They are marketed as non-lethal weapons that allow police to capture suspects or criminals without causing any permanent harm.
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and businessman Bernard Kerik made millions selling the idea to police departments across the country.
But Tasers have killed more than 400 people in the United States and Canada since 2001, according to a new study commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Police departments across Canada began banning use of Tasers by their officers after the report found that Tasers deliver more power than the manufacturer says is possible.
It is unknown if U.S. police departments will follow suit.
The study includes a medical analysis that concluded someone shot with a Taser could face as high as a 50 percent chance of cardiac arrest.
The Taser company, however, still says its weapons can't kill.
"It is unfortunate that false allegations based on scientifically flawed data can create such uncertainty," Steve Tuttle, a Taser vice president, told The Arizona Republic.
Stories of Taser-related deaths have stacked up over the years, many involving police officers who never realized the harm their Taser could cause.
A man described as "emotionally disturbed" fell to his death after police Tasered him on a fire escape. Not long after, the officer who gave the order took a Glock 9mm from the locker room and shot himself in the head.
Police Tasered a man who had gone into Diabetic shock while driving. The officers later said they felt "extremely bad" about shocking him when they realized he wasn't drunk or high but in need of medical attention.
"Taser's marketing coup has been to convince consumers that there is such a thing as a gun that won't kill," AlterNet reported. On the Taser Web site, a marketing slogan reads: "Who says safety can't be stylish?"
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Henry Tavarez & Stephen Anderson Charged with Tampering with Evidence
A pair of undercover cops were indicted Thursday for boosting their arrest figures and their paychecks by busting four innocent men on bogus cocaine charges.
Henry Tavarez, 27, and Stephen Anderson, 33, surrendered on a 42-count indictment stemming from the January 2008 "buy and bust" operation in a Queens tavern, District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The officers tampered with evidence to arrest four innocent men - including one who spent three days behind bars before making bail, Brown said.
"Such egregious conduct not only taints the reputation of their fellow officers, but erodes public confidence and trust in the department," Brown said. "Conduct like this can never be tolerated."
Maximo Colon, 24, who was wrongly arrested with his brother Jose, was at the Queens courthouse after the indictment was announced.
"I want to know what's going to happen," he said. "I want justice."
The Colon brothers filed a $20 million lawsuit earlier this month against the city and the NYPD over the fake arrest.
The two undercover cops were working inside the Club Delicioso on January 5, 2008 when Anderson purchased three bags of cocaine for $60 from a pair of suspects, Brown said.
Anderson then slipped two of the bags to Tavarez, who claimed he purchased the cocaine from four other men inside the bar, Brown said. All six defendants were arrested; charges were dropped against the four innocent men last June.
Maximo Colon was jailed for three days before he could post $2,500 bail. The rigged charges disappeared after Jose Colon went back to the bar and found a security video showing no contact between the undercover cops and the suspects, authorities said.
Brown, asked about the officers' motive, said the duo "wanted to appear as if they were doing their job, and make a little extra overtime."
Anderson has since retired from the NYPD, while Tavarez was placed on desk duty. Each faces up to nine years in prison for unlawful imprisonment, conspiracy, official misconduct and other charges.
Information and Pictures: http://www.1010wins.com/2-NYPD-Cops-Indicted-in-Elmhurst-Phony-Drug-Bust/3666651
Henry Tavarez, 27, and Stephen Anderson, 33, surrendered on a 42-count indictment stemming from the January 2008 "buy and bust" operation in a Queens tavern, District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The officers tampered with evidence to arrest four innocent men - including one who spent three days behind bars before making bail, Brown said.
"Such egregious conduct not only taints the reputation of their fellow officers, but erodes public confidence and trust in the department," Brown said. "Conduct like this can never be tolerated."
Maximo Colon, 24, who was wrongly arrested with his brother Jose, was at the Queens courthouse after the indictment was announced.
"I want to know what's going to happen," he said. "I want justice."
The Colon brothers filed a $20 million lawsuit earlier this month against the city and the NYPD over the fake arrest.
The two undercover cops were working inside the Club Delicioso on January 5, 2008 when Anderson purchased three bags of cocaine for $60 from a pair of suspects, Brown said.
Anderson then slipped two of the bags to Tavarez, who claimed he purchased the cocaine from four other men inside the bar, Brown said. All six defendants were arrested; charges were dropped against the four innocent men last June.
Maximo Colon was jailed for three days before he could post $2,500 bail. The rigged charges disappeared after Jose Colon went back to the bar and found a security video showing no contact between the undercover cops and the suspects, authorities said.
Brown, asked about the officers' motive, said the duo "wanted to appear as if they were doing their job, and make a little extra overtime."
Anderson has since retired from the NYPD, while Tavarez was placed on desk duty. Each faces up to nine years in prison for unlawful imprisonment, conspiracy, official misconduct and other charges.
Information and Pictures: http://www.1010wins.com/2-NYPD-Cops-Indicted-in-Elmhurst-Phony-Drug-Bust/3666651
Mayor Gary Becker Arrested for Child Enticement
Racine Mayor Gary Becker was held in the Kenosha County Jail for a short time Wednesday, after being arrested on tentative charges of child enticement and several other offenses.
Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation agents took Becker into custody Tuesday night at Brookfield Square Mall in suburban Milwaukee.
He was taken to Racine and later booked into the Kenosha jail to avoid conflict-of-interest issues, as he is a high-profile Racine official, a Racine County Sheriff’s official said. He was released at 5:30 p.m. after a relative posted his $165,000 cash bond.
The Division of Criminal Investigation is recommending charges including child enticement, possession of child pornography, exposing a child to harmful materials, attempted second-degree sexual assault, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and misconduct in public office.
Racine County District Attorney Michael Niekes said he was reviewing documents Wednesday, and that any formal charges would likely be filed this morning. If he is charged, Becker is expected to make an initial appearance in Racine County Circuit Court this afternoon.
State Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh declined to comment Wednesday on the details of Becker’s alleged offenses. Cosh said the information will likely emerge along with a criminal complaint from Nieskes’ office. Cosh would not confirm whether Becker was arrested as part of a sting operation.
Racine Police Lt. James Dobbs said his department was made aware of possible allegations against Becker several weeks ago, at which time the investigation was referred to the state.
Becker, 51, was first elected mayor in April 2003 and re-elected unopposed in 2007.
He has been a vocal supporter of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail proposal.
The city’s Web site states Becker has been married since 1981 and has two daughters.
In Becker’s absence, Racine City Council President David Maack will serve as acting mayor, City Administrator Ben Hughes said. Hughes said preparations were being made to make sure city government operations would continue without interruption.
“This city will continue to operate smoothly, and we will not miss a beat,” Hughes said.
Racine County Sheriff’s Lt. Dan Klatt said his department requested Becker’s transfer to the Kenosha County Jail.
If Becker is charged formally and does not post bond, Klatt said Becker will be jailed in Kenosha and be transported to his Racine court appearances.
“We’ve kept people for Kenosha County, and they keep people for us occasionally,” Klatt said.
In an unrelated matter, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department was asked in June 2006 to investigate a Racine Police Department action against Becker.
That investigation found Racine police did not commit misconduct when squads were dispatched to search for and intercept Becker on a report he was driving drunk. Becker, who was not arrested at the time, said then he believed police were acting on a tip from a political opponent.
Former Corrections Officer Jarrod Yates Sentenced to Prison for Beating Inmate
Muskogee
A former Sequoyah County corrections officer has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for beating an arrestee.
U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling said Wednesday 24-year-old Jarrod Yates was sentenced on a charge that he violated the civil rights of an arrestee.
Sperling said that on June 25, 2006, at the Sequoyah County Jail in Sallisaw, Yates punched, kneed and stomped an arrestee on his head and face, causing serious injuries, including a fractured orbital socket and severe lacerations that required stitches.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office.
A former Sequoyah County corrections officer has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for beating an arrestee.
U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling said Wednesday 24-year-old Jarrod Yates was sentenced on a charge that he violated the civil rights of an arrestee.
Sperling said that on June 25, 2006, at the Sequoyah County Jail in Sallisaw, Yates punched, kneed and stomped an arrestee on his head and face, causing serious injuries, including a fractured orbital socket and severe lacerations that required stitches.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office.
Officer James Stafford Pleads Not Guilty to Stalking
LAFAYETTE, Colo.
A Lafayette police officer pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he gave his ex’s new boyfriend a traffic ticket, kept both under “surveillance” and damaged the hood of her car during an argument.
James Edward Stafford, 34, was arrested by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office in July on suspicion of stalking, a felony, harassment, official misconduct and criminal mischief related to domestic violence.
On Thursday, Stafford’s attorney, Michael T. Lowe, arranged for a three-day jury trial beginning June 22.
Lowe declined to comment on the case and said his client also would not answer questions.
Lafayette Cmdr. Mark Battersby attended the brief hearing. He said he was there to keep up to date on the case because it involves one of his officers — who remains on unpaid leave.
According to sheriff’s investigators, Stafford’s ex-girlfriend, a manager at Sonic in Lafayette whose name wasn’t released, told police she met Stafford in the summer of 2007 and that they had an on-and-off relationship.
The official misconduct charge stems from the traffic ticket, issued July 23.
Stafford, while driving an unmarked Lafayette police truck equipped with warning sirens, gave the woman’s boyfriend a ticket for weaving. Stafford then sent the woman a text message that said, “Your boyfriend just received a ticket, ha ha,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Lafayette police have since cleared the ticket.
