MILWAUKEE
Domestic violence victim advocates said they're concerned about the events that led up to the arrest of a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy accused of shooting his girlfriend.
The 39-year-old deputy's ex-wife got a restraining order against him just two years ago, saying he threatened to kill her.
The deputy's ex-wife told a judge in 2006 the deputy threatened to kill her.
The judge found her claims credible enough to issue a restraining order, but the judge didn't bar him from carrying a firearm. He didn't ever turn that gun on her, but his new girlfriend is now accusing him of shooting her in the face.
It was a terrifying night Monday near 91st Street and Brown Deer Road when the 31-year-old woman fled from her condominium with a gaping gunshot wound to her face.
She said the 39-year-old deputy -- her boyfriend and the father of her child -- followed her, firing five times into a neighbor's home where she ran for help.
A 12-year-old girl there was wounded.
"It's an illustration that anybody who is in the situation is, can be potentially hurt -- bystanders, advocates, neighbors, people who are trying to intervene. It's a very lethal and dangerous situation when a perpetrator decides to kill or harm their victim," said Carmen Pitre of the Task Force on Family Violence.
Domestic abuse victim advocates said even when there are warning signs, when the abuser is in law enforcement, the cases can be especially difficult.
The deputy's ex-wife had a restraining order granted against him in 2006, writing, "He will kill me. He said it doesn't matter who I tell. No one can protect me. He would make it his mission in life to hurt me."
"Law enforcement officers have access to more resources, more power, and this issue really is about power and control. When I read the statement that he said, 'I'll make it my mission in life to hurt you,' what that means for a law enforcement official is they do have the power. They have institutionalized power behind them," Pitre said.
The ex-wife continued her statement saying, "He said he will do it, and he won't get caught."
"As a community, ordinary citizens, we should all be concerned about people who have issues with power and control, who are law enforcement officers, because they make us all less safe," Pitre said.
Bohr asked for an interview with Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke about whether he was aware of the prior restraining order against the deputy, but he did not answer the request.
The case is still being reviewed by the district attorney. There are no charges yet. The deputy remains in jail.
Previous Story: December 16, 2008: Updated: Deputy Arrested In Connection With Shooting
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Lawsuit Settled by County for Officer Shooting Unarmed Man
The family of a naked, unarmed man who was fatally shot by an Anne Arundel rookie police officer in 2005 will be paid $90,000 by the county, according to a source familiar with the settlement agreement.
Relatives of Donald E. Coates Jr., the 20-year-old Glen Burnie man who was killed, sued the county for $20 million in June, alleging that Officer Tommy Pleasant acted with "malice" and that the shooting was unjustified.
"They felt that there were a number of factors in the case that indicated that Donald Coates wasn't in a position that he could have caused any harm to this officer," said James L. Rhodes, a lawyer representing the family.
Coates was apparently high on drugs and delusional when police were called to his home May 24, 2005. He fired shots inside the house and then jumped out of a window, stripped and hid behind a utility box.
Officers ordered Coates to surrender, but he ran toward Pleasant, 22, who had been on the police force for nine months. The officer shot Coates four times.
A grand jury did not indict Pleasant on criminal charges, and he remains on the force.
County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson declined to discuss the details of the agreement but said that the settlement would be finalized next week and would bring the case to a close.
U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz signed off on the settlement this week, Rhodes said.
The family members who brought the lawsuit - Coates' parents and the mothers of his two children - remain "very distraught," Rhodes said.
"The emotion from the family made it seem as if it just happened yesterday," he said.
More Information: http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/crime/121908settlement.html
Relatives of Donald E. Coates Jr., the 20-year-old Glen Burnie man who was killed, sued the county for $20 million in June, alleging that Officer Tommy Pleasant acted with "malice" and that the shooting was unjustified.
"They felt that there were a number of factors in the case that indicated that Donald Coates wasn't in a position that he could have caused any harm to this officer," said James L. Rhodes, a lawyer representing the family.
Coates was apparently high on drugs and delusional when police were called to his home May 24, 2005. He fired shots inside the house and then jumped out of a window, stripped and hid behind a utility box.
Officers ordered Coates to surrender, but he ran toward Pleasant, 22, who had been on the police force for nine months. The officer shot Coates four times.
A grand jury did not indict Pleasant on criminal charges, and he remains on the force.
County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson declined to discuss the details of the agreement but said that the settlement would be finalized next week and would bring the case to a close.
U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz signed off on the settlement this week, Rhodes said.
The family members who brought the lawsuit - Coates' parents and the mothers of his two children - remain "very distraught," Rhodes said.
"The emotion from the family made it seem as if it just happened yesterday," he said.
More Information: http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/crime/121908settlement.html
Lieutenant Kenneth Parrish Charged with DUI for the 4th Time
A veteran Prince George's County police lieutenant was charged recently with driving under the influence of alcohol -- for the fourth time this year.
Two of the drunken driving charges against Lt. Kenneth W. Parrish were dropped by county prosecutors, one of them in a plea deal and the other when the arresting officer failed to appear for a court hearing.
