The FBI is investigating allegations that the head of the Oakland Police Department's Internal Affairs Division almost nine years ago beat a drug suspect who later died, and then ordered subordinate officers to lie about it, according to police sources, some of whom federal agents recently have interviewed.
The beating allegations are just one aspect of a wide-ranging FBI probe covering many of the department's recent high-profile problems, including the handling of the 2007 slaying of journalist Chauncey Bailey, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of workplace reprisals.
Capt. Edward I. Poulson, who heads Internal Affairs, was suspended with pay by the department Thursday.
Poulson, of Danville, did not return messages. Police Chief Wayne Tucker refused requests for an interview. In a written statement released Thursday night, Tucker said the department was cooperating with the FBI.
The FBI is investigating allegations that Poulson, working with an undercover team in April 2000, kicked a drug suspect, breaking his ribs, the sources said. The suspect, Jerry Amaro, died about a month later of pneumonia caused by broken ribs and a collapsed lung, according to a coroner's report. Before Amaro died, he told several people about the incident, according to police reports.
Internal Affairs investigators at the time found that Poulson ordered subordinate officers to lie about his involvement, and those investigators called for his firing, according to the sources. Then-Chief Richard Word instead suspended Poulson for two weeks. No charges were brought in Amaro's death after a homicide investigation, the sources said.
During that investigation, officers who arrested Amaro said they saw no use of force as he was captured, according to homicide case notes obtained by the Chauncey Bailey Project, a group of Bay Area journalists.
But during a subsequent Internal Affairs investigation, the same officers said Poulson ordered them to protect him, according to an officer familiar with their statements. Those statements led to administrative charges against Poulson and the two-week suspension.
Officers with knowledge of the matter said colleagues were angry that a member of the command staff who had been punished for interfering in an Internal Affairs investigation was later put in charge of Internal Affairs, and they alerted the FBI. Two senior members of the department said Thursday that Tucker had been advised last year not to put Poulson in charge of Internal Affairs because of the Amaro case.
The investigation of Poulson comes as the Internal Affairs Division remains under the oversight of U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson and a team of independent monitors under the Negotiated Settlement Agreement reached after the infamous Riders corruption case in 2001.
The U.S. attorney for Northern California, Joseph Russanello, said Thursday that he could neither confirm nor deny the investigation, adding that the only confirmation could come from people FBI agents interviewed.
Mayor Ron Dellums was returning from inauguration festivities in Washington and could not be reached on Thursday.
A former federal officer with knowledge of the matter said two teams of agents are conducting the investigation — one concentrating on possible civil rights violations and the other on public corruption.
Two police officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday that FBI agents have interviewed them in recent days about Amaro's arrest and death, and a raft of other incidents that include:
The department's handling of Bailey's Aug. 2, 2007, slaying, for which police arrested only one person on murder charges. The Chauncey Bailey Project reported in October that the lead detective in the case, Sgt. Derwin Longmire, failed to document in his case notes evidence of a conspiracy pointing to former Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV's involvement in the killing.
The recent scandal involving the falsification of search warrants. Department leaders last week notified 11 officers of their intention to fire them. Another officer was fired last month.
A whistle-blower complaint that police Lt. Lawrence Green filed last month alleging that Tucker squashed a rank-and-file vote of no confidence in his administration by promoting then-police union president, Officer Robert Valladon, to "acting sergeant," a move that increased Valladon's pay and boosted his eligibility for a higher pension.
Allegations that former City Administrator Deborah Edgerly last year leaked news of a pending drug raid to a nephew who was a gang member.
The conduct of Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Loman, who is accused of sexually harassing a subordinate female officer and also is being investigated for his supervision of Longmire's work in the Bailey case.
The FBI probe comes nearly three months after Dellums requested the state Justice Department conduct a parallel investigation of an internal affairs probe of how the Bailey case was handled.
Since then, the department notified officers of its intent to fire them in the warrant-falsification scandal, sexual harassment charges were filed against Loman, and Green filed the whistle-blower complaint about Tucker and Valladon.
In the statement he issued Thursday night, Tucker urged Oakland residents "not to allow recent allegations of misconduct to overshadow the successful policing efforts achieved by" the department.
City Council members provided a harsher view.
"We are in chaos and no end in sight to some of the problems we are facing here when it comes to the Police Department," City Councilmember and Vice Mayor Ignacio De La Fuente, a frequent department critic, said Thursday.
Council President Jane Brunner said Poulson's record should have been considered.
"The lead Internal Affairs investigator should have been vetted," Brunner said. "It's like in Congress and the person who is leading the ethics commission, you need to vet the people doing Internal Affairs to the point that they need to be squeaky clean."
Other Information: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/23/BAUG15G5B9.DTL
Friday, January 23, 2009
Officer Andrew Thompson Gets Away with Drunk Driving
PEKIN
A Pekin police officer arrested for DUI on Dec. 19 will not be charged with DUI because of a lack of evidence. However, he has voluntarily accepted a suspension for affecting public confidence in the department.
Patrolman Andrew J. Thompson, 29, of Pekin, had just left a bar on Broadway Road, Pekin, when he was rear-ended by another car sliding on the ice at Broadway Road and North 20th Street. Thompson was off duty, driving his own personal vehicle and was not at fault in the accident.
A Pekin police officer at the scene noticed the odor of alcohol coming from Thompson and notified the commanding officer. The Illinois State Police were called by Pekin police command to handle the accident, as is the policy of the police department when one of its officers is a suspect.
Thompson refused all alcohol testing — both field sobriety and a Breathalyzer test. He was taken to the Tazewell County Justice Center where he was released on a bond of 10 percent of a $1,000 bond, or $100.
Pekin Police Deputy Chief Ted Miller issued a written statement this morning concerning the decision by the state’s attorney.
Miller said, “The Pekin Police Department recognizes that we cannot operate efficiently or effectively absent the public’s trust and respect. We have worked diligently to that end by steadfastly promoting those values within our organization that are consistent with that endeavor. When this incident occurred, the initial responding officer immediately contacted a superior officer to come to the scene. The responding command officer followed protocol by calling for a neutral agency (the Illinois State Police) to investigate the incident.”
Miller said the department even went so far as to contact local media to inform them of the incident so the matter would be “completely open and transparent.”
Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz said his office reviewed all reports, video tapes taken by the state police at the scene and other information and found insufficient evidence to meet the burden of proof required of the state for a DUI charge or a summary suspension.
“This case was review just like any other DUI arrest ...,” said Umholtz. “Based on our review ... we determined there was insufficient evidence of impairment.
“This individual was not given any more or less consideration than any other citizen arrested for (DUI). I will say this, if any citizen is asked by a police officer to take a breath test or a field sobriety test, they should take that test to remove all doubt.”
Umholtz said the occupation of any suspect is not considered in determining if charges are to be filed.
Thompson’s attorney, Brian Addy of Pekin, issued a press release stating that, “Thompson has accepted a 10-day suspension without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer from the city of Pekin Police Chief Tim Gillespie. Mr. Thompson admitted that his off-duty conduct impaired the morale of his department and affected the public’s confidence in said department.”
“Without admitting that he was intoxicated on the night in question, he has taken responsibility for his actions and both Mr. Thompson and the city of Pekin Police Department are completely satisfied with the resolution of this matter,” said Addy
Illinois Secretary of State Attorney Jay Mesi said the Secretary of State’s Office cannot suspend a license for failure to submit to drug or alcohol testing unless the arresting agency sends a sworn report of the refusal to submit to testing.
“What happens is the officer fills out a sworn report and sends it to the circuit clerk,” said Mesi. “The circuit clerk sends the sworn report to the Secretary of State.
“We can’t suspend unless we get that sworn report. The officer is required to send the report to us and the circuit clerk.”
If a person requests and receives an Illinois Driver’s License they automatically consent to any chemical testing for drugs and alcohol. If the driver refuses such testing, they are subject to a summary statutory suspension, said Mesi.
Mesi said citizens have the right to a suspension hearing to determine if the burden of proof has been met by the state.
Had sufficient evidence been available for charges in the incident, Thompson would have faced a mandatory six-month suspension for refusing to take the breath test.
Miller said the department initiated its own internal investigation. He said the department could not release department discipline of an officer, but that Thompson had waived his rights and allowed his attorney to do so.
**********
If he wasn't guilty...why did he refuse the test? Hmmmmmm?
A Pekin police officer arrested for DUI on Dec. 19 will not be charged with DUI because of a lack of evidence. However, he has voluntarily accepted a suspension for affecting public confidence in the department.
Patrolman Andrew J. Thompson, 29, of Pekin, had just left a bar on Broadway Road, Pekin, when he was rear-ended by another car sliding on the ice at Broadway Road and North 20th Street. Thompson was off duty, driving his own personal vehicle and was not at fault in the accident.
A Pekin police officer at the scene noticed the odor of alcohol coming from Thompson and notified the commanding officer. The Illinois State Police were called by Pekin police command to handle the accident, as is the policy of the police department when one of its officers is a suspect.
Thompson refused all alcohol testing — both field sobriety and a Breathalyzer test. He was taken to the Tazewell County Justice Center where he was released on a bond of 10 percent of a $1,000 bond, or $100.
Pekin Police Deputy Chief Ted Miller issued a written statement this morning concerning the decision by the state’s attorney.
Miller said, “The Pekin Police Department recognizes that we cannot operate efficiently or effectively absent the public’s trust and respect. We have worked diligently to that end by steadfastly promoting those values within our organization that are consistent with that endeavor. When this incident occurred, the initial responding officer immediately contacted a superior officer to come to the scene. The responding command officer followed protocol by calling for a neutral agency (the Illinois State Police) to investigate the incident.”
Miller said the department even went so far as to contact local media to inform them of the incident so the matter would be “completely open and transparent.”
Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz said his office reviewed all reports, video tapes taken by the state police at the scene and other information and found insufficient evidence to meet the burden of proof required of the state for a DUI charge or a summary suspension.
“This case was review just like any other DUI arrest ...,” said Umholtz. “Based on our review ... we determined there was insufficient evidence of impairment.
“This individual was not given any more or less consideration than any other citizen arrested for (DUI). I will say this, if any citizen is asked by a police officer to take a breath test or a field sobriety test, they should take that test to remove all doubt.”
Umholtz said the occupation of any suspect is not considered in determining if charges are to be filed.
Thompson’s attorney, Brian Addy of Pekin, issued a press release stating that, “Thompson has accepted a 10-day suspension without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer from the city of Pekin Police Chief Tim Gillespie. Mr. Thompson admitted that his off-duty conduct impaired the morale of his department and affected the public’s confidence in said department.”
