Trooper Eric Schonfarber Arrested for Assaulting Judge

A state trooper was booked today for allegedly roughing up a Red River Parish district judge during a traffic stop June 29 in the courthouse parking lot.

Trooper Eric Schonfarber, a 14-year state police veteran, was arrested this morning after turning himself into Red River Parish sheriff’s authorities on three warrants signed late Thursday afternoon by a New Orleans district judge. The warrants charge Schonfarber with aggravated assault, simple battery and false imprisonment.

Schonfarber was working this morning when he was called to the Troop G headquarters in Bossier City. An internal investigation had been ongoing since the incident involving District Judge Lewis Sams took place.

“We don’t know precisely what happened after our trooper stopped the judge for not wearing a seat belt, but we’re going to find out. As soon as we learned that a confrontation between the trooper and the judge had occurred, we began an internal administrative inquiry. We hope to wrap that investigation soon and will share our findings. If those findings deem further action on our part, we’ll do what is necessary and appropriate,” state police Col. Mike Edmonson said in a news release.

Schonfarber initiated the traffic stop after spotting Sams without his seat belt on. Sams had just left the courthouse and was making a quick return trip when Schonfarber pulled into the courthouse parking lot behind him.

Schonfarber asked for Sams’ identification and he complied. The trooper informed him of the violation and Sams admitted he was not wearing a seat belt. Sams told the trooper to write the ticket.

During the discussion, Sams identified himself as a district judge and Schonfarber asked to see a badge that was in Sams’ wallet. Sams refused, saying he wasn’t going to use his position to get out of a ticket.

That’s when the confrontation allegedly became physical. Schonfarber pulled out his Taser and threatened the judge, and also threw him onto the hood of his patrol car. A Red River Parish constable and occupants of the courthouse witnessed the events.

Schonfarber released the judge and issued the seat belt violation.

While all personally assigned state police vehicles are equipped with in-car video recording systems, Schonfarber was using a pool unit while his vehicle was out of service. Pool vehicles do not have the recording equipment, so there is no video of the incident, Edmonson said in the news release.

“We know that nothing is more important than public confidence in this agency, and I intend to maintain that confidence. Neither our troopers nor those they come in contact with are above the law,” Edmonson said.

Deputy Michael Nix Arrested for Molesting 3-year-old

GAINESVILLE

A 20-year veteran with the Hall County Sheriff's Office has been arrested for molesting a 3-year-old girl.

Hall County Sheriff's Col. Jeff Strickland said 42-year-old Michael D. Nix was arrested Thursday afternoon following an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

"The preliminary investigation revealed an allegation of aggravated child molestation involving a 3-year-old female that Nix's wife had been babysitting in their Clermont home," said Strickland.

He said Nix was put on administrative leave Monday when the allegations surfaced and was then terminated following his arrest.

Strickland said Nix served as an investigator in the internal affairs unit.

"It is unfortunate to have a veteran officer arrested on such serious charges, we take this very serious, therefore as a result of today's arrest the officer has been terminated and jailed," he said.

Nix is being held in the Hall County Jail without bond.

Officers Donald Clark & Nicky Bryant Accused of Giving Teens Liquor Then Enticed them to do Striptease

The two Knoxville Police Department officers who resigned this week are the same ones under a criminal investigation, the lawyer for one officer said this afternoon.

Gregory P. Isaacs, one of East Tennessee’s best-known defense lawyers, said he represents Donald Scott Clark, who turned in his resignation Tuesday along with former officer Nicky R. Bryant.

“Our firm has been retained to represent Scott Clark regarding his former employment with KPD,” Isaacs said. “Our firm has notified Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols and Police Chief Sterling Owen this afternoon.

“We are in the process of conducting our own parallel investigation and would strongly caution anyone against jumping to conclusions as it relates to unsubstantiated allegations involving Mr. Clark.”

The officers, suspended last week, resigned Tuesday after being faced with the accusation that they plied two teenage girls with liquor and enticed them to perform a striptease, according to sources.

KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk has refused to identify the two officers under investigation. He said the KPD has launched criminal and internal probes into the alleged misconduct of two officers.

Isaacs wouldn’t discuss the accusations against his client but asked the public and authorities to keep an open mind.

“We’re confident at the end of the day that there will be favorable information that comes forward as relates to Scott Clark,” Isaacs said. “We want to ensure my client is treated as an individual as this process goes forward and is not painted with a broad brush regarding any other individual’s culpability.”

Bryant, the other officer, hasn’t responded to attempts to contact him.

Both officers had been suspended with pay July 3, records show.

“When they were placed on administrative leave, their police powers were suspended at that time,” DeBusk.

Sources with knowledge of the probes said the officers provided liquor to two girls, ages 13 and 14, at the residence of one of the officers.

After providing the alcohol, the officers are accused of enticing the girls to perform a striptease for them. The allegations include that the naked girls then danced for the men.

DeBusk has refused to disclose the nature of the allegations against the officers. He noted the state Department of Children’s Services was involved in investigating the allegations, but he declined to say the DCS probe indicated juveniles were involved.

DCS spokesman Rob Johnson said his agency joined the case only to assist.

“Our role is to help children who are abused or neglected,” he said.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office also is investigating the officers, according to Martha Dooley, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.

“We’re investigating, and that’s all I can say,” Dooley said Thursday.