Parrish, 44, was suspended with pay in February after he was charged with driving under the influence while operating a county police cruiser off-duty in Laurel. Acting county Police Chief Roberto Hylton said that police officials take Parrish's conduct seriously and that internal investigations are continuing.
"We understand this is a public safety issue," Hylton said.
In the most recent incident, Parrish was arrested Friday when Montgomery County police found him asleep behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade near a gas pump in Silver Spring, with the car in drive and his foot on the brake pedal, according to a charging document.
A breath test showed that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit for driving under the influence, the document says. Parrish was unable to stand on his own and admitted to drinking a half-pint of vodka that morning, the document says.
Efforts to reach Parrish this week were unsuccessful. A lawyer who represented him in some of the previous cases did not return a phone call. The president of the county police union said fellow officers have been attempting in recent days to reach Parrish, without success.
Hylton said Parrish, a 20-year member of the police force, had an exemplary record before the recent arrests. Hylton said Parrish has had a difficult year, struggling with the death of his mother and the breakup of his marriage, events that the chief said prompted the lieutenant to drink excessively.
"He's taken a downward spiral," Hylton said. "Everybody's shocked."
Under the auspices of the police department's employee assistance program, Parrish has been treated for alcohol dependence, and police officials and the police union are trying to reach out to the lieutenant to offer support, Hylton said.
"We are not giving up," Hylton said. "We have offered all sorts of help and counseling. We are going to continue to reach out to him."
Parrish is assigned to the 6th District in Beltsville. If the internal investigations into the four incidents find no wrongdoing, Parrish would still have to be cleared by a departmental medical board before he could return to duty.
Regarding the two drunken driving charges in Prince George's that were dismissed by prosecutors, State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said in a statement that Parrish "has not received any special treatment because of his status on the police force."
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, Montgomery police were summoned to a Sunoco gas station in the 14000 block of Georgia Avenue. A paramedic tried repeatedly to wake Parrish, who was in the driver's seat, according to the charging document. Eventually, the paramedic shifted the car into park, and a police sergeant took the keys out of the ignition, the document says.
Parrish's speech was slurred and his breath smelled of alcohol, according to the charging document. An initial breath test indicated that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, and a second breath test, administered at a police station, indicated a blood-alcohol level of 0.24.
In addition to driving under the influence, Parrish was charged with driving with a suspended license. He is scheduled to be tried in March, according to court records.
On Feb. 13, in Laurel, Parrish was charged with leaving his vehicle -- a county police cruiser -- in an intersection and with driving while impaired by alcohol. The charges were dropped when the arresting officer did not appear for court.
Laurel police officer Mark Schmidt, who made the arrest, was not aware of the court hearing until after he had missed it, Laurel police spokesman Jimmy Collins said.
Collins said the paperwork alerting Schmidt to the hearing was sent to the Laurel police station on a Saturday for a Monday court date. Schmidt was not in the office and did not get the paperwork until Tuesday, he said.
On July 27, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving and other traffic offenses.
He pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and was fined $142.50, according to court records. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
On Sept. 9, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence and failing to stop after a motor vehicle accident. That case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
Two of the drunken driving charges against Lt. Kenneth W. Parrish were dropped by county prosecutors, one of them in a plea deal and the other when the arresting officer failed to appear for a court hearing.
Parrish, 44, was suspended with pay in February after he was charged with driving under the influence while operating a county police cruiser off-duty in Laurel. Acting county Police Chief Roberto Hylton said that police officials take Parrish's conduct seriously and that internal investigations are continuing.
"We understand this is a public safety issue," Hylton said.
In the most recent incident, Parrish was arrested Friday when Montgomery County police found him asleep behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade near a gas pump in Silver Spring, with the car in drive and his foot on the brake pedal, according to a charging document.
A breath test showed that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit for driving under the influence, the document says. Parrish was unable to stand on his own and admitted to drinking a half-pint of vodka that morning, the document says.
Efforts to reach Parrish this week were unsuccessful. A lawyer who represented him in some of the previous cases did not return a phone call. The president of the county police union said fellow officers have been attempting in recent days to reach Parrish, without success.
Hylton said Parrish, a 20-year member of the police force, had an exemplary record before the recent arrests. Hylton said Parrish has had a difficult year, struggling with the death of his mother and the breakup of his marriage, events that the chief said prompted the lieutenant to drink excessively.
"He's taken a downward spiral," Hylton said. "Everybody's shocked."
Under the auspices of the police department's employee assistance program, Parrish has been treated for alcohol dependence, and police officials and the police union are trying to reach out to the lieutenant to offer support, Hylton said.
"We are not giving up," Hylton said. "We have offered all sorts of help and counseling. We are going to continue to reach out to him."
Parrish is assigned to the 6th District in Beltsville. If the internal investigations into the four incidents find no wrongdoing, Parrish would still have to be cleared by a departmental medical board before he could return to duty.
Regarding the two drunken driving charges in Prince George's that were dismissed by prosecutors, State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said in a statement that Parrish "has not received any special treatment because of his status on the police force."
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, Montgomery police were summoned to a Sunoco gas station in the 14000 block of Georgia Avenue. A paramedic tried repeatedly to wake Parrish, who was in the driver's seat, according to the charging document. Eventually, the paramedic shifted the car into park, and a police sergeant took the keys out of the ignition, the document says.