“Without admitting that he was intoxicated on the night in question, he has taken responsibility for his actions and both Mr. Thompson and the city of Pekin Police Department are completely satisfied with the resolution of this matter,” said Addy
Illinois Secretary of State Attorney Jay Mesi said the Secretary of State’s Office cannot suspend a license for failure to submit to drug or alcohol testing unless the arresting agency sends a sworn report of the refusal to submit to testing.
“What happens is the officer fills out a sworn report and sends it to the circuit clerk,” said Mesi. “The circuit clerk sends the sworn report to the Secretary of State.
“We can’t suspend unless we get that sworn report. The officer is required to send the report to us and the circuit clerk.”
If a person requests and receives an Illinois Driver’s License they automatically consent to any chemical testing for drugs and alcohol. If the driver refuses such testing, they are subject to a summary statutory suspension, said Mesi.
Mesi said citizens have the right to a suspension hearing to determine if the burden of proof has been met by the state.
Had sufficient evidence been available for charges in the incident, Thompson would have faced a mandatory six-month suspension for refusing to take the breath test.
Miller said the department initiated its own internal investigation. He said the department could not release department discipline of an officer, but that Thompson had waived his rights and allowed his attorney to do so.
**********
If he wasn't guilty...why did he refuse the test? Hmmmmmm?
Officer Corey Earl Charged with Telephone Harassment
LORAIN
Police officer Corey Earl pleaded not guilty to two counts of telephone harassment Jan. 21 at the Oberlin Municipal Court, according to the clerk of court. Earl is set to appear in court on Feb. 5 for his pretrial.
Earl was arrested Jan. 4 by Amherst police after his ex-wife complained of telephone harassment.
Lorain police Lt. Jim Rohner said the Lorain Police Department would conduct an internal investigation pending the outcome of any criminal charges to determine whether he violated the standards of conduct. But he added the incidents occurred off-duty.
Earl has been on medical leave for the past six months after suffering a stroke last May.
Earl was disciplined in early January 2008 after he admitted to making inappropriate comments to his girlfriend’s ex-husband during a traffic stop, according to an internal police investigation report.
Also in January 2008, the Amherst Law Director’s office dismissed a charge that Earl violated a protection order concerning his ex-wife. Amherst police were called to Earl’s home for domestic disputes on July 6 and Aug. 13 of 2007.
Police officer Corey Earl pleaded not guilty to two counts of telephone harassment Jan. 21 at the Oberlin Municipal Court, according to the clerk of court. Earl is set to appear in court on Feb. 5 for his pretrial.
Earl was arrested Jan. 4 by Amherst police after his ex-wife complained of telephone harassment.
Lorain police Lt. Jim Rohner said the Lorain Police Department would conduct an internal investigation pending the outcome of any criminal charges to determine whether he violated the standards of conduct. But he added the incidents occurred off-duty.
Earl has been on medical leave for the past six months after suffering a stroke last May.
Earl was disciplined in early January 2008 after he admitted to making inappropriate comments to his girlfriend’s ex-husband during a traffic stop, according to an internal police investigation report.
Also in January 2008, the Amherst Law Director’s office dismissed a charge that Earl violated a protection order concerning his ex-wife. Amherst police were called to Earl’s home for domestic disputes on July 6 and Aug. 13 of 2007.
Officer William Edwards Charged with Sexually Assaulting Boy
NEW LONDON, Conn.
A New London police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting a boy who told authorities he had four or five encounters with the officer when he was between 5 and 7 years old.
Forty-five-year-old William Edwards was arrested at the state police barracks in Montville on Thursday. He posted $100,000 bail after being charged with third-degree sexual assault and other crimes.
Edwards has also been suspended without pay from his job.
A police report says Edwards admitted he engaged in inappropriate behavior with the boy, now 12, about four or five years ago during what he called a "dark period" in his life.
Police say Edwards told them he had been depressed for years and had a drug problem. He is due in Danielson Superior Court on Feb. 11.
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Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com
A New London police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting a boy who told authorities he had four or five encounters with the officer when he was between 5 and 7 years old.
Forty-five-year-old William Edwards was arrested at the state police barracks in Montville on Thursday. He posted $100,000 bail after being charged with third-degree sexual assault and other crimes.
Edwards has also been suspended without pay from his job.
A police report says Edwards admitted he engaged in inappropriate behavior with the boy, now 12, about four or five years ago during what he called a "dark period" in his life.
Police say Edwards told them he had been depressed for years and had a drug problem. He is due in Danielson Superior Court on Feb. 11.
------
Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Officer Gary Pignato Accused of Coercing a Woman into Sex
A suspended Greece police officer accused of coercing a woman into sex is now scheduled to go on trial June 1.
Officer Gary Pignato, 48, of Hilton is accused of a felony crime of accepting a bribe and two misdemeanor counts — coercion and official misconduct.
A Greece woman alleges that Pignato came to her home in August in response to a domestic dispute, then coerced her into a sexual encounter later.
Those allegations, however, are contained in legal papers filed by the woman in a notice that she intends to sue Pignato and the town of Greece.
In the woman's legal papers, filed Nov. 18, she alleges that Pignato responded to a domestic dispute at her home on Aug. 24. She told Pignato she had been drinking, a possible probation violation.
The woman alleges that Pignato told her she could "avoid going to jail" if she met him later that evening. She did meet Pignato and went to his home, she alleges. There, the notice alleges, Pignato "forcibly" required her to submit to sex.
Her attorney has said that the sex between the two was not consensual, but "was a coerced act under the threat of arrest and jail" and that the woman was on probation for a petit larceny of less than $50.
Prosecutors have not detailed specifics of the criminal allegations against Pignato, but do say it stems from his response as an officer to an argument at the Greece home.
The Democrat and Chronicle is not printing the name of the woman because she alleges she was the victim of sexual coercion in her legal papers.
Pignato has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer says Pignato did not commit a crime. He has been suspended without pay.
Officer Gary Pignato, 48, of Hilton is accused of a felony crime of accepting a bribe and two misdemeanor counts — coercion and official misconduct.
A Greece woman alleges that Pignato came to her home in August in response to a domestic dispute, then coerced her into a sexual encounter later.
Those allegations, however, are contained in legal papers filed by the woman in a notice that she intends to sue Pignato and the town of Greece.
In the woman's legal papers, filed Nov. 18, she alleges that Pignato responded to a domestic dispute at her home on Aug. 24. She told Pignato she had been drinking, a possible probation violation.
The woman alleges that Pignato told her she could "avoid going to jail" if she met him later that evening. She did meet Pignato and went to his home, she alleges. There, the notice alleges, Pignato "forcibly" required her to submit to sex.
Her attorney has said that the sex between the two was not consensual, but "was a coerced act under the threat of arrest and jail" and that the woman was on probation for a petit larceny of less than $50.
Prosecutors have not detailed specifics of the criminal allegations against Pignato, but do say it stems from his response as an officer to an argument at the Greece home.
The Democrat and Chronicle is not printing the name of the woman because she alleges she was the victim of sexual coercion in her legal papers.
Pignato has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer says Pignato did not commit a crime. He has been suspended without pay.
Former Probation Officer Daniel Hendrickson Accused of Inappropriately Touching Woman
GRAND RAPIDS
A former Kent County probation officer accused of inappropriately touching a 24-year-old woman under his supervision will undergo a psychological exam.
A hearing for Daniel Neland Hendrickson, 35, was adjourned today because of the exam.
Hendrickson is charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct for what investigators say was inappropriate contact with a woman who had to appear before him monthly on a drunken driving charge.
The alleged touching occurred at the Grand Rapids Township District Court building at 644 Kenmoor Ave. SE.
Information: Grand Rapids Press
Veteran Officer Jerry Starnes Indicted on 2 More Charges of Molesting Boys
A veteran Bennettsville police officer has been indicted on two more charges in connection with molesting young boys.
There are now six state grand jury indictments against Jerry Starnes.
According to the indictments, Starnes molested four boys between 1969 and 1981.
SLED began an investigation in 1997 after the initial complaint, but that case never made it to court.
Two more men came forward in 2004 and that lead to Starnes being arrested last year.
Court officials say his trial is scheduled to begin next month.
Starnes is on administrative leave without pay from the Bennettsville Police Department.
More Information: http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/bennettsville_police_officer_faces_more_indictments/29374/
Man Wins $20,000 Against Detroit Officer Who Squeezed His Genitals
A Wayne County man who said a Detroit Police officer groped him during a 2006 search settled a lawsuit against the city today for $20,000, an amount city officials say was not an admission of guilt but a way to end the case as cheaply as possible.
The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan for Elvis Ware, said Ware was stopped at a gas station in May 2006 when officers Michael Parish and Michael Osman approached him and questioned him about drugs. Ware claimed he was removed from his car, handcuffed and then searched by Parish. Ware claimed Parish shoved his bare hand down his pants and squeezed his genitals.
Ware’s suit had been scheduled for trial today in U.S. District Court in Detroit. Acting city corporation counsel Krystal Crittendon said the city could have been ordered to pay fees for Ware’s lawyers if it lost the case.
“The officers didn’t do anything wrong,” Crittendon said, adding that Parish and Osman both were investigated by Detroit police and federal authorities. “The officers were cleared,” she said.
The ACLU – which had refused to disclose the settlement amount – said as part of its settlement the city agreed to read search procedures to officers at roll call one day a month for three months.
Ware, 36, has no criminal record and was an Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm, said ACLU lawyer Mark Fancher. Fancher said the officers who stopped Ware are still on the force.
Ware said today he did not report the incident to Detroit Police because “I didn’t trust them.”
The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan for Elvis Ware, said Ware was stopped at a gas station in May 2006 when officers Michael Parish and Michael Osman approached him and questioned him about drugs. Ware claimed he was removed from his car, handcuffed and then searched by Parish. Ware claimed Parish shoved his bare hand down his pants and squeezed his genitals.
Ware’s suit had been scheduled for trial today in U.S. District Court in Detroit. Acting city corporation counsel Krystal Crittendon said the city could have been ordered to pay fees for Ware’s lawyers if it lost the case.
“The officers didn’t do anything wrong,” Crittendon said, adding that Parish and Osman both were investigated by Detroit police and federal authorities. “The officers were cleared,” she said.
The ACLU – which had refused to disclose the settlement amount – said as part of its settlement the city agreed to read search procedures to officers at roll call one day a month for three months.
Ware, 36, has no criminal record and was an Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm, said ACLU lawyer Mark Fancher. Fancher said the officers who stopped Ware are still on the force.
Ware said today he did not report the incident to Detroit Police because “I didn’t trust them.”
Officer William Edwards Sr Charged with Sexual Assault of Child
New London Community Police Officer William R. Edwards Sr. appeared in Norwich Superior Court this morning on charges related to the sexual assault of a child.
Edwards, 45, has been charged with third-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, tampering with a witness and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was arrested this morning by state police at Troop E in Montville.
New London Police Chief Bruce Rinehart suspended Edwards without pay following Edwards' arrest.