Clark has been with the Police Department for five years. Bryant has been with the department six years. Both officers had multiple reprimands in their personnel files and also commendations from the public for their professional demeanor.

Records show Bryant was suspended for two days in 2005 for not following policy in working an extra job. In 2004 he was suspended for one day for “a preventable crash,” according to records.

Clark was suspended for one day last year after he drove his cruiser out of state, records show. He was reprimanded this year for providing sensitive information to a civilian from the National Crime Information Center and in 2007 for having a dirty and unloaded firearm.

Both men continue to hold police certifications from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. The POST Commission certifies officers across the state.

DeBusk said KPD will alert the POST Commission that the officers “resigned under internal investigation.” If warranted, DeBusk said, KPD would ask POST to decertify the officers at the conclusion of the probe.

The commission hasn’t yet received that alert, said Christopher Garrett, spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works with the POST Commission.

Garrett said any other police agency would be expected to conduct a background check, which would turn up the circumstances of the former officers’ resignations, and to notify the POST Commission, which would ask whether the agency knew how the applicants left their jobs.

Most agencies would at least hesitate to hire someone who left under such a cloud, Garrett said.

“It’s certainly discouraged, but it does happen occasionally,” he said.
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More Information: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=92898&catid=2

Officer Bryan Womble Now Being Charged with Hit and Run

A Virginia Beach police officer accused of drunk driving is now also being charged with hit and run.

All of the charges stem from accident officer Bryan Womble had in June.

Virginia Beach police say Womble hit another car -- but drove two blocks away before police pulled him over.

He failed a sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level of .15.

The hit and run charge is only a misdemeanor because the crash caused less than one thousand dollars in damage.
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Previous Post:
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/06/officer-bryan-womble-arrested-for-dui.html
Information:
http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_071009_womble_hit_and_run_.2935e1b2.html

Officer Kendal Smith Arrested for Driving Patrol Car Impaired

A Holden Beach police officer was arrested Thursday and charged with driving his patrol car while impaired.

Kendal Roy Smith, a 42-year-old lieutenant with the Holden Beach Police Department, was arrested in Shallotte about 7 p.m. Thursday after pulling out of a parking lot at a high speed and out of control, according to the arrest report. Smith was driving a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car.

“The suspect was very impaired,” the report reads.

Smith, of 329 Paul’s Trail in Shallotte, has a court hearing scheduled on Aug. 6.

It wasn’t immediately clear what Smith’s status was with the Holden Beach Police. Chief Wally Layne has not yet returned a phone message seeking comment.

Lt Willie Durrett Arrested for Hitting Daughter with Fishing Rod

A DeKalb County police lieutenant was arrested after officials said he hit his teenage daughter with a fishing rod.

Henry County officials said they responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Stockbridge home late Monday night.

Police said Lt. Willie Durrett, who was wearing his uniform and was on duty at the time, stopped by the house to drop off a birthday present for his son.

Durrett told officials he attempted to talk to his 16-year-old daughter after she disrespected him, but she slammed a door on his arm. He pushed open the door, causing her to fall back. Durrett said when his daughter grabbed a fishing rod, he took it from her and hit her with it.

The teen had lacerations on both arms and her lower back, according to officers on the scene.

Durrett was charged with battery, cruelty to children 1st degree and cruelty to children 2nd degree.

Durrett has been placed on administrative leave, according to Mekka Parish with the DeKalb County Police Department.

Officer Dennis Byrne Arrested for Beating Man

The Sandwich police officer accused of beating a man so severely he required 37 stitches to his face has a history of threatening the alleged victim, according to police reports.

Accompanied by attorney Jens Bahrawy and an unidentified woman, Sandwich police Officer Dennis Byrne pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (blunt object) in Barnstable District Court yesterday.

Byrne, 38, has a "long history of conflict due to an ongoing relationship between Byrne's wife ... and (the alleged victim)," a police report states. The alleged victim told police Byrne's wife is a battered woman, adding that "Byrne is unstable and that he will eventually kill (his wife)."

The Sandwich officer has been on paid administrative leave since the morning the incident was reported. Byrne is due back in court for a pretrial hearing July 21.

On June 16 at about 10 p.m., Byrne's wife visited the alleged victim at his Route 6A home. Hours later during the early morning of June 17, Byrne arrived at the home and was invited inside, according to police.

According to a police report, the alleged victim eventually asked Byrne to leave his house but Byrne refused. Byrne then attacked the man after he had turned his back, striking him in the face multiple times, according to police.

Byrne's wife reportedly witnessed the alleged assault and called the state police barracks in Middleboro from a cell phone.

Although police could not identify the weapon used in the incident, the alleged victim said it looked like a dowel or roll of quarters. The man told police Byrne continued to hit him while he was down on the ground using the sides of his fists.

"(The alleged victim) also stated that Byrne would constantly tell (him) that he couldn't do anything about it because he was a cop," according to the police report.

When police asked the alleged victim whether the violent encounter was an isolated incident, the man said he had lost count of how many times Byrne had threatened to kill him. The man also said Byrne was often in uniform while making the alleged threats.

Police said the alleged victim also has voice mail recordings of Byrne identifying himself and making threats.

Byrne, his unidentified female companion and his attorney did not answer questions on their way out of the courthouse yesterday. If convicted of the felony charge, Byrne could face up to 2½ years in the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.