Parrish's speech was slurred and his breath smelled of alcohol, according to the charging document. An initial breath test indicated that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, and a second breath test, administered at a police station, indicated a blood-alcohol level of 0.24.
In addition to driving under the influence, Parrish was charged with driving with a suspended license. He is scheduled to be tried in March, according to court records.
On Feb. 13, in Laurel, Parrish was charged with leaving his vehicle -- a county police cruiser -- in an intersection and with driving while impaired by alcohol. The charges were dropped when the arresting officer did not appear for court.
Laurel police officer Mark Schmidt, who made the arrest, was not aware of the court hearing until after he had missed it, Laurel police spokesman Jimmy Collins said.
Collins said the paperwork alerting Schmidt to the hearing was sent to the Laurel police station on a Saturday for a Monday court date. Schmidt was not in the office and did not get the paperwork until Tuesday, he said.
On July 27, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving and other traffic offenses.
He pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and was fined $142.50, according to court records. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
On Sept. 9, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence and failing to stop after a motor vehicle accident. That case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
Corrections Officer Arrested for Unlawful Surveillance
GOUVERNEUR, N.Y.
A state corrections officer is arrested after installing a camera in his bathroom.
Police say Dennis Koerick Jr., 43, of Antwerp installed a remote control camera in a bathroom at his home to watch guests. Koerick is also accused of then destroying the evidence before State Police arrived.
Koerick is charged with two counts of unlawful surveillance and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Koerick is an officer at the Gouverneur correctional facility. He is the fourth employee to be arrested since November.
Three civilian employees are accused of having sexual relations with inmates.
A state corrections officer is arrested after installing a camera in his bathroom.
Police say Dennis Koerick Jr., 43, of Antwerp installed a remote control camera in a bathroom at his home to watch guests. Koerick is also accused of then destroying the evidence before State Police arrived.
Koerick is charged with two counts of unlawful surveillance and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Koerick is an officer at the Gouverneur correctional facility. He is the fourth employee to be arrested since November.
Three civilian employees are accused of having sexual relations with inmates.
Former Sergeant Michelle Wagner Arrested for Stealing from Police Explorers
MANCHESTER, Conn.
Newly released reports accuse a former Manchester police sergeant of gambling away nearly all the $19,000 she stole from department youth programs.
The arrest warrant affidavit for 34-year-old Michelle Wagner says she took the money from Police Explorers and child safety seat accounts and spent most of it at the two casinos in eastern Connecticut.
Wagner, who resigned last month, was arraigned Wednesday in Manchester Superior Court on three counts of first-degree larceny and one count of second-degree larceny.
She has not entered a plea.
A call to a number listed in her name in Manchester went unanswered yesterday (Wednesday).
Judge Bradford Ward ordered her to stay away from casinos and seek treatment for gambling.
She is free on a promise to return to court Jan. 15.
Newly released reports accuse a former Manchester police sergeant of gambling away nearly all the $19,000 she stole from department youth programs.
The arrest warrant affidavit for 34-year-old Michelle Wagner says she took the money from Police Explorers and child safety seat accounts and spent most of it at the two casinos in eastern Connecticut.
Wagner, who resigned last month, was arraigned Wednesday in Manchester Superior Court on three counts of first-degree larceny and one count of second-degree larceny.
She has not entered a plea.
A call to a number listed in her name in Manchester went unanswered yesterday (Wednesday).
Judge Bradford Ward ordered her to stay away from casinos and seek treatment for gambling.
She is free on a promise to return to court Jan. 15.
Officer Johathan Hammons Arrested for Perjury & Filing False Report
A Cleveland police officer has been arrested and charged with perjury and filing a false report in connection with the shooting of one police officer by another last month.
Officer Jonathan Hammons was arrested Wednesday at the Cleveland Police Department, according to court records.
Hammons was released shortly after his arrest and after posting a $5,000 bond.
The arrest came as the result of an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
TBI Public Information Officer Kristin Helm said she could not release additional information this morning because the investigation is continuing.
A separate internal investigation by the Cleveland Police Department has resulted in two officers being suspended and a third resigning.
A fourth officer, Chris Mason, remains on leave because of the gunshot wound to his hand.
According to Cleveland Police Chief Wes Snyder, officers Hammons and Nathan Thomas were suspended Friday, without pay, pending the results of the investigation.
Officer Dennis Hughes has resigned as a result of the incident and retained an attorney, Snyder said.
The incident was first reported as an accidental shooting.
According to initial reports, Mason and Hammons -- who were on duty -- were at the home of Hughes, who was off duty, shortly before midnight on Nov. 30.
The men were looking at a .38 caliber revolver which was possibly for sale, Snyder said the men told him after the shooting.
"During the handling of the firearm," Snyder said on Dec. 1, "it discharged and struck Mason in the hand . His injury is non-life threatening; however, he possibly will have to undergo some surgery."
Snyder said dual investigations, which do not overlap in anyway, are standard procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is looking into whether the officers involved committed any criminal act or violated any laws.
