VICTORIA ,Canada
Victoria's police chief has ordered a criminal investigation into an allegation of excessive use of force by one of his officers.
Chief Jamie Graham says the allegation arose from an October arrest of two people for being intoxicated in public.
Mr. Graham says the people involved were not seriously hurt, but he could not provide any further details.
An internal police review and investigation under B.C.'s Police Act were launched and because the allegation involves use of force, Mr. Graham said yesterday he has ordered a criminal investigation as well.
The officer involved, who has been on the force for three years, has been reassigned.
Mr. Graham said the incident and others like it show the need for more supervision in the police cell block, so as of this week there is a sergeant posted in the jail full-time.
"We owe all inmates and prisoners, no matter what their condition and behaviour, an additional level of care. Many are sick, injured, intoxicated; many are mentally ill, and may not be able to look after themselves or behave as they normally do," Mr. Graham said at a news conference.
"Any use of force in the cell area must be justified in law. Regardless of the circumstances of why someone is in our custody, they deserve to be treated with respect."
Last year, a B.C. jury awarded $60,000 to Willow Kinloch, a Victoria teen who spent four hours tied up in a padded cell and tethered to the cell door in May of 2005. The Victoria Police Department has appealed the decision.
The police force has had other high-profile internal investigations recently.
Deputy chief John Ducker is facing a conflict-of-interest investigation after allegations surfaced that he was contacted to help an acquaintance whose son had been arrested for theft under $5,000.
Police said the acquaintance wanted Mr. Ducker's help to ensure that the young man would face stern consequences for a crime that sometimes doesn't even result in charges.
The allegations of conflict of interest were later found to be unsubstantiated by Abbotsford's police chief.
And last August, former police chief Paul Battershill quit days before he was to face a disciplinary hearing.
An RCMP investigation found no criminal wrongdoing but found complaints of favouritism over Mr. Battershill's personal relationship with a person who provided services to the police department.
Mr. Graham, Mr. Battershill's replacement, also faced heavy criticism as Vancouver's chief of police for the way he handled allegations of misconduct against his officers.
An independent investigation by another police force found Mr. Graham guilty of discreditable conduct for failing to co-operate with an RCMP probe of 50 allegations of misconduct against Vancouver police on behalf of residents of the city's notorious Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
B.C. Police Complaint Commissioner Dirk Ryneveld wrote that although Mr. Graham did not condone the lack of co-operation by the officers, he did not take the necessary steps to ensure they complied.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
NOPO Arrested for Raping Stepson & Stepdaughters
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputies arrested a New Orleans police officer Thursday, accused of raping his stepson and two stepdaughters, Sheriff Jack Strain confirmed Saturday morning.
With his lawyer in tow, the 50-year-old Slidell man, a 17-year- veteran and sergeant of the NOPD patrol section, turned himself into authorities Thursday about 4:30 p.m., Strain said.
He was booked into St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington on three counts of aggravated rape and aggravated incest, Strain said. Strain did not reveal the alleged victims' ages, but under Louisiana law aggravated rape can be charged when a victim is 13 or younger.
Aggravated rape carries a mandatory life in prison sentence if convicted.
The alleged abuse came to light when one of the children told an 'educator' about the abuse, Strain said.
An investigation was launched, and 'obviously it didn't take long to realize who (the suspect was),' Strain said.
'I personally spoke with (NOPD Police) Chief Warren Riley to tell him about our investigation,' Strain said. 'He offered any support the department can give and complete cooperation.'
The man, whose name is being withheld to protect the victims, has been suspended from the NOPD pending the investigation, Bob Young, an NOPD spokesman said.
The investigation took six weeks after the 'kids were removed from custody' because St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office investigators wanted to build a strong case, Strain said.
'We believe this case is just as good as any we solved,' Strain said. 'It's an incredibly unfortunate incident, but it shows how serious we are.'
Detectives investigated where other abuses occurred in the suspect's role as a police officer, but to date 'we have seen no evidence that there could be any other victims related to his job,' Strain said.
With his lawyer in tow, the 50-year-old Slidell man, a 17-year- veteran and sergeant of the NOPD patrol section, turned himself into authorities Thursday about 4:30 p.m., Strain said.
He was booked into St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington on three counts of aggravated rape and aggravated incest, Strain said. Strain did not reveal the alleged victims' ages, but under Louisiana law aggravated rape can be charged when a victim is 13 or younger.
