WOLCOTT
Late on a cold February night, a police sergeant working the third shift sought comfort in the cell detention area and lay down on a bed.
What Sgt. Brian Thies, 36, did next — with his police radio inadvertently keyed on — is the subject of a state police investigation.
A recording of the police radio at 11:23 p.m. on Feb. 18 reveals a series of moans, vulgar-sounding intonations and deep breaths lasting for about 40 seconds.
Thies contends that he was sick and went into the cell area to rest. He told a dispatcher he was saying things such as "come on heat" and groaning because he had a fever. Then he fell asleep.
Other interpretations suggest that Thies was masturbating.
The garbled audio recording seems to include language such as "that's what you want puppy" and "that's what you like."
"I had no doubt in my mind that these sounds I heard were those of someone getting themselves off," according to a complaint filed with the mayor by dispatcher Linda Lanosa. She goes on to say that she was mortified and "embarrassed for both me and him."
Mayor Thomas G. Dunn has forwarded the complaint to state police. He said it would be a conflict of interest for Wolcott police to conduct an internal affairs investigation because Thies is Capt. Domenic Angiolillo's son-in-law. Angiolillo is the third highest-ranking officer in the 33-member department.
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Friday, March 27, 2009
Officer Michael Hansen Arrested for DWI
A Clearlake police officer who shot and killed a man last year was arrested this week on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and possession of a loaded firearm.
Michael Hansen, 24, who is on leave from the Police Department, also had a small amount of marijuana in his vehicle when he was stopped near Williams but he had a doctor's prescription for its use, CHP spokesman John Waggoner said.
Hansen, who gave an Oroville address when arrested, could not be reached for comment.
Hansen has been on unpaid administrative leave from the Clearlake Police Department for several months, Police Lt. Mike Hermann said.
He said he cannot divulge why but that "it's not related to the shooting."
Hansen shot and killed Clearlake resident David Clinton Vestal, 63, in June while responding with other officers to reports of an altercation at a mobile home park.
Vestal had pointed a .410 shotgun at another officer when Hansen fired four shots. One struck Vestal in the neck, killing him, according the the Lake County district attorney's report on the shooting.
The district attorney's investigation found the shooting to be justified.
Vestal's family claims otherwise. His daughter has filed a civil lawsuit against the city and Police Department in federal court.
Hansen was driving on Highway 20 west of King Road late Monday night when he was stopped by a Colusa County sheriff's deputy because his vehicle was missing a rear license plate, according to the CHP. The deputy observed signs of intoxication and notified the CHP.
CHP officers conducted sobriety tests and determined Hansen was under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said.
The deputy conducted a search of Hansen's vehicle and located "a very small amount" of marijuana and four handguns, one of which was loaded, Waggoner said.
Because Hansen is on administrative leave from the police department, he is not, under CHP regulations, allowed to carry a loaded firearm, he said.
Hansen was booked into the Colusa County jail and later released.
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http://www.record-bee.com/ci_12007878
Michael Hansen, 24, who is on leave from the Police Department, also had a small amount of marijuana in his vehicle when he was stopped near Williams but he had a doctor's prescription for its use, CHP spokesman John Waggoner said.
Hansen, who gave an Oroville address when arrested, could not be reached for comment.
Hansen has been on unpaid administrative leave from the Clearlake Police Department for several months, Police Lt. Mike Hermann said.
He said he cannot divulge why but that "it's not related to the shooting."
Hansen shot and killed Clearlake resident David Clinton Vestal, 63, in June while responding with other officers to reports of an altercation at a mobile home park.
Vestal had pointed a .410 shotgun at another officer when Hansen fired four shots. One struck Vestal in the neck, killing him, according the the Lake County district attorney's report on the shooting.
The district attorney's investigation found the shooting to be justified.
Vestal's family claims otherwise. His daughter has filed a civil lawsuit against the city and Police Department in federal court.
Hansen was driving on Highway 20 west of King Road late Monday night when he was stopped by a Colusa County sheriff's deputy because his vehicle was missing a rear license plate, according to the CHP. The deputy observed signs of intoxication and notified the CHP.
CHP officers conducted sobriety tests and determined Hansen was under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said.
The deputy conducted a search of Hansen's vehicle and located "a very small amount" of marijuana and four handguns, one of which was loaded, Waggoner said.
Because Hansen is on administrative leave from the police department, he is not, under CHP regulations, allowed to carry a loaded firearm, he said.
Hansen was booked into the Colusa County jail and later released.
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http://www.record-bee.com/ci_12007878
Dallas Officer Robert Powell Apologizes
His actions pilloried on national television and disowned by his commanders, Dallas police Officer Robert Powell came forward Friday afternoon to say he was sorry for detaining a family rushing to the hospital to visit a dying loved one.
Powell, 25, said he had tried to contact NFL player Ryan Moats and his family to apologize directly but so far had not reached them.
"I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," he said in a written statement issued by his attorney.
The attorney, Bob Gorsky, works with the Dallas Police Association. He said that despite news reports to the contrary, the officer is remorseful.
The day before, police commanders said Powell told them he saw nothing wrong with his behavior even after reviewing video of the episode.
The video, recorded by his in-car camera, shows him berating Moats, threatening him with arrest and holding him for 13 minutes over a traffic violation while his mother-in-law died at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.
In his apology, Powell said he regretted adding to the family's grief in an already difficult time.
"After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions," the statement said.
Gorsky released little information about his client, saying only that he came to the department straight out of college in January 2006.
Powell, from the Amarillo area, was married not long ago and the couple has an infant, said an officer who knows him but declined to be identified.
"He's semi-quiet," the officer said. "He's not one you'd ever think would ever embarrass the department in any way. I've never heard him raise his voice."
Shortly after being hired, Powell was assigned to the city's north-central patrol station. During his short tenure, he has received some minor discipline, including a one-day suspension for violating sick-time policy.
"There is a complaint involving use of force, but his record's relatively clean," Police Chief David Kunkle said Thursday during an apologetic news conference. "That complaint was not sustained."
'Trying to do his job'
The chief called Powell's actions "inappropriate," "troublesome," "embarrassing" and "extraordinarily disappointing."
But one fellow officer spoke up for Powell on Friday.
"Right now he feels the world is against him," said Detective Ron Pinkston, secretary-treasurer of the Dallas Police Association. "He was trying to do his job out there."
Pinkston said that he sympathized with Powell and that it's been rough on the three-year officer, under the weight of nationwide derision.
He said that he isn't sure Powell should be disciplined and that he certainly shouldn't be fired. He stressed that Powell is still essentially a rookie.
"I think an older officer who'd been out there could de-escalate quicker than a younger officer," he said. "When any officer stops somebody on a traffic stop, there's a high level of anxiety for the unknown."
The situation Powell faced isn't something that figures into academy curriculum, said Lt. Vernon Hale, commander of the Dallas police academy.
"I don't think it's a situation that anybody's ever anticipated," he said, "or it wouldn't be national news."
Different officers will respond differently to the same situation, Hale said.
"You have a traffic stop, someone not stopping and people jumping out of the vehicle," the lieutenant said. "However, at some point, the light should come on is my thinking."
Outrage continues
The Moats family declined to speak about the episode Friday. But a man who witnessed it said he found Powell's apology suspect.
"An apology was very much needed after the fact, but the way he conducted himself, the way he enforced his side of the law, there wasn't no mistake about it," said Jason Brown, 23, who was at the hospital on the night of March 17 and can be seen in the video.
Others outraged by the incident continue to register their displeasure. A secretary at Dallas police headquarters said Friday that irate callers were still inundating the phone lines.
And even officials of a neighboring police department took steps to distance themselves from the incident.
"The Plano Police Department requests the media's assistance in clarifying the fact that this is a Dallas Police Department incident," said a news release. Plano police said e-mails and phone calls of complaints have rained on them from across the country.
The red light Moats ran is just inside the Dallas city limits and just down the street from the Plano hospital where Moats was pulled over.
"Thus, all comments regarding this incident should be directed to the Dallas Police Department," the news release pointed out.
Even others sharing Powell's name found themselves the unfortunate targets of ridicule.
"I am not the cop who pulled over Ryan Moats in Dallas ... so please stop sending me msgs about how much you hate me," said one Robert Powell on his Facebook page. "I'M NOT HIM!"
________________
Other Information: http://police-brutality-blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/dallas-police-officer-should-be-fired.html
Powell, 25, said he had tried to contact NFL player Ryan Moats and his family to apologize directly but so far had not reached them.
"I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," he said in a written statement issued by his attorney.
The attorney, Bob Gorsky, works with the Dallas Police Association. He said that despite news reports to the contrary, the officer is remorseful.