The Cleveland Police Department is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether the officers violated any policies of the police department.
Saying he could not comment on the TBI's investigation into possible criminal acts, Snyder said Thomas' involvement came to investigators' attention through the internal investigation.
The officers involved in the incident, he said, had been on the radar of the department's internal investigators for some time.
However, there had not been enough information before the shooting to proceed with a formal investigation of the men's activities.
So far, Snyder said, the internal investigation is indicating the officers falsely reported how the shooting occurred.
The investigation, which he expects to be completed within a week, also indicates the officers likely violated police department policies.
When an officer is believed to have violated the department's policies, Snyder said, the incident is assigned to an investigator in the department's Criminal Investigation Division.
An investigation, much like a criminal investigation -- except focusing on violation of policy, not violation of laws -- ensues.
During the internal investigation, Snyder said, the investigator reports only to the chief of police.
Officer Craig Dennis Arrested for trying to Choke Girlfriend
A Fort Wayne police officer was arrested Wednesday outside a Roanoke bar after sheriff’s officers said he beat his girlfriend and tried to choke her.
Craig Dennis, who has been a city police officer since 2001, was taken to the Huntington County Jail on a misdemeanor battery charge. He posted a $5,000 bond.
Huntington County sheriff’s deputies were called to Lock No. 4 at 4162 E. Station Road in Roanoke early Wednesday to investigate allegations an off-duty Fort Wayne police officer was causing a disturbance, a report said.
Dennis, 30, told a sheriff’s deputy he was “sucker punched” by another bar patron after a scuffle broke out. Dennis’ girlfriend then got into another man’s car, which upset Dennis, the report said.
She told police she and Dennis had a few drinks at the bar, after which Dennis became upset and began to get physical with her in the bar.
At one point Dennis clasped his hands around her throat and threatened to kill her, she told deputies.
The woman also told deputies that Dennis, her boyfriend of two years, had become physical with her on other occasions but promised “that it will not happen again,” the report said.
Four eyewitnesses signed statements verifying they saw Dennis become abusive at the bar, court records state.
Dennis, who is a patrol officer on the city’s northwest side, was suspended twice this year.
On one occasion, he violated the department’s sick-leave policy. On a second occasion, he was absent without leave, according to department records.
In both 2003 and 2008, Dennis received letters of reprimand for police vehicle crashes.
In 2008, he received a reprimand for submission of reports, according to department records.
Dennis received an award of excellence in 2002.
Police Chief Rusty York said Dennis was placed on paid leave Thursday.
“We will be taking his status up with the board of safety at their next meeting,” York said. “We will wait and follow that investigation and pretty much base where we go from there.”
That meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5.
Dennis faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor battery charge.
Craig Dennis, who has been a city police officer since 2001, was taken to the Huntington County Jail on a misdemeanor battery charge. He posted a $5,000 bond.
Huntington County sheriff’s deputies were called to Lock No. 4 at 4162 E. Station Road in Roanoke early Wednesday to investigate allegations an off-duty Fort Wayne police officer was causing a disturbance, a report said.
Dennis, 30, told a sheriff’s deputy he was “sucker punched” by another bar patron after a scuffle broke out. Dennis’ girlfriend then got into another man’s car, which upset Dennis, the report said.
She told police she and Dennis had a few drinks at the bar, after which Dennis became upset and began to get physical with her in the bar.
At one point Dennis clasped his hands around her throat and threatened to kill her, she told deputies.
The woman also told deputies that Dennis, her boyfriend of two years, had become physical with her on other occasions but promised “that it will not happen again,” the report said.
Four eyewitnesses signed statements verifying they saw Dennis become abusive at the bar, court records state.
Dennis, who is a patrol officer on the city’s northwest side, was suspended twice this year.
On one occasion, he violated the department’s sick-leave policy. On a second occasion, he was absent without leave, according to department records.
In both 2003 and 2008, Dennis received letters of reprimand for police vehicle crashes.
In 2008, he received a reprimand for submission of reports, according to department records.
Dennis received an award of excellence in 2002.
Police Chief Rusty York said Dennis was placed on paid leave Thursday.
“We will be taking his status up with the board of safety at their next meeting,” York said. “We will wait and follow that investigation and pretty much base where we go from there.”
That meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5.
Dennis faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor battery charge.
Officer Anthony Miller Charged with Possessing Child Porn
NEW RICHMOND, Wis.
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged a Minnesota police officer with possessing child pornography.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice says 40-year-old Anthony T. Miller is an 11-year veteran of the Police Department in Hastings, Minn.
Wisconsin Justice Department agents and local police arrested Miller at his home in New Richmond on Tuesday. The agency says Miller acknowledged downloading, possessing and trading child pornography for the past two years. He also acknowledged using his personal laptop while on duty to access unencrypted wireless networks around Hastings.
He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
Online court records did not list his case or an attorney. His home number was unlisted.
More Information: http://www.twincities.com/ci_11266743?source=most_emailed
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged a Minnesota police officer with possessing child pornography.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice says 40-year-old Anthony T. Miller is an 11-year veteran of the Police Department in Hastings, Minn.