The suspension was effective immediately, said Rinehart, and will be in effect pending the outcome of the court case. Rinehart had been unable to suspend Edwards until his arrest because Edwards had been hospitalized since early December.
The chief and New London Police Capt. Margaret Ackley met Edwards at Troop E where state police processed him.
“It's an unfortunate thing,'' Rinehart said. “Law enforcement is one big family and when these things happen to our brothers and sisters, these things affect us all.''
He said the department is also conducting an internal investigation into the allegations.
Edwards was accompanied in court by his attorney, Paul Guernsey, and by his brother, Kenneth Edwards, a former New London police officer. He posted $100,000 bond.
Judge Barbara Jongbloed issued a full protective order forbidding William Edwards from having any contact with the victim and added the condition that he cooperate with the Institute of the Living, a psychiatric institution in Hartford, where he had been hospitalized since early December.
His case has been transferred to Danielson Superior Court and his next appearance is scheduled for Feb. 11
Edwards, 45, has been charged with third-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, tampering with a witness and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was arrested this morning by state police at Troop E in Montville.
New London Police Chief Bruce Rinehart suspended Edwards without pay following Edwards' arrest.
The suspension was effective immediately, said Rinehart, and will be in effect pending the outcome of the court case. Rinehart had been unable to suspend Edwards until his arrest because Edwards had been hospitalized since early December.
The chief and New London Police Capt. Margaret Ackley met Edwards at Troop E where state police processed him.
“It's an unfortunate thing,'' Rinehart said. “Law enforcement is one big family and when these things happen to our brothers and sisters, these things affect us all.''
He said the department is also conducting an internal investigation into the allegations.
Edwards was accompanied in court by his attorney, Paul Guernsey, and by his brother, Kenneth Edwards, a former New London police officer. He posted $100,000 bond.
Judge Barbara Jongbloed issued a full protective order forbidding William Edwards from having any contact with the victim and added the condition that he cooperate with the Institute of the Living, a psychiatric institution in Hartford, where he had been hospitalized since early December.
His case has been transferred to Danielson Superior Court and his next appearance is scheduled for Feb. 11
Steven Bass Arrested for Throwing Snowball at Officer
Greenville, NC
A freshman college student was placed in handcuffs by a police officer during a snowball fight involving more than 200 students.
Greenville police confirm Steven Bass was arrested after allegedly throwing a snowball at an officer during the snowball fight.
Campus police say some injuries were a result of the fight and an officer even had to use pepper spray.
Officers say they were called out three time Tuesday afternoon to control the situation.
No one was seriously hurt.
The incident was later posted to popular video sharing website YouTube.com. The video shows an officer chasing the student before tackling him on the snowy ground.
ON THE WEB: Additional snowball fight video
WARNING: Audio does contain language that may not be appropriate for all viewers.
*************
WTF??? It was a SNOWBALL!!! Poor little pussy officer...deal with it.
A freshman college student was placed in handcuffs by a police officer during a snowball fight involving more than 200 students.
Greenville police confirm Steven Bass was arrested after allegedly throwing a snowball at an officer during the snowball fight.
Campus police say some injuries were a result of the fight and an officer even had to use pepper spray.
Officers say they were called out three time Tuesday afternoon to control the situation.
No one was seriously hurt.
The incident was later posted to popular video sharing website YouTube.com. The video shows an officer chasing the student before tackling him on the snowy ground.
ON THE WEB: Additional snowball fight video
WARNING: Audio does contain language that may not be appropriate for all viewers.
*************
WTF??? It was a SNOWBALL!!! Poor little pussy officer...deal with it.
Officer Wilfredo Rosario Charged with 4th Rape
NEW YORK
A New York City police officer who was previously charged with sexually abusing three women has been charged with raping a fourth victim.
Wilfredo Rosario was arrested Thursday and arraigned in state Supreme Court in Manhattan on charges including felony rape and sexual abuse.
He pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Glenn Morak, says he will fight the charges vigorously.
Rosario is suspended from duty at the 26th Precinct in Harlem.
Prosecutors say Rosario raped a woman in her apartment in 2003 and then stalked her in 2008.
He was previously indicted twice on sexual abuse charges involving three different women.
Prosecutors say all of the women had asked about after-school programs for their children.
Rosario is being held on $150,000 bail.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-york-police-officer-arrested-on-sex.html
Other Information: http://www.wpix.com/landing/?NYC-Cop-Faces-Another-Sex-Abuse-Charge=1&blockID=193237&feedID=1404
A New York City police officer who was previously charged with sexually abusing three women has been charged with raping a fourth victim.
Wilfredo Rosario was arrested Thursday and arraigned in state Supreme Court in Manhattan on charges including felony rape and sexual abuse.
He pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Glenn Morak, says he will fight the charges vigorously.
Rosario is suspended from duty at the 26th Precinct in Harlem.
Prosecutors say Rosario raped a woman in her apartment in 2003 and then stalked her in 2008.
He was previously indicted twice on sexual abuse charges involving three different women.
Prosecutors say all of the women had asked about after-school programs for their children.
Rosario is being held on $150,000 bail.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-york-police-officer-arrested-on-sex.html
Other Information: http://www.wpix.com/landing/?NYC-Cop-Faces-Another-Sex-Abuse-Charge=1&blockID=193237&feedID=1404
Officer Naham James Perry Sentenced to 4 years for Sexually Abusing Stepdaughter
SALISBURY
A former University of Maryland Eastern Shore police officer accused of sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter was sentenced to serve four years in jail by a Somerset County judge on Wednesday.
Naham James Perry, a 41-year-old Princess Anne resident, faced seven charges, including multiple counts of sex abuse.
Perry entered an Alford plea, a plea that does not admit guilt but concedes there is sufficient evidence to win a conviction, in October on the sex abuse of a minor charge and was found guilty.
The state dismissed the other six charges.
In court Wednesday, the judge sentenced Perry to eight years in prison, but suspended four years. He will also serve two years of supervised probation and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with the victim or other minors. He must also attend sex abuse counseling.
Perry admitted to one sexual encounter with the teenage victim during the sentencing hearing, but said he was sleeping when the teen performed a sex act on him.
The problem, according to defense attorney James E. Crawford Jr., occurred when Perry told his supervisor and others at his job.
"Boom. It gets blown up and pushed against him," Crawford said.
However, the prosecutor, Wicomico County Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Dykes, said Perry, the victim and the victim's mother told investigators that multiple sexual incidents took place between April 2005 and June 2008. Perry's wife told Maryland State Police investigators that she had to put a stop to the "playful biting"(WTF???? and she didn't say anything else?) between the victim and Perry, Dykes said.
"This victim was in the twilight zone," Dykes said. "It appeared there were no sexual boundaries in the home."
Perry's wife requested her husband not serve any jail time. She said her daughter had a history of lying and made the allegations against her husband because she was jealous of their relationship.
"She's lied on her father and said he was mistreating her and that's how I got custody of her," Perry's wife told the judge.
The victim had previously made false accusations about a board of education employee stalking her.
"He's a good person," Perry's wife said. "He's been upfront and honest with me"
Other Information: http://www.examiner.com/a-1807694~Man_sentenced_to_prison_in_sex_abuse.html
A former University of Maryland Eastern Shore police officer accused of sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter was sentenced to serve four years in jail by a Somerset County judge on Wednesday.
Naham James Perry, a 41-year-old Princess Anne resident, faced seven charges, including multiple counts of sex abuse.
Perry entered an Alford plea, a plea that does not admit guilt but concedes there is sufficient evidence to win a conviction, in October on the sex abuse of a minor charge and was found guilty.
The state dismissed the other six charges.
In court Wednesday, the judge sentenced Perry to eight years in prison, but suspended four years. He will also serve two years of supervised probation and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with the victim or other minors. He must also attend sex abuse counseling.
Perry admitted to one sexual encounter with the teenage victim during the sentencing hearing, but said he was sleeping when the teen performed a sex act on him.
The problem, according to defense attorney James E. Crawford Jr., occurred when Perry told his supervisor and others at his job.
"Boom. It gets blown up and pushed against him," Crawford said.
However, the prosecutor, Wicomico County Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Dykes, said Perry, the victim and the victim's mother told investigators that multiple sexual incidents took place between April 2005 and June 2008. Perry's wife told Maryland State Police investigators that she had to put a stop to the "playful biting"(WTF???? and she didn't say anything else?) between the victim and Perry, Dykes said.
"This victim was in the twilight zone," Dykes said. "It appeared there were no sexual boundaries in the home."
Perry's wife requested her husband not serve any jail time. She said her daughter had a history of lying and made the allegations against her husband because she was jealous of their relationship.
"She's lied on her father and said he was mistreating her and that's how I got custody of her," Perry's wife told the judge.
The victim had previously made false accusations about a board of education employee stalking her.
"He's a good person," Perry's wife said. "He's been upfront and honest with me"
Other Information: http://www.examiner.com/a-1807694~Man_sentenced_to_prison_in_sex_abuse.html
Officer Joshua Calder Resigns After Drunk Driving Charge
FARMINGTON, N.M.
A Farmington police officer accused of drunken driving has resigned to take another job.
Police Chief Jim Runnels says Joshua Calder gave the department two weeks' notice Wednesday because he'd found another job.
He did not say whether the drunken driving charge played a part in his decision.
Calder was charged with aggravated drunken driving earlier this month.
The charge arose from an August motorcycle crash that injured Calder's passenger.
A San Juan County deputy says Calder reported drinking three beers before the crash. Calder's friends say he drank a beer and a half.
Authorities say Calder's blood-alcohol was 0.06. Drivers with blood-alcohol between 0.04 and 0.08 are considered to have driven drunk only with additional evidence.
Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com
Previous Post & More Information: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/01/charges-of-dwi-filed-against-officer.html
A Farmington police officer accused of drunken driving has resigned to take another job.
Police Chief Jim Runnels says Joshua Calder gave the department two weeks' notice Wednesday because he'd found another job.
He did not say whether the drunken driving charge played a part in his decision.
Calder was charged with aggravated drunken driving earlier this month.
The charge arose from an August motorcycle crash that injured Calder's passenger.
A San Juan County deputy says Calder reported drinking three beers before the crash. Calder's friends say he drank a beer and a half.
Authorities say Calder's blood-alcohol was 0.06. Drivers with blood-alcohol between 0.04 and 0.08 are considered to have driven drunk only with additional evidence.
Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com
Previous Post & More Information: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/01/charges-of-dwi-filed-against-officer.html
Officer Kurt Rosenthal Accused of Leaving Sexually Explicit Messages on Cell Phone While Driving Drunk
DES MOINES, Iowa
The Iowa Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a ruling that allows a Dubuque police officer who left a drunken, sexually explicit telephone message with a female officer to keep his job.