The day before, police commanders said Powell told them he saw nothing wrong with his behavior even after reviewing video of the episode.
The video, recorded by his in-car camera, shows him berating Moats, threatening him with arrest and holding him for 13 minutes over a traffic violation while his mother-in-law died at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.
In his apology, Powell said he regretted adding to the family's grief in an already difficult time.
"After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions," the statement said.
Gorsky released little information about his client, saying only that he came to the department straight out of college in January 2006.
Powell, from the Amarillo area, was married not long ago and the couple has an infant, said an officer who knows him but declined to be identified.
"He's semi-quiet," the officer said. "He's not one you'd ever think would ever embarrass the department in any way. I've never heard him raise his voice."
Shortly after being hired, Powell was assigned to the city's north-central patrol station. During his short tenure, he has received some minor discipline, including a one-day suspension for violating sick-time policy.
"There is a complaint involving use of force, but his record's relatively clean," Police Chief David Kunkle said Thursday during an apologetic news conference. "That complaint was not sustained."
'Trying to do his job'
The chief called Powell's actions "inappropriate," "troublesome," "embarrassing" and "extraordinarily disappointing."
But one fellow officer spoke up for Powell on Friday.
"Right now he feels the world is against him," said Detective Ron Pinkston, secretary-treasurer of the Dallas Police Association. "He was trying to do his job out there."
Pinkston said that he sympathized with Powell and that it's been rough on the three-year officer, under the weight of nationwide derision.
He said that he isn't sure Powell should be disciplined and that he certainly shouldn't be fired. He stressed that Powell is still essentially a rookie.
"I think an older officer who'd been out there could de-escalate quicker than a younger officer," he said. "When any officer stops somebody on a traffic stop, there's a high level of anxiety for the unknown."
The situation Powell faced isn't something that figures into academy curriculum, said Lt. Vernon Hale, commander of the Dallas police academy.
"I don't think it's a situation that anybody's ever anticipated," he said, "or it wouldn't be national news."
Different officers will respond differently to the same situation, Hale said.
"You have a traffic stop, someone not stopping and people jumping out of the vehicle," the lieutenant said. "However, at some point, the light should come on is my thinking."
Outrage continues
The Moats family declined to speak about the episode Friday. But a man who witnessed it said he found Powell's apology suspect.
"An apology was very much needed after the fact, but the way he conducted himself, the way he enforced his side of the law, there wasn't no mistake about it," said Jason Brown, 23, who was at the hospital on the night of March 17 and can be seen in the video.
Others outraged by the incident continue to register their displeasure. A secretary at Dallas police headquarters said Friday that irate callers were still inundating the phone lines.
And even officials of a neighboring police department took steps to distance themselves from the incident.
"The Plano Police Department requests the media's assistance in clarifying the fact that this is a Dallas Police Department incident," said a news release. Plano police said e-mails and phone calls of complaints have rained on them from across the country.
The red light Moats ran is just inside the Dallas city limits and just down the street from the Plano hospital where Moats was pulled over.
"Thus, all comments regarding this incident should be directed to the Dallas Police Department," the news release pointed out.
Even others sharing Powell's name found themselves the unfortunate targets of ridicule.
"I am not the cop who pulled over Ryan Moats in Dallas ... so please stop sending me msgs about how much you hate me," said one Robert Powell on his Facebook page. "I'M NOT HIM!"
________________
Other Information: http://police-brutality-blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/dallas-police-officer-should-be-fired.html
Officer Mark Phillip Arrested for Driving BMW that He Owes Taxes On
A Newport News police officer was arrested Thursday for driving a 2000 BMW he owed property taxes on.
According to Hampton police, officials from the Treasurer's Office put a distress warrant on Mark Andrew Phillip's car Monday that prohibited him from driving it, and took the state tags. Phillips, 45, is a Hampton resident.
On Wednesday, officials found his BMW in Newport News displaying tags he'd put on from a different vehicle he owned.
They put a boot on it, took the tags off, and called the police, said Hampton Police Spokeswoman Allison Quinones. Phillips was charged with one count of removal of levied goods and one count of improper use of stage tags.
He has been released from jail.
Phillips has worked for Newport News Police since April 2007, said Spokesman Lou Thurston. At the time of his arrest he was assigned to the North Precinct as a patrol officer.
He is on administrative leave while the division does an internal investigation, Thurston said.
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
Officer Robert Powell Delays NFL Player as Relative Died
A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday over a traffic stop involving an NFL player whom he kept in a hospital parking lot and threatened to arrest while his mother-in-law died inside the building. Officer Robert Powell also drew his gun during the March 18 incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats in the Dallas suburb of Plano, police said.
"I can screw you over," he said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."
Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.
"When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."
Powell, 25, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano after Moats rolled through a red light.
Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job, and that he drew his gun but did not point it. Kunkle said Powell was not necessarily acting improperly when he pulled his weapon out, but that once he realized what was happening should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.
"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.
Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.
"He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.
The Moats family did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. Powell did not respond to requests for comment through the Dallas police union.
Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.
He ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.
"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"
"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"
Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.
"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."
As they argued, the officer got irritated.
"Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."
By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.
Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."
"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well."
The Moats family, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer's behavior.
"I think he should lose his job," Ryan Moats said.
When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats' SUV if he didn't have insurance and that he could arrest him for fleeing because he didn't immediately stop when Powell turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.
"I can screw you over," Powell said. "I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens."
The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.
Texans spokesman Kevin Cooper said the team had no comment.
Moats, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 out of Louisiana Tech, was cut by the Eagles in August and later signed with the Texans. In three seasons as a backup, he's rushed for 441 yards and scored four touchdowns.
He was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.
"I can screw you over," he said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."
Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.
"When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."
Powell, 25, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano after Moats rolled through a red light.
Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job, and that he drew his gun but did not point it. Kunkle said Powell was not necessarily acting improperly when he pulled his weapon out, but that once he realized what was happening should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.
"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.
Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.
"He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.
The Moats family did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. Powell did not respond to requests for comment through the Dallas police union.
Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.
He ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.
"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"
"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"
Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.
"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."
As they argued, the officer got irritated.
"Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."
By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.
Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."
"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well."
The Moats family, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer's behavior.
"I think he should lose his job," Ryan Moats said.
When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats' SUV if he didn't have insurance and that he could arrest him for fleeing because he didn't immediately stop when Powell turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.
"I can screw you over," Powell said. "I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens."
The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.
Texans spokesman Kevin Cooper said the team had no comment.
Moats, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 out of Louisiana Tech, was cut by the Eagles in August and later signed with the Texans. In three seasons as a backup, he's rushed for 441 yards and scored four touchdowns.
He was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.
Veteran Officer Donald Greer Arrested for Domestic Incident
STAMFORD
A 24-year veteran police officer was called into city headquarters while on duty Wednesday and arrested on threatening and disorderly conduct charges, a department spokesman said.
Police said the charges against Officer Donald Greer, 46, stem from an domestic incident but provided no details. Greer was released on a promise to appear in court Thursday.
"The details of the arrest are a personal issue," Lt. Sean Cooney said.
Cooney said he would not comment further and would not identify where the alleged incident occurred or where Greer resides.
Cooney said Greer turned in his badge and firearm and was placed on paid suspension, pending a review of the charges by the department's Internal Affairs division.
State domestic violence laws require residents to give up their firearms if they are accused of a crime from a domestic incident until the courts resolve the case, Cooney said. That could be a factor when police determine the length of Greer's suspension, Cooney said.
"He's been a good policeman for 24 years," Cooney said.
A 24-year veteran police officer was called into city headquarters while on duty Wednesday and arrested on threatening and disorderly conduct charges, a department spokesman said.
Police said the charges against Officer Donald Greer, 46, stem from an domestic incident but provided no details. Greer was released on a promise to appear in court Thursday.
"The details of the arrest are a personal issue," Lt. Sean Cooney said.
Cooney said he would not comment further and would not identify where the alleged incident occurred or where Greer resides.
Cooney said Greer turned in his badge and firearm and was placed on paid suspension, pending a review of the charges by the department's Internal Affairs division.
State domestic violence laws require residents to give up their firearms if they are accused of a crime from a domestic incident until the courts resolve the case, Cooney said. That could be a factor when police determine the length of Greer's suspension, Cooney said.
"He's been a good policeman for 24 years," Cooney said.
Former Officer Clovis Lovelace Faces Several Charges
PADUCAH, KY
A former Paducah police officer was arrested on several charges.
Clovis L. Lovelace, 63, a retired Paducah police officer, was arrested at his home on the 1400 block of Reed Avenue.
Lovelace was arrested on charges of first-degree stalking, first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), first-degree possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, second-degree fleeing or evading police and resisting arrest.