Aggravated rape carries a mandatory life in prison sentence if convicted.
The alleged abuse came to light when one of the children told an 'educator' about the abuse, Strain said.
An investigation was launched, and 'obviously it didn't take long to realize who (the suspect was),' Strain said.
'I personally spoke with (NOPD Police) Chief Warren Riley to tell him about our investigation,' Strain said. 'He offered any support the department can give and complete cooperation.'
The man, whose name is being withheld to protect the victims, has been suspended from the NOPD pending the investigation, Bob Young, an NOPD spokesman said.
The investigation took six weeks after the 'kids were removed from custody' because St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office investigators wanted to build a strong case, Strain said.
'We believe this case is just as good as any we solved,' Strain said. 'It's an incredibly unfortunate incident, but it shows how serious we are.'
Detectives investigated where other abuses occurred in the suspect's role as a police officer, but to date 'we have seen no evidence that there could be any other victims related to his job,' Strain said.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Officer Wayne Fisher Investiegated for Having Sexual Contact with Prostitutes
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
The recommended punishment for a Metro police officer investigated on suspicion of having sexual contact with prostitutes is a three-day suspension.
Officer Wayne Fisher was recently investigated for allegedly going too far with prostitutes while working undercover.
An independent investigation recommends Fisher lose three vacation days, which is basically a three-day suspension.
Chief Ronal Serpas still has to approve the recommendation.
Fisher has already been taken out of the vice unit.
In the case file, Fisher indicated he didn't know he couldn't have sexual contact with prostitutes.
Previous Story:
November 10, 2008: Officer Accused Of Sex With Prostitute
The recommended punishment for a Metro police officer investigated on suspicion of having sexual contact with prostitutes is a three-day suspension.
Officer Wayne Fisher was recently investigated for allegedly going too far with prostitutes while working undercover.
An independent investigation recommends Fisher lose three vacation days, which is basically a three-day suspension.
Chief Ronal Serpas still has to approve the recommendation.
Fisher has already been taken out of the vice unit.
In the case file, Fisher indicated he didn't know he couldn't have sexual contact with prostitutes.
Previous Story:
November 10, 2008: Officer Accused Of Sex With Prostitute
Officer Paul Sparks Committs Suicide After Woman Files Sexual Assault Complaint
Just hours before Officer Paul Sparks committed suicide, a woman filed a sexual assault complaint against him. The Dalton Police Chief says his investigation shows Sparks had 'improper sexual conduct' with the woman, but he's still trying to figure out if that conduct was criminal.
Step inside the Oyster Pub and Grill and you'll meet a number of Officer Paul Sparks' friends.
"He would just come in here and check on everything in the bar and keep us all laughing and cut up, everybody loved him," Kellie Frye, a friend, says.
"If we had a girl that was too drunk he would put her in a car and always get her home safely," Sabrina Henderson, a friend, says.
We've learned that while on duty Sparks responded to break up a fight inside of the bar just hours before he took his own life inside of the Dalton Police Department.
Employees tell us that one of the women involved in the fight had to leave the Oyster Pub and go next door to the Guest Inn to get her id out of her room. According to the police report the Guest Inn is where the alleged sexual assault took place.
The police report states that at four a.m. officers responded to a sexual assault call at the Guest Inn - that's two hours before Sparks committed suicide.
"Well I think we're still in shock at the loss of officer sparks and its difficult to work through these things however I think we owe it to the citizens and the public to make sure we get all the facts," Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker says.
Facts which could shed light as to why Sparks took his own life. Parker says both his office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are now looking into the sexual assault allegation.
"I don't believe it for one minute in the world," Frye says. "He's just not that kind of person at all."
"Naw I don't believe it, I can't believe it," Henderson says.
But while the investigation continues, the people who knew Sparks the best want to remember the officer who helped them get home and always kept them smiling.
"He was a friend," Henderson says.
"He was a friend, a police officer, he was just a very well loved man," Frye says.
The Dalton Police Chief says that his investigation shows that none of his other officers were involved in this incident.
Step inside the Oyster Pub and Grill and you'll meet a number of Officer Paul Sparks' friends.
"He would just come in here and check on everything in the bar and keep us all laughing and cut up, everybody loved him," Kellie Frye, a friend, says.
"If we had a girl that was too drunk he would put her in a car and always get her home safely," Sabrina Henderson, a friend, says.
We've learned that while on duty Sparks responded to break up a fight inside of the bar just hours before he took his own life inside of the Dalton Police Department.