Officer Kurt Rosenthal was accused of placing calls to the female officer's cell phone while out drinking with other off-duty officers in October 2007. Court records said he left one sexually explicit message. He also was accused of driving around the city the same evening while intoxicated.
The following month, Rosenthal was fired and he challenged the termination. The Dubuque Civil Service Commission reduced his punishment to a 30-day suspension without pay, but the city appealed that decision to the Dubuque County District Court.
That court upheld the suspension, finding that the firing of Rosenthal, an officer since 2002 with no prior disciplinary record, wasn't warranted. The city also appealed that decision.
Barry Lindahl, an attorney for the city of Dubuque, said Thursday morning that even the majority of the three-member appeals court panel "thought it was a close case." He said he'll speak with the chief of police and city manager to consider further legal options including asking the full appeals court to review the case, or applying for the supreme court to hear the case.
Lindahl said Rosenthal remains on paid administrative leave as the case works its way through the courts. He confirmed that the female officer continues to work for the police department.
In its ruling, the appeals court said there is "no question that Rosenthal's actions constituted misconduct," but it notes his prior record and lack of any previous discipline.
"In fact, his personnel file is replete with letters of commendation from his superiors and notes of appreciation from members of the public," the court wrote in its ruling. "The absence of a disciplinary history militates in favor of suspension rather than termination."
The court also points out that the day after the incident Rosenthal called the female officer to apologize for his phone calls the night before, and the following month he enrolled in an alcohol rehabilitation program.
"That apology reflects an understanding of the severity of his misconduct and reflects remorse for that conduct," the court wrote.
Finally, the court examined Rosenthal's action on the public, saying he placed members of the community at risk by driving while intoxicated and he affected the "prestige of the police department." However, it found that his record suggests the misconduct was an isolated incident.
Chief Judge Rosemary Shaw Sackett dissented from the majority opinion. She would reverse the district court opinion, saying the "officer's conduct is such that the police chief was clearly justified in firing him."
Other Information: http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=FF694989-5056-B82A-37B9C7FFDC66F4DE
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What about the Drunk Driving? Just because he didn't get caught and he has a clean record...he's good to go? He's just another bad cop that hasn't got caught yet.
The Iowa Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a ruling that allows a Dubuque police officer who left a drunken, sexually explicit telephone message with a female officer to keep his job.
Officer Kurt Rosenthal was accused of placing calls to the female officer's cell phone while out drinking with other off-duty officers in October 2007. Court records said he left one sexually explicit message. He also was accused of driving around the city the same evening while intoxicated.
The following month, Rosenthal was fired and he challenged the termination. The Dubuque Civil Service Commission reduced his punishment to a 30-day suspension without pay, but the city appealed that decision to the Dubuque County District Court.
That court upheld the suspension, finding that the firing of Rosenthal, an officer since 2002 with no prior disciplinary record, wasn't warranted. The city also appealed that decision.
Barry Lindahl, an attorney for the city of Dubuque, said Thursday morning that even the majority of the three-member appeals court panel "thought it was a close case." He said he'll speak with the chief of police and city manager to consider further legal options including asking the full appeals court to review the case, or applying for the supreme court to hear the case.
Lindahl said Rosenthal remains on paid administrative leave as the case works its way through the courts. He confirmed that the female officer continues to work for the police department.
In its ruling, the appeals court said there is "no question that Rosenthal's actions constituted misconduct," but it notes his prior record and lack of any previous discipline.
"In fact, his personnel file is replete with letters of commendation from his superiors and notes of appreciation from members of the public," the court wrote in its ruling. "The absence of a disciplinary history militates in favor of suspension rather than termination."
The court also points out that the day after the incident Rosenthal called the female officer to apologize for his phone calls the night before, and the following month he enrolled in an alcohol rehabilitation program.
"That apology reflects an understanding of the severity of his misconduct and reflects remorse for that conduct," the court wrote.
Finally, the court examined Rosenthal's action on the public, saying he placed members of the community at risk by driving while intoxicated and he affected the "prestige of the police department." However, it found that his record suggests the misconduct was an isolated incident.
Chief Judge Rosemary Shaw Sackett dissented from the majority opinion. She would reverse the district court opinion, saying the "officer's conduct is such that the police chief was clearly justified in firing him."
Other Information: http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=FF694989-5056-B82A-37B9C7FFDC66F4DE
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What about the Drunk Driving? Just because he didn't get caught and he has a clean record...he's good to go? He's just another bad cop that hasn't got caught yet.
Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard Investigating Claim of Excessive Force
The Peoria Police Chief responds to a lawsuit claiming his officers used excessive force in an arrest. Peoria Police Officers say Bryce Scott was resisting arrest. Scott's Attorney calls it a case of police brutality. Chief Steve Settingsgaard is now conducting an investigation.
Is it a case of police brutality or were officers justified in using their force?
Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard says he's conducting an investigation to find out the facts in a May 2008 arrest. Chief Settingsgaard says if he's going to do a full investigation he needs a statement from the alleged victim, Bryce Scott. He has yet to get one even though the incident happened eight months ago. Officers say Bryce Scott was resisting arrest. Scott's Attorney, Dan Cusack, calls it a case of police brutality. "It's not right. I think the tape will tell you it's not right.
That's the bottom line to the whole thing. Do you see the guy getting pepper sprayed. Was he resisting? That's when you saw his hands out the window," Cusack says. Cusack provided News 25 video from the dashboard of a Peoria Squad Car. The incident started as a police chase and ended up with what Cusack shows in pictures as a bloodied Bryce Scott. "I take these allegations very seriously. I have very serious questions about what I see on the video. But, I can't jump to any conclusions, and I need to conduct a thorough investigation before I can make any determination," Chief Settingsgaard says. Chief Settingsgaard does question why it took eight months for the lawsuit to be filed.
"Normally, when we have an allegation of misconduct or an allegation of excessive force, you learn very quickly after the incident was made," Settingsgaard says. "We're not going to go and participate with the school principal when my client the pupil got the hell beat out of him, ain't going to happen," Cusack says. The Chief says his officers report the struggle on the ground, which is not visible on the video tape, included the alleged victim battering an officer. "That officer indicated in his report that the suspect grabbed him by the inner thigh and wouldn't release him and was squeezing I guess very hard," Settingsgaard says.
Cusack is ready for the courts to decide whether this was excessive force as his client is seeking more than 50-thousand dollars in damages. The six officers involved in the incident remain on the job during the police chief's investigation.
Other Information: http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=42631
Is it a case of police brutality or were officers justified in using their force?
Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard says he's conducting an investigation to find out the facts in a May 2008 arrest. Chief Settingsgaard says if he's going to do a full investigation he needs a statement from the alleged victim, Bryce Scott. He has yet to get one even though the incident happened eight months ago. Officers say Bryce Scott was resisting arrest. Scott's Attorney, Dan Cusack, calls it a case of police brutality. "It's not right. I think the tape will tell you it's not right.
That's the bottom line to the whole thing. Do you see the guy getting pepper sprayed. Was he resisting? That's when you saw his hands out the window," Cusack says. Cusack provided News 25 video from the dashboard of a Peoria Squad Car. The incident started as a police chase and ended up with what Cusack shows in pictures as a bloodied Bryce Scott. "I take these allegations very seriously. I have very serious questions about what I see on the video. But, I can't jump to any conclusions, and I need to conduct a thorough investigation before I can make any determination," Chief Settingsgaard says. Chief Settingsgaard does question why it took eight months for the lawsuit to be filed.
"Normally, when we have an allegation of misconduct or an allegation of excessive force, you learn very quickly after the incident was made," Settingsgaard says. "We're not going to go and participate with the school principal when my client the pupil got the hell beat out of him, ain't going to happen," Cusack says. The Chief says his officers report the struggle on the ground, which is not visible on the video tape, included the alleged victim battering an officer. "That officer indicated in his report that the suspect grabbed him by the inner thigh and wouldn't release him and was squeezing I guess very hard," Settingsgaard says.
Cusack is ready for the courts to decide whether this was excessive force as his client is seeking more than 50-thousand dollars in damages. The six officers involved in the incident remain on the job during the police chief's investigation.
Other Information: http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=42631
Officer William Cozzi Pleads Guilty to Beating 60-year-old Man in Wheelchair
Yesterday I wrote about Michael Ciancio, the ex-Chicago cop who plead guilty to extortion in a sting over cops shaking down tow truck companies to provide them work at accident scenes. Today, we have another ex-Chicago cop pleading guilty in Federal court over another crime: beating a 60-year old man in a wheelchair.
The Federal charge was a civil rights violation, brought against 51 year old ex-Chicago cop William Cozzi. Cozzi has been with the force since 1992, serving in the 25th District. The Chicago Sun Times broke the story further initially when they obtained a video of the police officer beating the victim, Randle Miles, who was handcuffed to a wheelchair.
Authorities state that Randle Miles, a stabbing victim, was brought to Norwegian American Hospital in Humboldt Park on August 2, 2005. They also have stated that Miles was drunk and uncooperative with the hospital staff, leading to the police call to have Miles restrained. Officer Cozzi arrived at the scene, and handcuffed Miles to the wheelchair. Miles became beligerent with Cozzi, who then hit Miles 10 times to the face and torso with his police bludgeon, also known as a “sap.” The video tape clearly shows Miles not resisting, but he was charged by police for resisting arrest.
On August 2, Miles was stabbed by a young woman. His friends and family pleaded with him to go to a hospital for treatment, but instead he “downed a bottle of gin,” according to his lawyer, Timothy Whiting. His abusive behavior towards hospital staff was attributed to his drunkenness.
Cozzi was originally charged, plead guilty to and convicted in 2007 under a State statute of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 18 months probation. While on leave from the Chicago Police Department, the Sun Times discovered the video tape of the incident, and reported it to the Chicago Police Department. Superintendent Jody Weis then referred the case to the FBI, who pursued the civil rights charges against Cozzi in April of 2008.
Cozzi is still on suspension from the Chicago Police Department. In Federal court on Thursday, January 22, 2009, under U.S. District Judge Blanche M. Manning, Cozzi plead guilty to the civil rights charges. Cozzi told the judge, “I made a mistake. I should not have hit him because he was handcuffed and secured.” Cozzi is being defended by attorney Terence Gillespie, who stated that his client is looking forward to giving a more detailed explanation of the actions he committed, and that Cozzi is “very nervous and scared.” Cozzi is set to be sentenced on March 26, 2009, and his plea agreement should bring him 6-8 years in jail, with a maximum sentence of 10 years for the crime committed, with a maximum fine of $250,000. “I lost it,” Officer William Cozzi admitted in federal court.
Cozzi also admitted to the court that he prepared a false arrest report and misdemeanor complaints stating that Miles tried to punch him and two hospital security guards. He also filed a false tactical response report stating that he used an “open hand strike” on the victim but omitted that he struck the victim with a sap.