In an interview with police, Stafford said he pulled the man over after he swerved over the yellow line into the oncoming lane of traffic, believing the man might be drunk. He told police he didn’t know the driver was the new boyfriend until after he pulled him over.
Battersby said police have since been able to recover video footage of the traffic stop from the truck’s dash-mounted camera.
The other charges stem from various other encounters.
In June, the woman told police, Stafford called her boss at Sonic and told him to fire her because she was stealing money and dating an employee.
She also told police Stafford sent her text messages while she was at work that indicated he was watching her.
Stafford remains free on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. Police also took 13 guns from Stafford’s home, including rifles, pistols and a shotgun.
Lawsuit Filed Against Officer Accused of Planting Drugs
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.
A lawsuit has been filed after a Huntsville police officer was accused of planting drugs in a man's car.
Quincy Turner filed suit against the city of Huntsville, Officer Wesley Little and Chief Henry Reyes.
Turner was stopped by Officer Little in September 2007.
He was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana after Little allegedly found drugs in the car.
However, Turner claims the marijuana was planted by Officer Little. The charges against Turner were dropped last year.
Turner is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in the suit.
Little and another officer, Ryan Moore, were indicted May 2008 on criminal charges, including evidence tampering.
An investigation was launched after a statement allegedly made by Little in October 2007 that, "there could be some marijuana inside the vehicle if it needed to be."
They both resigned from the HPD last June.
A lawsuit has been filed after a Huntsville police officer was accused of planting drugs in a man's car.
Quincy Turner filed suit against the city of Huntsville, Officer Wesley Little and Chief Henry Reyes.
Turner was stopped by Officer Little in September 2007.
He was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana after Little allegedly found drugs in the car.
However, Turner claims the marijuana was planted by Officer Little. The charges against Turner were dropped last year.
Turner is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in the suit.
Little and another officer, Ryan Moore, were indicted May 2008 on criminal charges, including evidence tampering.
An investigation was launched after a statement allegedly made by Little in October 2007 that, "there could be some marijuana inside the vehicle if it needed to be."
They both resigned from the HPD last June.
Former Officer Teddy Nobles Charged with Robbing Bank
Austin police today have charged a former officer with aggravated robbery after they said he robbed a Northwest Austin bank on Wednesday.
Teddy Nobles, 48, who resigned from the force in 2001, is being held at the Williamson County Jail, Lt. Mark Spangler said. Bail has been set at $250,000.
Spangler said that Nobles walked into a Compass Bank in the 13000 block of Research Boulevard and demanded money from a teller while reaching toward his waist. Nobles fled after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, Spangler said. Police do not know whether he was armed, and nobody was injured, Spangler said.
Spangler said witnesses provided a description of Nobles and his burgundy Dodge pickup. After a search by ground and air, officers spotted the truck in the apartment complex where they said Nobles was living in the 5200 block of Thunder Creek Road.
He was arrested without incident outside his apartment, Spangler said.
Investigators have since searched Nobles’ apartment and found evidence of the robbery, Spangler said.
“He never made any positive comments about why he was doing what he was doing,” Spangler said. “I think he realized he was caught. I think this was something motivated by the need for money and greed.”
Mark Miles & James Balelo Arrested for Filing False Reports
Two North Las Vegas police officers were arrested Thursday, both accused of filing a false report stemming from an December incident in which a man was tossed from a casino.
Mark Alan Miles and James F. Balelo, both 27, were arrested Thursday by North Las Vegas police detectives, police Sgt. Tim Bedwell said.
Miles, who has been with the department for a year, was booked for filing a false report by a public officer, a gross misdemeanor, and for a felony charge of oppression under color of office. Balelo was booked on one count of false report by a public officer.
The criminal complaint alleges that Miles and Balelo responded at 11:45 p.m. on Dec. 6 to a report of an uncooperative person detained by security at the Cannery Casino, 2121 E. Craig Road. When Miles and Balelo arrived at the casino, they found a 31-year-old California man secured and handcuffed in a security holding cell.
The man was under citizen arrest by security guards at the time for causing a disturbance in a casino bar, refusing to leave and waving a beer bottle that was alleged to be a potential weapon, Bedwell said.
Miles and Balelo took the man into custody and booked him into the North Las Vegas Detention Center for assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, Bedwell said.
The criminal complaint alleges that during the arrest, Miles committed oppression under color of office by using physical force and threat of physical force by arresting a person and holding him against his will -- and injuring the person during the process.
The criminal complaint also alleges that Miles and Balelo committed false reporting by a public officer in written reports that contained an inaccurate account of their actions and the actions of the suspect while in a holding cell.
The officers were arrested on warrants obtained after a criminal investigation by the North Las Vegas Police Department.
An internal complaint initiated by a North Las Vegas police supervisor on Dec. 7 led to the arrest, Bedwell said. Both men have been booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
The investigation included interviews of people involved and examination of evidence, including a surveillance recording the incident, which resulted in warrants of arrest being issued.
Police officers are held to a higher standard because they are entrusted with powers exceeding that of the average citizen, Bedwell said. Miles and Balelo are on paid administrative leave during the investigation, Bedwell said.
Other Information: http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9686077&nav=15MV
Animal Control Officer Accused of Sexual Assault
Lawton, Oklahoma
Twenty-seven-year-old Christopher Mayer already had been fired from his job as a City of Lawton Animal Control officer, and now he's being accused of using his former position to attempt to sexually assault a woman. Police say Mayer showed up on the woman's doorstep claiming to be an animal control officer. She says that when she let him in her home, he tried to sexually assault her - not once, but twice. She said he returned three days later and tried to get in again, but a friend helped her keep him away.
Mayer had only been fired from the city days before arriving at the woman's house. She says she recognized him because less than one month earlier, he had worked on a dog bite case involving her dog, and claimed to be checking on the case. Lawton Police Chief Ronnie Smith says that an animal control officer is like any other officer when it comes to credentials - they carry a badge, wear a uniform and a nameplate that proves who they are or the department they represent.
Police say if there is no proof of their position, they probably are not who they claim to be - which is what happened in this incident. "He went back out there and used his former position to take advantage of this young lady - and he was in civilian clothes," said Smith.
The former animal control officer was wearing civilian clothes because he no longer had a uniform. "The uniform is supposed to be turned in, it's like the police department when you retire or leave, or if you're terminated, you turn in all your stuff, and you don't get a final paycheck until it's all turned in," said Smith.
The woman says that against her better judgment she let him in her house. "She opened the door, let him in, and in the process of letting him in, he checked the dog, and he committed sexual battery on her," said Smith.
Smith says the woman asked Mayer to leave - and, he did. However, soon after the incident, another animal control officer saw his car outside the woman's home, and asked what he was doing there. Mayer told the animal control officer that he was visiting a friend, and after the officer left, Smith says Mayer forced the woman's front door open, and attacked her again. "She told him to get away from her, and finally he left," said Smith. "After he left, she was afraid to report it for a couple of days."
Three days later the woman says it happened again. "Monday afternoon he came back again, knocked on the door," said Smith. "This time her friend answered the door and told him to leave and not come back." Police say the woman was afraid to press charges because she mistakenly thought the man was a city employee, although he had been terminated ten days prior to the first incident, and was with the city for only three months.
Smith says the city hasn't had a problem like this with one of its employees. He says that if you ever question whether someone is a city employee, call dispatch or the organization they claim to be associated with, and request information.
Twenty-seven-year-old Christopher Mayer already had been fired from his job as a City of Lawton Animal Control officer, and now he's being accused of using his former position to attempt to sexually assault a woman. Police say Mayer showed up on the woman's doorstep claiming to be an animal control officer. She says that when she let him in her home, he tried to sexually assault her - not once, but twice. She said he returned three days later and tried to get in again, but a friend helped her keep him away.
Mayer had only been fired from the city days before arriving at the woman's house. She says she recognized him because less than one month earlier, he had worked on a dog bite case involving her dog, and claimed to be checking on the case. Lawton Police Chief Ronnie Smith says that an animal control officer is like any other officer when it comes to credentials - they carry a badge, wear a uniform and a nameplate that proves who they are or the department they represent.
Police say if there is no proof of their position, they probably are not who they claim to be - which is what happened in this incident. "He went back out there and used his former position to take advantage of this young lady - and he was in civilian clothes," said Smith.
The former animal control officer was wearing civilian clothes because he no longer had a uniform. "The uniform is supposed to be turned in, it's like the police department when you retire or leave, or if you're terminated, you turn in all your stuff, and you don't get a final paycheck until it's all turned in," said Smith.
The woman says that against her better judgment she let him in her house. "She opened the door, let him in, and in the process of letting him in, he checked the dog, and he committed sexual battery on her," said Smith.
Smith says the woman asked Mayer to leave - and, he did. However, soon after the incident, another animal control officer saw his car outside the woman's home, and asked what he was doing there. Mayer told the animal control officer that he was visiting a friend, and after the officer left, Smith says Mayer forced the woman's front door open, and attacked her again. "She told him to get away from her, and finally he left," said Smith. "After he left, she was afraid to report it for a couple of days."
Three days later the woman says it happened again. "Monday afternoon he came back again, knocked on the door," said Smith. "This time her friend answered the door and told him to leave and not come back." Police say the woman was afraid to press charges because she mistakenly thought the man was a city employee, although he had been terminated ten days prior to the first incident, and was with the city for only three months.
Smith says the city hasn't had a problem like this with one of its employees. He says that if you ever question whether someone is a city employee, call dispatch or the organization they claim to be associated with, and request information.
Deputy James Spates Faces 2 Counts of Sexual Battery
A Grand Jury has indicted a law officer on charges of Sexual misconduct.