Police received a report from Paul Bell that someone had shot out two windows and three tires on his pickup truck parked on North 11th Street sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning.
An investigation by Det. Mike Wentworth of the Paducah Police Department identified Lovelace as a suspect.
Det. Joe Hayes with the Paducah Police Department watched Lovelaces's home while search warrants were being obtained.
According to authorities, Lovelace confronted Det. Hayes and left the home in his vehicle when police attempted to arrest him.
Police say Lovelace later drove back to his home and was then arrested by police.
Police found more than 15 guns, one of which is believed to be the gun used to shoot Bell's vehicle as well as drugs and drug paraphernalia in Lovelace's home.
Clovis L. Lovelace was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail.
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http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=10072915&nav=menu51_2
A former Paducah police officer was arrested on several charges.
Clovis L. Lovelace, 63, a retired Paducah police officer, was arrested at his home on the 1400 block of Reed Avenue.
Lovelace was arrested on charges of first-degree stalking, first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), first-degree possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, second-degree fleeing or evading police and resisting arrest.
Police received a report from Paul Bell that someone had shot out two windows and three tires on his pickup truck parked on North 11th Street sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning.
An investigation by Det. Mike Wentworth of the Paducah Police Department identified Lovelace as a suspect.
Det. Joe Hayes with the Paducah Police Department watched Lovelaces's home while search warrants were being obtained.
According to authorities, Lovelace confronted Det. Hayes and left the home in his vehicle when police attempted to arrest him.
Police say Lovelace later drove back to his home and was then arrested by police.
Police found more than 15 guns, one of which is believed to be the gun used to shoot Bell's vehicle as well as drugs and drug paraphernalia in Lovelace's home.
Clovis L. Lovelace was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail.
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http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=10072915&nav=menu51_2
Arraignment Set for Officer Joseph Houston Charged with Assault & Battery
BREWSTER
The Associated Press reported that former Brewster Police Officer Joseph Houston,29, is charged with assault and battery and open and gross lewdness stemming from an incident at a Metallica concert Jan. 18.
Houston, who is no longer with the Brewster Police Department, was accused by parents of a concertgoer of allegedly urinating on the concertgoer and harassing his 17 year-old sister in a lewd manner. He was later arrested for trespassing by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police.
Arraignment is scheduled for April 8.
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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/02/officer-joseph-houston-investiegated.html
Other Information: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090326/NEWS/903260322
The Associated Press reported that former Brewster Police Officer Joseph Houston,29, is charged with assault and battery and open and gross lewdness stemming from an incident at a Metallica concert Jan. 18.
Houston, who is no longer with the Brewster Police Department, was accused by parents of a concertgoer of allegedly urinating on the concertgoer and harassing his 17 year-old sister in a lewd manner. He was later arrested for trespassing by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police.
Arraignment is scheduled for April 8.
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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/02/officer-joseph-houston-investiegated.html
Other Information: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090326/NEWS/903260322
Officer Richard Geib Charged with Assault
JEFFERSON
A police officer who lives in the township was charged Tuesday with simple assault against a 20-year-old woman at his home last week, police said Thursday.
Patrolman Richard Geib, 50, according to a police complaint, allegedly grabbed the woman around her neck, shoved her to the ground causing bruising and minor injury.
The incident allegedly happened on St. Patrick’s Day, and the woman reported it to police a week later.
Police said the woman obtained a restraining order against him.
Geib posted $1,000 bail with a 10 percent option, and has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case, police said.
He is scheduled to appear before a judge in Morristown on Wednesday.
A police officer who lives in the township was charged Tuesday with simple assault against a 20-year-old woman at his home last week, police said Thursday.
Patrolman Richard Geib, 50, according to a police complaint, allegedly grabbed the woman around her neck, shoved her to the ground causing bruising and minor injury.
The incident allegedly happened on St. Patrick’s Day, and the woman reported it to police a week later.
Police said the woman obtained a restraining order against him.
Geib posted $1,000 bail with a 10 percent option, and has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case, police said.
He is scheduled to appear before a judge in Morristown on Wednesday.
Officer Russell Bushaw Arrested for Shoplifting
LOGANSPORT, Ind.
A Logansport police officer with nearly 20 years on the force has been suspended after he was arrested on charges of shoplifting.
Russell J. Bushaw was arrested Monday after employees at a Target store in Kokomo told police he was caught on surveillance video trying to swipe three Blue Ray DVDs.
Store officials said they have been trying to catch Bushaw for several months in connection with a handful of thefts.
Bushaw was suspended from the police department without pay pending an investigation.
A Logansport police officer with nearly 20 years on the force has been suspended after he was arrested on charges of shoplifting.
Russell J. Bushaw was arrested Monday after employees at a Target store in Kokomo told police he was caught on surveillance video trying to swipe three Blue Ray DVDs.
Store officials said they have been trying to catch Bushaw for several months in connection with a handful of thefts.
Bushaw was suspended from the police department without pay pending an investigation.
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Trial Under Way for Officer Allen Bonds Charged with Stomping Teenager
BELLEVILLE, Ill.
A trial is under way for an East St. Louis police officer accused of kicking and stomping a teenager nearly three years ago.
Allen Bonds is charged with aggravated assault in his confrontation with 18-year-old Jermond Owens.
Owens testified that he took a bike from outside a home in May 2006. He contends Bonds then followed him and eventually pulled him off the bike.
Owens says he doesn't remember anything after that.
A Belleville emergency room doctor testified that Owens' head injuries were so severe he required a breathing tube and he was airlifted to a St. Louis trauma unit.
Under cross-examination, Owens said he's hired a lawyer to pursue a civil case against Bonds.
Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com
More Information: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/story/704482.html
A trial is under way for an East St. Louis police officer accused of kicking and stomping a teenager nearly three years ago.
Allen Bonds is charged with aggravated assault in his confrontation with 18-year-old Jermond Owens.
Owens testified that he took a bike from outside a home in May 2006. He contends Bonds then followed him and eventually pulled him off the bike.
Owens says he doesn't remember anything after that.
A Belleville emergency room doctor testified that Owens' head injuries were so severe he required a breathing tube and he was airlifted to a St. Louis trauma unit.
Under cross-examination, Owens said he's hired a lawyer to pursue a civil case against Bonds.
Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com
More Information: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/story/704482.html
Hearing Will Continue for Officer Jason Judd Accused of Shooting Men
Parties will meet again April 24 in the case of Topeka police officer Jason Judd.
The date was set during a hearing this morning. Last week, a special prosecutor filed a motion asking that charges against Judd be dropped.
Last year Judd was accused of shooting two Topeka men, Daniel and Devin Llamas. The Llamas family today tells 49 News they are happy with the way today's proceedings went and say they are just looking for justice to be served.
Judd was with 3 other off-duty officers at the time.
Video & More Information: http://www.ktka.com/news/2009/mar/26/hearing_case_duty_officer_allegedly_shooting_men/
Previous Post:http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/07/topeka-officer-charged-in-off-duty.html
The date was set during a hearing this morning. Last week, a special prosecutor filed a motion asking that charges against Judd be dropped.
Last year Judd was accused of shooting two Topeka men, Daniel and Devin Llamas. The Llamas family today tells 49 News they are happy with the way today's proceedings went and say they are just looking for justice to be served.
Judd was with 3 other off-duty officers at the time.
Video & More Information: http://www.ktka.com/news/2009/mar/26/hearing_case_duty_officer_allegedly_shooting_men/
Previous Post:http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/07/topeka-officer-charged-in-off-duty.html
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Officer Michael Messenger & Wife Arrested for Shoplifing
State police arrested a New Jersey cop and his wife Monday afternoon on suspicions of shoplifting at the Galleria at Crystal Run.
Police said Michael J. Messenger, 39, of Glenwood Park, N.J., and a police officer in Cliffside Park, N.J., stole items worth a combined $510 from Sears and J.C. Penney, along with his wife, Christine. Their three children – ages 4, 2 and 1 – were with them, police said.
The Messengers were each charged with two counts of petty larceny and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, misdemeanors, and issued appearance tickets.
Bill Maer, a Cliffside Park borough spokesman, said Michael Messenger, a seven-year veteran of the police department, was suspended Tuesday without pay pending the resolution of the case and an internal investigation.
Police said Michael J. Messenger, 39, of Glenwood Park, N.J., and a police officer in Cliffside Park, N.J., stole items worth a combined $510 from Sears and J.C. Penney, along with his wife, Christine. Their three children – ages 4, 2 and 1 – were with them, police said.
The Messengers were each charged with two counts of petty larceny and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, misdemeanors, and issued appearance tickets.
Bill Maer, a Cliffside Park borough spokesman, said Michael Messenger, a seven-year veteran of the police department, was suspended Tuesday without pay pending the resolution of the case and an internal investigation.