Byrne is on paid administrative leave pending an upcoming disciplinary hearing. Sandwich police Chief Michael Miller did not return a phone message yesterday seeking comment on the status of that hearing. Byrne earns $61,000 per year in regular pay, according to town records, and has been an officer in Sandwich for 10 years.

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http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090709officer_pleads_not_guilty_to_assault/srvc=home&position=recent

Family Paid $2.4 Million After Stanley Harlan Dies from Being Tasered

A Missouri municipality has agreed to pay $2.4 million to the family of a man who died after police shocked him several times with a Taser. The local police police department also agreed to suspend use of the controversial stun guns, which have been linked to hundreds of deaths nationwide by Amnesty International.

The Taser lawsuit settlement resolves a complaint filed against the city of Moberly over the death of Stanley Harlan, who was struck with a Taser three times for resisting attempts to handcuff him following a stop for suspected drunk driving. Harlan lost consciousness after being jolted with the stun gun and died a short time later.

Insurance coverage for the city will pay $2.4 million to Harlan’s family, including his infant son, as a result of the alleged police brutality and excessive use of force. City officials also agreed to enforce a moratorium on Taser use by the Moberly Police Department. In addition, Moberly police will be trained to recognize and respond to medical distress situations, and the city will provide at least one on-duty patrol unit with an automatic external defibrillator.

Taser guns are designed to incapacitate neuromuscular functions by delivering an electrical shock. Many law enforcement agencies use the weapons as an alternative to lethal force in situations where suspects pose a threat.

The city did not admit fault as part of the settlement, and no criminal charges have been filed against police officers. An investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Last year, Amnesty International called for a police departments throughout the United States to stop using Taser guns or strictly limit their use to life-threatening situations. A report released last December by the human rights group linked 334 deaths to the use of Taser guns between 2001 and August 2008. Amnesty noted that 90% of the Taser deaths examined involved people who were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat to the officers. A large number of the fatalities involved misuse of the weapons, including multiple Taser shocks or exposing suspects to prolonged shocks.

Taser International, which manufactures the controversial stun guns, has maintained that the weapons are safe and non-lethal devices. They were not a party to the lawsuit or the settlement.

Teen Girl Tasered in Head

The use of tasers by law enforcement is becoming increasingly controversial as more examples emerge of them being used improperly and causing victims serious harm. This New Mexico teen was arguing with her mother, so her mother brought her to a police station to get help (it's unclear what kind of argument they could have been having that would warrant police intervention).

The girl ran off and the police chief chased her and ordered her to stop. When she didn't, he tasered her in the head. The giant scar and stitches in the teen's head show the tasering was terribly brutal, and it's difficult to see how this could in any way be justified.
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Information and Video: http://vivirlatino.com/2009/07/08/girl-tasered-in-new-mexico.php

Officer Michael Percival Arrested for Domestic Violence

An Olathe police officer, Michael Percival, 44, is facing two counts of domestic violence and two counts of third-degree assault in what appears to be years of physical and mental abuse.

An affidavit supporting Percival’s arrest on June 26 claims that for four years, Percival beat his girlfriend, Elisha Cabrera, 42, on a regular basis.

The arrest affidavit states that Cabrera signed contracts given to her by Percival that dictated her behavior. If she failed to please Percival, he would punish her mildly by making her stand in a corner, or severely by spanking her bare buttocks repeatedly with a belt or other object.

Both Percival and Cabrera were arrested for domestic violence on June 24, but the extent of the alleged abuse against Cabrera was not known until she was accompanied to the restroom by a female officer who saw her injuries, which were then photographed.

The abuse took on even worse proportions, according to the affidavit, in that Cabrera was often forced to utter “thank you” each time she was hit to avoid further beatings.

The arrest affidavit, signed by Investigator David Harrison of the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, reads, in part, about “punishment” administered on June 15 and 16. Cabrera told Deputy Monique Salido that the last beatings were punishment because she asked why she and her daughter were not invited to go on a fishing trip with Percival and his children.

Percival became angry at the question, according to the affidavit, and when he came home made Cabrera strip from the waist down, bend over the bed, and gave her 25 lashes with his police issue belt.

“Cabrera said she had to count each lashing and tell him ‘thank you’ after each strike and if she failed to count or miscounted, Percival would start over from the beginning…” the affidavit states. The next day, Cabrera was hit 25 more times until she “…had received her full measure of punishment.”

After the last beating, Cabrera said she had had enough. She said, according to the affidavit, that the beatings were painful but she allowed them because she loved Percival.

Olathe Police Chief Rick Hawk did not return messages left for him earlier this week.

Percival was released from the Montrose County jail after posting bond of $2,500 the day after he was arrested.

Former Chief Robert Holmes Indicted for Child Sexual Assault

A former police chief in New Jersey has been indicted on child sexual assault charges.

The indictment handed up Wednesday by a Monmouth County grand jury alleges that 61-year-old Robert Holmes sexually assaulted the female victim between April 2005 and March 2007, while she was between the ages of 12 and 14.

Holmes served as chief in Marlboro Township from 1998 until he retired in January.

Prosecutors say Holmes provided alcohol to the child and assaulted her at his home.

Holmes' lawyer, Norman Hobbie, said his client was shocked by the allegations and denies any wrongdoing.