Hamilton County Deputy James Spates faces two counts of Sexual Battery by an authority figure and a count of official misconduct.
Sheriff Jim Hammond today said the alleged victim was an underage female the deputy was escorting to the juvenile detention center.
Sheriff Jim Hammond:
"Anytime you transport a juvenile, especially a female, in particluar female juveniles as well as female adults, that you do give your time date and mileage, so we make sure you proceed directly to where you are supposed to. He deviated from this policy by pulling off to a different location, conducted a search of her body in an inappropriate manner. He subsequent to that did give her some information where she could reach him and based on the complaint made and filed with us, and us making an investigation, the charges were filed."
The Sheriff fired Spate Tuesday and he was taken into custody today.
Archie Stallworth Said he was Undercover
The feds say Archie Stallworth is a crooked suburban cop who sold out his badge to provide muscle for a drug dealer -- who actually was an undercover FBI agent.
But Stallworth, 36, insists he was simply playing a bad guy, too.
"If he's going to get an Oscar, I should get an Oscar because we were doing the same thing," Stallworth said of the FBI agent.
Stallworth -- who also worked as a Metra train conductor -- says he was also undercover, gathering intelligence on a narcotics ring. He provided the Chicago Sun-Times with police reports that he says prove his innocence by showing that he and a partner were documenting their own investigation months before the FBI arrested Stallworth on Nov. 19.
But a federal grand jury last month indicted Stallworth on charges of drug conspiracy as well as filing fake police reports. He provided the Sun-Times with those same reports but insisted they weren't fake.
Stallworth is among four Harvey officers, 10 Cook County sheriff's corrections officers and a Chicago Police officer who have been charged with drug conspiracy. He says that after his arrest, the FBI asked him to wear a hidden microphone in an attempt to capture remarks by Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg, but he refused.
On May 27, the undercover FBI agent told Stallworth's partner at the Harvey Police Department that he needed protection for a shipment of up to a kilogram of cocaine, Stallworth said. Stallworth provided the Sun-Times with a document entitled "Harvey Police Persons Incident Report" dated May 28. The report, supposedly written by Stallworth's partner, details the May 27 conversation.
Stallworth says his partner faxed the report to the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, which coordinates narcotics investigations.
The Harvey Police Department refused to vouch for the authenticity of the police reports, referring questions to the U.S. attorney's office, which declined to comment. Stallworth's partner could not be reached for comment. Stallworth said he was forced to resign from the department but now wants his job back.
According to the charges against Stallworth, he met the undercover FBI agent at a south suburban fast-food restaurant July 26 to provide security for a meeting. Afterward, the agent paid Stallworth $300 and said he needed someone to provide security for drug deals.
Stallworth provided the Sun-Times with a July 27 police report he said he filed after the meeting at the restaurant. The report says he met with a man who "began to speak in detail about his interaction in trafficking narcotics." Stallworth wrote that he planned to contact federal authorities when he received more information on the drug operation.
Prosecutors say Stallworth met with the undercover agent Aug. 11 at DuPage Airport, where he agreed to help make a drug pickup for $1,000. He is accused of moving several duffel bags from a plane to the undercover agent's car. Prosecutors said Stallworth, who was armed with a pistol, thought the bags contained 30 kilograms of cocaine, but it was actually fake.
Stallworth gave the Sun-Times a purported Harvey police report dated Aug. 12 in which he detailed the drug exchange at the airport and said he would store his $1,000 payment in a safe until he could turn it over to federal authorities. Stallworth said he did not make an arrest at the airport because he was worried it might lead to a shoot-out.
http://www.suntimes.com
But Stallworth, 36, insists he was simply playing a bad guy, too.
"If he's going to get an Oscar, I should get an Oscar because we were doing the same thing," Stallworth said of the FBI agent.
Stallworth -- who also worked as a Metra train conductor -- says he was also undercover, gathering intelligence on a narcotics ring. He provided the Chicago Sun-Times with police reports that he says prove his innocence by showing that he and a partner were documenting their own investigation months before the FBI arrested Stallworth on Nov. 19.
But a federal grand jury last month indicted Stallworth on charges of drug conspiracy as well as filing fake police reports. He provided the Sun-Times with those same reports but insisted they weren't fake.
Stallworth is among four Harvey officers, 10 Cook County sheriff's corrections officers and a Chicago Police officer who have been charged with drug conspiracy. He says that after his arrest, the FBI asked him to wear a hidden microphone in an attempt to capture remarks by Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg, but he refused.
On May 27, the undercover FBI agent told Stallworth's partner at the Harvey Police Department that he needed protection for a shipment of up to a kilogram of cocaine, Stallworth said. Stallworth provided the Sun-Times with a document entitled "Harvey Police Persons Incident Report" dated May 28. The report, supposedly written by Stallworth's partner, details the May 27 conversation.
Stallworth says his partner faxed the report to the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, which coordinates narcotics investigations.
The Harvey Police Department refused to vouch for the authenticity of the police reports, referring questions to the U.S. attorney's office, which declined to comment. Stallworth's partner could not be reached for comment. Stallworth said he was forced to resign from the department but now wants his job back.
According to the charges against Stallworth, he met the undercover FBI agent at a south suburban fast-food restaurant July 26 to provide security for a meeting. Afterward, the agent paid Stallworth $300 and said he needed someone to provide security for drug deals.
Stallworth provided the Sun-Times with a July 27 police report he said he filed after the meeting at the restaurant. The report says he met with a man who "began to speak in detail about his interaction in trafficking narcotics." Stallworth wrote that he planned to contact federal authorities when he received more information on the drug operation.
Prosecutors say Stallworth met with the undercover agent Aug. 11 at DuPage Airport, where he agreed to help make a drug pickup for $1,000. He is accused of moving several duffel bags from a plane to the undercover agent's car. Prosecutors said Stallworth, who was armed with a pistol, thought the bags contained 30 kilograms of cocaine, but it was actually fake.
Stallworth gave the Sun-Times a purported Harvey police report dated Aug. 12 in which he detailed the drug exchange at the airport and said he would store his $1,000 payment in a safe until he could turn it over to federal authorities. Stallworth said he did not make an arrest at the airport because he was worried it might lead to a shoot-out.
http://www.suntimes.com
Corrections Officer Maurice Bush Accused of Giving Porn Magazines and Lube to Inmate
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan
A corrections officer for the Genesee Valley Regional Detention Center is accused of giving pornographic magazines and a lubricant to a 16-year-old inmate.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said an investigation revealed that Maurice Bush, 47, of Genesee County told the youth that he wanted to watch the teen masturbate after Bush gave him the materials in October.
"Maurice Bush was placed in a very sensitive position with children, and he violated that trust," Pickell said during a news conference today.
"This kind of guy is a dangerous person."
Bush has been charged with furnishing obscenity to children and willful neglect of duty. He faces 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine on the first charge and up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine on he second charge.
The six-year employee with the Genesee Valley Regional Detention Center was suspended after officials were notified of the alleged incident.
A corrections officer for the Genesee Valley Regional Detention Center is accused of giving pornographic magazines and a lubricant to a 16-year-old inmate.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said an investigation revealed that Maurice Bush, 47, of Genesee County told the youth that he wanted to watch the teen masturbate after Bush gave him the materials in October.
"Maurice Bush was placed in a very sensitive position with children, and he violated that trust," Pickell said during a news conference today.
"This kind of guy is a dangerous person."
Bush has been charged with furnishing obscenity to children and willful neglect of duty. He faces 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine on the first charge and up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine on he second charge.
The six-year employee with the Genesee Valley Regional Detention Center was suspended after officials were notified of the alleged incident.
Officer Derek Dayoub Charged with Assaulting McDonald's Employee
A municipal police officer in Washington County was arrested Tuesday on charges that he assaulted an employee at a McDonald's restaurant in October in Burgettstown.
Derek A. Dayoub, 26, of Scott, was arrested and arraigned, three months after the reported incident, on charges of simple assault, official oppression and harassment. He has been suspended from the job since his arrest, police said.
The charges stem from an incident Oct. 11 at a McDonald's restaurant where he confronted an employee, Brandon Lancaster, 19. The officer accused the teen of having talked about him, according to the affidavit that supports Mr. Dayoub's arrest.
When Mr. Lancaster denied talking about the officer, Mr. Dayoub grabbed him, squeezing a pressure point that caused the victim to collapse, the affidavit said.
Officer North also has since been suspended from the Smith Township police force, pending his prosecution on charges that he illegally obtained oxycodone pills from a police informant. He was charged last week with possession.
Derek A. Dayoub, 26, of Scott, was arrested and arraigned, three months after the reported incident, on charges of simple assault, official oppression and harassment. He has been suspended from the job since his arrest, police said.
The charges stem from an incident Oct. 11 at a McDonald's restaurant where he confronted an employee, Brandon Lancaster, 19. The officer accused the teen of having talked about him, according to the affidavit that supports Mr. Dayoub's arrest.
When Mr. Lancaster denied talking about the officer, Mr. Dayoub grabbed him, squeezing a pressure point that caused the victim to collapse, the affidavit said.
Officer North also has since been suspended from the Smith Township police force, pending his prosecution on charges that he illegally obtained oxycodone pills from a police informant. He was charged last week with possession.
More Information: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09015/941969-100.stm
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sergeant Haytham Khalil Pleads Guilty Illegally Using Database
A New York City police sergeant pleaded guilty on Wednesday to illegally entering a federal database and giving information from a terrorist watch list to an acquaintance to use in a child-custody case in Canada.