The Fraternal Order of Police has criticized Superintendent Weis for pushing the case to the FBI under the defense of “Double Jeopardy,” where a person can not be charged twice for the same crime. In this case, the charges seem justified as the State charge was for battery, and the Federal charge was for a civil rights violation. Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Loretta King, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office made the announcement of the plea agreement today. ”The defendant violated the public trust by abusing his law enforcement authority,” said King. “This prosecution demonstrates that the Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively prosecuting law enforcement officers who willfully use excessive force.”
The Federal charge was a civil rights violation, brought against 51 year old ex-Chicago cop William Cozzi. Cozzi has been with the force since 1992, serving in the 25th District. The Chicago Sun Times broke the story further initially when they obtained a video of the police officer beating the victim, Randle Miles, who was handcuffed to a wheelchair.
Authorities state that Randle Miles, a stabbing victim, was brought to Norwegian American Hospital in Humboldt Park on August 2, 2005. They also have stated that Miles was drunk and uncooperative with the hospital staff, leading to the police call to have Miles restrained. Officer Cozzi arrived at the scene, and handcuffed Miles to the wheelchair. Miles became beligerent with Cozzi, who then hit Miles 10 times to the face and torso with his police bludgeon, also known as a “sap.” The video tape clearly shows Miles not resisting, but he was charged by police for resisting arrest.
On August 2, Miles was stabbed by a young woman. His friends and family pleaded with him to go to a hospital for treatment, but instead he “downed a bottle of gin,” according to his lawyer, Timothy Whiting. His abusive behavior towards hospital staff was attributed to his drunkenness.
Cozzi was originally charged, plead guilty to and convicted in 2007 under a State statute of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 18 months probation. While on leave from the Chicago Police Department, the Sun Times discovered the video tape of the incident, and reported it to the Chicago Police Department. Superintendent Jody Weis then referred the case to the FBI, who pursued the civil rights charges against Cozzi in April of 2008.
Cozzi is still on suspension from the Chicago Police Department. In Federal court on Thursday, January 22, 2009, under U.S. District Judge Blanche M. Manning, Cozzi plead guilty to the civil rights charges. Cozzi told the judge, “I made a mistake. I should not have hit him because he was handcuffed and secured.” Cozzi is being defended by attorney Terence Gillespie, who stated that his client is looking forward to giving a more detailed explanation of the actions he committed, and that Cozzi is “very nervous and scared.” Cozzi is set to be sentenced on March 26, 2009, and his plea agreement should bring him 6-8 years in jail, with a maximum sentence of 10 years for the crime committed, with a maximum fine of $250,000. “I lost it,” Officer William Cozzi admitted in federal court.
Cozzi also admitted to the court that he prepared a false arrest report and misdemeanor complaints stating that Miles tried to punch him and two hospital security guards. He also filed a false tactical response report stating that he used an “open hand strike” on the victim but omitted that he struck the victim with a sap.
The Fraternal Order of Police has criticized Superintendent Weis for pushing the case to the FBI under the defense of “Double Jeopardy,” where a person can not be charged twice for the same crime. In this case, the charges seem justified as the State charge was for battery, and the Federal charge was for a civil rights violation. Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Loretta King, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office made the announcement of the plea agreement today. ”The defendant violated the public trust by abusing his law enforcement authority,” said King. “This prosecution demonstrates that the Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively prosecuting law enforcement officers who willfully use excessive force.”
Glenn Seldon Dies After Being Jailed for Unpaid Parking Tickets
Unpaid parking tickets proved fatal for a terminally ill Queens man who died after callous cops locked him up for four days for a minor traffic offense, a lawsuit claims.
Glenn Seldon, 50, was battling advanced colon cancer in 2007 but still hoped his chemotherapy regimen would make him well enough to go on a family vacation being planned for Hawaii.
Then, on May 11, 2007, he was arrested for driving with a license that had been suspended for unpaid parking tickets.
According to a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, cops disregarded his weakened condition and ignored his need for daily medication to control an infection and blood clots.
When he finally staggered out of Queens Criminal Court four nights behind bars, his clothing was soiled, he was gaunt from dehydration, incontinent and weeping uncontrollably, his family said. "They broke his spirit," said his wife, Angela Seldon. "Why couldn't they have just given him a summons and let him come home to us?"
Family attorney Fred Brewington called the officers' actions appalling.
"This matter could have been handled in a more compassionate and humane way," Brewington said.
A spokeswoman for the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority refused to comment on the actions of its police officers.
Seldon was heading into Manhattan to pick up his wife at work when he apparently missed an exit for the Queensboro Bridge and stopped near the Midtown Tunnel to ask cops for directions.
It's unclear what happened next, but at some point the cops determined Seldon's license was suspended for failing to pay six tickets in Nassau County traffic court.
Seldon, an insurance claims adjuster for Geico, was once a strapping 320-pounder with a deep voice. His love of singing earned him the nickname "Barry White" after the crooner he resembled.
But cancer had taken its toll. Seldon shed more than 100 pounds, his skin was discolored and covered with scales, and he was unsteady on his feet.
His wife was able to track him to the 108th Precinct stationhouse and from there, to Elmhurst Hospital Center where, according to the suit, she found him handcuffed to a chair and sitting in his own waste.
He was not freed, and he was later taken to Central Booking and Criminal Court.
Authorities would not say why he was held so long. Seldon's daughter Criscelle Seldon, 24, was shocked at the sight of her father when she found him May 15 sitting nearly catatonic on a courthouse bench, his soiled pants hanging around his ankles. "He looked like he had been in a concentration camp," she recalled.
Concerned about his condition, relatives took him to North Shore University Hospital, where doctors said his infection had worsened and his blood platelet level was dangerously low.
"The doctors asked us, 'What happened to him?'" Criscelle Seldon recalled.
Two days later, Seldon was suffering seizures and ministrokes and was placed on a respirator. He died May 20, nine days after taking a wrong turn.
The death certificate says he died of cardiac arrest, but Angela Seldon said her husband's heart was broken by the cruelty the gentle giant endured during his last week on Earth.
"I believe the stress and the trauma accelerated his death," she said.
Glenn Seldon, 50, was battling advanced colon cancer in 2007 but still hoped his chemotherapy regimen would make him well enough to go on a family vacation being planned for Hawaii.
Then, on May 11, 2007, he was arrested for driving with a license that had been suspended for unpaid parking tickets.
According to a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, cops disregarded his weakened condition and ignored his need for daily medication to control an infection and blood clots.
When he finally staggered out of Queens Criminal Court four nights behind bars, his clothing was soiled, he was gaunt from dehydration, incontinent and weeping uncontrollably, his family said. "They broke his spirit," said his wife, Angela Seldon. "Why couldn't they have just given him a summons and let him come home to us?"
Family attorney Fred Brewington called the officers' actions appalling.
"This matter could have been handled in a more compassionate and humane way," Brewington said.
A spokeswoman for the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority refused to comment on the actions of its police officers.
Seldon was heading into Manhattan to pick up his wife at work when he apparently missed an exit for the Queensboro Bridge and stopped near the Midtown Tunnel to ask cops for directions.
It's unclear what happened next, but at some point the cops determined Seldon's license was suspended for failing to pay six tickets in Nassau County traffic court.
Seldon, an insurance claims adjuster for Geico, was once a strapping 320-pounder with a deep voice. His love of singing earned him the nickname "Barry White" after the crooner he resembled.
But cancer had taken its toll. Seldon shed more than 100 pounds, his skin was discolored and covered with scales, and he was unsteady on his feet.
His wife was able to track him to the 108th Precinct stationhouse and from there, to Elmhurst Hospital Center where, according to the suit, she found him handcuffed to a chair and sitting in his own waste.
He was not freed, and he was later taken to Central Booking and Criminal Court.
Authorities would not say why he was held so long. Seldon's daughter Criscelle Seldon, 24, was shocked at the sight of her father when she found him May 15 sitting nearly catatonic on a courthouse bench, his soiled pants hanging around his ankles. "He looked like he had been in a concentration camp," she recalled.
Concerned about his condition, relatives took him to North Shore University Hospital, where doctors said his infection had worsened and his blood platelet level was dangerously low.
"The doctors asked us, 'What happened to him?'" Criscelle Seldon recalled.
Two days later, Seldon was suffering seizures and ministrokes and was placed on a respirator. He died May 20, nine days after taking a wrong turn.
The death certificate says he died of cardiac arrest, but Angela Seldon said her husband's heart was broken by the cruelty the gentle giant endured during his last week on Earth.
"I believe the stress and the trauma accelerated his death," she said.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Two Officers Assault 14-year-old Boy and Leave Him Half-Naked in Marsh Recieve NO Jail Time
Two police officers accused of assaulting a 14-year-old boy they suspected of making Halloween mischief and leaving him half-naked in a desolate Staten Island marsh pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Wednesday, prosecutors said.
The officers, Thomas Elliassen and Richard Danese, both 29, were indicted last March on 33 criminal counts, including 13 felonies, but reached a deal with prosecutors after the boy, Rayshawn Moreno of Staten Island, now 15, refused to testify in court, according to prosecutors.
The officers were sentenced in State Supreme Court on Staten Island to conditional discharge for one year, said Daniel M. Donovan Jr., the Staten Island district attorney, and will serve no time in jail. But the officers have been assigned to modified duty and are facing departmental charges, a police official said.
Officers Elliassen and Danese, who both live on Staten Island, were arrested on Nov. 2, 2007, and charged with unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Prosecutors said the officers came across Rayshawn on a street corner on Halloween night a few days earlier, and, believing that he had been throwing eggs at passing cars, stopped the boy and placed him in their patrol car. He was driven to an isolated marshy area, where he was pulled from the police car and told to strip to his underwear and lie face down in the roadway, prosecutors said. The officers then kicked and struck him and abandoned him there, prosecutors said.
Lawyers for Rayshawn and his family had said the officers, who are white, had used a racial epithet while threatening the teenager, who is black.
Salvatore Strazzullo, Officer Danese’s lawyer, maintained his client’s innocence, calling the case a sham.
“Basically, the district attorney’s case fell apart,” Mr. Strazzullo said on Wednesday night. “The evidence just didn’t match up.”
Mr. Strazzullo said the officers arrested Rayshawn but changed their minds about taking him to the police station, and decided to take him home instead. But when they asked his name, age and address, he refused to tell them, Mr. Strazzullo said. He said that as soon as they let the boy out of the car he took off running.
“At the end of the day, the officers did Mr. Moreno a favor,” Mr. Strazzullo said.
In a related case, Officer Danese was charged in Brooklyn with unauthorized use of computerized police records in what was described as an attempt to find negative information about Rayshawn and his father.
Mr. Donovan said in a statement on Wednesday that Rayshawn’s story was credible.