Bail was set at $100,000 pending an arraignment, which has not been scheduled. _______________________

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090708/STATE/90708060/Former+Monmouth+County+police+chief+accused+of+sexually+assaulting+girl

Hearing for Sgt Eric Downey Charged with Battery has Been Delayed

The hearing for a South Bend police officer charged with battery and operating motor vehicle while intoxicated has been delayed.

A hearing for Sgt. Eric Downey that was scheduled for Tuesday was postponed until 8 a.m. July 29.

Downey was arrested May 20 after officers were called to his home by his wife, who alleged abuse. Police said Downey later arrived home drunk while officers were at his home.

Downey has disputed both charges in interviews with The Tribune.

The officer remains on administrative leave with pay.

Officer Daniel Murray Arrested for Rape & Molesting 15-year-old

A Minden, Louisiana police officer is now on the other side of a jail cell.

Officer First Class Daniel Murray was arrested after reports that he allegedly raped and molested a 15-year-old friend of the family.

On Monday, the Minden City Council unanimously voted to terminate Murray.

Murray had been on paid leave since January when an investigation began into the sexual assault allegations.

That changed back on June 19th to leave without pay following a Webster Parish grand jury indictment.

Murray is currently being held in the Webster Parish Jail on a $400,000 bond.

Officer Melbourne Hunnicutt Arrested for Viewing Porn While on Duty

Huntington police officer Melbourne Hunnicutt is on a suspended leave without pay while the city's Board of Public Works and Safety reviews charges brought against him.

"My recommendation is the termination of Officer Hunnicutt from the police department," Chief Tom Emely said.

In June, Emely presented the board of works with a "Notice of Chief's Charges." In the document, he said Hunnicutt repeatedly used department computers while on duty "for the purpose of accessing Web sites, pornographic in nature, which were not job-related and not authorized by Department of City of Huntington policy."

"The city and police department has a policy that does not allow access to that type of information unless it's conducted in an investigation in normal performance of duties," Emely said.

Hunnicutt allegedly searched for porn from May 24 through June 14.

"Where the computer was, one of our other officers happened to notice some things on the computer that were inappropriate and we conduced an investigation from that point on," Emely said.

In the chief's charges, Hunnicutt was accused of neglect of duty and conduct unbecoming of an officer. The board suspended Hunnicutt on June 23rd and set a decision date of July 20. Hunnicutt had until June 30 to request a hearing, which his lawyer did, according to Huntington City Attorney John Branham.

Branham told NewsChannel 15 Hunnicutt requested a full hearing before the board of works. In that hearing, Hunnicutt can challenge the allegations against him and/or the termination recommendation. Chief Emely will also present his side.

A date for the hearing hasn't been set yet, but Branham doesn't expect it to happen before August 15.

Hunnicutt had been with the department for about 18 years and was most recently a detective. The recent allegations, Emely said, have shaken the department.

"It's mixed emotions and disbelief that someone would do that. Some disappointment also," Emely said.

Hunnicutt and his lawyer couldn't be reached for comment on Wednesday.
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http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/50316687.html

Officer Shea Brown Arrested for Tampering with Evidence

The person arrested following an investigation into missing evidence turned out to be...a police officer.

Officer Shea Brown was arrested by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office on a felony warrant issued by the State Attorney's Office for tampering with evidence.

This warrant was issued after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted an investigation on some missing evidence from the Lake City Police Department.

Brown turned herself in and she was booked at the Columbia County Detention Center. Bond was set at $5,000. She bonded out of jail and was placed on administrative leave without pay by the Lake City Police Department. The department is conducting its own internal investigation.

Officer Alex Alvarez Arrested for Drunk Driving

Police arrested one of their own Sunday night, charging an off-duty officer with drunk driving after he crashed into a parked car.

Alex Alvarez apparently argued with the manager of Chili's Grill & Bar on Nolana, refused to wait for a taxi that had been called and then backed into the same manager's truck just after 10 p.m. Sunday, according to police records.

The 39-year-old Alvarez was arraigned in McAllen Municipal Court on Monday and released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. He has been suspended without pay until the criminal charges are resolved, said McAllen police Chief Victor Rodriguez.

"In our business, these kinds of matters have the potential to have very, very serious consequences," Rodriguez said. "The outcome of last night may determine his future."

Aside from the criminal charges he is facing, Alvarez could lose his job and be stripped by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards of Education of his license to be a police officer, Rodriguez said.

"(Alvarez) has been a ... good officer for us," Rodriguez said. "We've been lucky to have his services; however, you have what happened last night."

A 14-year veteran of the force, Alvarez repeatedly asked officers to let him drive home when they arrived Sunday night. Officers found Alvarez behind the wheel of his Ford truck, a red security steering wheel lock still clamped on the steering wheel, according to police records.

Witnesses and Chili's employees told police that Alvarez had been bothering four female customers and had to be escorted from the table. A manager at the restaurant said that Alvarez was "too intoxicated" to drive home, so he called a taxi, according to the records.

When the manager tried to stall Alvarez until the taxi arrived, Alvarez apparently stripped a pair of glasses from the manager's head and threw them to the floor.

A security camera in the parking lot then captured Alvarez get into his truck and back into the other vehicle, according to police records. Police suspect that he forgot to remove the security lock from the steering wheel before backing up, according to the records.