Employees tell us that one of the women involved in the fight had to leave the Oyster Pub and go next door to the Guest Inn to get her id out of her room. According to the police report the Guest Inn is where the alleged sexual assault took place.
The police report states that at four a.m. officers responded to a sexual assault call at the Guest Inn - that's two hours before Sparks committed suicide.
"Well I think we're still in shock at the loss of officer sparks and its difficult to work through these things however I think we owe it to the citizens and the public to make sure we get all the facts," Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker says.
Facts which could shed light as to why Sparks took his own life. Parker says both his office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are now looking into the sexual assault allegation.
"I don't believe it for one minute in the world," Frye says. "He's just not that kind of person at all."
"Naw I don't believe it, I can't believe it," Henderson says.
But while the investigation continues, the people who knew Sparks the best want to remember the officer who helped them get home and always kept them smiling.
"He was a friend," Henderson says.
"He was a friend, a police officer, he was just a very well loved man," Frye says.
The Dalton Police Chief says that his investigation shows that none of his other officers were involved in this incident.
Jury Deliberations Begin for Former Sheriff Mike Burgess
Fairview, Oklahoma
Jury deliberations began this afternoon in the trial of former Custer County Sheriff Mike Burgess, who is accused of using his power over inmates and drug court defendants to force them to have sex with him.
Deliberations began about 4:30 p.m. In closing arguments, a prosecutor said Burgess' position as a member of a team controlling a drug court put him in position to sexually coerce defendants.
A defense attorney says the accusers are either lying for financial gain in civil litigation, or the sex was consensual.
Burgess has pleaded not guilty to 36 charges of rape, rape by instrumentation, kidnapping, sexual battery and oral sodomy
Jury deliberations began this afternoon in the trial of former Custer County Sheriff Mike Burgess, who is accused of using his power over inmates and drug court defendants to force them to have sex with him.
Deliberations began about 4:30 p.m. In closing arguments, a prosecutor said Burgess' position as a member of a team controlling a drug court put him in position to sexually coerce defendants.
A defense attorney says the accusers are either lying for financial gain in civil litigation, or the sex was consensual.
Burgess has pleaded not guilty to 36 charges of rape, rape by instrumentation, kidnapping, sexual battery and oral sodomy
Jury Acquitted Former Sheriff Michael Carona of Bribery Charges
A jury acquitted former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona of charges that he took bribes in exchange for the power of his office, a verdict that stunned the courtroom and was hailed by the elated defendant as "an absolute miracle." Carona was convicted of one witness-tampering count, but the jury rejected the heart of a case that federal prosecutors spent five years assembling against the former head of the nation's fifth-largest sheriff's department.
He had been accused of doing favors for a multimillionaire businessman and appointing him assistant sheriff in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts. Several jurors said they believed Carona was involved in misconduct but that the government hadn't proven its case.
Carona, 53, began shaking as the verdicts were being read in U.S. District Court, then put his head down on the counsel table and sobbed loudly.
In the gallery, his wife, Deborah, and friends gasped. "Oh my God!" blurted his wife, who, along with her husband's ex-mistress, faces related charges.
The conspiracy charge alone alleged 64 overt criminal acts. Although the statute of limitations expired on most of those acts, the jury only had to find one of the remaining acts true for a conspiracy conviction.
"If you all don't believe in miracles, if you don't believe in God, what you just witnessed was an absolute miracle and God is watching over me," Carona said later. "Based on what you heard in this trial, some of the salacious stuff, there's a lot of things I need to apologize for in my life. I've made some mistakes along the way. The good news is God forgives people and apparently I'm one of the people he forgave."
If convicted of all counts, Carona could have spent the rest of his life in prison. Instead, he faces up to 20 years, but is likely to get only two or three, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Julian. The defense said probation is possible.
Several jurors said they believe the allegations against Carona but could not find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt because they considered businessman Don Haidl - the government's chief witness and the sheriff's alleged benefactor - to be untrustworthy. They also wanted to hear from another witness who was said to be the conduit for payments to the sheriff but was not called by the government.
"In my mind there's no doubt that he did what he did, but we have to go by what the law said," juror Jim Ybarra said. "They were obviously in some kind of cahoots and everybody felt that."
The jury, which had deliberated since Jan. 8 after a 10-week trial, found Carona not guilty of one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud and one count of witness tampering.