Deputy Chu Vue Arrested for Murder
SACRAMENTO, CA -
Chu Vue, a former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy, was arrested Thursday morning for the murder of a correctional officer suspected of having an affair with his wife, says the Sacramento Police Department.
Vue, 44, was taken into custody near his Elk Grove home without incident, said police Sgt. Norm Leong. Also arrested in the Oct. 15, 2008 murder of Steve Lo, 39, were Chu's brothers Gary and Chong Vue, and Lang Vue, a friend of Chu Vue.
Leong says detectives believe Gary and Chong Vue killed Lo at the direction of their older brother Chu Vue. Lo, who worked at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, was found shot in the garage of his Elk Grove home as he apparently was leaving for work.
Investigators say in July 2008, Chu Vue learned his wife was having an affair with Lo.
During the course of the investigation, Vue was accused of weapon and illegal computer access charges. The latter was his alleged illegal use of sheriff's department computers for personal information about Lo.
Earlier this month, Gary and Chong Vue were arrested in Minnesota on an unrelated 2001 murder.
Four others were also arrested Thursday in connection with the case. Leong said Mason Vue, Lee Vue, Allysa Vue and Khoe Vue are suspected of harboring fugitives.
Detectives say in April 2007, Chu Vue put a mobile home on property in Corning in the name of Khoe Vue for the purpose of hiding his brothers.
Lang Vue rented cars and motels for Gary and Chong Vue, according to investigators. They believe Lang Vue bought the vehicle used by the brothers on the day of Lo's murder.
Detectives learned that Allysa Vue, who is Chu Vue's sister, rented a motel in Sacramento they think was used by Gary and Chong Vue a few weeks before the murder.
Mason and Lee Vue, brothers of Lang Vue are suspected by police of hiding the younger Vue brothers, knowing that they were wanted in Minnesota.
Investigators say Chu Vue and the others bought cell phones under fake names and used them to talk to each other.
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Photos & More Information: http://www.kcra.com/news/19019942/detail.html
Chu Vue, a former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy, was arrested Thursday morning for the murder of a correctional officer suspected of having an affair with his wife, says the Sacramento Police Department.
Vue, 44, was taken into custody near his Elk Grove home without incident, said police Sgt. Norm Leong. Also arrested in the Oct. 15, 2008 murder of Steve Lo, 39, were Chu's brothers Gary and Chong Vue, and Lang Vue, a friend of Chu Vue.
Leong says detectives believe Gary and Chong Vue killed Lo at the direction of their older brother Chu Vue. Lo, who worked at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, was found shot in the garage of his Elk Grove home as he apparently was leaving for work.
Investigators say in July 2008, Chu Vue learned his wife was having an affair with Lo.
During the course of the investigation, Vue was accused of weapon and illegal computer access charges. The latter was his alleged illegal use of sheriff's department computers for personal information about Lo.
Earlier this month, Gary and Chong Vue were arrested in Minnesota on an unrelated 2001 murder.
Four others were also arrested Thursday in connection with the case. Leong said Mason Vue, Lee Vue, Allysa Vue and Khoe Vue are suspected of harboring fugitives.
Detectives say in April 2007, Chu Vue put a mobile home on property in Corning in the name of Khoe Vue for the purpose of hiding his brothers.
Lang Vue rented cars and motels for Gary and Chong Vue, according to investigators. They believe Lang Vue bought the vehicle used by the brothers on the day of Lo's murder.
Detectives learned that Allysa Vue, who is Chu Vue's sister, rented a motel in Sacramento they think was used by Gary and Chong Vue a few weeks before the murder.
Mason and Lee Vue, brothers of Lang Vue are suspected by police of hiding the younger Vue brothers, knowing that they were wanted in Minnesota.
Investigators say Chu Vue and the others bought cell phones under fake names and used them to talk to each other.
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Photos & More Information: http://www.kcra.com/news/19019942/detail.html
Taser Use Being Questioned After Teen Death
Many are questioning the safety of tasers after the death of 15-year-old Brett Elder of Bay City, who was killed after a police officer shot him with a taser gun.
But local police agencies, like the Ingham County Sheriff's Office, said the tool is not only effective, but safe.
"It's just safer for the officer, and the offender, both at the same time," said Gasper Mendez, Ingham County Sheriff.
Calling it a middle ground between a gun and a baton, Dewitt Police Chief Larry Jerue echoes that notion, "It's another tool in the toolbox. It's another piece of equipment that can be utilized in a less lethal fashion."
Jerue said his officers understand the responsibility that comes with using a taser. He claims they all understand that the offender's size, stature and mental state must be taken into consideration before delpoying a taser.
"In a force continuum, what the officer does is use only the force necessary," said Jerue. "Just slightly above what is being used on them in order to secure the arrest."
But some say Bay City Police could have secured the arrest of the the 5-foot-6, 140-pound teen without a taser.
However, while Jerue won't speak directly about the Bay City incident, he did say he doesn't know of anyone being killed by a taser alone.
"Depending on the psychological makeup of what the perpetrator or assialant has injested, it could have other effects. In most of the fatalities that I've heard, there is some narcotic that has been injected into the system."
Jerue said choosing to use a taser should never be taken lightly, "You have to justify that, you have to be held accountable for that."
Bay City Police are still investigating whether officers followed department policy in using the taser.
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http://www.wlaj.com/news/taser_14842___article.html/police_year.html
But local police agencies, like the Ingham County Sheriff's Office, said the tool is not only effective, but safe.
"It's just safer for the officer, and the offender, both at the same time," said Gasper Mendez, Ingham County Sheriff.
Calling it a middle ground between a gun and a baton, Dewitt Police Chief Larry Jerue echoes that notion, "It's another tool in the toolbox. It's another piece of equipment that can be utilized in a less lethal fashion."
Jerue said his officers understand the responsibility that comes with using a taser. He claims they all understand that the offender's size, stature and mental state must be taken into consideration before delpoying a taser.
"In a force continuum, what the officer does is use only the force necessary," said Jerue. "Just slightly above what is being used on them in order to secure the arrest."
But some say Bay City Police could have secured the arrest of the the 5-foot-6, 140-pound teen without a taser.
However, while Jerue won't speak directly about the Bay City incident, he did say he doesn't know of anyone being killed by a taser alone.
"Depending on the psychological makeup of what the perpetrator or assialant has injested, it could have other effects. In most of the fatalities that I've heard, there is some narcotic that has been injected into the system."
Jerue said choosing to use a taser should never be taken lightly, "You have to justify that, you have to be held accountable for that."
Bay City Police are still investigating whether officers followed department policy in using the taser.
_______________
http://www.wlaj.com/news/taser_14842___article.html/police_year.html
Reversal of Decision for Former Officer Mark Delapaz
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday reversed a decision that had overturned two of the three convictions of a former Dallas police officer at the center of the city's fake-drug scandal.
The 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas ruled in December 2007 that evidence Mark Delapaz lied in other investigations should not have been introduced at the trial.
The Court of Criminal Appeals disagreed. In its ruling, the court said the value of the testimony of other wrongdoing outweighed the negative light it cast on the former officer.
Delapaz is already serving a five-year sentence from another trial. He lied to a judge to obtain a search warrant in connection with the scandal, in which more than two dozen people were falsely arrested when paid Dallas police informants planted fake drugs on them.
Many of those arrested were Hispanic immigrants. The wrongdoing came to light in 2001 and forced the city to pay millions in settlements and led to negative publicity along with personnel changes at the Police Department.
But this week's ruling does not end the Delapaz case. The Criminal Court of Appeals ordered the lower court, whose decision it just overturned, to examine the other issues Delapaz has appealed.
Those remaining issues are whether Delapaz should have been granted a change of venue and whether two concurrent five-year sentences he received for tampering with evidence and aggravated perjury should be served consecutive to his current sentence, as the judge ordered, said April Smith, who represents Delapaz.
If the convictions ultimately stand, Delapaz would begin serving another five years when he is either paroled or serves the time for the first five-year sentence.
Smith said that she was "disappointed" by the decision and that she has not yet spoken to her client about it. She may ask for a rehearing on the issue but she said it is unlikely to change the decision.
But Toby Shook, who prosecuted the case but is now a defense attorney, concurred with the Court of Criminal Appeals. "Obviously, I think it's the correct ruling," he said.
Delapaz was charged after the wrongful arrest of Jose Vega in August 2001. Prosecutors said that the day before Vega's arrest, a paid Dallas police informant, Daniel Alonso, and his friend Roberto Gonzalez planted fake cocaine in a car at a service station where Vega worked.
The following day, video surveillance was set up. Delapaz met with Alonso, but in violation of a police procedure intended to ensure that an informant is not already carrying drugs, he did not search Alonso or his car.