Alvarez refused to take a Breathlyzer tests and refused other sobriety tests once at the police station. When officers arrived at the scene, Alvarez said he couldn't remember "doing anything to the manager" and he repeatedly asked officers to let him drive home.

But after officers recounted what witnesses described, Alvarez apologized to officers for putting them in the precarious situation of arresting a fellow policeman, according to the records.

"(Alvarez said) that we should do what we had to do and that it was all his fault," according to the report. "(Alvarez said) that he did not want us to get in trouble for his actions."

Trooper Ephraim Montemayor Arrested for Domestic Violence

HARLINGEN

Police arrested a Department of Public Safety trooper on a misdemeanor charge of assault/family violence Monday night.

DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange identified the trooper as Ephraim Montemayor. She said he is 30 years old and has been a DPS trooper since 2000.

Montemayor has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, she said from the Austin DPS headquarters.

Montemayor was not in uniform when he was arrested, Mange said, but she would not say that he was off duty at the time.

Because HPD was in the process of moving into the new station, the records computers were not operating all day, Osborne said.

Jail lists and incident logs were unavailable all day Tuesday, Sergeant John Parrish said.

Osborne said that he did not know the time or circumstances of the trooper's arrest and that the information will be available today when the station opens.

The trooper, Osborne said, has been released on bond but he did not know the amount.

HPD responded to the incident from a 9-1-1 call, Osborne said, but could not release the caller's name.

Osborne said that it is customary to segregate any law enforcement officer taken into custody from other prisoners in the city jail, which was done in this case.

"Anytime a law enforcement officer is taken into custody, we would definitely be concerned about him showing up in uniform in a jail section with other prisoners," Osborne said. "There is always a call to worry about the safety of all prisoners. It wouldn't be just for police officers."
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http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/montemayor-99760-report-police.html

Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's deputy Kevin Whittington is behind bars after being arrested for possession of crack cocaine.

Whittington, 44, was arrested Monday after he allegedly accepted 24 grams of crack and a cell phone intended for an inmate at the parish jail.

If convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine.
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http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl070709cbtangideputy.1a5301d4.html

Cpl Antonio Lopez Likely to be Fired After Pepper Spraying Man

A Dallas police officer is likely to be fired as soon as next week after an internal investigation concluded that he repeatedly lied about an incident in which a man was taken to West Dallas, doused with pepper spray and then left there.

A rookie police officer also is facing discipline over not immediately reporting the August 2008 incident to supervisors. The rookie, Officer John Hoover, later told detectives that a third officer had intentionally used pepper spray on the man and they concocted a story that the canister had malfunctioned.

Senior Cpl. Antonio Lopez, the 36-year-old officer who may be fired, declined to comment Tuesday, but wrote in a statement to internal investigators: "I was not untruthful while conducting official police business."

Senior Cpl. Michael Loeb, the 31-year-old officer accused of dousing 19-year-old Michael Reyes with pepper spray, could not be reached for comment. His internal affairs case is pending.


Responding to call

Early on Aug. 26, 2008, Loeb in his patrol car, and Lopez and Hoover in their car responded to a call on Walnut Hill Lane in northwest Dallas in which an elderly man reported that a stranger knocked on his door and demanded money.

The officers found Reyes in the area but decided they didn't have evidence of a crime and released him.

George Gaytan, a neighbor, wrote in a statement to investigators that Lopez told Reyes, " 'If y'all hurt this man or this old man, I'm going to come back and kill you and kill your gang members.' "

Lopez wrote that they agreed to give Reyes a ride in the car driven by Hoover. Loeb followed in his patrol car.

Lopez told investigators that Reyes requested that they drop him off at a West Dallas carwash. Once there, Lopez and Loeb told investigators, Loeb's paper spray canister malfunctioned, and the officers and Reyes were sprayed.


Different account

But Hoover and Reyes gave a different account: Lopez ordered Reyes out of their squad car and threw Reyes' cellphone and wallet to the ground.

As Lopez and Hoover were leaving, Lopez asked Reyes if he wanted a ride, Hoover said. Reyes responded with an obscene hand gesture. Hoover, the rookie who initially backed up the veteran officers' account, later told police investigators that as he and Lopez left, he saw Loeb get out of his car.

Hoover told investigators that the other officers turned around and that he then saw Loeb intentionally spray Reyes without provocation.

"I saw the suspect on the ground and Mike with his pepper spray out and a cloud of pepper spray near the suspect," he wrote. "As we pulled up, the suspect was able to get up and move a few feet before falling back to the ground with Loeb right next to him. Loeb then gave him another spray of pepper spray."

Loeb then threw the canister at Reyes, Hoover told investigators. Hoover said the officers then left. Reyes walked to a nearby gas station and called 911.

The officers later met up at a convenience store where Loeb and Lopez came up with their account, Hoover said.

"I did not notify a Sgt. of this incident because I was scared and I feared retaliation," he wrote.

In a written statement, Lopez attributed the difference in the accounts to Hoover's rookie status: "Rookie officers interpret and see things differently than more mature veteran officers."

In February, a grand jury declined to indict Loeb and Lopez after Reyes refused to cooperate further.

Detroit Officer Arrested for Stealing Reward Money

A Detroit police officer has been arrested, accused of stealing reward money from a program designed to stop auto theft.

The name of the 14-year police veteran is not being released until he's formally charged.