The sergeant, Haytham Khalil, 34, was charged in November with using a computer without authorization and obtaining information belonging to a federal agency.
According to his guilty plea, Sergeant Khalil, who lives in Brooklyn, borrowed a fellow police officer’s account on Dec. 6, 2007, to obtain access, using a Police Department computer, to a state database called e-Justice. The database permits qualified state and local law enforcement authorities to get access to the terrorist watch list maintained by the F.B.I. and available through the bureau’s National Crime Information Center.
Sergeant Khalil obtained a document from the database that identified a person as being on a terrorist watch list and forwarded it to an acquaintance involved in a custody dispute in Canada, according to the guilty plea.
Sergeant Khalil pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Michael H. Dolinger to a misdemeanor, “accessing a computer and as a result exceeding his authority by obtaining information belonging to a department and agency of the United States.” Sentencing was scheduled for April 14.
The maximum sentence is one year in prison; a fine of the greater of $100,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and a year of supervised release.
The guilty plea was announced by Lev L. Dassin, the acting United States attorney in Manhattan. The case was prosecuted by the public corruption unit in the United States attorney’s office and was handled by an assistant United States attorney, Loyaan A. Egal.
Rage in Law Enforcement Officers Out of Control
Is it just me, or does the police force in the US seem to be getting increasingly violent everywhere you look?
Last week, 17-year old Virginian was tasered in his own home by police after neighbors phoned in a domestic dispute.
I find it hard to believe that police cadets aren’t taught multiple ways to subdue a possible suspect. Aren’t weapons that can kill you meant to be a last response?
On New Year’s Eve, a twenty-three year old African-American was pulled from his vehicle in his family’s drive way in Texas. After his mother, who came outside to see what was going on, got shoved by an officer, the young man questioned the treatment of his mother. He was promptly shot by the officer.
Family members had difficulty believing a shooting at the home of the only black family on their Bellaire block was completely random. . .
Speculation aside, investigators and the family are trying to figure out why the officer stopped the men in the first place.
‘The vehicle turned out not to be stolen. Why they thought it was stolen and how they got a stolen report is something that is not clear yet. All that will be determined in the investigation,’ said Holloway.
The most heinous though took place on New Year’s Day. The recent shooting of a compliant Oscar Grant in Oakland has caused an uproar and a very public demand for justice.
A BART police officer shot the man at point blank range who was laying on the station platform, restrained by officers. Despite the confiscation of a number of cell phones of witnesses, several managed to make their way into the hands of local reporters covering the story. The officer in question refused to testify before Internal Affairs, resigning so that he could not be compelled to do so. The city’s citizenry await word of what charges, if any, will be filed.
Has police work become more treacherous in recent years that the police are running scared and shooting unarmed civilians? Does law enforcement seem more enticing to certain personalities? Have 8 years of shivving the Constitution left officers thinking they to can act with impunity?
I’m certainly not alone in being concerned.
A new study published this month in the Emergency Medicine Journal reports that roughly 98% of ER docs believe some of the patients delivered by police are victims of police brutality. But since there aren’t any laws requiring this sort of abuse to be reported, unlike parents assaulting their children, doctors look the other way.
That data was collected in 2002, so the nearly 2/3 of physicians that felt they saw at least 2 instance of police brutality a year. . . how many do you think they’re not reporting now?
Last week, 17-year old Virginian was tasered in his own home by police after neighbors phoned in a domestic dispute.
I find it hard to believe that police cadets aren’t taught multiple ways to subdue a possible suspect. Aren’t weapons that can kill you meant to be a last response?
On New Year’s Eve, a twenty-three year old African-American was pulled from his vehicle in his family’s drive way in Texas. After his mother, who came outside to see what was going on, got shoved by an officer, the young man questioned the treatment of his mother. He was promptly shot by the officer.
Family members had difficulty believing a shooting at the home of the only black family on their Bellaire block was completely random. . .
Speculation aside, investigators and the family are trying to figure out why the officer stopped the men in the first place.
‘The vehicle turned out not to be stolen. Why they thought it was stolen and how they got a stolen report is something that is not clear yet. All that will be determined in the investigation,’ said Holloway.
The most heinous though took place on New Year’s Day. The recent shooting of a compliant Oscar Grant in Oakland has caused an uproar and a very public demand for justice.
A BART police officer shot the man at point blank range who was laying on the station platform, restrained by officers. Despite the confiscation of a number of cell phones of witnesses, several managed to make their way into the hands of local reporters covering the story. The officer in question refused to testify before Internal Affairs, resigning so that he could not be compelled to do so. The city’s citizenry await word of what charges, if any, will be filed.
Has police work become more treacherous in recent years that the police are running scared and shooting unarmed civilians? Does law enforcement seem more enticing to certain personalities? Have 8 years of shivving the Constitution left officers thinking they to can act with impunity?
I’m certainly not alone in being concerned.
A new study published this month in the Emergency Medicine Journal reports that roughly 98% of ER docs believe some of the patients delivered by police are victims of police brutality. But since there aren’t any laws requiring this sort of abuse to be reported, unlike parents assaulting their children, doctors look the other way.
That data was collected in 2002, so the nearly 2/3 of physicians that felt they saw at least 2 instance of police brutality a year. . . how many do you think they’re not reporting now?
Police Brutality Lawsuits Settled for $245,000
Two police brutality lawsuits were settled for a total of $245,000, according to agreements recently unearthed by open public records advocate John Paff.
Mr. Paff is a Somerset resident who runs the state Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project. He has also pressed the High Bridge and Franklin Township school boards for more openness. Mr. Paff said he came across the Readington documents during a routine investigation into civil cases involving a government agency, which he posts on his blog: njcivilsettlements.blogspot.com. Mr. Paff said he thought people might be interested in the payouts because that's information municipalities don't like to advertise.
According to one of the agreements, Readington's insurer paid $200,000 to township residents Christopher Strobel and Valerie Luckstone in January 2008. Mr. Strobel had sued the township and several of its police officers four years earlier, alleging "intentional beating, verbal abuse and threats" during a March 2002 incident.
A second police abuse suit was settled by paying $45,000 to resident Thomas Wachendorf in January 2007. He said township police exercised "unlawful use of force" in arresting him in May 2004. Although the agreement contained a confidentiality clause, it's still subject to the state's Open Public Records Act, a law that ensures a citizen's access to government records.
"I do not think you can draw a straight-line comparison between the merits of the case and the dollar amount," Mayor Julia Allen said of the settlements. She added that such claims are handled in a routine fashion by the township's insurance company. "In the majority of cases, the settlement has nothing to do with the merits of the case -- it's strictly a financial decision made by the insurance company."
The township paid a $5,000 deductible for the Strobel settlement, and there was no deductible for the Wachendorf settlement, according to Township Administrator Vita Mekovetz.
Readington is part of a joint insurance fund, and the settlements didn't seem to have a significant effect on the township's rates, she said.
Police Chief James Paganessi declined comment on the settlements but previously called the suits "baseless."
Christopher Strobel's lawsuit stemmed from an incident when Mr. Strobel was stopped by then-Patrolman Joseph Greco (since made sergeant) while he was walking home on the shoulder of Route 22. According to his complaint, he began telling the officer "about the recent death of his infant daughter" when Cpl. Scott Crater (now lieutenant) and Sgt. Sebastian Donaruma (now lieutenant) arrived. The suit says Mr. Strobel turned to leave because Sgt. Greco had returned his driver's license, and then-Cpl. Crater grabbed him and "threw him face first into one of the police cars."
Mr. Strobel claimed that then-Cpl. Crater, with the help of the two other police officers, again "slammed (his face) into the rear window of the patrol car with sufficient force to shatter it and send Strobel's shoulder through the broken window."
After that, he alleged, the men punched him several times and he fell to the ground. He said he told then-Sgt. Donaruma that the officer was hurting his arm and in return "was kicked in the head and his face was ground into the pavement by the officer's boot." Mr. Strobel claimed that later then-Patrolman Greco told him: "You have no rights here; this is our town and don't you forget it."
The suit contends that Sgt. John Insabella later went to Mr. Strobel's home and coerced his wife, Valerie Luckstone, into signing a false domestic violence complaint against her husband. According to the court papers, she was told to sign "if she wanted her husband released from jail." The couple said they continued to be harassed by township police after the incident.
Charges of obstruction of justice and resisting arrest against Mr. Strobel were dismissed by Lambertville Municipal Court Judge Richard Cushing because the police affidavit failed to show probable cause.
In the other suit settled by Readington, Mr. Wachendorf accused then-Cpl. Crater and then-Cpl. Christopher DeWire (now sergeant) of assaulting him after a traffic stop in his Holland Brook Road driveway. He said they followed him into his driveway and exited their patrol cars "with their handguns partially drawn." Mr. Wachendorf alleges that they ordered him out of his car and, seconds later, pulled him out then "threw him onto the gravel driveway at the edge of the brick patio, and slapped a handcuff onto (his) left wrist." He said his wrist was broken and the fall made him strike his head, breaking his glasses and causing him to lose consciousness.
According to the police department, officers tried to stop Mr. Wachendorf because he was driving an unregistered vehicle, and followed him for 2 miles before he turned into his driveway. In this case, a police video of the stop showed Mr. Wachendorf and the officers tussling. He was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of justice and eluding police. Mr. Wachendorf entered and completed a pre-trial intervention program, and charges against him were later dropped.
Meanwhile, the incident cost him his teaching job at Mountainview state prison. A tenured teacher who helped inmates prepare for General Educational Development (GED) tests, he was fired for "conduct unbecoming a public employee." Mr. Wachendorf's appeal made it to the Superior Court Appellate Division, where the judges agreed with the administrative law judge's decision that evidence against him, including the police video, supported the charges. That judge also found Mr. Wachendorf's testimony to be inconsistent and not believable.