Wisconsin Justice Department agents and local police arrested Miller at his home in New Richmond on Tuesday. The agency says Miller acknowledged downloading, possessing and trading child pornography for the past two years. He also acknowledged using his personal laptop while on duty to access unencrypted wireless networks around Hastings.
He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
Online court records did not list his case or an attorney. His home number was unlisted.
More Information: http://www.twincities.com/ci_11266743?source=most_emailed
Police Turned Predators
Here and across the county, sexual misconduct by police officers is a hidden crime, poorly investigated and often unpunished. An Inquirer review found more than 400 examples over the past five years of police turned predators. From New York to Los Angeles and in this region, from Bucks County to Burlington County, rogue police have used their badges to exploit women and extort sex.
The cases form a chilling pattern: The abusers tend to target vulnerable women such as prostitutes, drug users or those who have been drinking, knowing the victims probably won’t be believed even if they complain. Many victims never come forward at all.
Extorting sex with a badge
This article on police officers who extort sex gave an incorrect neighborhood for a police stop at Torresdale Avenue and Levick Street, which is in the Tacony section of the city.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/Extorting_sex_with_a_badge.html?viewAll=y
The cases form a chilling pattern: The abusers tend to target vulnerable women such as prostitutes, drug users or those who have been drinking, knowing the victims probably won’t be believed even if they complain. Many victims never come forward at all.
Extorting sex with a badge
This article on police officers who extort sex gave an incorrect neighborhood for a police stop at Torresdale Avenue and Levick Street, which is in the Tacony section of the city.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/Extorting_sex_with_a_badge.html?viewAll=y
Former Officer Samuel Anderson Charged with Official Oppression
A former Bristol Borough police officer was arrested yesterday, accused of pressuring a woman to engage in sex acts with him while he was on duty.
Samuel Anderson, 32, of Levittown, resigned from the police in September after county detectives began investigating him. He was charged yesterday with official oppression, a second-degree misdemeanor, and was released on $30,000 unsecured bail.
A criminal complaint says that Anderson performed sexual acts on a woman after she had called police for assistance on Aug. 29.
The woman told police that Anderson had "requested that they engage in sexual acts." She initially complied, the complaint said, explaining that she "did not know what to do because he was a police officer in her residence."
The woman had called police for help during a 3 a.m. argument with her ex-boyfriend at her residence.
Anderson told the man to leave, and then helped locate the woman's car keys, which the ex-boyfriend had thrown across the street.
Anderson then returned with the woman to her residence, and asked for sex. The woman allowed the officer to perform sex acts on her, the complaint says, but refused when he demanded she reciprocate.
During the encounter, Anderson stopped at one point to radio his patrol partner, the complaint says.
After the woman refused his added demands, Anderson "asked if he could come back again and [the woman] agreed." Instead, she filed a complaint against Anderson later in the day.
Samuel Anderson, 32, of Levittown, resigned from the police in September after county detectives began investigating him. He was charged yesterday with official oppression, a second-degree misdemeanor, and was released on $30,000 unsecured bail.
A criminal complaint says that Anderson performed sexual acts on a woman after she had called police for assistance on Aug. 29.
The woman told police that Anderson had "requested that they engage in sexual acts." She initially complied, the complaint said, explaining that she "did not know what to do because he was a police officer in her residence."
The woman had called police for help during a 3 a.m. argument with her ex-boyfriend at her residence.
Anderson told the man to leave, and then helped locate the woman's car keys, which the ex-boyfriend had thrown across the street.
Anderson then returned with the woman to her residence, and asked for sex. The woman allowed the officer to perform sex acts on her, the complaint says, but refused when he demanded she reciprocate.
During the encounter, Anderson stopped at one point to radio his patrol partner, the complaint says.
After the woman refused his added demands, Anderson "asked if he could come back again and [the woman] agreed." Instead, she filed a complaint against Anderson later in the day.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Former Officer Michael Johnson Still Wanted for Rape
Michael L. Johnson can be seen on the America's Most Wanted homepage, and in his YouTube martial arts, "cobrafast" videos, but he has not been found by local, state and federal officials.
Johnson, 40, has been on the lam since Dec. 9, when he was supposed to turn himself in on two new rape charges filed by York City Police.As of today, Johnson was still a fugitive. Authorities set up a tip line to help them locate Johnson, a former York City Police officer and Penn Township commissioner, last week.
A federal arrest warrant was also filed last week as authorities continued searching for the rape suspect.
On Dec. 1, Johnson, who used to patrol York's streets as an officer and who is a current Penn Township official, was charged with rape, kidnapping and related charges in Baltimore.
Police have alleged Johnson told three women he was a police officer. He raped two York women after they got into his van for a money-for-sex transaction, according to court documents. The woman in Baltimore was raped after she was handcuffed in a van Johnson was driving, police said.
Johnson was first charged with rape in Maryland, and his Pennsylvania charges were filed this week.
To add more resources to the search, a federal unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant for Johnson's arrest has been issued. The warrant allows authorities to bring in federal investigators to help look for Johnson.
Authorities also set up a tip line to help police find Johnson. He was last seen leaving his Penn Township home Tuesday morning.