After the supposed buy from Vega, Alonso met Mr. Delapaz at a convenience store and gave him two kilos of what appeared to be cocaine. Police found about 20 more kilos of the substance at the service station.
After Vega's arrest, Delapaz said in a police report and at a trial that he saw Mr. Alonso meet Mr. Vega outside the garage. But video surveillance did not show any such contact.
Another officer, Eddie Herrera, who is also charged with wrongdoing, testified that he did not see Vega and Alonso meet and that Delapaz asked him to lie.
In addition to Delapaz and Herrera, other officers were charged criminally for their role in wrongly sending people to jail.
Jeffrey Haywood was sentenced to two years probation by a judge in May 2007. This month, David Larsen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted tampering with evidence in exchange for two years probation.
Herrera, who testified against Delapaz and Haywood at their trials, will likely plead guilty in exchange for probation, prosecutors say. None of the four are still police officers.
The 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas ruled in December 2007 that evidence Mark Delapaz lied in other investigations should not have been introduced at the trial.
The Court of Criminal Appeals disagreed. In its ruling, the court said the value of the testimony of other wrongdoing outweighed the negative light it cast on the former officer.
Delapaz is already serving a five-year sentence from another trial. He lied to a judge to obtain a search warrant in connection with the scandal, in which more than two dozen people were falsely arrested when paid Dallas police informants planted fake drugs on them.
Many of those arrested were Hispanic immigrants. The wrongdoing came to light in 2001 and forced the city to pay millions in settlements and led to negative publicity along with personnel changes at the Police Department.
But this week's ruling does not end the Delapaz case. The Criminal Court of Appeals ordered the lower court, whose decision it just overturned, to examine the other issues Delapaz has appealed.
Those remaining issues are whether Delapaz should have been granted a change of venue and whether two concurrent five-year sentences he received for tampering with evidence and aggravated perjury should be served consecutive to his current sentence, as the judge ordered, said April Smith, who represents Delapaz.
If the convictions ultimately stand, Delapaz would begin serving another five years when he is either paroled or serves the time for the first five-year sentence.
Smith said that she was "disappointed" by the decision and that she has not yet spoken to her client about it. She may ask for a rehearing on the issue but she said it is unlikely to change the decision.
But Toby Shook, who prosecuted the case but is now a defense attorney, concurred with the Court of Criminal Appeals. "Obviously, I think it's the correct ruling," he said.
Delapaz was charged after the wrongful arrest of Jose Vega in August 2001. Prosecutors said that the day before Vega's arrest, a paid Dallas police informant, Daniel Alonso, and his friend Roberto Gonzalez planted fake cocaine in a car at a service station where Vega worked.
The following day, video surveillance was set up. Delapaz met with Alonso, but in violation of a police procedure intended to ensure that an informant is not already carrying drugs, he did not search Alonso or his car.
After the supposed buy from Vega, Alonso met Mr. Delapaz at a convenience store and gave him two kilos of what appeared to be cocaine. Police found about 20 more kilos of the substance at the service station.
After Vega's arrest, Delapaz said in a police report and at a trial that he saw Mr. Alonso meet Mr. Vega outside the garage. But video surveillance did not show any such contact.
Another officer, Eddie Herrera, who is also charged with wrongdoing, testified that he did not see Vega and Alonso meet and that Delapaz asked him to lie.
In addition to Delapaz and Herrera, other officers were charged criminally for their role in wrongly sending people to jail.
Jeffrey Haywood was sentenced to two years probation by a judge in May 2007. This month, David Larsen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted tampering with evidence in exchange for two years probation.
Herrera, who testified against Delapaz and Haywood at their trials, will likely plead guilty in exchange for probation, prosecutors say. None of the four are still police officers.
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Trooper Thomas Bledsoe Charged with Indecent Exposure
A Texas State Trooper, Thomas James Bledsoe, has been suspended with pay after he was charged with indecent exposure, a class B misdemeanor, in the Cherokee County Court-at-Law.
Mr. Bledsoe is charged with exposing himself before another department employee while standing in his office on Feb. 3.
The complaint alleged Sgt. Bledsoe was "reckless about whether another person was present who would be offended or alarmed by his act."
The complaint was filed with County Attorney Craig Caldwell by Jo Anna Miles, an employee of the DPS office in Jacksonville.
Sgt. Bledsoe turned himself in to authorities last week and immediately posted a $1,000 bond after being arraigned by Justice of the Peace James Morris, Precinct 3.
Although Ms. Miles is an employee of the Texas Department of Public Safety, her salary is paid by Cherokee County.
Sgt. Bledsoe completed his trooper training and had been assigned to the Jacksonville office since February 2004.
He was promoted to sergeant in December 2008.
He was suspended with pay on Friday, March 20.
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http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20090325/NEWS01/903250307
Mr. Bledsoe is charged with exposing himself before another department employee while standing in his office on Feb. 3.
The complaint alleged Sgt. Bledsoe was "reckless about whether another person was present who would be offended or alarmed by his act."
The complaint was filed with County Attorney Craig Caldwell by Jo Anna Miles, an employee of the DPS office in Jacksonville.
Sgt. Bledsoe turned himself in to authorities last week and immediately posted a $1,000 bond after being arraigned by Justice of the Peace James Morris, Precinct 3.
Although Ms. Miles is an employee of the Texas Department of Public Safety, her salary is paid by Cherokee County.
Sgt. Bledsoe completed his trooper training and had been assigned to the Jacksonville office since February 2004.
He was promoted to sergeant in December 2008.
He was suspended with pay on Friday, March 20.
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http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20090325/NEWS01/903250307
Capt. Clarence Arthur Ebarb Jr. Arrested for Family Assault
San Benito Police Capt. Clarence Arthur Ebarb Jr. was arrested on a family assault charge by Harlingen police.
Ebarb, a 58-year-old Harlingen resident, was arrested about 3:20 a.m. Saturday after a disturbance at the Palm Terrace Apartments, 1501 Sam Houston St., jail records show.
According to a Harlingen police news release, Ebarb's wife told police he had "forcefully grabbed her arms and repeatedly pushed and pulled her."
Ebarb has been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of his case.
San Benito Mayor Joe Hernandez said, "It's surprising. It's a shocker, but we have to continue going forward. It hurts because, with one little incident, (people) label every (police officer) as a bad person. They don't look at all the good they do."
Ebarb, a 58-year-old Harlingen resident, was arrested about 3:20 a.m. Saturday after a disturbance at the Palm Terrace Apartments, 1501 Sam Houston St., jail records show.
According to a Harlingen police news release, Ebarb's wife told police he had "forcefully grabbed her arms and repeatedly pushed and pulled her."
Ebarb has been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of his case.
San Benito Mayor Joe Hernandez said, "It's surprising. It's a shocker, but we have to continue going forward. It hurts because, with one little incident, (people) label every (police officer) as a bad person. They don't look at all the good they do."
Officer Armando Posada Arrested for Drunk Driving
SAN BENITO
A San Benito police officer was arrested last week on a drunken driving charge while he was driving an unmarked San Benito police vehicle, Department of Public Safety spokesman Trooper Johnny Hernandez said Wednesday.
Hernandez said Armando Posada, a 40-year-old San Benito resident, was off duty when he was pulled over for speeding while travelling east on FM 510 near Bayview about 12:30 a.m. Friday.
"He refused a field sobriety test and he refused a breath test," Hernandez said. "But he was highly intoxicated."
The DPS spokesman said Posada did not identify himself as a police officer at the time of his arrest and was driving an unmarked police pickup.
Acting police chief George Gomez said officers are allowed to take unmarked police vehicles home with them.
Posada was jailed at the Los Fresnos Police department but was no longer held there or in the Cameron County jail late Wednesday.
A San Benito police officer was arrested last week on a drunken driving charge while he was driving an unmarked San Benito police vehicle, Department of Public Safety spokesman Trooper Johnny Hernandez said Wednesday.
Hernandez said Armando Posada, a 40-year-old San Benito resident, was off duty when he was pulled over for speeding while travelling east on FM 510 near Bayview about 12:30 a.m. Friday.
"He refused a field sobriety test and he refused a breath test," Hernandez said. "But he was highly intoxicated."
The DPS spokesman said Posada did not identify himself as a police officer at the time of his arrest and was driving an unmarked police pickup.
Acting police chief George Gomez said officers are allowed to take unmarked police vehicles home with them.
Posada was jailed at the Los Fresnos Police department but was no longer held there or in the Cameron County jail late Wednesday.
Military Officer Sgt. Grady Riley Arrested on Child Porn Charges
A Fort Bliss military police officer has been indicted on child pornography charges, federal agents announced Tuesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Staff Sgt. Grady Michael Riley on Monday at the Army post.