In both settlements, the agreements state that payments aren't an admission of wrongdoing. But Mr. Paff thinks this kind of information is valuable because it enables local governing bodies to look for patterns in lawsuits.
A third lawsuit alleging township police abuse was dismissed in December 2006.
Mr. Paff is a Somerset resident who runs the state Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project. He has also pressed the High Bridge and Franklin Township school boards for more openness. Mr. Paff said he came across the Readington documents during a routine investigation into civil cases involving a government agency, which he posts on his blog: njcivilsettlements.blogspot.com. Mr. Paff said he thought people might be interested in the payouts because that's information municipalities don't like to advertise.
According to one of the agreements, Readington's insurer paid $200,000 to township residents Christopher Strobel and Valerie Luckstone in January 2008. Mr. Strobel had sued the township and several of its police officers four years earlier, alleging "intentional beating, verbal abuse and threats" during a March 2002 incident.
A second police abuse suit was settled by paying $45,000 to resident Thomas Wachendorf in January 2007. He said township police exercised "unlawful use of force" in arresting him in May 2004. Although the agreement contained a confidentiality clause, it's still subject to the state's Open Public Records Act, a law that ensures a citizen's access to government records.
"I do not think you can draw a straight-line comparison between the merits of the case and the dollar amount," Mayor Julia Allen said of the settlements. She added that such claims are handled in a routine fashion by the township's insurance company. "In the majority of cases, the settlement has nothing to do with the merits of the case -- it's strictly a financial decision made by the insurance company."
The township paid a $5,000 deductible for the Strobel settlement, and there was no deductible for the Wachendorf settlement, according to Township Administrator Vita Mekovetz.
Readington is part of a joint insurance fund, and the settlements didn't seem to have a significant effect on the township's rates, she said.
Police Chief James Paganessi declined comment on the settlements but previously called the suits "baseless."
Christopher Strobel's lawsuit stemmed from an incident when Mr. Strobel was stopped by then-Patrolman Joseph Greco (since made sergeant) while he was walking home on the shoulder of Route 22. According to his complaint, he began telling the officer "about the recent death of his infant daughter" when Cpl. Scott Crater (now lieutenant) and Sgt. Sebastian Donaruma (now lieutenant) arrived. The suit says Mr. Strobel turned to leave because Sgt. Greco had returned his driver's license, and then-Cpl. Crater grabbed him and "threw him face first into one of the police cars."
Mr. Strobel claimed that then-Cpl. Crater, with the help of the two other police officers, again "slammed (his face) into the rear window of the patrol car with sufficient force to shatter it and send Strobel's shoulder through the broken window."
After that, he alleged, the men punched him several times and he fell to the ground. He said he told then-Sgt. Donaruma that the officer was hurting his arm and in return "was kicked in the head and his face was ground into the pavement by the officer's boot." Mr. Strobel claimed that later then-Patrolman Greco told him: "You have no rights here; this is our town and don't you forget it."
The suit contends that Sgt. John Insabella later went to Mr. Strobel's home and coerced his wife, Valerie Luckstone, into signing a false domestic violence complaint against her husband. According to the court papers, she was told to sign "if she wanted her husband released from jail." The couple said they continued to be harassed by township police after the incident.
Charges of obstruction of justice and resisting arrest against Mr. Strobel were dismissed by Lambertville Municipal Court Judge Richard Cushing because the police affidavit failed to show probable cause.
In the other suit settled by Readington, Mr. Wachendorf accused then-Cpl. Crater and then-Cpl. Christopher DeWire (now sergeant) of assaulting him after a traffic stop in his Holland Brook Road driveway. He said they followed him into his driveway and exited their patrol cars "with their handguns partially drawn." Mr. Wachendorf alleges that they ordered him out of his car and, seconds later, pulled him out then "threw him onto the gravel driveway at the edge of the brick patio, and slapped a handcuff onto (his) left wrist." He said his wrist was broken and the fall made him strike his head, breaking his glasses and causing him to lose consciousness.
According to the police department, officers tried to stop Mr. Wachendorf because he was driving an unregistered vehicle, and followed him for 2 miles before he turned into his driveway. In this case, a police video of the stop showed Mr. Wachendorf and the officers tussling. He was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of justice and eluding police. Mr. Wachendorf entered and completed a pre-trial intervention program, and charges against him were later dropped.
Meanwhile, the incident cost him his teaching job at Mountainview state prison. A tenured teacher who helped inmates prepare for General Educational Development (GED) tests, he was fired for "conduct unbecoming a public employee." Mr. Wachendorf's appeal made it to the Superior Court Appellate Division, where the judges agreed with the administrative law judge's decision that evidence against him, including the police video, supported the charges. That judge also found Mr. Wachendorf's testimony to be inconsistent and not believable.
In both settlements, the agreements state that payments aren't an admission of wrongdoing. But Mr. Paff thinks this kind of information is valuable because it enables local governing bodies to look for patterns in lawsuits.
A third lawsuit alleging township police abuse was dismissed in December 2006.
Six Officer Being Sued for Police Brutality
PEORIA
The City of Peoria and six police officers are being sued because of what lawyers call "police brutality." Attorney Daniel Cusack says his client, Bryce Scott, was beaten, tased and doused with pepper-spray by police after a high speed chase back in May. Cusack says Scott was sitting in his car outside a former girlfriend’s house when police arrived. Cusack tells us his client feared he would be beaten by police, and drove off at a high speed.
Someone anonymously dropped off this squad car surveillance tape to Cusack, showing what he says is unnecessary force. Attorneys are seeking damages in excess of $50-thousand.
Cusack says his client is currently in jail pending drug charges. Peoria Police spokesperson Doug Burgess says the department has not yet seen the lawsuit, and until they do, they have no comment. The case will be heard in court on June 19th in Peoria County.
Information and Video: http://www.week.com/news/local/37611029.html
The City of Peoria and six police officers are being sued because of what lawyers call "police brutality." Attorney Daniel Cusack says his client, Bryce Scott, was beaten, tased and doused with pepper-spray by police after a high speed chase back in May. Cusack says Scott was sitting in his car outside a former girlfriend’s house when police arrived. Cusack tells us his client feared he would be beaten by police, and drove off at a high speed.
Someone anonymously dropped off this squad car surveillance tape to Cusack, showing what he says is unnecessary force. Attorneys are seeking damages in excess of $50-thousand.
Cusack says his client is currently in jail pending drug charges. Peoria Police spokesperson Doug Burgess says the department has not yet seen the lawsuit, and until they do, they have no comment. The case will be heard in court on June 19th in Peoria County.
Information and Video: http://www.week.com/news/local/37611029.html
Investigator Michael Pray Charged with Shooting Vehicle in His Driveway
A 25-year New York State Police veteran was arraigned Tuesday on two misdemeanor charges in City Court.
Investigator Michael Pray, 61, of Rochester was charged with prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment of property, both misdemeanors, after a Dec. 13 incident.
According to court documents, Pray discharged four rounds from a .45 Glock handgun into a vehicle in his driveway.
Pray is suspended with pay until the investigation is complete, according to State Police. Pray, who is out on his own recognizance, is due back in court Feb. 4 for a pretrial hearing.
Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28652607/
Investigator Michael Pray, 61, of Rochester was charged with prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment of property, both misdemeanors, after a Dec. 13 incident.
According to court documents, Pray discharged four rounds from a .45 Glock handgun into a vehicle in his driveway.
Pray is suspended with pay until the investigation is complete, according to State Police. Pray, who is out on his own recognizance, is due back in court Feb. 4 for a pretrial hearing.
Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28652607/
Trial Begins for Dwight Toombs Accused of Sexually Molesting Teen
FORT PIERCE
A prosecutor said Wednesday afternoon that evidence will show that Dwight L. Toombs, “while on duty as a Fort Pierce cop, sexually molested and battered (a) 15-year-old girl.”
A defense attorney countered that DNA evidence, or lack of it, “completely clears Mr. Toombs of these charges.”
After 2½ days of jury selection, a panel of six men and two women — six jurors and two alternates — began hearing testimony in the trial of the seven-year veteran of the Fort Pierce Police Department who is charged with three counts of sexual battery, two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation and one count of lewd or lascivious conduct.
Authorities allege that on Dec. 18, 2007, while on foot patrol on Hutchinson Island, Toombs found the girl naked from the waist down in a parked car at Kimberly Bergalis Park with a 20-year-old man.
Assistant State Attorney Victoria Winfield told jurors in an opening statement that Toombs, 33 at the time of the alleged incident, handcuffed the man and girl and then fondled the girl using a glove.
In his opening statement, defense attorney Jack A. Fleischman of West Palm Beach told jurors that none of the tests on items recovered from the site showed a mixture of DNA from both the girl and Toombs.
“It’s easy for the alleged victim to make these allegations,” Fleischman said, “but it’s very difficult for the state to prove it. In fact, they can’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The trial in the St. Lucie County Courthouse before Circuit Judge Larry Schack is expected to last into next week.
Officer James Ingalls Accused of Having Sex with Prostitute in Front of School
INDIANAPOLIS
Charges were filed Tuesday against an Indianapolis police officer accused of paying a prostitute for sex at an elementary school while on duty.
James Ingalls (pictured) was charged with one count of felony official misconduct and one count of misdemeanor patronizing a prostitute.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Kristen Harbaugh was approached by Ingalls several times last summer about performing sex for money while Ingalls was in full uniform and driving a department-issued vehicle.