His lone witness-tampering conviction involved a secretly recorded conversation in which he attempted to persuade Haidl to match their stories in front of the grand jury. Haidl, who was named as an unindicted coconspirator in the case, reached a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for his cooperation.
Defense attorney Jeff Rawitz said he will appeal the conviction and has filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the entire case on grounds of egregious grand jury conduct.
Prosecutor Julian said he was disappointed at the outcome but was pleased by jurors' comments.
"What I heard from the jurors was they thought the charged conduct had occurred but the indictment was brought too late and they had to follow the law, and we'll respect that," he said.
The judge said Carona could be released on bond, with restrictions against travel.
Carona, once dubbed "America's sheriff" by CNN's Larry King for helping put away a child murderer, was indicted in October 2007 and retired three months later.
The government charged in 1998, the year he was first elected, Carona solicited Haidl's help to launder at least $30,000 in campaign contributions.
Once elected, Carona rewarded Haidl with the post of assistant sheriff, prosecutors said. Haidl received a car, a gun, a badge, a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, and control over a new reserve deputy program that allowed him to hand out law enforcement badges to his friends, relatives and associates, the government said.
Haidl continued to bribe Carona once in office by paying him $1,000 a month, paying for luxurious trips and tailored suits, lending Carona his yacht and private jet and bailing out Carona's mistress and her foundering law firm with a questionable bridge loan, the government said.
The prosecution contended that Haidl's gifts to Carona exceeded $430,000 over several years.
Haidl eventually became a government informant, along with another former assistant sheriff and Carona's one-time campaign manager, George Jaramillo. Both men reached plea deals with prosecutors.
Haidl wore a wire to three meetings with Carona in summer 2007, producing hours of profanity-laced audio tapes that were repeatedly played at trial. Haidl spent 10 days on the witness stand but Jaramillo did not testify.
Ybarra, the juror, said putting Jaramillo on the stand "would have made a huge difference" because Haidl testified he funneled all payments to Carona through Jaramillo.
Haidl continued to bribe Carona once in office by paying him $1,000 a month, paying for luxurious trips and tailored suits, lending Carona his yacht and private jet and bailing out Carona's mistress and her foundering law firm with a questionable bridge loan, the government said.
The prosecution contended that Haidl's gifts to Carona exceeded $430,000 over several years.
Haidl eventually became a government informant, along with another former assistant sheriff and Carona's one-time campaign manager, George Jaramillo. Both men reached plea deals with prosecutors.
Haidl wore a wire to three meetings with Carona in summer 2007, producing hours of profanity-laced audio tapes that were repeatedly played at trial. Haidl spent 10 days on the witness stand but Jaramillo did not testify.
Ybarra, the juror, said putting Jaramillo on the stand "would have made a huge difference" because Haidl testified he funneled all payments to Carona through Jaramillo.
Julian said the decision not to call Jaramillo as a witness was a strategic one.
Jaramillo, like Haidl a former assistant sheriff, was listed as an unindicted coconspirator in Carona's indictment and was fired by Carona in 2004 for misconduct. He reached a plea deal in the current federal case and has also served time in state prison for unrelated felony charges.
Ybarra said the jury also was frustrated that the statute of limitations left only five acts to consider for a conspiracy. Three other acts fingered other members of the alleged conspiracy.
"If they had issued that indictment in June that would have brought in about 30 other overt acts and we could have been able to find him guilty," said Ybarra, 54, a teacher from Garden Grove.
Carona's former mistress, Debra Hoffman, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud and bankruptcy fraud. His wife is charged with a single count of conspiracy.
The women are facing trial together, but Julian said the government was reviewing what to do with the two remaining defendan
He had been accused of doing favors for a multimillionaire businessman and appointing him assistant sheriff in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts. Several jurors said they believed Carona was involved in misconduct but that the government hadn't proven its case.
Carona, 53, began shaking as the verdicts were being read in U.S. District Court, then put his head down on the counsel table and sobbed loudly.
In the gallery, his wife, Deborah, and friends gasped. "Oh my God!" blurted his wife, who, along with her husband's ex-mistress, faces related charges.
The conspiracy charge alone alleged 64 overt criminal acts. Although the statute of limitations expired on most of those acts, the jury only had to find one of the remaining acts true for a conspiracy conviction.
"If you all don't believe in miracles, if you don't believe in God, what you just witnessed was an absolute miracle and God is watching over me," Carona said later. "Based on what you heard in this trial, some of the salacious stuff, there's a lot of things I need to apologize for in my life. I've made some mistakes along the way. The good news is God forgives people and apparently I'm one of the people he forgave."