Riley, 33, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving child porn ography, said Leticia Zamarripa, an ICE spokeswoman. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison, she said.
U.S. Magistrate Norbert J. Garney read Riley the charges at a preliminary hearing Tues day.
Zamarripa said Riley was the object of a yearlong investigation.
ICE agents in February seized two computers from his home in the 12000 block of Hosea. They found 2,822 sexually explicit images and 150 child pornography videos, Zamarripa said.
Jail records show Riley was being held in the El Paso County Jail without bond.
Zamarripa said child porn ography cases often fall under ICE's jurisdiction because most of the illicit material is imported.
Riley was the second Fort Bliss soldier in a year arrested on child pornography charges. Arkon Christopher Caldwell, also a military police officer, was sentenced in July to 96 months in federal prison after being convicted on child pornography charges.
Former Officer Dennis Tasker Charged with Sex Abuse Involving Child
KINGSTON, N.Y.
A former upstate police officer is charged with multiple counts of sex abuse involving at least one child.
Dennis Tasker of New Paltz was charged Monday with two counts of felony criminal sexual act and one count of sexual course of conduct to a child. He's also charged with sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a minor. He was being held in Ulster County Jail without bail.
State police say the 61-year-old performed sexual acts on a child during a 12- to 18-month period. Tasker was previously a police officer with the New Paltz and Town of Ulster police departments. He resigned from the Town of Ulster department after he was accused of stalking an ex-girlfriend.
New Paltz court officials had no attorney listed for him as of Tuesday afternoon.
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http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090324/NEWS/90323046
A former upstate police officer is charged with multiple counts of sex abuse involving at least one child.
Dennis Tasker of New Paltz was charged Monday with two counts of felony criminal sexual act and one count of sexual course of conduct to a child. He's also charged with sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a minor. He was being held in Ulster County Jail without bail.
State police say the 61-year-old performed sexual acts on a child during a 12- to 18-month period. Tasker was previously a police officer with the New Paltz and Town of Ulster police departments. He resigned from the Town of Ulster department after he was accused of stalking an ex-girlfriend.
New Paltz court officials had no attorney listed for him as of Tuesday afternoon.
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http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090324/NEWS/90323046
Officer James Watson Facing Additional Charges
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says James Watson, 27, was an officer with the Nashville Police Department when he solicited sodomy from a 17-year-old boy earlier this month.
Watson is now charged with violating his Oath of Office which is a felony.
He voluntarily resigned from the police department effective this past Monday.
While Watson was not on duty at the time of his arrest, investigators say this latest charge could result in the loss of his police certificate.
Watson was arrested on Friday, March 13th. He is now out on bond.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/03/officer-james-watson-charged-with.html
Watson is now charged with violating his Oath of Office which is a felony.
He voluntarily resigned from the police department effective this past Monday.
While Watson was not on duty at the time of his arrest, investigators say this latest charge could result in the loss of his police certificate.
Watson was arrested on Friday, March 13th. He is now out on bond.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/03/officer-james-watson-charged-with.html
Officer Daniel Dominguez Arrested for Assaulting Girlfriend
OKLAHOMA CITY
An Oklahoma City police officer is arrested at a metro mall, accused of threatening his girlfriend a day before at a local hospital, police said.
Police alleged that Daniel Dominguez, 41, threatened a 37-year-old woman, identified by police as his on-again, off-again girlfriend, while he was working security Monday at the Oklahoma Spine Hospital.
He was arrested at about 6 p.m. Tuesday at Crossroads Mall, where he also works security, and taken to the Oklahoma County Jail, where he remains on Wednesday.
Dominguez has not been charged, but he has been placed on administrative leave pending a criminal and internal investigation, police said.
He was arrested at about 6 p.m. Tuesday at Crossroads Mall, where he also works security, and taken to the Oklahoma County Jail, where he remains on Wednesday.
Dominguez has not been charged, but he has been placed on administrative leave pending a criminal and internal investigation, police said.
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Undercover Narcotics Officer Rick Ramsdale Charged with Trafficking
A 46-year-old Alamogordo Department of Public Safety undercover narcotics agent was arrested for suspected trafficking of cocaine Saturday, an ADPS spokesman said.
ADPS Director Sam Trujillo said officer Rick Ramsdale is charged with trafficking by possession with intent to distribute.
Trujillo said the New Mexico State Police searched Ramsdale's home and found 1.3 pounds of suspected cocaine.
He said his department is continuing its own internal investigation of Ramsdale.
Trujillo said state police continues its own investigation of Ramsdale's suspected possession of cocaine.
According to Otero County Detention Center records, Ramsdale was released from OCDC on a $50,000 bail bond with no ten percent to appear in court April 22.
"Narcotics agents were conducting a surveillance investigation on an unrelated case Friday," Trujillo said. "One agent noticed the erratic behavior of Ramsdale that's what alerted the agent, something was wrong."
He said Ramsdale was transported to a local hospital for an evaluation.
Trujillo said the drug test at the hospital indicates the presence of cocaine.
"There was no indication prior to Ramsdale's behavior," he said. "We contacted the state police because we believe a crime has been committed by one of our employees."
Trujillo said the two investigations being conducted were initiated by his department.
"Ramsdale has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending a termination hearing," he said. "He was arrested by state police after being released from the hospital."
Detective Lt. Lee Wilder said they conducted an internal investigation.
"We notified the District Attorney's office," Wilder said. "The DA's office notified the state police. It would be unethical for us to truly investigate our own officer."
Trujillo said it is disturbing that ADPS had an officer arrested for suspected criminal activity.
"We do have to police our own," he said. "I do have to commend the other narcotics agents for stepping forward and making sure this did not continue."
Ramsdale started working as a undercover narcotics officer five weeks ago. He has worked as patrol officer at ADPS for one year. He was an Otero County Sheriff's Department deputy for five years prior to working at ADPS.
ADPS Director Sam Trujillo said officer Rick Ramsdale is charged with trafficking by possession with intent to distribute.
Trujillo said the New Mexico State Police searched Ramsdale's home and found 1.3 pounds of suspected cocaine.
He said his department is continuing its own internal investigation of Ramsdale.
Trujillo said state police continues its own investigation of Ramsdale's suspected possession of cocaine.
According to Otero County Detention Center records, Ramsdale was released from OCDC on a $50,000 bail bond with no ten percent to appear in court April 22.
"Narcotics agents were conducting a surveillance investigation on an unrelated case Friday," Trujillo said. "One agent noticed the erratic behavior of Ramsdale that's what alerted the agent, something was wrong."
He said Ramsdale was transported to a local hospital for an evaluation.
Trujillo said the drug test at the hospital indicates the presence of cocaine.
"There was no indication prior to Ramsdale's behavior," he said. "We contacted the state police because we believe a crime has been committed by one of our employees."
Trujillo said the two investigations being conducted were initiated by his department.
"Ramsdale has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending a termination hearing," he said. "He was arrested by state police after being released from the hospital."
Detective Lt. Lee Wilder said they conducted an internal investigation.
"We notified the District Attorney's office," Wilder said. "The DA's office notified the state police. It would be unethical for us to truly investigate our own officer."
Trujillo said it is disturbing that ADPS had an officer arrested for suspected criminal activity.
"We do have to police our own," he said. "I do have to commend the other narcotics agents for stepping forward and making sure this did not continue."
Ramsdale started working as a undercover narcotics officer five weeks ago. He has worked as patrol officer at ADPS for one year. He was an Otero County Sheriff's Department deputy for five years prior to working at ADPS.
UPDATE on Officer Scott Moss Charged with Domestic Violence
A Seattle Police officer was charged Wednesday with second-degree assault for a domestic violence incident at his home outside Sammamish.
Officer Scott Moss, 39, was arrested early March 21 after his wife ran to a neighbor's home and called 911. She told King County Sheriff's deputies that Moss had pushed her as she tried to leave during an argument and thrust a kitchen knife toward her hand, cutting her right thumb, court documents say.
His wife's thumb was bleeding when deputies arrived, court documents say.
The argument started after his wife receievd a cell phone call from a woman who said Moss was having an affair with the caller's friend. Moss' wife confronted him when he got home, court documents say.
His arraignment is set for April 7 in King County Superior Court.
The Police Department seized Moss's gun and badge after his release from jail on a $10,000 bond. A 15-year veteran, he has been re-assigned from his position as an acting sergeant in the department's Office of Professional Accountability. Moss had taken a civil service promotional exam and was on a list of potential candidates for sergeant, the Police Department said in a statement.
Moss formerly worked for the department's media relations unit. In 2005, Moss was stopped for drunken driving but the charge was reduced to first-degree negligent driving, according to court records.