Police said Ingalls took the woman to Garden City Elementary School on Rockville Road near South Lynhurst Drive, where the transactions took place.
As a part-time employee of the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, Ingalls had the alarm codes and keys to enter the building.
"The woman said, 'He told me he was a man and he had needs,'" said Helen Marchal with the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. "We were able to verify that he was in the building at the time that individual stated they had been there."
Harbaugh said Ingalls would also warn her to stay off the streets when officers conducted prostitution sweeps in that neighborhood.
Police said Harbaugh correctly described tattoos and piercings on Ingalls' chest and detailed alleged encounters in the school nurse's office
In August, Ingalls was suspended from the department without pay and recommended for termination following an internal investigation.
Ingalls had been on the force since 1998. He was turned himself in on Wednesday and was held on $10,000 bond.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Former Officer Wilbert Jamison Jr Charged with Abusing His Son
GAFFNEY, S.C.
A former Gaffney police officer who served as a resource officer at a middle school was arrested and charged with criminal domestic violence after an earlier indictment of abusing his son.
Wilbert Jamison Jr. was charged with criminal domestic violence. According to a warrant issued earlier Tuesday, Jamison shoved his wife, causing her to fall to the ground and hit her head. Earlier Tuesday morning, he was indicted and accused of handcuffing his 11-year-old son while beating him.
A Cherokee County grand jury indicted Jamison Tuesday on three counts of unlawful conduct towards a child.
Jamison was a Gaffney police officer starting in the late 90s, and he served as both a patrol officer and a school resource officer at Gaffney Middle School.
Jamison resigned about a month ago, citing personal reasons. The alleged abuse took place while Jamison was an active duty officer.
The indictment says that between April 1 and Aug. 30, 2007, Jamison handcuffed his son and forced him to run back and forth in the yard while Jamison beat him with a belt, causing him severe physical and mental injury.
In the second count, the indictment alleges that between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2007, Jamison handcuffed the boy, and locked him faced own in a closet.
The third count of the indictment says that between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8, 2006, Jamison beat the child with a belt, and the belt and buckle caused severe injury to the boy's ankle and foot.
Current Gaffney Police Chief Rick Turner said that he cannot comment on why Jamison continued to work for the department during the investigation because he was not chief at the time.
Turner said he was not made aware of an official investigation by the S.C. Attorney General's Office.
Turner said that in the future, accusations against officers will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and if the accusation bleeds over into the officer's official responsibilities -- such as a child abuse charge against an officer who works with children -- the officer could be reassigned until the investigation is completed.
Tuesday, the State Law Enforcement Division filed a warrant against Jamison for criminal domestic violence, first offense. The warrant said that on April 25, 2008, Jamison shoved his wife, Teresa Jamison, causing her to fall to the floor.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Jamison was not in custody.
His wife said she is still married to him, but she is seeking a divorce so she and her son can move on.
Teresa Jamison said, "We've formed … a new family without the abuse. And any time you get rid of abuse, it can only go up from there.
"We're doing much better. I feel a sense of relief that finally justice will be served."
Other Information: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/575/story/742254.html
A former Gaffney police officer who served as a resource officer at a middle school was arrested and charged with criminal domestic violence after an earlier indictment of abusing his son.
Wilbert Jamison Jr. was charged with criminal domestic violence. According to a warrant issued earlier Tuesday, Jamison shoved his wife, causing her to fall to the ground and hit her head. Earlier Tuesday morning, he was indicted and accused of handcuffing his 11-year-old son while beating him.
A Cherokee County grand jury indicted Jamison Tuesday on three counts of unlawful conduct towards a child.
Jamison was a Gaffney police officer starting in the late 90s, and he served as both a patrol officer and a school resource officer at Gaffney Middle School.
Jamison resigned about a month ago, citing personal reasons. The alleged abuse took place while Jamison was an active duty officer.
The indictment says that between April 1 and Aug. 30, 2007, Jamison handcuffed his son and forced him to run back and forth in the yard while Jamison beat him with a belt, causing him severe physical and mental injury.
In the second count, the indictment alleges that between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2007, Jamison handcuffed the boy, and locked him faced own in a closet.
The third count of the indictment says that between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8, 2006, Jamison beat the child with a belt, and the belt and buckle caused severe injury to the boy's ankle and foot.
Current Gaffney Police Chief Rick Turner said that he cannot comment on why Jamison continued to work for the department during the investigation because he was not chief at the time.
Turner said he was not made aware of an official investigation by the S.C. Attorney General's Office.
Turner said that in the future, accusations against officers will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and if the accusation bleeds over into the officer's official responsibilities -- such as a child abuse charge against an officer who works with children -- the officer could be reassigned until the investigation is completed.
Tuesday, the State Law Enforcement Division filed a warrant against Jamison for criminal domestic violence, first offense. The warrant said that on April 25, 2008, Jamison shoved his wife, Teresa Jamison, causing her to fall to the floor.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Jamison was not in custody.
His wife said she is still married to him, but she is seeking a divorce so she and her son can move on.
Teresa Jamison said, "We've formed … a new family without the abuse. And any time you get rid of abuse, it can only go up from there.
"We're doing much better. I feel a sense of relief that finally justice will be served."
Other Information: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/575/story/742254.html
Mozambican Police Arrest Officer for Burning Man Alive
Maputo
The spokesperson for the General Command of the Mozambican police, Pedro Cossa, confirmed on Tuesday that the Attorney-General's Office has arrested a senior officer in the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) for the brutal murder in 2007 of a suspected criminal named Abranches Penicela.
Relatives of Penicela, and human rights organisations have been fighting for justice in this case for over a year. Cossa said that Alexandre Balate, the heard of search and arrest operations in the Maputo branch of PIC, had been under investigation by prosecutors since last year. He was formally detained last Friday.
Penicela was arrested in 2007 on suspicion of participation in a bank robbery. He was held for a period in the Maputo top security prison, but an investigating magistrate ordered his release on the grounds of lack of evidence.
According to the charge sheet against Balate, cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent weekly "Escorpiao", he had earlier, in February 2007, raided Penicela's house, without any search warrant. During this police raid, Penicela was beaten up and called "a thief, a robber and a dangerous criminal".
After the bank robbery, it was Balate who arrested Penicela (again, without a warrant). He was angered by Penicela's release and with two other PIC agents, named as Moise Matusse and Samuel Bila, plotted to kidnap him.
On 14 August, a trap was set for Penicela. According to the charge sheet, he received a phone call from a certain Octavio who wanted to meet him on the road to Swaziland to discuss a truck being imported from South Africa. But when he arrived at the meeting place, he found himself surrounded by police officers, led by Balate.
The police seized Penicela, tied him up and injected him with a drug that rendered him unconscious. He was then taken to Xinavane, where he was blindfolded, thrown onto the floor and shot. Balate then took a container of petrol purchased by his colleagues, poured it over Penicela (who was still alive) and set it on fire.
The autopsy on Penicela said he had second and third degree burns on 90 per cent of his body, and that the burns were the cause of death, although he had also been shot in the head.
Balate was a careless executioner. For when he set fire to Penicela he also burnt his own arm. He invented a story to explain this injury, claiming that he had burnt his arm while tampering with the radiator of his car.
And, despite his terrible injuries, Penicela did not die in Xinavane. He was rescued and taken to Maputo Central Hospital where he was able, the following day, to make a statement, accusing Balate and other police officers. Shortly afterwards, Penicela died of his injuries, but the CD of his dying statements is attached to the prosecutors' charge sheet.
The charge sheet cited by "Escorpiao" declared that there was "no doubt" that the death of Penicela was "a summary execution". Balate and his companions had thus committed first degree murder, with the aggravating circumstances of premeditation, and the use of torture and acts of cruelty to increase the victim's suffering.
The spokesperson for the General Command of the Mozambican police, Pedro Cossa, confirmed on Tuesday that the Attorney-General's Office has arrested a senior officer in the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) for the brutal murder in 2007 of a suspected criminal named Abranches Penicela.
Relatives of Penicela, and human rights organisations have been fighting for justice in this case for over a year. Cossa said that Alexandre Balate, the heard of search and arrest operations in the Maputo branch of PIC, had been under investigation by prosecutors since last year. He was formally detained last Friday.
Penicela was arrested in 2007 on suspicion of participation in a bank robbery. He was held for a period in the Maputo top security prison, but an investigating magistrate ordered his release on the grounds of lack of evidence.
According to the charge sheet against Balate, cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent weekly "Escorpiao", he had earlier, in February 2007, raided Penicela's house, without any search warrant. During this police raid, Penicela was beaten up and called "a thief, a robber and a dangerous criminal".
After the bank robbery, it was Balate who arrested Penicela (again, without a warrant). He was angered by Penicela's release and with two other PIC agents, named as Moise Matusse and Samuel Bila, plotted to kidnap him.
On 14 August, a trap was set for Penicela. According to the charge sheet, he received a phone call from a certain Octavio who wanted to meet him on the road to Swaziland to discuss a truck being imported from South Africa. But when he arrived at the meeting place, he found himself surrounded by police officers, led by Balate.
The police seized Penicela, tied him up and injected him with a drug that rendered him unconscious. He was then taken to Xinavane, where he was blindfolded, thrown onto the floor and shot. Balate then took a container of petrol purchased by his colleagues, poured it over Penicela (who was still alive) and set it on fire.
The autopsy on Penicela said he had second and third degree burns on 90 per cent of his body, and that the burns were the cause of death, although he had also been shot in the head.