If convicted of all counts, Carona could have spent the rest of his life in prison. Instead, he faces up to 20 years, but is likely to get only two or three, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Julian. The defense said probation is possible.
Several jurors said they believe the allegations against Carona but could not find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt because they considered businessman Don Haidl - the government's chief witness and the sheriff's alleged benefactor - to be untrustworthy. They also wanted to hear from another witness who was said to be the conduit for payments to the sheriff but was not called by the government.
"In my mind there's no doubt that he did what he did, but we have to go by what the law said," juror Jim Ybarra said. "They were obviously in some kind of cahoots and everybody felt that."
The jury, which had deliberated since Jan. 8 after a 10-week trial, found Carona not guilty of one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud and one count of witness tampering.
His lone witness-tampering conviction involved a secretly recorded conversation in which he attempted to persuade Haidl to match their stories in front of the grand jury. Haidl, who was named as an unindicted coconspirator in the case, reached a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for his cooperation.
Defense attorney Jeff Rawitz said he will appeal the conviction and has filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the entire case on grounds of egregious grand jury conduct.
Prosecutor Julian said he was disappointed at the outcome but was pleased by jurors' comments.
"What I heard from the jurors was they thought the charged conduct had occurred but the indictment was brought too late and they had to follow the law, and we'll respect that," he said.
The judge said Carona could be released on bond, with restrictions against travel.
Carona, once dubbed "America's sheriff" by CNN's Larry King for helping put away a child murderer, was indicted in October 2007 and retired three months later.
The government charged in 1998, the year he was first elected, Carona solicited Haidl's help to launder at least $30,000 in campaign contributions.
Once elected, Carona rewarded Haidl with the post of assistant sheriff, prosecutors said. Haidl received a car, a gun, a badge, a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, and control over a new reserve deputy program that allowed him to hand out law enforcement badges to his friends, relatives and associates, the government said.
Haidl continued to bribe Carona once in office by paying him $1,000 a month, paying for luxurious trips and tailored suits, lending Carona his yacht and private jet and bailing out Carona's mistress and her foundering law firm with a questionable bridge loan, the government said.
The prosecution contended that Haidl's gifts to Carona exceeded $430,000 over several years.
Haidl eventually became a government informant, along with another former assistant sheriff and Carona's one-time campaign manager, George Jaramillo. Both men reached plea deals with prosecutors.
Haidl wore a wire to three meetings with Carona in summer 2007, producing hours of profanity-laced audio tapes that were repeatedly played at trial. Haidl spent 10 days on the witness stand but Jaramillo did not testify.
Ybarra, the juror, said putting Jaramillo on the stand "would have made a huge difference" because Haidl testified he funneled all payments to Carona through Jaramillo.
Haidl continued to bribe Carona once in office by paying him $1,000 a month, paying for luxurious trips and tailored suits, lending Carona his yacht and private jet and bailing out Carona's mistress and her foundering law firm with a questionable bridge loan, the government said.
The prosecution contended that Haidl's gifts to Carona exceeded $430,000 over several years.
Haidl eventually became a government informant, along with another former assistant sheriff and Carona's one-time campaign manager, George Jaramillo. Both men reached plea deals with prosecutors.
Haidl wore a wire to three meetings with Carona in summer 2007, producing hours of profanity-laced audio tapes that were repeatedly played at trial. Haidl spent 10 days on the witness stand but Jaramillo did not testify.
Ybarra, the juror, said putting Jaramillo on the stand "would have made a huge difference" because Haidl testified he funneled all payments to Carona through Jaramillo.
Julian said the decision not to call Jaramillo as a witness was a strategic one.
Jaramillo, like Haidl a former assistant sheriff, was listed as an unindicted coconspirator in Carona's indictment and was fired by Carona in 2004 for misconduct. He reached a plea deal in the current federal case and has also served time in state prison for unrelated felony charges.
Ybarra said the jury also was frustrated that the statute of limitations left only five acts to consider for a conspiracy. Three other acts fingered other members of the alleged conspiracy.
"If they had issued that indictment in June that would have brought in about 30 other overt acts and we could have been able to find him guilty," said Ybarra, 54, a teacher from Garden Grove.
Carona's former mistress, Debra Hoffman, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud and bankruptcy fraud. His wife is charged with a single count of conspiracy.