The court in this case ordered a protection order between Moss and his wife, who have been married 14 years and have four children, court documents say.
When deputies arrested him, Moss denied assaulting his wife, saying "all I did was move her out of the way," according to court documents.
To read a special Seattle P-I report about domestic violence and police, click here.
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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/03/officer-scott-moss-accused-of.html
Officer Scott Moss, 39, was arrested early March 21 after his wife ran to a neighbor's home and called 911. She told King County Sheriff's deputies that Moss had pushed her as she tried to leave during an argument and thrust a kitchen knife toward her hand, cutting her right thumb, court documents say.
His wife's thumb was bleeding when deputies arrived, court documents say.
The argument started after his wife receievd a cell phone call from a woman who said Moss was having an affair with the caller's friend. Moss' wife confronted him when he got home, court documents say.
His arraignment is set for April 7 in King County Superior Court.
The Police Department seized Moss's gun and badge after his release from jail on a $10,000 bond. A 15-year veteran, he has been re-assigned from his position as an acting sergeant in the department's Office of Professional Accountability. Moss had taken a civil service promotional exam and was on a list of potential candidates for sergeant, the Police Department said in a statement.
Moss formerly worked for the department's media relations unit. In 2005, Moss was stopped for drunken driving but the charge was reduced to first-degree negligent driving, according to court records.
The court in this case ordered a protection order between Moss and his wife, who have been married 14 years and have four children, court documents say.
When deputies arrested him, Moss denied assaulting his wife, saying "all I did was move her out of the way," according to court documents.
To read a special Seattle P-I report about domestic violence and police, click here.
____________
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/03/officer-scott-moss-accused-of.html
Veteran Houston Officer Being Investigated for Sexual Assault
HOUSTON
A 30-year veteran Houston policeman is being investigated amid allegations he sexually assaulted another male in southwest Houston, sources tell FOX 26.
A gun may have been involved in the incident, and the victim of the alleged assault has submitted a rape kit, sources said.
Meanwhile, the officer is relieved of duty pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations, sources said.
FOX 26 is withholding the identity of the officer because no charges have been filed against him.
However, Houston police have confirmed that he has been relieved of duty, although they declined to comment on the issue.
A 30-year veteran Houston policeman is being investigated amid allegations he sexually assaulted another male in southwest Houston, sources tell FOX 26.
A gun may have been involved in the incident, and the victim of the alleged assault has submitted a rape kit, sources said.
Meanwhile, the officer is relieved of duty pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations, sources said.
FOX 26 is withholding the identity of the officer because no charges have been filed against him.
However, Houston police have confirmed that he has been relieved of duty, although they declined to comment on the issue.
When Evidence From Surveillance Cameras Leads to Charges Against Officers
Surveillance cameras have captured the faces of criminal suspects in banks, in elevators and on street corners. But they have also surfaced in an unexpected law enforcement role: as evidence against police officers accused of misconduct or of lying on the witness stand.
The latest such case emerged on Monday, when a New York City detective, Debra Eager, 41, was indicted on three felony perjury charges after her testimony before a grand jury about a 2007 drug arrest “starkly contradicted” video surveillance of the event, according to Robert T. Johnson, the Bronx district attorney.
Detective Eager pleaded not guilty to the charges, said her lawyer, Peter E. Brill, who pointed out that she had 15 years’ experience on the force and no disciplinary history. He explained the discrepancies between her testimony and the video as honest mistakes.
Mr. Johnson, commenting on the case, said in a statement that “untruthful testimony” from law enforcement officers “strikes at the very heart of our system of justice and seriously erodes public confidence in our courts.”
Detective Eager’s indictment is one of several in recent months in which video recordings played a role in establishing criminal cases against police officers or led prosecutors to drop charges against suspects the officers had arrested.
In September, the Manhattan district attorney’s office dropped charges of attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct against a cyclist, Christopher Long, after videotape showed a police officer, Patrick Pogan, knocking him off his bicycle during a cycling event in Manhattan last summer. Mr. Pogan was indicted in December on charges of assault and filing false paperwork, and has since resigned.
In January, two undercover narcotics officers, Officer Henry Tavarez and Detective Stephen Anderson, were charged with official misconduct and conspiracy after prosecutors said they lied about a “buy and bust” operation at a bar in Queens. One of the men they had arrested, on charges of selling the officers drugs, produced video evidence showing that the officers had had no contact with him or three other suspects, prosecutors said. The charges against the men were dropped.
Last month, assault charges were dropped against a truck driver, Michael Cephus, after a video showed a police officer, Maurice Harrington, hitting him 10 times with a metal baton on Delancey Street in Manhattan, according to Brian Orlow, a lawyer for Mr. Cephus.
Alicia Maxey Greene, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, confirmed that the office was investigating Officer Harrington, but declined to comment further.
Also last month, Officer David London was indicted on charges of assault and filing false records after video from a surveillance camera at an Upper West Side building showed that he pulled a man he had accused of resisting arrest out of an elevator and beat him 18 to 20 times with a baton. Officer London has pleaded not guilty.
Detective Eager was released on a $15,000 personal recognizance bond, and her case was adjourned until May 12. Each of the three counts carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, prosecutors said.
Mr. Brill said Detective Eager had no incentive to lie. “What did she have invested in lying?” he said on Tuesday, recounting his remarks in court the day before. “She has made 1,300 arrests.”
The chief spokesman for the Police Department, Paul J. Browne, declined to comment on Detective Eager’s case other than to say that she had been suspended from the force. But when asked to comment about police officers accused of perjury, he said, “It does not happen often, but when it does, it is baffling why police officers would risk prosecution and their careers to advance a criminal case rather than let the chips fall where they may.”
The case against Detective Eager stems from her arrest of three people on drug charges in November 2007 at an apartment building on Holland Avenue in the Bronx.
In an excerpt from her grand jury testimony, released by Mr. Johnson’s office, Detective Eager says she and a partner left their van and entered the building through a broken door to follow two men who they believed had two boxes of marijuana. In another excerpt, she says she and her partner “went up to the fourth floor” and then “to the fifth floor” when they heard the suspects jingling keys to unlock Apartment 55N.
The third perjury count was based on her remarks that during the arrest she had recovered two boxes of marijuana, one 15 pounds and the other 18 pounds.
The district attorney’s statement does not say what the video showed, but claims that her testimony was “specific in detail” and contradicted by the video surveillance.
The felony and misdemeanor charges were dropped against the drug suspects last October, prosecutors said.
Mr. Brill said the surveillance video became part of the case when one or more of the defendants filed a complaint against Detective Eager with the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
Mr. Brill said that after Detective Eager saw the video, she realized that “some of the things she said in the grand jury were incorrect based upon not lying, but mistakes she had made in recalling this.”
Within days, he said, she went to the district attorney’s office and explained the situation.
Mr. Brill said the video showed that Detective Eager and her partner had gone up to the fifth floor separately, perhaps minutes apart, and that members of the police team she was with made the recovery of the boxes — she did not recover them on her own.
__________________
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/nyregion/25perjury.html?_r=1
The latest such case emerged on Monday, when a New York City detective, Debra Eager, 41, was indicted on three felony perjury charges after her testimony before a grand jury about a 2007 drug arrest “starkly contradicted” video surveillance of the event, according to Robert T. Johnson, the Bronx district attorney.
Detective Eager pleaded not guilty to the charges, said her lawyer, Peter E. Brill, who pointed out that she had 15 years’ experience on the force and no disciplinary history. He explained the discrepancies between her testimony and the video as honest mistakes.
Mr. Johnson, commenting on the case, said in a statement that “untruthful testimony” from law enforcement officers “strikes at the very heart of our system of justice and seriously erodes public confidence in our courts.”
Detective Eager’s indictment is one of several in recent months in which video recordings played a role in establishing criminal cases against police officers or led prosecutors to drop charges against suspects the officers had arrested.
In September, the Manhattan district attorney’s office dropped charges of attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct against a cyclist, Christopher Long, after videotape showed a police officer, Patrick Pogan, knocking him off his bicycle during a cycling event in Manhattan last summer. Mr. Pogan was indicted in December on charges of assault and filing false paperwork, and has since resigned.
In January, two undercover narcotics officers, Officer Henry Tavarez and Detective Stephen Anderson, were charged with official misconduct and conspiracy after prosecutors said they lied about a “buy and bust” operation at a bar in Queens. One of the men they had arrested, on charges of selling the officers drugs, produced video evidence showing that the officers had had no contact with him or three other suspects, prosecutors said. The charges against the men were dropped.