Balate was a careless executioner. For when he set fire to Penicela he also burnt his own arm. He invented a story to explain this injury, claiming that he had burnt his arm while tampering with the radiator of his car.
And, despite his terrible injuries, Penicela did not die in Xinavane. He was rescued and taken to Maputo Central Hospital where he was able, the following day, to make a statement, accusing Balate and other police officers. Shortly afterwards, Penicela died of his injuries, but the CD of his dying statements is attached to the prosecutors' charge sheet.
The charge sheet cited by "Escorpiao" declared that there was "no doubt" that the death of Penicela was "a summary execution". Balate and his companions had thus committed first degree murder, with the aggravating circumstances of premeditation, and the use of torture and acts of cruelty to increase the victim's suffering.
Phoenix Detention Officer Arrested for Molesting Teen
Phoenix police arrested a Maricopa County Sheriff's detention officer Monday on suspicion of molesting a now-teenage family member.
Police said the girl told her mother, who also is a detention officer, that the relative molested her about five years ago.
The Republic is withholding the officer's name to protect the girl.
According to police reports, the officer admitted the crime after submitting to and failing a polygraph examination.
He was then arrested on suspicion of sexual conduct with a minor.
Police said the officer was placed on administrative leave for the job he held since November 2005. Further determination of his employment was still pending.
Police said the girl told her mother, who also is a detention officer, that the relative molested her about five years ago.
The Republic is withholding the officer's name to protect the girl.
According to police reports, the officer admitted the crime after submitting to and failing a polygraph examination.
He was then arrested on suspicion of sexual conduct with a minor.
Police said the officer was placed on administrative leave for the job he held since November 2005. Further determination of his employment was still pending.
Two NYPD Officers Agree to Plea Agreement
YONKERS
Two New York City police officers charged in connection with a fight two years ago outside two McLean Avenue bars have struck a plea agreement to avoid a trial.
The officers had faced charges of official misconduct and were scheduled to go on trial in Yonkers City Court next month.
Instead, New York City Police Officers Jeffrey Alicea and Stella Ibanez pleaded guilty Wednesday to disorderly conduct, a violation, and the misdemeanor official misconduct charges were dropped, their attorneys, John D. Pappalardo of Scarsdale and John D. Patten of New York City, said yesterday.
The officers were accused of trying to cover up the involvement of a New York City police officer in a September 2007 fight in which a Yonkers man was seriously injured.
Ibanez and Alicea entered their pleas in Yonkers City Court before Judge Michael Martinelli, who fined both $75 and sentenced them to a conditional discharge.
Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, said he could not comment on the cases against Alicea and Ibanez because they had been sealed.
Both officers are currently being paid by the department, but are on modified duty. Their lawyers said they hoped to return to regular work.
"We are hoping that she can keep her job," Pappalardo said of Ibanez. "She maintained her innocence all along."
The pleas leave three defendants with pending cases in the bar incident. NYPD Officer Michael McGhee, former NYPD Officer Thomas Wimmer and their friend Patrick Tully of the Bronx are scheduled to go to trial Jan. 26, said attorney Richard Murray, who represents Wimmer.
McGhee, Wimmer and Tully are accused of assaulting 26-year-old Peter Cummins in front of Fagan's Ale House and Rockin' Robins Bar and Night Club in a fight that allegedly started when Tully said something to the victim's girlfriend that she deemed derogatory. Cummins suffered severe facial injuries, authorities said.
The three defendants are each charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
The case is being prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney's Public Integrity Bureau.
Detective Michael Spilman Charged with Sexually Abusing Teen Girl
State prosecutors filed several sex abuse charges against a former Murray police detective in 3rd District Court on Tuesday.
West Valley police arrested and booked Michael Spilman, 35, into the Davis County Jail on Jan. 9. Spilman resigned from the department Monday.
The Salt Lake County Attorney's Office filed an affidavit that included a first-degree felony charge of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, because the offence was allegedly "committed by a person who occupied a position of special trust," according to the affidavit. If convicted, the mandatory sentence is five years to life in prison.
He also faces charges of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.
Spilman is alleged to have sexually abused a teenage girl "on several different occasions" over nearly five years, according to the affidavit.
Although he lived in West Valley City where the alleged abuse occurred, Spilman was booked into the Davis County Jail according to police protocol aimed to protect officers from reprisal by inmates they investigated or arrested. He remained in jail Tuesday on $150,000 bail.
West Valley police arrested and booked Michael Spilman, 35, into the Davis County Jail on Jan. 9. Spilman resigned from the department Monday.
The Salt Lake County Attorney's Office filed an affidavit that included a first-degree felony charge of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, because the offence was allegedly "committed by a person who occupied a position of special trust," according to the affidavit. If convicted, the mandatory sentence is five years to life in prison.
He also faces charges of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.
Spilman is alleged to have sexually abused a teenage girl "on several different occasions" over nearly five years, according to the affidavit.
Although he lived in West Valley City where the alleged abuse occurred, Spilman was booked into the Davis County Jail according to police protocol aimed to protect officers from reprisal by inmates they investigated or arrested. He remained in jail Tuesday on $150,000 bail.
Information:
Family of Tasered Victim Furious that Officer is Promoted
The family of a mentally disturbed man who died after being Tasered is furious that the NYPD cop who zapped him has been promoted.
"They should tell us about this," said Olga Negron, whose son, Iman Morales, fell 10 feet to his death after being Tasered Sept. 24. Morales was on a ledge and cops werre setting up an airbag when he fell.
Emergency Services Unit Lt. Michael Pigott, who ordered Police Officer Nicholas Marchesona to fire the electroshock gun at Morales, committed suicide days later.
Marchesona was promoted to detective five weeks later, NYPD officials confirmed. His promotion was scheduled before Morales' death, an NYPD spokesman said Monday.
Morales' family members called for the Brooklyn district attorney to bring criminal charges against Marchesona, and said the NYPD should fire the officer, not reward him.
Morales' brother, Jesse, said the move compounds the family's grief.
NYPD and city officials called Morales' death a tragedy, which only deepened when Pigott killed himself at ESU headquarters Oct.2.
Pigott left behind a suicide note saying he shot himself to spare his three children from seeing him in handcuffs or behind bars, police sources said.
Pigott's note also asked Marchesona not be punished for following a superior's order.
Morales' death was ruled a homicide by the city medical examiner's office.
A spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said the office accepted the NYPD's assessment that the incident was a tragic accident with no criminality.
Morales was struck with a Taser as he balanced on an awning ledge and, naked and raving, flailed at cops with a fluorescent light bulb.
"They should tell us about this," said Olga Negron, whose son, Iman Morales, fell 10 feet to his death after being Tasered Sept. 24. Morales was on a ledge and cops werre setting up an airbag when he fell.
Emergency Services Unit Lt. Michael Pigott, who ordered Police Officer Nicholas Marchesona to fire the electroshock gun at Morales, committed suicide days later.
Marchesona was promoted to detective five weeks later, NYPD officials confirmed. His promotion was scheduled before Morales' death, an NYPD spokesman said Monday.
Morales' family members called for the Brooklyn district attorney to bring criminal charges against Marchesona, and said the NYPD should fire the officer, not reward him.
Morales' brother, Jesse, said the move compounds the family's grief.
NYPD and city officials called Morales' death a tragedy, which only deepened when Pigott killed himself at ESU headquarters Oct.2.
Pigott left behind a suicide note saying he shot himself to spare his three children from seeing him in handcuffs or behind bars, police sources said.
Pigott's note also asked Marchesona not be punished for following a superior's order.
Morales' death was ruled a homicide by the city medical examiner's office.
A spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said the office accepted the NYPD's assessment that the incident was a tragic accident with no criminality.
Morales was struck with a Taser as he balanced on an awning ledge and, naked and raving, flailed at cops with a fluorescent light bulb.
Lt Francis Cole Kills Wife then Himself
N.Y.
An NYPD lieutenant gunned down his wife and blew himself away Monday in an explosion of rage at their Long Island home, cops said.
Lt. Francis Cole, 48, who worked out of Brooklyn's 68th Precinct, stabbed his wife, Elana, 46, in the chest with a kitchen knife before shooting her in the head at their home in Centereach, police said.
He then shot himself in the head.
Cole's 18-year-old daughter tried to intervene before her parents' fight turned deadly, but was struck in the face, said Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick of the Suffolk County Police.
The daughter called 911 at 12:35 p.m. to report her father had shot her mother, Fitzpatrick said.
"The Coles had been going through a divorce and apparently this is related," Fitzpatrick said.
He said there had been no prior calls to the couple's Savoy Court home.
Cole and his wife were found in the upstairs bedroom of their two-story house. He was still alive when cops found him and rushed him to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he died.
Neighbors said they were stunned.
"There was no sign, never an argument, nothing," said Mike Arrigo. "They were an ideal family."
Besides the couple's teenage daughter, Elana Coles's 81-year-old mother was in the house at the time, Fitzpatrick said.
The couple is also survived by three sons, all in their 20s.
In 2005, Francis Cole was named in a racial discrimination suit filed by a black female officer in the 68th Precinct. The officer accused Cole of running an "old-boys club" within the NYPD that prevented her from being promoted.
An NYPD lieutenant gunned down his wife and blew himself away Monday in an explosion of rage at their Long Island home, cops said.
Lt. Francis Cole, 48, who worked out of Brooklyn's 68th Precinct, stabbed his wife, Elana, 46, in the chest with a kitchen knife before shooting her in the head at their home in Centereach, police said.
He then shot himself in the head.
Cole's 18-year-old daughter tried to intervene before her parents' fight turned deadly, but was struck in the face, said Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick of the Suffolk County Police.