Police said the officer worked the car theft beat for DPD and used insider knowledge to defraud the HEAT reward program.

HEAT stands for Help Eliminate Auto Thefts and is based in Livonia. The program is funded by insurance agencies and rewards residents for turning in car thieves.

Investigators said the officer would create a fictitious tipster and report information to HEAT, on cases that he oversaw, to collect cash.

Rescue 4 spoke to Detroiters who were angry that a police officer is accused of using his job as a tool to make extra money.

“That most definitely would bother me because that’s doing the wrong thing. Let’s try to build Detroit up not tear it down,” said Amy Tillman.

“It’s not surprising but it’s disappointing. You hope the right person does the right thing but I guess you don’t get that all the time,” said Sean Mayfield.

DPD’s Internal Affairs got a tip of their own that the officer was using his position to steal money from HEAT.

After an investigation, internal affairs arrested the officer. The officer’s identity will be revealed Wednesday morning in a Livonia courtroom.

Officer Thurman Hathaway Arrested for Unauthorized Use of Database

Police and city officials in Cochran are scheduled to meet today to discuss the employment of a Cochran police officer charged with criminal trespass and violating the rules and regulations associated with the Georgia Crime Information Center database.

Thurman Hathaway, 38, of Cochran, was arrested Wednesday following a GBI investigation, said Todd Lowery, assistant special agent in charge of the GBI’s Eastman office. Authorities say Hathaway is accused of calling in the tag number of a male friend of a former female friend for personal reasons and checking the number against the GCIC database.

Lowery said the database contains vehicle registration information, information about wanted individuals and other information used by law enforcement during criminal investigations.

It’s illegal to access the database without a legitimate law enforcement purpose, he said.

The criminal trespass charge is based on Hathaway calling in the tag number from the woman’s residence, Lowery said.

Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Daniel Cape said the case was forwarded to the GBI after someone reported Hathaway’s actions by calling dispatchers.

Cochran Police Chief Jon Thrower said Hathaway was placed on leave without pay following his arrest. He described Hathaway as having a “lifelong” career in corrections and law enforcement. Hathaway has been a Cochran police officer for about three and a half years, Thrower said.

“We were shocked when this happened,” Thrower said. He’s always done a good job as a police officer.”

Hathaway was released on $5,100 bond Wednesday, Cape said.

Officer Keith Buckley Indicted for Failing to Perform his Duties

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.

A grand jury in Middlesex County has indicted a North Brunswick police lieutenant on official misconduct charges in a car crash that claimed the life of a fellow officer.

Tuesday's indictment charges Keith Buckley with failing to perform his duties while behind the wheel of a rented 2006 Dodge Viper that crashed into a utility pole at high speed, killing Lt. Christopher Zerby.

It also alleges that he took off his gun and handcuffs before getting in the car, leaving him unable to perform his job.

Buckley earlier was indicted on a charge of vehicular homicide. He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Robert Gluck, says he is also innocent of the new charges.

The crash occurred on Aug. 12, 2008. Buckley escaped serious injury.

Officer David Robida Could Lose Job for Sending Threatening Text Messages

A Cheektowaga police officer could lose his job for allegedly threatening a former girlfriend last summer with “vulgar” text messages and arranging to have her removed from the Sunset Bay Beach Club in Irving on July 4 last year.

“This is pretty serious,” Town Supervisor Mary Holtz told The Buffalo News of the accusations against patrolman David Robida. “We have a police chief that’s very concerned.”

The Erie County district attorney’s office has been informed, Holtz said, although town police Capt. John Glascott said there are no criminal charges pending.

The Town Board voted unanimously Monday night after a closed-door discussion that they would move forward with a disciplinary process that could cost Robida his job.

A resolution Town Board members considered said the officer “has brought discredit upon the Cheektowaga Police Department” for failing to treat his girlfriend respectfully, violating Police Chief Christine Ziemba’s order that he have no contact with the woman and making a false report to the department.

Robida, who has hired an attorney, declined to discuss the charges when reached by phone late Monday. “I can’t comment on anything,” he said.

Alleged incidents that led to the Monday vote were detailed in the resolution. They included “vulgar, threatening and insulting” text messages Robida is accused of sending to his ex-girlfriend and her family. The messages related to a visit by the former girlfriend to the Sunset Bay Beach Club in Irving on July 4, 2008. The resolution alleged Robida threatened to “ruin” his ex-girlfriend’s summer by excluding her and her family from the club “and other bars and public establishments owned or operated by his friends.”

The resolution continues to say that three of Robida’s friends and associates communicated with each other and, during the early afternoon that day, arranged to remove his exgirlfriend shortly after she arrived at the bar.

The resolution approved by the board also says:

• “Any police officer who makes a false statement during the course of an Internal Affairs investigation undermines the integrity and purpose of such investigation.”

• Robida’s false statements were about whether he gave a friend and associate a “heads up” that his ex-girlfriend would be at the Sunset.

• Robida went to the Sunset knowing his ex-girlfriend would be there and he was told to stay away from her. Robida’s actions led to his ex-girlfriend’s removal from the club “in a way that could not have been more aggressive, abrupt, embarrassing and predicable. [sic]”

Later this month, a hearing officer and Deputy Town Attorney Jeffrey Whiting will suggest a punishment — possibly dismissal. The Town Board will make the final decision.