The women are facing trial together, but Julian said the government was reviewing what to do with the two remaining defendan
Reserve Officer Edward Henry Charged with Sexual Battery
A reserve Oakland police officer was charged last month with sexual battery on a woman he's known for 20 years.
Edward L. Henry, who worked with the Oakland police since 2004, was arrested last month after the victim went to the police.
Henry, 40, admitted that he forced himself upon the victim who had gone to his home with the intention of dying his hair, reports show.
The woman told police she repeatedly asked the Henry to stop having sex with her, according to an arrest affidavit. They had had consensual sexual relations about seven years prior, the report said.
Henry was relieved of duty from Oakland Police Department on Dec. 20, the day he was arrested, said Lt. Wesner Osselyn. Henry worked on the bike patrol unit as an un-paid reserve deputy. Osselyn said Henry did not have a disciplinary history with the department.
Henry was booked into the Orange County Jail on sexual battery charges, but has since been released.
Officer James Stafford Will Stand Trial for Stalking
BOULDER, Colo.
A Lafayette police officer will stand trial on charges of stalking his ex-girlfriend.
James Edward Stafford plead not guilty Thursday to charges of stalking, felony harassment, criminal mischief related to domestic violence and official misconduct. That last charge comes from allegations that he ticketed his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend last summer and then sent her a text message that said, "Your boyfriend just received a ticket, ha ha."
The 34-year-old officer is on unpaid leave. His attorney declined to comment and says Stafford would not answer questions. Trial is set for June 22.
Stafford also is accused of sending his ex text messages indicating he was watching her at a restaurant where she worked.
Information from: Daily Camera, http://www.thedailycamera.com
A Lafayette police officer will stand trial on charges of stalking his ex-girlfriend.
James Edward Stafford plead not guilty Thursday to charges of stalking, felony harassment, criminal mischief related to domestic violence and official misconduct. That last charge comes from allegations that he ticketed his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend last summer and then sent her a text message that said, "Your boyfriend just received a ticket, ha ha."
The 34-year-old officer is on unpaid leave. His attorney declined to comment and says Stafford would not answer questions. Trial is set for June 22.
Stafford also is accused of sending his ex text messages indicating he was watching her at a restaurant where she worked.
Information from: Daily Camera, http://www.thedailycamera.com
Officer James Gaddis & Neighbor Rob Bank
CARBONDALE, Ill.
A Carbondale police officer has been suspended without pay after prosecutors alleged he and his neighbor were the two men that robbed a bank at gunpoint while wearing motorcycle helmets.
Jackson County prosecutors charged city patrolman James Gaddis, 26, and Anthony Fike, 35, both of Murphysboro, in the Oct. 9 holdup of the First Southern Bank in this southern Illinois city.
Authorities would not discuss a possible motive in the holdup, though Jackson County Circuit Court files show that Flagstar Bank filed mortgage foreclosure proceedings against Gaddis in December.
Investigators say two robbers wearing motorcycle helmets entered the bank and one suspect held an employee at gunpoint while the other snatched cash from the bank's drawers. Investigators say the suspects fled on motorcycle, making off with about $22,000. No one was injured.
Gaddis, a Carbondale patrolman since 2004, was arrested Wednesday and remained jailed Friday on $1 million bond. Fike surrendered to Jackson County deputies Thursday and was freed on $50,000 bond later that day.
It was not immediately clear whether either man has an attorney. Gaddis and Fike do not have listed home telephone numbers.
"If the charge is proven true, Mr. Gaddis not only violated the law but also betrayed his oath of office and the trust which his fellow officers and the citizens of this community placed in him," Mike Wepsiec, the county's state's attorney, told reporters Thursday in announcing the charges.
The prosecutor declined to discuss the evidence but said the investigation made it "abundantly clear a police officer was involved," alleging without elaboration that Gaddis "used some of his tools as a police officer to perpetrate the robbery."
Messages seeking comment were left Friday by The Associated Press with Wepsiec and interim Police Chief Jeff Grubbs, whose offices said they were out of the office for the day.
Preliminary hearings for Gaddis and Fike are scheduled for Jan. 30.
Information: http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=9685589
A Carbondale police officer has been suspended without pay after prosecutors alleged he and his neighbor were the two men that robbed a bank at gunpoint while wearing motorcycle helmets.