The daughter called 911 at 12:35 p.m. to report her father had shot her mother, Fitzpatrick said.
"The Coles had been going through a divorce and apparently this is related," Fitzpatrick said.
He said there had been no prior calls to the couple's Savoy Court home.
Cole and his wife were found in the upstairs bedroom of their two-story house. He was still alive when cops found him and rushed him to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he died.
Neighbors said they were stunned.
"There was no sign, never an argument, nothing," said Mike Arrigo. "They were an ideal family."
Besides the couple's teenage daughter, Elana Coles's 81-year-old mother was in the house at the time, Fitzpatrick said.
The couple is also survived by three sons, all in their 20s.
In 2005, Francis Cole was named in a racial discrimination suit filed by a black female officer in the 68th Precinct. The officer accused Cole of running an "old-boys club" within the NYPD that prevented her from being promoted.
Martinsville Teen Dies From Being Tasered
The Bureau of Criminal Investigations office of the Virginia State Police in Salem is awaiting autopsy results and continuing its investigation into the death of a teenager who was struck by a police Taser in Martinsville last week.
An autopsy was to be conducted to determine the cause of death for the 17-year-old, who died Thursday night. He became unresponsive after Martinsville police officer R.L. Wray deployed a Taser in an effort to subdue the teen inside a duplex apartment at 307 Rives Road.
Tasers are electronic control devices used to subdue people. They are considered nonlethal, Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers has said.
Rogers has declined to identify the youth because of his age, but friends have identified him as Derrick Jones.
Lt. Tim Lyon of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations said he had no new information to release Monday.
“We’re waiting for official autopsy results as well as toxicology,” Lyon said, adding that he does not anticipate anything before next week. “Right now we’re not releasing anything,” due to the ongoing investigation.
Sgt. Robert Carpentieri of the state police said he did not know how often incidents of death or injury from Tasers are reported, but to his knowledge, “they’re few and far between,” he said.
Carpentieri said this is the first case he has heard about in which a person died after a Taser was deployed.
According to a report released last month by Amnesty International, a human rights organization, medical examiners and coroners have concluded that Taser shocks “caused or contributed to at least 50 deaths” in the United States between June 2001 and August 2008.
Those 50 people were among 334 who died after police deployed Tasers during the same period, according to Amnesty’s report. In most of those cases, coroners attributed the deaths to other causes, such as drug intoxication or “excited delirium,” the report said. It defined “excited delirium” as “a term often used to describe someone who is in an agitated or highly disturbed state.”
The Amnesty report cites a June 2008 study by the National Institute of Justice on deaths following the use of conducted energy devices (CEDs), the class of weapon that includes Tasers. According to Amnesty, that report “found ‘no conclusive medical evidence’ of a high risk of death or injury from the direct effects of Tasers or similar devices,” but “it stated that ‘Many aspects of the safety of CED technology are not well-known, especially with respect to its effects when used on populations other than normal healthy adults.’”
The NIJ study said the risk of death or injury associated with Tasers could be higher among children, the elderly, pregnant women, people with heart disease and other “at-risk” individuals, Amnesty reported.
When it issued its report, Amnesty International called on federal, state and local authorities to suspend the use of CEDs or, “at a minimum, limit their deployment to life-threatening situations.”
The Amnesty report acknowledges that other studies, some funded by the CED industry, have found the risk of these weapons to be “generally low” in healthy adults.
According to police accounts, the Martinsville teen was struck after Wray responded to the scene and saw evidence of what he believed was a home invasion. The officer entered the duplex and heard someone in its kitchen. He asked the person to come out so he could speak to him, police have said.
The teenager came out of the kitchen “and moved rapidly toward” Wray “in an offensive stance,” according to a city news release. The teenager also made comments that were “not too kind” to the officer, Rogers has said.
Wray deployed his Taser on the teenager, who then was subdued on the floor and handcuffed, police have said. Wray then dealt with another male teenager on the porch, whom he took into custody. When Wray returned to the 17-year-old who had been Tasered, he found him unresponsive, Rogers has said.
The officer called for rescue and administered CPR, but the teenager was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital, Rogers has said.
Witnesses later said no home invasion took place.
Contrary to previous reports, the other teenager taken into custody that night, a 15-year-old, has not been charged in the incident, Rogers said Monday.
Rogers has said Wray was within the police department’s procedures for using Tasers when he deployed his. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave.
An autopsy was to be conducted to determine the cause of death for the 17-year-old, who died Thursday night. He became unresponsive after Martinsville police officer R.L. Wray deployed a Taser in an effort to subdue the teen inside a duplex apartment at 307 Rives Road.
Tasers are electronic control devices used to subdue people. They are considered nonlethal, Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers has said.
Rogers has declined to identify the youth because of his age, but friends have identified him as Derrick Jones.
Lt. Tim Lyon of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations said he had no new information to release Monday.
“We’re waiting for official autopsy results as well as toxicology,” Lyon said, adding that he does not anticipate anything before next week. “Right now we’re not releasing anything,” due to the ongoing investigation.
Sgt. Robert Carpentieri of the state police said he did not know how often incidents of death or injury from Tasers are reported, but to his knowledge, “they’re few and far between,” he said.
Carpentieri said this is the first case he has heard about in which a person died after a Taser was deployed.
According to a report released last month by Amnesty International, a human rights organization, medical examiners and coroners have concluded that Taser shocks “caused or contributed to at least 50 deaths” in the United States between June 2001 and August 2008.
Those 50 people were among 334 who died after police deployed Tasers during the same period, according to Amnesty’s report. In most of those cases, coroners attributed the deaths to other causes, such as drug intoxication or “excited delirium,” the report said. It defined “excited delirium” as “a term often used to describe someone who is in an agitated or highly disturbed state.”
The Amnesty report cites a June 2008 study by the National Institute of Justice on deaths following the use of conducted energy devices (CEDs), the class of weapon that includes Tasers. According to Amnesty, that report “found ‘no conclusive medical evidence’ of a high risk of death or injury from the direct effects of Tasers or similar devices,” but “it stated that ‘Many aspects of the safety of CED technology are not well-known, especially with respect to its effects when used on populations other than normal healthy adults.’”
The NIJ study said the risk of death or injury associated with Tasers could be higher among children, the elderly, pregnant women, people with heart disease and other “at-risk” individuals, Amnesty reported.
When it issued its report, Amnesty International called on federal, state and local authorities to suspend the use of CEDs or, “at a minimum, limit their deployment to life-threatening situations.”
The Amnesty report acknowledges that other studies, some funded by the CED industry, have found the risk of these weapons to be “generally low” in healthy adults.
According to police accounts, the Martinsville teen was struck after Wray responded to the scene and saw evidence of what he believed was a home invasion. The officer entered the duplex and heard someone in its kitchen. He asked the person to come out so he could speak to him, police have said.
The teenager came out of the kitchen “and moved rapidly toward” Wray “in an offensive stance,” according to a city news release. The teenager also made comments that were “not too kind” to the officer, Rogers has said.
Wray deployed his Taser on the teenager, who then was subdued on the floor and handcuffed, police have said. Wray then dealt with another male teenager on the porch, whom he took into custody. When Wray returned to the 17-year-old who had been Tasered, he found him unresponsive, Rogers has said.
The officer called for rescue and administered CPR, but the teenager was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital, Rogers has said.
Witnesses later said no home invasion took place.
Contrary to previous reports, the other teenager taken into custody that night, a 15-year-old, has not been charged in the incident, Rogers said Monday.
Rogers has said Wray was within the police department’s procedures for using Tasers when he deployed his. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Retired Officer Jose Arroyo Charged with Kidnapping & Rape
GREENBURGH, N.Y.
A retired New York City policeman has been accused of drugging a woman in a Bronx bar and then raping her in a Westchester County motel.
Police in Greenburgh say 46-year-old Jose Arroyo is charged with second-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape and has been sent to the Westchester County Jail.
A call to Arroyo's lawyer, Todd Lamond, was not immediately returned Monday.
Police say Arroyo, a property manager and nightclub bouncer from the Bronx, met the 31-year-old woman Nov. 14 in the bar and drugged her drink. The police account says that while the woman was helpless, Arroyo took her to the Alexander Motel in White Plains and raped her. She awoke and fled the next morning.
Arroyo was arrested Friday. Bail was set at $200,000.
A retired New York City policeman has been accused of drugging a woman in a Bronx bar and then raping her in a Westchester County motel.
Police in Greenburgh say 46-year-old Jose Arroyo is charged with second-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape and has been sent to the Westchester County Jail.
A call to Arroyo's lawyer, Todd Lamond, was not immediately returned Monday.
Police say Arroyo, a property manager and nightclub bouncer from the Bronx, met the 31-year-old woman Nov. 14 in the bar and drugged her drink. The police account says that while the woman was helpless, Arroyo took her to the Alexander Motel in White Plains and raped her. She awoke and fled the next morning.
Arroyo was arrested Friday. Bail was set at $200,000.
Officer James Post Arrested for Drunk Driving
A Myrtle Beach Police officer is no longer on the force after being pulled on suspicion of drinking and driving.
James Post, 38, of Myrtle Beach resigned and now faces a driving under the influence charge.
Highway Patrol says just after midnight on Friday, a trooper spotted Post weaving in and out of traffic on River Oaks Drive in Myrtle Beach.
The trooper did a field sobriety test and then arrested Post, and took him to jail.
He was released Saturday morning.
More information:
http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/grand_strand/article/mb_officer_charged_with_driving_under_the_influence/27475/
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