Last month, assault charges were dropped against a truck driver, Michael Cephus, after a video showed a police officer, Maurice Harrington, hitting him 10 times with a metal baton on Delancey Street in Manhattan, according to Brian Orlow, a lawyer for Mr. Cephus.
Alicia Maxey Greene, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, confirmed that the office was investigating Officer Harrington, but declined to comment further.
Also last month, Officer David London was indicted on charges of assault and filing false records after video from a surveillance camera at an Upper West Side building showed that he pulled a man he had accused of resisting arrest out of an elevator and beat him 18 to 20 times with a baton. Officer London has pleaded not guilty.
Detective Eager was released on a $15,000 personal recognizance bond, and her case was adjourned until May 12. Each of the three counts carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, prosecutors said.
Mr. Brill said Detective Eager had no incentive to lie. “What did she have invested in lying?” he said on Tuesday, recounting his remarks in court the day before. “She has made 1,300 arrests.”
The chief spokesman for the Police Department, Paul J. Browne, declined to comment on Detective Eager’s case other than to say that she had been suspended from the force. But when asked to comment about police officers accused of perjury, he said, “It does not happen often, but when it does, it is baffling why police officers would risk prosecution and their careers to advance a criminal case rather than let the chips fall where they may.”
The case against Detective Eager stems from her arrest of three people on drug charges in November 2007 at an apartment building on Holland Avenue in the Bronx.
In an excerpt from her grand jury testimony, released by Mr. Johnson’s office, Detective Eager says she and a partner left their van and entered the building through a broken door to follow two men who they believed had two boxes of marijuana. In another excerpt, she says she and her partner “went up to the fourth floor” and then “to the fifth floor” when they heard the suspects jingling keys to unlock Apartment 55N.
The third perjury count was based on her remarks that during the arrest she had recovered two boxes of marijuana, one 15 pounds and the other 18 pounds.
The district attorney’s statement does not say what the video showed, but claims that her testimony was “specific in detail” and contradicted by the video surveillance.
The felony and misdemeanor charges were dropped against the drug suspects last October, prosecutors said.
Mr. Brill said the surveillance video became part of the case when one or more of the defendants filed a complaint against Detective Eager with the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
Mr. Brill said that after Detective Eager saw the video, she realized that “some of the things she said in the grand jury were incorrect based upon not lying, but mistakes she had made in recalling this.”
Within days, he said, she went to the district attorney’s office and explained the situation.
Mr. Brill said the video showed that Detective Eager and her partner had gone up to the fifth floor separately, perhaps minutes apart, and that members of the police team she was with made the recovery of the boxes — she did not recover them on her own.
__________________
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/nyregion/25perjury.html?_r=1
Correction Officer Richard Alsup Arrested for Molesting Child
A Marion County sheriff's correction officer is facing serious charges following accusations of child molest.
Richard Alsup was arrested Tuesday after police were notified by Child Protective Services investigators.
A 14-year-old relative told authorities that Alsup had molested her for two years. She said the latest incidents happened earlier this month at the Mariners Village Apartment Complex on the city's west side.
"Although he has ties with the sheriff's dept and impd from the standpoint of who he is does not matter in reference to the investgation of criminal matters," said Lt. Jeff Duhamell, Indianapolis Metro Police Department.
When Alsup was questioned about the accusations he stated that he wasn’t sure if the incident occurred.
Alsup faces several charges including child molest, incest and sexual misconduct with a minor.
He's being held in the Marion County Jail without bond. He's currently being kept under close watch, away from the rest of the jail population.
______________
Other Information:
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=10068877
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/19010756/detail.html
Amnesty International Criticize Police in Michigan for Taser Death
DETROIT
Amnesty International criticized police in Michigan on Tuesday for using a Taser to subdue a 15-year-old boy who died shortly afterward, saying it illustrates the dangers of the electroshock weapon.
Bay City police said an officer used a Taser on Brett Elder on Sunday because he tried to fight with them. The teen would have turned 16 Tuesday.
An autopsy was conducted on Monday, but a cause of death has not yet been determined, said Lt. John Card, commander of the state police's Bay City post. He said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The London office of Amnesty International, an outspoken critic of Tasers, issued a statement Tuesday saying the death "reinforces the need for greater caution" before Tasers are distributed more widely.
"Tasers should only be used in life-threatening situations, and this doesn't appear to be such an instance," said Oliver Sprague, director of Amnesty International's arms program in Britain. "Surely another form of restraint could have been applied in this case."
A spokesman for Taser International, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., said Amnesty was "inappropriately jumping to conclusions" about the teen's death.
"The Taser itself has saved thousands of lives, and medical science has shown it to be the safer alternative compared to any other tool on an officer's belt today," said spokesman Steve Tuttle.
"We stand behind the safety of our Taser devices, and medical science supports this stance, especially in terms of human testing," Tuttle said.
Bay City police turned the case over to Michigan State Police for investigation. The department also placed one officer on administrative leave while it conducts an internal probe of whether its rules were followed.
Amnesty International said it was the second death of a minor after Taser use this year in the U.S. and one of 351 deaths after use of a Taser in the U.S. since June 2001. Tuttle said the Taser has been exonerated as a cause or contributing factor in the vast majority of deaths.
City police Chief Michael Cecchini defended his officers' actions at a news conference Tuesday. He said officers were trying to settle a verbal dispute between Elder and a man, and the officers acted when the youth became unruly and took a "fighting stance" against them.
The officers handcuffed Elder but saw he was having a medical problem and gave assistance while calling an emergency medical crew.
His father, Eugene Elder, told The Bay City Times that while his son was unruly, police shouldn't have used the Taser on him. "There's no reason to kill my boy," he said.
_________
Other Information:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090324/NEWS05/903240395/1007/NEWS/State+Police+look+into+Taser+death+in+Bay+City
Amnesty International criticized police in Michigan on Tuesday for using a Taser to subdue a 15-year-old boy who died shortly afterward, saying it illustrates the dangers of the electroshock weapon.
Bay City police said an officer used a Taser on Brett Elder on Sunday because he tried to fight with them. The teen would have turned 16 Tuesday.
An autopsy was conducted on Monday, but a cause of death has not yet been determined, said Lt. John Card, commander of the state police's Bay City post. He said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The London office of Amnesty International, an outspoken critic of Tasers, issued a statement Tuesday saying the death "reinforces the need for greater caution" before Tasers are distributed more widely.
"Tasers should only be used in life-threatening situations, and this doesn't appear to be such an instance," said Oliver Sprague, director of Amnesty International's arms program in Britain. "Surely another form of restraint could have been applied in this case."
A spokesman for Taser International, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., said Amnesty was "inappropriately jumping to conclusions" about the teen's death.
"The Taser itself has saved thousands of lives, and medical science has shown it to be the safer alternative compared to any other tool on an officer's belt today," said spokesman Steve Tuttle.
"We stand behind the safety of our Taser devices, and medical science supports this stance, especially in terms of human testing," Tuttle said.
Bay City police turned the case over to Michigan State Police for investigation. The department also placed one officer on administrative leave while it conducts an internal probe of whether its rules were followed.
Amnesty International said it was the second death of a minor after Taser use this year in the U.S. and one of 351 deaths after use of a Taser in the U.S. since June 2001. Tuttle said the Taser has been exonerated as a cause or contributing factor in the vast majority of deaths.
City police Chief Michael Cecchini defended his officers' actions at a news conference Tuesday. He said officers were trying to settle a verbal dispute between Elder and a man, and the officers acted when the youth became unruly and took a "fighting stance" against them.
The officers handcuffed Elder but saw he was having a medical problem and gave assistance while calling an emergency medical crew.
His father, Eugene Elder, told The Bay City Times that while his son was unruly, police shouldn't have used the Taser on him. "There's no reason to kill my boy," he said.
_________
Other Information:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090324/NEWS05/903240395/1007/NEWS/State+Police+look+into+Taser+death+in+Bay+City
Deputy Accused of Writing Ticket While Woman Dies
A Tennessee man who was rushing his 83 year-old mother to a hospital says a sheriff's deputy stopped him for an expired tag and wrote up the ticket while the man's mother died in the back seat.
Wayne Ables said he was stopped on March 12, 2009. Ables said his mother Vernice Ables suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stopped breathing during the traffic stop.
He asked the unidentified deputy to follow him to Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, less than a mile away, and write the ticket there. The deputy refused, instead calling an ambulance while at the same time checking Ables' license and insurance.
The incident is under investigation, according to reports.
Wayne Ables said he was stopped on March 12, 2009. Ables said his mother Vernice Ables suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stopped breathing during the traffic stop.
He asked the unidentified deputy to follow him to Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, less than a mile away, and write the ticket there. The deputy refused, instead calling an ambulance while at the same time checking Ables' license and insurance.
The incident is under investigation, according to reports.
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