Those with information on Johnson's whereabouts are asked to call the tip line or York County 911.
Law enforcement in both Pennsylvania and Maryland say they continue to follow leads in trying to locate Johnson.
York City Police Commissioner Mark Whitman said Friday his officers are aggressively pursuing leads. He declined further comment.
State troopers in Maryland have been on alert watching the neighborhoods where Johnson's family lives and where his ex-wife lives in New Windsor, Carroll County, said Sgt. Andrew Eways.
Troopers have also been monitoring Francis Scott Key High School where Johnson's two children from his first marriage attend, he said.
HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?
Michael L. Johnson Jr. was last seen driving a blue Chevy Cobalt sedan. The car has a Pennsylvania Masonic Lodge license plate, number MB11785.
If you see Johnson, "do not approach on your own," said York City Police Lt. Tim Utley. Instead, call police at 846-1234 or 911.
Those with information can also call a tip line set up for the case at 1-866-437-9847.
More Information: http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=61925
"We'll Kick Your ASS!!"
The Kern County Sheriff's Department probably thought the embarrassing episode was well in the past.
Since the former sheriff lost a 2006 re-election bid, a slogan on the side of a few patrol cars proclaiming "We'll kick your ass" has fallen off the front pages and been relegated to urban-legend status and a few snarky mentions on the Internet.
But the infamous slogan is news once again as a key part of an excessive-force lawsuit filed by a Georgia long-haul trucker and his wife that is being heard in a Fresno federal courtroom.
Thomas Philip tussled with Kern County sheriffs deputies, was pepper-sprayed and then badly bitten by one of the department's patrol dogs before he was arrested in the fall of 2003. His wife, Brenda Gross Philip, also was arrested.
They claim in a trial brief that the department's slogan shows that an "intent to do harm" is part of the department's culture.
Bakersfield attorney Andrew Thomson dismissed the charge. The slogans "were done in humor," he told jurors last week.
No cars that were on the streets featured the slogan, and no deputies changed the way they acted or reacted or changed their perception of the law based on the decals, he said. And, he added, then-Sheriff Mack Wimbish ordered the slogans removed when he saw the cars.
At the time, the slogan caused a minor uproar in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield Californian newspaper cited it as one reason it supported Wimbish's opponent when he sought re-election in 2006. Wimbish lost.
"It was an unfortunate attempt at public relations when it happened, and it was immediately renounced," Kern County spokesman Allan Krauter said. "That's certainly not the attitude the county wants to portray to the people whom it serves, and it's certainly not the attitude of the current sheriff."
In their trial brief, the Philips also say a Kern County Sheriff's Department K-9 car featured the slogan, "We'll Bite Your Ass."
The series of events leading up to the Philips' arrests started in Georgia, where the couple live. At the time, they were seriously dating, and Brenda, a hairdresser, decided to accompany Thomas on one of his cross-country drives to see how they would get along.
Thomas Philip had a high-security military clearance and often handled items such as missiles, torpedoes and humvees. He was carrying a load to the Lemoore Naval Air Station.
By the time the couple reached Las Vegas, things were going so well that they decided to get married.
Three days later, they pulled into Bakersfield and settled in at a Days Inn near the Scotsman Restaurant.
Thomas Philip had raved about the Scotsman's patty melts and Reuben sandwiches, and he couldn't wait to introduce them to his new bride.
By midnight, Philip was under arrest and on his way to the hospital after the exchange with Kern County sheriff's deputies.
In opening statements to jurors, Fresno attorney Dean Gordon outlined an unprovoked assault on Thomas Philip by deputies responding to a 911 call to the restaurant. Gordon said the disputed slogan was not a fluke or a joke, but rather it reflected how deputies actually conducted themselves.
"Tom was a bloody mess," he told jurors.
He portrayed Philip as a compliant person facing aggressive deputies. Philip only resisted because the arrest appeared unlawful to him, Gordon said.
Thomson -- who is representing Kern County, Wimbish, the Sheriff's Department and two deputies -- doesn't deny that Philip was pepper-sprayed or bitten by a police dog. But Thomson said deputies acted within the law.
He portrayed Philip not as an innocent diner ambushed by deputies, but as a man who was agitated, aggressive, unruly and intoxicated. Philip refused repeated requests to stop resisting arrest, Thomson said.
"The entire situation could have been stopped by one person at any point," Thomson told jurors. "Mr. Philip could have stopped resisting."
The incident itself features two wildly divergent accounts -- one by the Philips, the other from Kern County sheriff's deputies.
For instance, the Philips' trial brief says the couple were asked to leave the restaurant, but the waitress "thought they were slow in doing so," so she called 911. The trial brief says the restaurant's bartender said the couple only had "a small amount of beer and did not appear to be intoxicated."
But Thomson said the Philips were both drinking, and that Thomas Philip was belligerent and refused to leave the restaurant.
The couple are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Closing arguments in the trial, being heard by U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger, are expected on Wednesday.
Since the former sheriff lost a 2006 re-election bid, a slogan on the side of a few patrol cars proclaiming "We'll kick your ass" has fallen off the front pages and been relegated to urban-legend status and a few snarky mentions on the Internet.