Officer Janine England Caught on Camera Kissing Chief Timothy Escola

A Perry Township police officer caught on camera kissing her chief is out of a job.

Dash camera video showed Officer Janine England and Police Chief Timothy Escola cuddling and kissing while transporting a prisoner.

Escola retired last week. England tried to resign, but township trustees declined her resignation and instead fired her for an affair unbecoming of an officer.

Both England and Escola are married.
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http://www.newsnet5.com/news/19985623/detail.html

Jesus Manuel Sanchez Arrested on Sex Offenses

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that Salinas police Officer Jesus Manuel Sanchez was arrested Monday night.

Sanchez, 34, was arrested by the Salinas Police Department about 8 p.m on suspicion of assault with the intent to commit mayhem or a specified sex offense including rape, sodomy or oral copulation.

The Sheriff's Office said Sanchez has since posted the $300,000 bail.

He is scheduled to appear in court on July 15.

Sanchez worked for the Sheriff's Office as a deputy in 1998.

Salinas police said they will release additional information at a press conference at 2 p.m. at the City Hall Rotunda.

Sanchez stepped down as the Alisal boys soccer coach after five seasons in 2008.

While coaching the Trojans, he won four league championships (three straight in the Monterey Bay League) and the school’s first Tri-County Athletic League title in 2008) — all with unbeaten records — and took his team to three CCS Division I semifinals and one final.

In 56 league matches, which included three years in the MBL and two in the T-CAL, the Trojans lost just once under Sanchez’s guidance.

He was The Salinas Californian’s All-County Boys Coach of the Year four times.
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http://thecalifornian.com/article/20090708/NEWS01/907080307/1002/Salinas-police-officer-accused-of-assaulting-woman-with-intent-to-rape

Officer Dirk Piggott Arrested for Drunk Driving

Dirk Piggott has returned to work as an Aurora police officer after being arrested for drunken driving.

Piggott, 52, of Ravenna, pleaded guilty to being in physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in Morrow County, just north of Columbus, where he was arrested by a trooper March 13.

The "physical control" violation is a lesser charge in the state's DUI law. He was found guilty May 16, fined $499, required to attend a 3-day alcohol seminar and placed on probation for two years. His driver's license was suspended for six months, but he can drive for work.

Aurora Mayor Lynn McGill removed Piggott from unpaid leave, acknowledging his otherwise unblemished 24 years with the department. The mayor disciplined him for improper conduct.

Piggott was demoted from sergeant to patrolman and he was suspended without pay from May 11 through June 12. The disciplinary record will remain in his file for five years and he will be fired if he violates a department rule within that time, McGill said.

Man Dies After Being Tasered

A morbidly obese man died in a hospital hours after deputies used a Taser to subdue him in Lancaster, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department today denied he died because of the stun gun.

The 43-year-old man, who was 6 feet tall and weighed 400 pounds, drove off Sierra Highway at Avenue J in Lancaster about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and when deputies tried to talk to him, he began acting "aggressively" toward them and firefighters, said Deputy Bill Brauberger of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

Deputies shot him with a Taser, which had "little or no effect" on the man, he said, adding that they then physically restrained and handcuffed him.

The man was taken to a hospital and admitted for "reasons unrelated to the contact with the deputies," he said, but it was unclear what those reasons were.

About 11 hours later, the man died, he said. An autopsy and toxicology tests were pending.

Officers Josehp Szelenyi & Booby Hoover on Trial for Tasering Woman while Handcuffed

A jury will decide whether two Newburgh Heights police officers were following department protocol or abusing their power when they shocked a Cleveland woman repeatedly with a Taser while she was handcuffed.

Officers Joseph Szelenyi, 32, and Bobby Hoover, 33, stand trial this week in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, accused of holding Kim Bankhead captive for hours at their police station and torturing her with a Taser, an electroshock weapon that temporarily incapacitates its target.

Prosecutors say the officers shocked the woman at least a half-dozen times until she complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital.

Szelenyi and Hoover are charged with felonious assault. Judge Brendan Sheehan threw out charges against a third officer, Christopher Minek, 26, because prosecutors could not produce enough evidence to suggest he participated in shocking the woman.

In opening statements Monday, defense lawyers argued that police used the Taser to control Bankhead, who was so intoxicated she could not perform the basic field sobriety test.

At her Municipal Court hearing in February 2008, Bankhead pleaded no contest to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Charges of disorderly conduct, driving in a prohibited area, failure to yield and resisting arrest were dismissed.

But she has since filed a civil lawsuit in federal court, in which she is asking for $1.5 million in damages from each of the officers who used the Taser, saying the experience left her traumatized, anxious and chronically depressed.

Bankhead and her husband, Michael, had been drinking at the Crankshaft bar in Newburgh Heights on Nov. 25, 2007, and were on their way home around 9 p.m., when Bankhead said police lights surrounded her car.

Police ordered her out of the driver's seat, she said. And when she demanded to know why she had been pulled over, Bankhead said, Szelenyi slammed her head against the hood of his police cruiser, busting her lip and knocking her out cold. When she regained consciousness, Bankhead struggled against the officer, who had handcuffed her and was loading her into the backseat of his car. Without warning, Szelenyi shocked her in the leg, she said.

