent citations, according to a Tennessee Department of Safety release.

Greene resigned from her job in October instead of being terminated after she was accused of neglecting her duty by failing to submit traffic citations to courts of record, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety.

The THP launched a formal investigation into Green's alleged actions.

"After cross-checking other citations turned in by Green with those on file at the Clerk’s Office, investigators discovered that Green wrote dozens of “fake” tickets, sometimes using information of individuals she issued tickets to years ago," according to the THP release. "In one case, Green is accused of using the name of a driver she issued a ticket to in 2004. She allegedly forged his name on four citations she turned in to her superiors in February, March and July of 2008."

"In all, CID agents were able to determine that from January 12, 2008, through September 2, 2008, Green wrote a total of 60 fraudulent citations involving 28 individuals," the release states.

Green faces 38 counts of forgery, 38 counts of false reporting and one count of official misconduct.

Green was assigned to Claiborne County in the Fall Branch District after being commissioned in January 2004, according the TDOS release.

Officer Robert Cahill Suspended After he Assaulted Iraqi War Veteran

JOHNSON CITY

A 31-year-old Vestal police officer has been suspended without pay following an accusation that he punched and kicked an Iraqi war veteran at a local bar.

Robert D. Cahill was charged by Johnson City police with third-degree assault with intent to cause injuries, a misdemeanor, and arraigned Dec. 5 in village court, according to village police Lt. David A. Smith. Cahill was released on his own recognizance.

The complaint, filed in village court by Johnson City Sgt. Mark R. Wallikas, states that Cahill punched Patrick F. Dinottia II in the head and then kicked him at 12:50 a.m. Nov. 26. at Giblin's. Dinottia, of Johnson City, was treated at Wilson Regional Medical Center for a cut above his left eye.

Cahill declined comment when reached at home; Dinottia did not return a call for comment.

Vestal Police Chief John Butler said Cahill has been suspended indefinitely without pay. Butler wouldn't comment further, citing a personnel matter.

Bar owner William Giblin said the fight was recorded by a digital surveillance camera that he turned over to police the night after the fight. The Main Street establishment is usually calm, said Giblin, adding that this was the first fight he's had in the six years he's been open. Dinottia, who served seven months in 2003 as a U.S. Navy Seabee in Iraq, wrote in a police statement that earlier in the night, a woman he believed to be a state trooper confronted him and a friend about giving her "dirty looks." According to Dinottia's statement, he responded that he didn't know what she was talking about.

Cahill was sitting with the woman later, before approaching him, Dinottia said in the statement.

Dinottia wrote that he doesn't remember what Cahill said to him, but he knew there was a problem when two of Cahill's "friends," who Dinottia later learned were also police officers, stood next to him.

"I made a comment to (Cahill) saying 'so this is how it's going to be.' As soon as I stood up he reached back and threw a haymaker punch that hit me in the face. I then fell to the ground. I was hit so hard that I was almost knocked out," Dinottia in his statement, adding that someone kicked him while he was on the ground. "I never threw a punch during any of the incident, because I never had a chance."

Dinottia, who didn't initially press charges, went to Wilson Regional Medical Center and got eight stitches for the cut above his eye. He then decided to file a complaint with Johnson City police.

Cahill joined the Vestal Police Department in the summer of 2007, after working as a Johnson City police officer since 2003. In 2006, he was one of the first officers who found Matthew Romano unconscious and face down in Calvary Cemetery after being stabbed. Romano said he was stabbed by an assailant, but prosecutors later said Romano stabbed himself and filed a false report about the attack. He was acquitted in November of those charges.

Cahill's father is retired Binghamton Assistant Chief William Cahill, who worked under Butler when the latter was Binghamton police chief.

St. Louis Officer Under Investigation for Child Porn Kills Himself

ST. LOUIS

A St. Louis police officer who was under investigation in a child pornography case jumped out of a police car, ran away, and killed himself, authorities said Wednesday.

The officer's name was not released. He was 37 and had been with the department for 2 1/2 years, city police spokeswoman Erica Van Ross said.

St. Louis County police went to the officer's home in south St. Louis County on Tuesday.

"We had received an IP address belonging to a computer at that residence associated with child pornography, either the possession or transfer of it," Panus said. "We went there to serve the search warrant."

The officer wasn't home but provided a key when investigators tracked him down. Panus said the computer and personal papers were seized, but the officer was not arrested.

Later Tuesday, members of the city police Internal Affairs division picked up the officer and were driving him to police headquarters. Van Ross said he was being taken in for two reasons: To await results of the county search of his computer and papers, and for questioning about why he apparently lived in the county when city officers are required to live in the city.

Suddenly, just blocks from police headquarters, the officer jumped out of the car and ran, Van Ross said. Police searched but couldn't find him.

Hours later, a resident called 911 after finding the officer, reportedly behind a church. He had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Van Ross said. Police transported the officer to Saint Louis University Hospital, where he died.

Van Ross said the officer was not technically in custody so he was not handcuffed or restrained in the police car. Police Chief Dan Isom has ordered a review of protocol to see if changes should be made in the method of transporting people to the Internal Affairs Division.