But the infamous slogan is news once again as a key part of an excessive-force lawsuit filed by a Georgia long-haul trucker and his wife that is being heard in a Fresno federal courtroom.
Thomas Philip tussled with Kern County sheriffs deputies, was pepper-sprayed and then badly bitten by one of the department's patrol dogs before he was arrested in the fall of 2003. His wife, Brenda Gross Philip, also was arrested.
They claim in a trial brief that the department's slogan shows that an "intent to do harm" is part of the department's culture.
Bakersfield attorney Andrew Thomson dismissed the charge. The slogans "were done in humor," he told jurors last week.
No cars that were on the streets featured the slogan, and no deputies changed the way they acted or reacted or changed their perception of the law based on the decals, he said. And, he added, then-Sheriff Mack Wimbish ordered the slogans removed when he saw the cars.
At the time, the slogan caused a minor uproar in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield Californian newspaper cited it as one reason it supported Wimbish's opponent when he sought re-election in 2006. Wimbish lost.
"It was an unfortunate attempt at public relations when it happened, and it was immediately renounced," Kern County spokesman Allan Krauter said. "That's certainly not the attitude the county wants to portray to the people whom it serves, and it's certainly not the attitude of the current sheriff."
In their trial brief, the Philips also say a Kern County Sheriff's Department K-9 car featured the slogan, "We'll Bite Your Ass."
The series of events leading up to the Philips' arrests started in Georgia, where the couple live. At the time, they were seriously dating, and Brenda, a hairdresser, decided to accompany Thomas on one of his cross-country drives to see how they would get along.
Thomas Philip had a high-security military clearance and often handled items such as missiles, torpedoes and humvees. He was carrying a load to the Lemoore Naval Air Station.
By the time the couple reached Las Vegas, things were going so well that they decided to get married.
Three days later, they pulled into Bakersfield and settled in at a Days Inn near the Scotsman Restaurant.
Thomas Philip had raved about the Scotsman's patty melts and Reuben sandwiches, and he couldn't wait to introduce them to his new bride.
By midnight, Philip was under arrest and on his way to the hospital after the exchange with Kern County sheriff's deputies.
In opening statements to jurors, Fresno attorney Dean Gordon outlined an unprovoked assault on Thomas Philip by deputies responding to a 911 call to the restaurant. Gordon said the disputed slogan was not a fluke or a joke, but rather it reflected how deputies actually conducted themselves.
"Tom was a bloody mess," he told jurors.
He portrayed Philip as a compliant person facing aggressive deputies. Philip only resisted because the arrest appeared unlawful to him, Gordon said.
Thomson -- who is representing Kern County, Wimbish, the Sheriff's Department and two deputies -- doesn't deny that Philip was pepper-sprayed or bitten by a police dog. But Thomson said deputies acted within the law.
He portrayed Philip not as an innocent diner ambushed by deputies, but as a man who was agitated, aggressive, unruly and intoxicated. Philip refused repeated requests to stop resisting arrest, Thomson said.
"The entire situation could have been stopped by one person at any point," Thomson told jurors. "Mr. Philip could have stopped resisting."
The incident itself features two wildly divergent accounts -- one by the Philips, the other from Kern County sheriff's deputies.
For instance, the Philips' trial brief says the couple were asked to leave the restaurant, but the waitress "thought they were slow in doing so," so she called 911. The trial brief says the restaurant's bartender said the couple only had "a small amount of beer and did not appear to be intoxicated."
But Thomson said the Philips were both drinking, and that Thomas Philip was belligerent and refused to leave the restaurant.
The couple are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Closing arguments in the trial, being heard by U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger, are expected on Wednesday.
Deputy Arthur Staples Charged with Distributing Child Porn
MANASSAS, Va.
A Prince William County sheriff's deputy has been charged with distributing child pornography after authorities say he traded a nude photo of an underage girl with an undercover Florida detective.
Manassas city police arrested 65-year-old Arthur Staples on Friday after Florida authorities charged him in a warrant with transmission of child pornography. Authorities say a search of Staples' home turned up pornographic images on his computer.
Staples is being held without bond and is awaiting extradition to Florida. Manassas police say additional local charges are possible.
A Prince William County sheriff's deputy has been charged with distributing child pornography after authorities say he traded a nude photo of an underage girl with an undercover Florida detective.
Manassas city police arrested 65-year-old Arthur Staples on Friday after Florida authorities charged him in a warrant with transmission of child pornography. Authorities say a search of Staples' home turned up pornographic images on his computer.
Staples is being held without bond and is awaiting extradition to Florida. Manassas police say additional local charges are possible.
Deputy Stephen Thomas Jr. Arrested for Having Child Porn in His Patrol Car
He's an Indian River County Sheriff's Deputy and recently returned from a tour of duty overseas. Now, Stephen Thomas Junior is behind bars.
It was a routine check in Indian River County for people viewing child pornography online. Indian River County Sheriff's Spokesman, Jeff Luther, says, "Unfortunately his name came up."
The name of Deputy Stephen Thomas Junior. Luther says, "We started an investigation on it and at this time we had enough information to place him under arrest."