Jackson County prosecutors charged city patrolman James Gaddis, 26, and Anthony Fike, 35, both of Murphysboro, in the Oct. 9 holdup of the First Southern Bank in this southern Illinois city.
Authorities would not discuss a possible motive in the holdup, though Jackson County Circuit Court files show that Flagstar Bank filed mortgage foreclosure proceedings against Gaddis in December.
Investigators say two robbers wearing motorcycle helmets entered the bank and one suspect held an employee at gunpoint while the other snatched cash from the bank's drawers. Investigators say the suspects fled on motorcycle, making off with about $22,000. No one was injured.
Gaddis, a Carbondale patrolman since 2004, was arrested Wednesday and remained jailed Friday on $1 million bond. Fike surrendered to Jackson County deputies Thursday and was freed on $50,000 bond later that day.
It was not immediately clear whether either man has an attorney. Gaddis and Fike do not have listed home telephone numbers.
"If the charge is proven true, Mr. Gaddis not only violated the law but also betrayed his oath of office and the trust which his fellow officers and the citizens of this community placed in him," Mike Wepsiec, the county's state's attorney, told reporters Thursday in announcing the charges.
The prosecutor declined to discuss the evidence but said the investigation made it "abundantly clear a police officer was involved," alleging without elaboration that Gaddis "used some of his tools as a police officer to perpetrate the robbery."
Messages seeking comment were left Friday by The Associated Press with Wepsiec and interim Police Chief Jeff Grubbs, whose offices said they were out of the office for the day.
Preliminary hearings for Gaddis and Fike are scheduled for Jan. 30.
Information: http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=9685589
Former FBI John Connolly Sentenced to 40 Years for Murder
Miami, FL
Former FBI agent John Connolly has been sentenced to 40 years for the 1982 mob-related killing of a Miami gambling executive that was connected to the killing of a Tulsa businessman a year earlier.
Judge Stanford Blake imposed the sentence Thursday after rejecting defense claims that the statute of limitations expired on Connolly's second-degree murder conviction. Prosecutors said that didn't apply because a gun was used in the killing of 45-year-old John Callahan.
Trial testimony showed Connolly provided information to Boston mobsters leading to Callahan's killing by a hit man.
Mob bosses feared Callahan would implicate them in the 1981 killing of businessman Roger Wheeler in Tulsa.
The 68-year-old Connolly is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for his corrupt dealings with Boston's Winter Hill Gang.
Former FBI agent John Connolly has been sentenced to 40 years for the 1982 mob-related killing of a Miami gambling executive that was connected to the killing of a Tulsa businessman a year earlier.
Judge Stanford Blake imposed the sentence Thursday after rejecting defense claims that the statute of limitations expired on Connolly's second-degree murder conviction. Prosecutors said that didn't apply because a gun was used in the killing of 45-year-old John Callahan.
Trial testimony showed Connolly provided information to Boston mobsters leading to Callahan's killing by a hit man.
Mob bosses feared Callahan would implicate them in the 1981 killing of businessman Roger Wheeler in Tulsa.
The 68-year-old Connolly is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for his corrupt dealings with Boston's Winter Hill Gang.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Danville Organization Wants State Wide Moratorium on Use of Tasers
Danville, VA
A Danville organization is calling for a state wide moratorium on the use of a taser. The city's chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference held a press conference at the Mount Caramel Baptist Church -- to address the use of tasers by law enforcement.
The conference comes exactly one week after a 17 year old Martinsville boy died after an officer tasered him. Organization leaders say they understand tasers can be used to save lives but say the risks may outweigh the benefits.
Rev. William Keen, Southern Christian Leadership Conference - "We want a moratorium on the taser ‘til further study is done to prove what is causing the deaths of those that are tasered."
The organization says they'd like to hold public hearings in Martinsville to raise awareness about the use of tasers.
A Danville organization is calling for a state wide moratorium on the use of a taser. The city's chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference held a press conference at the Mount Caramel Baptist Church -- to address the use of tasers by law enforcement.
The conference comes exactly one week after a 17 year old Martinsville boy died after an officer tasered him. Organization leaders say they understand tasers can be used to save lives but say the risks may outweigh the benefits.
Rev. William Keen, Southern Christian Leadership Conference - "We want a moratorium on the taser ‘til further study is done to prove what is causing the deaths of those that are tasered."
The organization says they'd like to hold public hearings in Martinsville to raise awareness about the use of tasers.
Non-Lethal Tasers Have Killed More than 400 People
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?"
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?"
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.
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