At the police station, the officers handcuffed Bankhead to a bench while they prepared to book her on charges of driving under the influence and resisting arrest. Afraid and distraught, Bankhead panicked, screaming for help and trying to wriggle free from the handcuffs, she testified.

Hoover shocked her repeatedly, she said. He even told her, in lewd language, that he was enjoying it and encouraged her to give him a reason to do it again, Bankhead told the court.

Defense lawyers countered that Bankhead was so drunk that she nearly collided head-on with a police cruiser and parked her car on a tree lawn when she finally pulled over. She could hardly walk, let alone complete a field sobriety test. And she was aggressive, yelling for her husband to attack the police who were arresting her, they said.

Attorneys for the officers also argued that Bankhead produced no evidence or documentation of injuries inflicted by the Taser and that she only experienced chest pains, a symptom of anxiety, after police tried to book her in jail.

The trial continues Tuesday.

Former Officer Louis Alvie 'Buck' Morris in Court on Rape of 15-year-old

Former Stillwater Police Officer Louis Alvie "Buck" Morris, 48, who appeared in court today on charges alleging he committed five sex acts with a 15-year-old female student in May, has resigned from the department, Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle said.

"This case now rests in the hands of the judicial system," McNickle said.

The preliminary hearing for Morris, who has been charged with two counts of rape by instrumentation and three counts of lewd acts with a child, was scheduled during Morris's brief court appearance today for Aug. 28.

If convicted of the five-count charge, Morris could receive as much as two life without parole sentences plus 60 years in prison, court records show.

Morris was originally represented by Oklahoma City attorney Susan Ann Knight, but now is being defended by four Oklahoma City attorneys, Joe E. White Jr., Charles C. Weddle III, Marvel E. Lewis and Blake Farris, court records show.

Morris, who was an officer with the Stillwater Police Department for 17 years, had served as a School Resource Officer for six years, McNickle said.

He was suspended without pay at the time of his June 16 arrest at his Ripley residence, McNickle said.

Morris resigned from the Stillwater Police Department on June 26, McNickle said.

"As a Police Officer and a School Resource Officer, Morris was sworn to protect and serve all the citizens of Stillwater," McNickle said in a press release when Morris was arrested by officers from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Stillwater Police Department and the Payne County Sheriff's Office.

"It is apparent to me and the personnel of the Stillwater Police Department that the sacred trust in the Oath of Office was violated." McNickle said.

"Department members are deeply disappointed and disgusted in the actions of a veteran officer.

"Members of the department take their oath seriously and will continue to seek out those who violate the public trust and where appropriate, seek prosecution and removal from office," McNickle said.

An investigation began on May 20 when a citizen reported a concern to police that Morris was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old girl, McNickle said in his press release.

"The original information supplied by the citizen had no evidence of criminal activity by Morris.

"Two investigators were immediately assigned to determine if Morris had violated any policies of the Stillwater Police Department Standard Operating Procedures.

"The internal investigation continued until June 1, 2009, when information was discovered that Morris had possibly violated state law in his conduct with the 15-year-old victim.

"Based on this information, I immediately asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to assist the Stillwater Police Department in conducting a criminal investigation into Morris' conduct," McNickle said.

"On June 2, 2009, the criminal investigation determined probable cause existed that Morris committed a felony. Also on June 2, 2009, Morris was suspended from duty and his powers to act as a police officer were revoked," McNickle said.

"On June 10, 2009, two investigators were dispatched on an out-of-state trip to interview potential witnesses in the criminal investigation. The trip continued through Monday, June 15, 2009," McNickle said.

The following day, charges were filed against Morris by Payne County First Assistant District Attorney Tom Lee.

Morris was booked into the Payne County Jail and released after posting a $25,000 property bond, court records show.

According to an affidavit by OSBI agent Richard Brown, the girl knew Morris for the two years she attended Stillwater Junior High School. She said that she talked with Morris every morning at school, the affidavit said.

"She and Morris exchanged phone numbers and would text each other. She felt Morris knew she liked him and that he liked her.

"She became close to Morris. Morris would text her saying he loved her and would be able to show her how much he loved her," the affidavit alleged.

She told the OSBI agent that Morris fondled her while they were alone in his home and that while he was driving her back to her house, Morris put his finger in her genital area, the affidavit alleged.

In May two days before she was to leave Oklahoma for the summer, Morris came by her house while her father was at work and they performed manual sex acts on each other, the affidavit alleged.

Morris subsequently talked to Stillwater Police Officer Guy Palladino, who was a School Resource Officer assigned to Stillwater's Sangre Ridge Elementary and Middle Schools, as well as Westwood Elementary School. Palladino also was a Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) representative for any officer at the Stillwater Police Department, according to the affidavit.

Morris told Palladino that they had sexual contact, but denied having oral or vaginal sex with the girl, the affidavit alleged.

Morris knew his job was gone and he hoped he did not have to go to prison, but that he had done this to himself," the affidavit alleged.

Officer Alex Alvarez Arrested for DWI

A McAllen police officer found himself on the other side of the law after being arrested for an alleged DWI wreck over the weekend.

Officer Alex Alvarez was arrested on DWI charges after he was allegedly involved in an accident in the parking lot of the Chili’s restaurant on Nolana Avenue.

The 39-year-old police officer appeared before a judge where he was given a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
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http://www.themonitor.com/articles/mcallen-28273-police-arrested.html