Investigators say Thomas had 14 videos of children engaging in sex acts on his personal computer. That computer was found in his patrol car. The children range in ages of five to 12 years old. "We do investigations into this all the time to see what is going on out there," says Luther.
Thomas was hired as a deputy in 2005 and served in the Army. We are told he recently returned from a tour of duty overseas. We viewed his personnel file. He's been disciplined three times for minor offenses: turning his patrol camera off during a pursuit and leaving his weapons in his car. All of his recommendations to the department said he was loyal and trustworthy. Luther says, "Anytime you have a brother or sister in law-enforcement get arrested it's a shameful thing, but at the same time it's something we have to do."
Thomas is in jail charged with possession of child porn and currently suspended without pay until the investigation is complete.
Thomas also lists he worked for the Sheriff's "Explorer" program and for a church program called "Royal Rangers" which works with young boys. We tried to contact that group and his current church in Vero Beach, but no one wanted to speak to us about Thomas.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28280252/
Four People Arrested for Opposing Sheriff Joe Arpaio
PHOENIX
The authorities arrested four people Wednesday at a meeting of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, a development that heightened months of tension between county officials and a vocal group of activists who oppose Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Those arrested, during the public comment part of the meeting, had been warned by the board earlier that they were being disruptive with their applause for speakers critical of the sheriff.
Finally, after standing and applauding another such speaker for 20 seconds, they were seized by sheriff’s deputies and county security agents. All were charged with suspicion of disorderly conduct and trespassing, said Lt. Brian Lee, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
One of the four accused is Jason Odhner, who was identified by the director of the anti-Arpaio group Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability as a member of the organization. The three others are Joel Nelson, Monica Sanschafer and Kristy Theilen, who all belong to Acorn, the activist group whose members have frequently worked alongside the Maricopa Citizens organization in an anti-Arpaio campaign.
The groups want the Board of Supervisors to have greater oversight of Sheriff Arpaio, whose get-tough tactics have gained him nationwide attention but who has been accused by critics of racial profiling and maintaining deplorable conditions at the county jails, among other things.
The crackdown at the meeting brought the tally of arrested anti-Arpaio activists to nine in the last three months. Four people affiliated with Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability, including Ms. Sanschafer and Ms. Theilen, were arrested Monday for refusing to leave the lobby outside the office of the chairman of the Board of Supervisors. And on Sept. 29, a co-founder of the Maricopa Citizens group was arrested outside a Board of Supervisors meeting on suspicion of trespassing on government property and disorderly conduct.
Sheriff Arpaio, who was not at Wednesday’s meeting, said the arrests there were justified.
“When you’re in a government building,” he said, “when you have a forum, when you’re trying to have proper decorum and they keep interfering, they violated the law.”
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This JACKASS needs to be removed from office!!! He degrades men by making them wear pink underwear, feeds people spoiled food, and just degrades them at every turn. The fucker needs to be treated by some bad ass criminals the way he has treated them. Maybe one of them will take his sorry ass life.
Former Trooper Justin Tolman Pleads Guilty to trying to Lure Child
A former Colorado State Patrol trooper pleaded guilty Monday to trying to lure a child over the Internet.
Justin Tolman, 22, was arrested in July. He pleaded guilty to the felony in Weld District Court. He will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 11.
* Fort Lupton police arrested Tolman at his home in Colorado Springs. Tolman, who had been a Colorado State Patrol trooper since July 2007, is no longer with the organization.
Fort Lupton police began investigating Tolman after Det. Crystal Schwartz set up Internet accounts on MySpace.com and Yahoo! Chat posing as a 14-year-old girl. Soon after the account was set up, Tolman began messaging the posing Schwartz and began sending her pornographic images and telling her what he would do sexually when they met.
Police said Tolman even sent a picture of himself in a state patrol uniform standing next to a state patrol vehicle, and that Tolman sent a message to the girl every day for two months.
Justin Tolman, 22, was arrested in July. He pleaded guilty to the felony in Weld District Court. He will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 11.
* Fort Lupton police arrested Tolman at his home in Colorado Springs. Tolman, who had been a Colorado State Patrol trooper since July 2007, is no longer with the organization.
Fort Lupton police began investigating Tolman after Det. Crystal Schwartz set up Internet accounts on MySpace.com and Yahoo! Chat posing as a 14-year-old girl. Soon after the account was set up, Tolman began messaging the posing Schwartz and began sending her pornographic images and telling her what he would do sexually when they met.
Police said Tolman even sent a picture of himself in a state patrol uniform standing next to a state patrol vehicle, and that Tolman sent a message to the girl every day for two months.
Officer Erick Ericksen Accused of Drunk Driving
The Bennington Police Department is doing away with its canine unit after its handler was accused of drinking and driving.
Officer Erick Ericksen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of careless and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
The Bennington Police Department will not say if Ericksen was disciplined. But they eliminated his position.
The department is now looking for another police force to take its canine, because no other officer with the Bennington Police Department is trained to use a canine.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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.
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
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.
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.
Monday, December 15, 2008
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
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.”
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.
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.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
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
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
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