“The victim’s account of the events leading to this prosecution remained consistent,” Mr. Donovan said. But as prosecutors began to prepare for trial, Rayshawn began refusing to cooperate, he said.
“While we were prepared to go forward, we believe we could not adequately present our case without the full cooperation of our victim,” Mr. Donovan said.
Other Information: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/das_statement_on_plea_deal_off.html
The officers, Thomas Elliassen and Richard Danese, both 29, were indicted last March on 33 criminal counts, including 13 felonies, but reached a deal with prosecutors after the boy, Rayshawn Moreno of Staten Island, now 15, refused to testify in court, according to prosecutors.
The officers were sentenced in State Supreme Court on Staten Island to conditional discharge for one year, said Daniel M. Donovan Jr., the Staten Island district attorney, and will serve no time in jail. But the officers have been assigned to modified duty and are facing departmental charges, a police official said.
Officers Elliassen and Danese, who both live on Staten Island, were arrested on Nov. 2, 2007, and charged with unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Prosecutors said the officers came across Rayshawn on a street corner on Halloween night a few days earlier, and, believing that he had been throwing eggs at passing cars, stopped the boy and placed him in their patrol car. He was driven to an isolated marshy area, where he was pulled from the police car and told to strip to his underwear and lie face down in the roadway, prosecutors said. The officers then kicked and struck him and abandoned him there, prosecutors said.
Lawyers for Rayshawn and his family had said the officers, who are white, had used a racial epithet while threatening the teenager, who is black.
Salvatore Strazzullo, Officer Danese’s lawyer, maintained his client’s innocence, calling the case a sham.
“Basically, the district attorney’s case fell apart,” Mr. Strazzullo said on Wednesday night. “The evidence just didn’t match up.”
Mr. Strazzullo said the officers arrested Rayshawn but changed their minds about taking him to the police station, and decided to take him home instead. But when they asked his name, age and address, he refused to tell them, Mr. Strazzullo said. He said that as soon as they let the boy out of the car he took off running.
“At the end of the day, the officers did Mr. Moreno a favor,” Mr. Strazzullo said.
In a related case, Officer Danese was charged in Brooklyn with unauthorized use of computerized police records in what was described as an attempt to find negative information about Rayshawn and his father.
Mr. Donovan said in a statement on Wednesday that Rayshawn’s story was credible.
“The victim’s account of the events leading to this prosecution remained consistent,” Mr. Donovan said. But as prosecutors began to prepare for trial, Rayshawn began refusing to cooperate, he said.
“While we were prepared to go forward, we believe we could not adequately present our case without the full cooperation of our victim,” Mr. Donovan said.
Other Information: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/das_statement_on_plea_deal_off.html
Sgt. Michael Hanson Investigated for Not Living in City Where he Works
A Boston police sergeant has been placed on administrative leave and could be fired in allegedly violating a residency regulation that requires employees of the city to live within its boundaries, officials said yesterday.
Sergeant Michael Hanson, 38, was placed on leave following an investigation by the city's compliancy unit, which responds to tips about employees who violate the rule.
Hanson, a veteran of 10 years who is assigned to the district covering West Roxbury, could not be reached for comment yesterday. The head of his union, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, said the organization stands behind him.
"Sergeant Hanson has the full backing and support of the Superior Officers Federation," said Joseph Gillespie, the union president. "We feel this is in response to our ongoing contractual negotiations."
Gillespie declined to elaborate.
The union has been without a contract since 2006. The department's two other unions, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association and the Detective Benevolent Society, negotiated contracts in 2006 that allow members who have been with the department for 10 years to live outside the city. Other unions have negotiated similar exceptions to the 1976 ordinance. Fewer than 10,000 of the city's roughly 18,000 employees are subject to the regulation, said John McGonagle, chairman of the city's residency commission, which hears complaints.
The compliancy unit is also investigating at least two firefighters accused of violating the residency rule, officials said. Their names were not released because of the ongoing probe.
In January, a police civilian - Keri Mastrogiacomo, who was assigned to the ballistics unit - left the department after the compliancy unit accused her of violating the rule. She resigned before her residency hearing at City Hall, police said.
Mastrogiacomo, who acknowledged she was living in Braintree, said she and her husband own a home in Boston and pay taxes on it.
She said the investigation into her residency occurred about a month after she complained that a supervisor had sexually harassed her and discriminated against her.
Mastrogiacomo said she has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. A police spokeswoman declined to comment.
"The residency rule isn't worth the paper that it's written on," Mastrogiacomo said in a telephone interview. "It's enforced only when it suits them."
The compliancy unit falls under the city's Property and Construction Management department and has one full-time investigator. The department may contract with a private company for more investigators if there is a backlog of cases, McGonagle said.
The unit is investigating about a dozen cases, he said.
After receiving a tip, investigators typically follow employees home to verify whether they live at the address they say is theirs, McGonagle said. They also examine documents like voting records, insurance forms, and registrations, he said.
The residency commission then holds a hearing during which both sides present their cases, said McGonagle, who noted that he has heard about 150 cases since 1994, when the city, under Mayor Thomas M. Menino, began enforcing the ordinance more aggressively.
Of those cases, about 50 have resulted in the employee being fired or resigning, McGonagle said.
"The city wants to have some stability and some control over its workforce and would like to know that the people who are good enough to work for the city would also want to live in the city," he said.
Sergeant Michael Hanson, 38, was placed on leave following an investigation by the city's compliancy unit, which responds to tips about employees who violate the rule.
Hanson, a veteran of 10 years who is assigned to the district covering West Roxbury, could not be reached for comment yesterday. The head of his union, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, said the organization stands behind him.
"Sergeant Hanson has the full backing and support of the Superior Officers Federation," said Joseph Gillespie, the union president. "We feel this is in response to our ongoing contractual negotiations."
Gillespie declined to elaborate.
The union has been without a contract since 2006. The department's two other unions, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association and the Detective Benevolent Society, negotiated contracts in 2006 that allow members who have been with the department for 10 years to live outside the city. Other unions have negotiated similar exceptions to the 1976 ordinance. Fewer than 10,000 of the city's roughly 18,000 employees are subject to the regulation, said John McGonagle, chairman of the city's residency commission, which hears complaints.
The compliancy unit is also investigating at least two firefighters accused of violating the residency rule, officials said. Their names were not released because of the ongoing probe.
In January, a police civilian - Keri Mastrogiacomo, who was assigned to the ballistics unit - left the department after the compliancy unit accused her of violating the rule. She resigned before her residency hearing at City Hall, police said.
Mastrogiacomo, who acknowledged she was living in Braintree, said she and her husband own a home in Boston and pay taxes on it.
She said the investigation into her residency occurred about a month after she complained that a supervisor had sexually harassed her and discriminated against her.
Mastrogiacomo said she has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. A police spokeswoman declined to comment.
"The residency rule isn't worth the paper that it's written on," Mastrogiacomo said in a telephone interview. "It's enforced only when it suits them."
The compliancy unit falls under the city's Property and Construction Management department and has one full-time investigator. The department may contract with a private company for more investigators if there is a backlog of cases, McGonagle said.
The unit is investigating about a dozen cases, he said.
After receiving a tip, investigators typically follow employees home to verify whether they live at the address they say is theirs, McGonagle said. They also examine documents like voting records, insurance forms, and registrations, he said.
The residency commission then holds a hearing during which both sides present their cases, said McGonagle, who noted that he has heard about 150 cases since 1994, when the city, under Mayor Thomas M. Menino, began enforcing the ordinance more aggressively.
Of those cases, about 50 have resulted in the employee being fired or resigning, McGonagle said.
"The city wants to have some stability and some control over its workforce and would like to know that the people who are good enough to work for the city would also want to live in the city," he said.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Charges of DWI Filed Against Officer Joshua Calder
FARMINGTON
A drunken driving charge was filed against a Farmington police officer who said he drank beer and crashed his motorcycle, injuring himself a passenger.
The 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office filed an aggravated driving while intoxicated charge against Farmington police officer Joshua Calder on Jan. 5. The charge also alleges Calder caused bodily injury to his passenger, Danielle Utton, when he crashed his motorcycle after leaving KB Dillon's Bar and Grill on Aug. 2.
Gallegos's office decided not to file the charge at first, but later reversed course. The office thought the case would be dismissed because Calder was not arrested, Gallegos has said. Gallegos disagreed and in November said his office would file a charge.
Gallegos's judicial district, which covers is Taos, Colfax and Union counties, is prosecuting Calder. The District Attorney's Office in San Juan County excused itself from the case because it wanted to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/01/officer-glenn-mearls-officer-josh.html
A drunken driving charge was filed against a Farmington police officer who said he drank beer and crashed his motorcycle, injuring himself a passenger.
The 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office filed an aggravated driving while intoxicated charge against Farmington police officer Joshua Calder on Jan. 5. The charge also alleges Calder caused bodily injury to his passenger, Danielle Utton, when he crashed his motorcycle after leaving KB Dillon's Bar and Grill on Aug. 2.
Gallegos's office decided not to file the charge at first, but later reversed course. The office thought the case would be dismissed because Calder was not arrested, Gallegos has said. Gallegos disagreed and in November said his office would file a charge.
Gallegos's judicial district, which covers is Taos, Colfax and Union counties, is prosecuting Calder. The District Attorney's Office in San Juan County excused itself from the case because it wanted to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/01/officer-glenn-mearls-officer-josh.html
Former Officer Anthony Miller Appears in Court for Downloading Child Porn
A police officer accused of downloading child pornography while on duty, appeared in court.
Anthony T. Miller from New Richmond waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Miller was arrested in December and was charged with possessing child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child.
For two years, officers say Miller admittedly downloaded and traded pornographic images of children between 9 and 15 years old while he was on duty.
Officers say he is an 11-year veteran of the police department in Hastings, Minnesota.
Anthony T. Miller from New Richmond waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Miller was arrested in December and was charged with possessing child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child.
For two years, officers say Miller admittedly downloaded and traded pornographic images of children between 9 and 15 years old while he was on duty.
Officers say he is an 11-year veteran of the police department in Hastings, Minnesota.
Deputy Steven Slusser Arrested for DUI
MOUNT DORA, Fla.
A Lake County sheriff's detention deputy arrested on DUI charges has resigned.
Steven Slusser, 26, was arrested about 11 p.m. Sunday after being pulled over by a Mount Dora police officer. The officer, who suspected Slusser of speeding, said Slusser reeked of alcohol. The officer said he asked Slusser to perform sobriety tests, which he failed, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Slusser was arrested and took three breath tests, one of which registered a blood alcohol level of 0.223, according to the sheriff's office. A person is considered legally intoxicated in Florida if he or she has a blood alcohol level higher than 0.08.
Slusser, who had been employed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office since August 2007, resigned Monday as the sheriff's office launched an internal investigation into the incident.
There had been no disciplinary action against Slusser prior to his arrest, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
A Lake County sheriff's detention deputy arrested on DUI charges has resigned.
Steven Slusser, 26, was arrested about 11 p.m. Sunday after being pulled over by a Mount Dora police officer. The officer, who suspected Slusser of speeding, said Slusser reeked of alcohol. The officer said he asked Slusser to perform sobriety tests, which he failed, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Slusser was arrested and took three breath tests, one of which registered a blood alcohol level of 0.223, according to the sheriff's office. A person is considered legally intoxicated in Florida if he or she has a blood alcohol level higher than 0.08.
Slusser, who had been employed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office since August 2007, resigned Monday as the sheriff's office launched an internal investigation into the incident.
There had been no disciplinary action against Slusser prior to his arrest, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
Police Chief Sam Granato Still Discriminating Against Union Members
YAKIMA
After being found guilty of discriminating against police officers, what's next for Yakima Police Chief Sam Granato?
Yakima Police Patrolman's Association President Bob Hester said that officers can continue working with Granato, but only if he stops discriminating against union members and violating officers' rights.
Granato became chief in 2003. Since then, he's been found guilty of discriminating against officers four times.
Hester says the department - chief relationship is strained, but could be fixed if Granato changes his ways.
Those ways have cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hester is not sure if or when City Manager Dick Zais will say enough is enough.
"I do believe that at some point you have to look at the entire portion of all the moneys that are being spent and try to figure out a way to reduce that liability to the city," Hester said.
Friday's verdict stems from a disagreement with Officer Elaine Gonzalez. The city of Yakima was also found guilty of withholding public records from the union.
There is also the matter of two civil cases filed against Granato last week by Sgt. Brenda George and Capt. Rod Light.
While the union won't get involved in those, Hester thinks this ruling helps the officer's cases.
After being found guilty of discriminating against police officers, what's next for Yakima Police Chief Sam Granato?
Yakima Police Patrolman's Association President Bob Hester said that officers can continue working with Granato, but only if he stops discriminating against union members and violating officers' rights.
Granato became chief in 2003. Since then, he's been found guilty of discriminating against officers four times.
Hester says the department - chief relationship is strained, but could be fixed if Granato changes his ways.
Those ways have cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hester is not sure if or when City Manager Dick Zais will say enough is enough.
"I do believe that at some point you have to look at the entire portion of all the moneys that are being spent and try to figure out a way to reduce that liability to the city," Hester said.
Friday's verdict stems from a disagreement with Officer Elaine Gonzalez. The city of Yakima was also found guilty of withholding public records from the union.
There is also the matter of two civil cases filed against Granato last week by Sgt. Brenda George and Capt. Rod Light.
While the union won't get involved in those, Hester thinks this ruling helps the officer's cases.
Officer Sherri Barnes Accused of Prescription Drug Abuse
SCHENECTADY
A seasoned city police investigator has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal probe into allegations of prescription drug abuse, according to individuals familiar with the situation.
Officer Sherri Barnes, who works in the department's Youth Aid Bureau, was placed on paid leave over the weekend for at least 30 days as the department's Office of Professional Standards looks into the matter. She did not return a call Monday to her home seeking comment, but the sources, who requested anonymity, said the prescription drug abuse accusations against Barnes were launched by the state Department of Health, which later notified her employer. Several calls Monday to the cellphones of members of the agency's press office were not returned.
Barnes is the latest Schenectady police officer to be forced off the job for alleged misdeeds.
Last week, Officer John Lewis, 39, was arrested for the fifth time in nine months for allegedly trashing his mother's home during a physical altercation with his police officer brother. He is on unpaid leave. Lewis' attorney later said his client was seeking treatment for substance abuse.
Lewis also face charges for a drunken-driving incident in which he is accused of running into another car and also for allegedly threatening to kill his former wife and anyone she dated.
In early December, Sgt. Joseph A. Peters IV, 42, was placed on paid leave after being issued a ticket for driving while intoxicated and another for having a blood alcohol level above 0.08. He had been pulled over after a motorist reported seeing an erratic driver. It's unclear whether he is back on the job.
Five other Schenectady officers recently cleared in an alleged police brutality case stemming from a run-in with a drunken-driving suspect in December 2007 have been on paid leave since then.
Officials have said the departmental probe into the actions of officers Andrew Karaskiewicz, Eric Reyell, Daryl Mallard, Gregory Haffensteiner, Kevin Derkowski is winding down.
Barnes has been on the force since October 1984, according to city records. Her husband, Donald, also a city officer, has been with the department just over 23 years. Both currently work in the city youth bureau. In 2005, Barnes and another officer suffered minor injuries when a city man resisted arrest after a failed attempt to rob a bank on State Street.
While police interviewed his father, Kendall Spraragen entered the residence and fought with Barnes and Officer Philip Feldhaus when they tried to take him into custody. As a result, Barnes injured her knee and wrist and Feldhaus injured his hand. Both were treated at Ellis Hospital and released.
A seasoned city police investigator has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal probe into allegations of prescription drug abuse, according to individuals familiar with the situation.
Officer Sherri Barnes, who works in the department's Youth Aid Bureau, was placed on paid leave over the weekend for at least 30 days as the department's Office of Professional Standards looks into the matter. She did not return a call Monday to her home seeking comment, but the sources, who requested anonymity, said the prescription drug abuse accusations against Barnes were launched by the state Department of Health, which later notified her employer. Several calls Monday to the cellphones of members of the agency's press office were not returned.
Barnes is the latest Schenectady police officer to be forced off the job for alleged misdeeds.
Last week, Officer John Lewis, 39, was arrested for the fifth time in nine months for allegedly trashing his mother's home during a physical altercation with his police officer brother. He is on unpaid leave. Lewis' attorney later said his client was seeking treatment for substance abuse.
Lewis also face charges for a drunken-driving incident in which he is accused of running into another car and also for allegedly threatening to kill his former wife and anyone she dated.
In early December, Sgt. Joseph A. Peters IV, 42, was placed on paid leave after being issued a ticket for driving while intoxicated and another for having a blood alcohol level above 0.08. He had been pulled over after a motorist reported seeing an erratic driver. It's unclear whether he is back on the job.
Five other Schenectady officers recently cleared in an alleged police brutality case stemming from a run-in with a drunken-driving suspect in December 2007 have been on paid leave since then.
Officials have said the departmental probe into the actions of officers Andrew Karaskiewicz, Eric Reyell, Daryl Mallard, Gregory Haffensteiner, Kevin Derkowski is winding down.
Barnes has been on the force since October 1984, according to city records. Her husband, Donald, also a city officer, has been with the department just over 23 years. Both currently work in the city youth bureau. In 2005, Barnes and another officer suffered minor injuries when a city man resisted arrest after a failed attempt to rob a bank on State Street.
While police interviewed his father, Kendall Spraragen entered the residence and fought with Barnes and Officer Philip Feldhaus when they tried to take him into custody. As a result, Barnes injured her knee and wrist and Feldhaus injured his hand. Both were treated at Ellis Hospital and released.
Canada Investigating Taser Death of Robert Dziekanski
A public inquiry has begun in Canada into the case of a man who died on an airport floor after police officers used a Taser electric stun gun on him.
Robert Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant who did not speak English, was confronted by four policemen at Vancouver airport in 2007.
A bystander filmed the officers repeatedly stunning him with a Taser.
The police were heavily criticised when the recording emerged but no charges were brought.
The inquiry will hear from up to 80 witnesses and is expected to last six months. It could find the officers guilty of misconduct.
Heated debate
In October 2007, the 40-year-old Mr Dziekanski became agitated and began to behave erratically after wandering around Vancouver's airport for 10 hours.
Unable to speak English, he had become increasingly confused as he failed to find the public arrivals area where his mother had been waiting for him.
He was confronted by four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who stunned him five times with a Taser gun.
The incident has led to a heated debate about the use of the stun guns, the BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto says.
Video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7095875.stm
Robert Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant who did not speak English, was confronted by four policemen at Vancouver airport in 2007.
A bystander filmed the officers repeatedly stunning him with a Taser.
The police were heavily criticised when the recording emerged but no charges were brought.
The inquiry will hear from up to 80 witnesses and is expected to last six months. It could find the officers guilty of misconduct.
Heated debate
In October 2007, the 40-year-old Mr Dziekanski became agitated and began to behave erratically after wandering around Vancouver's airport for 10 hours.
Unable to speak English, he had become increasingly confused as he failed to find the public arrivals area where his mother had been waiting for him.
He was confronted by four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who stunned him five times with a Taser gun.
The incident has led to a heated debate about the use of the stun guns, the BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto says.
Video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7095875.stm
Monday, January 19, 2009
Ex-Cop Christopher Cole Committs Suicide in Jail Wasn't Placed on Suicide Watch
An ongoing feud between Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Sheriff Warren Evans continues to intensify and has caught in its cross fire the family of a jail inmate who committed suicide.
Christopher Cole, an ex-Detroit cop with a controversial past, wasn't placed on a suicide watch at the Wayne County Jail when he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after a crash that left another man in a coma, despite claims by others that he warned that he would kill himself.
Evans' staff says the county's mental health staff assesses the needs of inmates during the intake process and should have detected suicidal tendencies. Ficano's staff counters that sheriff's deputies should have kept a closer eye on Cole.
Evans and Ficano are in the midst of a months-long battle over proposed budget cuts, a fight that has landed in Wayne County Circuit Court.
Last Monday, Cole, 46, of Macomb Township entered the Wayne County Jail after his bond was raised from tether release to $500,000 at the request of police officers. He was arrested Jan. 9 after police say he crashed into a car driven by Gary Holcomb, 22, of Detroit about 1:30 a.m. at the westbound I-94 service drive and Yorkshire.
Cole's lawyer, Mike Rataj, said Cole's former colleagues told sheriff's staff that Cole needed to be on suicide watch and that Cole said he would kill himself rather than go to prison.
Two nights later, he hanged himself with a torn bedsheet in his jail cell and was found dead Thursday morning and left several suicide notes, Rataj said.
"I don't think there's any question that the sheriff had information from the police that Chris Cole was suicidal," Rataj said.
Cole's was the second suicide in as many days at the jail.
Cole's 49-year-old brother, Michael Cole, said his brother had a long history of threatening suicide when he got into trouble. Christopher Cole had three drunken driving convictions and struggled with drugs, his brother said.
In 2001, he was acquitted of federal drug racketeering and civil rights abuses while four other cops were convicted of looting drug houses and gamblers. But, despite being cleared of the charges, Cole's friends and family said, he never got over the case.
He retired from the police department in 2005.
After the Jan. 9 accident, Cole "was absolutely devastated and the thought that he had hurt someone was the last straw," Michael Cole said. "I knew his intention was to get out on bail and hurt himself. I didn't want him to get out."
After his bond was raised, Christopher Cole called his 22-year-old daughter, Phaelyn Cole, and spoke cryptically, she said.
"He started telling me, no matter how everything turns out that he wanted us to know that he loves us no matter what," said Phaelyn Cole, who lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Grosse Pointe Park attorney Kevin Geer, who represents Holcomb's family, said Friday that Holcomb is in a coma at Detroit's St. John Hospital. He was in critical condition at the hospital Sunday, a hospital spokesperson said.
John Roach, a spokesman for Sheriff Warren Evans, agreed that Cole should have been on a suicide watch, but was instead placed in general population.
"Somebody needs to ask the county executive for answers," he said of Ficano. "For somebody who had such clear indicators, we cannot understand why they would not have seen those risk factors and assigned Mr. Cole to special accommodations at the jail."
Ficano spokeswoman Vanessa Denha-Garmo replied: "Appropriate mental and physical screenings were conducted as they always are when inmates enter the jail. The sheriff's deputies are in charge of placing inmates inside the jail. It is unfortunate that politics are playing a part of such a tragic case."
Jury Decides Officers Did NOT use Excessive Force After Shooting Man in Back
HOUSTON
A jury decided Friday that four LaPorte police officers did not use excessive force when they shot and killed a mentally ill man seven years ago.
Read Court Document:
Plaintiffs' Original Complaint
During the trial, the Meadours family used a detailed recreation of the shooting to try to prove the officers used excessive force. The family said they called police in October 2001 to try to get help taking Bob Meadours to a mental hospital. They said he was paranoid and delusional.
The officers said they shot Bob Meadours when he rushed one of them with a screw driver.
"These officers were exonerated by their own department, they were exonerated by the District Attorney's Office and now they've been exonerated by a jury of their peers," defense attorney William Helfand said.
A key witness for the family, a ballistics expert, testified that at least six shots hit Meadours in the back as he ran from the officers. One of the shots penetrated Meadours' upper leg as he stood atop a dog house, the expert said.
The defense put on witnesses who testified the plaintiffs’ analysis can’t be backed up scientifically – that there’s not a way to tell with both Meadours and the officers moving, their exact positions when it happened.
"A life was taken and that's never easy," said Sgt. Steve Ermel, one of the officers who was sued. "That's something the Meadours family has to live with. That something each one of us has to live with."
The Meadours' family asked for what its attorney describes as "substantial" damages from the four officers involved. The family said it was not happy with the verdict but it accepted the jury's decision.
A jury decided Friday that four LaPorte police officers did not use excessive force when they shot and killed a mentally ill man seven years ago.
Read Court Document:
Plaintiffs' Original Complaint
During the trial, the Meadours family used a detailed recreation of the shooting to try to prove the officers used excessive force. The family said they called police in October 2001 to try to get help taking Bob Meadours to a mental hospital. They said he was paranoid and delusional.
The officers said they shot Bob Meadours when he rushed one of them with a screw driver.
"These officers were exonerated by their own department, they were exonerated by the District Attorney's Office and now they've been exonerated by a jury of their peers," defense attorney William Helfand said.
A key witness for the family, a ballistics expert, testified that at least six shots hit Meadours in the back as he ran from the officers. One of the shots penetrated Meadours' upper leg as he stood atop a dog house, the expert said.
The defense put on witnesses who testified the plaintiffs’ analysis can’t be backed up scientifically – that there’s not a way to tell with both Meadours and the officers moving, their exact positions when it happened.
"A life was taken and that's never easy," said Sgt. Steve Ermel, one of the officers who was sued. "That's something the Meadours family has to live with. That something each one of us has to live with."
The Meadours' family asked for what its attorney describes as "substantial" damages from the four officers involved. The family said it was not happy with the verdict but it accepted the jury's decision.
Officer Sean Christopher Letona Arrested for Battery
ST. PETERSBURG
Police officers arrested a seven-year veteran of the Pinellas Park Police Department and his sister Sunday after a brawl in a bar parking lot.
Sean Christopher Letona, 30, of St. Petersburg was arrested and charged with misdemeanor simple battery. Letona has worked for the Pinellas Park Police Department since October 2001. He earns $44,900 a year.
Also arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication, a misdemeanor, was Alma Charice Letona, 25, also of St. Petersburg. Both Letonas were released on their own recognizance.
The incident began around 1 a.m. when Pinellas Park police Sgt. William Lowe received a message to call the St. Petersburg Police Department. When he did, St. Petersburg officers told him they had arrested Letona at a bar near Beach Drive SE and First Avenue S.
They said a brawl had begun inside the bar but the bouncers were able to move those involved into the parking lot. An off-duty St. Petersburg police officer was working a detail less than a block away and came when he heard the commotion in the parking lot. He was eventually joined by a second St. Petersburg police officer.
When the officers arrived at the bar, the fighting was over and several people had left the scene. As an officer told the remaining folks to leave, a man — later identified as Letona — "came out of nowhere," grabbed one of the bar patrons and began punching him. They fell to the ground, and Letona continued punching the other man despite police orders to stop.
"The officer deployed his Taser and that is when Officer Letona complied," Lowe wrote in his report. It was unclear which St. Petersburg officer used the Taser.
"While they were attempting to handcuff him, Officer Letona's sister tried to pull the officer away and continued to interfere. She was also arrested," according to the report.
St. Petersburg officers searched Letona and they found an ankle holster with a small-caliber handgun, his police badge and identification.
A St. Petersburg police sergeant called Pinellas Park, told Lowe what happened and that Letona was "extremely intoxicated." The sergeant asked if Lowe wanted to come pick up Letona or allow him to be arrested. Lowe said he would have to check with his superiors.
Capt. Mike Haworth, second in command at the Pinellas Park Police Department, told Lowe to "have the St. Petersburg police process (Letona) as they saw fit."
Lowe called St. Petersburg to say they could do what they "felt was warranted in this incident." After the St. Petersburg officer talked with his superiors, Letona was taken to jail.
Information on what started the bar brawl was unavailable Sunday.
Police officers arrested a seven-year veteran of the Pinellas Park Police Department and his sister Sunday after a brawl in a bar parking lot.
Sean Christopher Letona, 30, of St. Petersburg was arrested and charged with misdemeanor simple battery. Letona has worked for the Pinellas Park Police Department since October 2001. He earns $44,900 a year.
Also arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication, a misdemeanor, was Alma Charice Letona, 25, also of St. Petersburg. Both Letonas were released on their own recognizance.
The incident began around 1 a.m. when Pinellas Park police Sgt. William Lowe received a message to call the St. Petersburg Police Department. When he did, St. Petersburg officers told him they had arrested Letona at a bar near Beach Drive SE and First Avenue S.
They said a brawl had begun inside the bar but the bouncers were able to move those involved into the parking lot. An off-duty St. Petersburg police officer was working a detail less than a block away and came when he heard the commotion in the parking lot. He was eventually joined by a second St. Petersburg police officer.
When the officers arrived at the bar, the fighting was over and several people had left the scene. As an officer told the remaining folks to leave, a man — later identified as Letona — "came out of nowhere," grabbed one of the bar patrons and began punching him. They fell to the ground, and Letona continued punching the other man despite police orders to stop.
"The officer deployed his Taser and that is when Officer Letona complied," Lowe wrote in his report. It was unclear which St. Petersburg officer used the Taser.
"While they were attempting to handcuff him, Officer Letona's sister tried to pull the officer away and continued to interfere. She was also arrested," according to the report.
St. Petersburg officers searched Letona and they found an ankle holster with a small-caliber handgun, his police badge and identification.
A St. Petersburg police sergeant called Pinellas Park, told Lowe what happened and that Letona was "extremely intoxicated." The sergeant asked if Lowe wanted to come pick up Letona or allow him to be arrested. Lowe said he would have to check with his superiors.
Capt. Mike Haworth, second in command at the Pinellas Park Police Department, told Lowe to "have the St. Petersburg police process (Letona) as they saw fit."
Lowe called St. Petersburg to say they could do what they "felt was warranted in this incident." After the St. Petersburg officer talked with his superiors, Letona was taken to jail.
Information on what started the bar brawl was unavailable Sunday.
Rookie Officer Jeffrey Fowler Arrested for Public Intoxication
A 28-year-old rookie Dallas police officer was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor public intoxication Sunday night in Oak Lawn.
At 11 p.m., Jeffrey Fowler was off duty and riding in a vehicle that was involved in a crash near Lemmon and Cole avenues, Dallas police Sgt. Gil Cerda said. No injuries were reported. Records show that Sunday was the officer’s birthday, but it’s unclear where he had been prior to the crash.
Fowler was taken to the Dallas city marshal’s detention facility at 1600 Chestnut St. He was released at 7:30 a.m. Monday on the class C misdemeanor charge, city marshals said.
Cerda said that Fowler had not been put on administrative leave over the incident. He is, however, on restricted duty, officials said.
Fowler is assigned to northwest patrol. He was hired in January 2007.
At 11 p.m., Jeffrey Fowler was off duty and riding in a vehicle that was involved in a crash near Lemmon and Cole avenues, Dallas police Sgt. Gil Cerda said. No injuries were reported. Records show that Sunday was the officer’s birthday, but it’s unclear where he had been prior to the crash.
Fowler was taken to the Dallas city marshal’s detention facility at 1600 Chestnut St. He was released at 7:30 a.m. Monday on the class C misdemeanor charge, city marshals said.
Cerda said that Fowler had not been put on administrative leave over the incident. He is, however, on restricted duty, officials said.
Fowler is assigned to northwest patrol. He was hired in January 2007.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Former Officer Gregory White Jr Pleads Guilty to Putting Gun to Girlfriends Head
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.
A former police officer has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of hitting his girlfriend and putting a gun to her head.
Gregory White Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to corporal injury charges and will serve 60 days in jail and participate in domestic violence court. An assault with a firearm charge was dismissed against the 32-year-old.
White was arrested on Wednesday following the Jan. 4 incident. Authorities say his live-in girlfriend needed medical attention but wasn't admitted to a hospital.
Prosecutors say White no longer works for the San Bernardino Police Department.
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Information from: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, http://www.dailybulletin.com/
Other Information: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_11478898?source=most_emailed
A former police officer has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of hitting his girlfriend and putting a gun to her head.
Gregory White Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to corporal injury charges and will serve 60 days in jail and participate in domestic violence court. An assault with a firearm charge was dismissed against the 32-year-old.
White was arrested on Wednesday following the Jan. 4 incident. Authorities say his live-in girlfriend needed medical attention but wasn't admitted to a hospital.
Prosecutors say White no longer works for the San Bernardino Police Department.
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Information from: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, http://www.dailybulletin.com/
Other Information: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_11478898?source=most_emailed
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