Monday, August 31, 2009

Detective Bradley Hedrick Arrested for Domestic Violence


A detective with the Carmel Police Department has been punished following his arrest over the weekend.

Officers in Noblesville were called to Det. Bradley Hedrick's residence Saturday, where he was taken into custody for domestic battery. He has been with the Carmel Police Department for 18 years.

Det. Hedrick is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation by the department.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Man Dies After Being Tasered

An investigation is underway into the death of a man who was repeatedly tasered by an L.A. County Sheriff's deputy.

The man died after he was shocked three times by a deputy with an electric stun gun Wednesday night at the North Hollywood Red Line Subway.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore says the man, who was not immediately identified, was stopped by deputies and asked repeatedly if he had a ticket.

When the man didn't answer, a deputy grabbed the man's hands to stop and question him. A struggle ensued and the man broke free, Whitmore said. He then reportedly raised clenched fists and charged the deputy several times. He was tasered, then shocked two more times when he got up and charged at the deputy again.

Whitmore says deputies recovered a glass crack pipe that fell out of the man's pocket during the scuffle.

Former Sgt. Chris Doles Now Arrested for Domestic Assault

An altercation with his ex-wife has landed a former Waco police officer in jail for the second time in a week.

Former Sgt. Chris Doles bonded out of McLennan County Jail on Thursday, just six days after being arrested in connection with the Waco police double-dipping scandal.

Doles, 43, was among a list of several former officers who were accused of taking double pay from the department and from the Waco Housing Authority where they served as security guards.

Police say less than two hours after his release last Friday, Dole was involved in a dispute with his ex-wife that resulted in his arrest on a Class A misdemeanor assault-family violence charge.

An affidavit filed by Waco police Sgt. Patrick Swanton to support Doles' arrest stated Doles' ex-wife, Tamara Bott, told police the incident happened as she was attempting to get a child-support check from Doles in the parking lot at Gold's Gym parking on W. Waco Dr.

The assault resulted in injury to Bott's hand, according to the report.
Another person who was there at the time confirmed the assault had taken place.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Officer Courtney Crooks Arrested for Harassment

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Grand Junction Police Department officer Friday afternoon on suspicion of misdemeanor harassment.

The Sheriff’s Department received an arrest warrant for police officer Courtney Crooks on Thursday, Mesa County District Attorney Pete Hautzinger said.

Crooks was not booked into Mesa County Jail. He has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, according to the Police Department.

In addition to the Sheriff’s Department’s criminal investigation, the Police Department is conducting two internal investigations that involve Crooks, according to a police spokeswoman Kate Porras.

“This is something we take very seriously, and we will make sure each allegation is thoroughly investigated. Once the facts are known we will take the appropriate action,” Police Chief Bill Gardner said in a news release.

Crooks was born in Hartford, Conn., attended Pensacola Christian College in Florida, received his associate degree in law enforcement in May 2006 and became a police cadet in Grand Junction two years ago, according to a June 2007 Police Department newsletter. He is 24 years old, according to his MySpace.com page.

An arrest affidavit was not immediately available Friday evening from the Sheriff’s Department.
The Police Department was not able to elaborate on the internal investigations Friday because they are considered a “personnel matter,” the news release said.
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http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/08/29/082909_1A_Crooks_arrested.html

Deputy John Harvey Arrested for DUI After He Hit Police Car

A Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested for DUI after he struck a police car last night. The police car was a marked vehicle.

The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Deputy John Harvey for rear-ending a police car early Saturday morning. Immediately following the fender-bender, Harvey attempted to flee the scene.

Officers located his vehicle shortly after and pulled him over for suspicion of DUI. He was eventually booked with charges of DUI, reckless driving and leaving the scene of a crash. He was off-duty and in a personal vehicle at the time of the accident.

Leaving the scene of an accident in Florida is a misdemeanor in the second degree. This is the officer's first DUI offense, so he will additionally be charged with misdemeanor DUI. He will likely face a 6 to 12 month license suspension and fines.

Harvey works in the civil section of the sheriffs office. This typically means he would be responsible for filing and serving of papers that originate in the sheriff's office. This sections also executes court orders. There are both field jobs and administrative jobs within the civil section. There is no information as to whether Harvey works in the field or in an administrative capacity.

He has served the sheriff's office for 12 years. There has been no comment thus far regarding how long he will remain on administrative leave. Sheriff's employees typically face a criminal investigation and prosecution as well as one carried out by their employer.

The Internal Affairs investigation carried out by the employer will determine whether Harvey broke agency policies and how he should be held accountable.

Joe Rocha Charged with Possession of Child Porn


The Travis County Sheriff's Office filed charges on one of its own Friday.

Joe Rocha, 44, was taken into custody by the sheriff's deputies and charged with Possession of Child Pornography.

Rocha was most recently a Corrections Officer for the county.

The Sheriff's Office was tipped off on Tuesday that an employee was involved in illegal activities. Search warrants revealed several images on Rocha's computer that appeared to depict child pornography.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Rocha has been fired.

Possession of Child Pornography is a 3rd Degree Felony, punishable by two to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division and up to $10,000.00 in fines.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the case.

Officer Aaron Pepion Arrested for Having Sex with Young Girl

A Blackfeet police officer who resigned three weeks ago has been arrested on allegations that he had sex with a young girl.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Aaron Pepion is being held without bail. Pepion was in court before a magistrate Wednesday in Missoula and will be in court again today on a bond hearing.

Prosecutors say Pepion had sex in April with a girl who was born in 1994. No age was listed for Pepion in his charging documents.

Blackfeet Tribal Department of Public Safety Director Henry Devereaux says the FBI investigated Pepion in July and he resigned three weeks ago. Devereaux says Pepion had been an officer for about a year when officials began investigating the allegations against him.

Ex-Officer Frank Drummond Arrested for Molesting Two Teens


Authorities have arrested an ex-police officer for allegedly molesting two teenage girls at his Modesto home.

Modesto Police Department Sgt. Brian Findlen said Francisco "Frank" Drummond, 41, was arrested early Friday morning at Modesto Junior College where he's currently employed as an intructor. Drummond had recently resigned as a reserve police officer for the Ripon Police Department.

Findlen said he previously worked for the Patterson Police Department and the Modesto Police Department from 1994 to 2000.

Findlen said the two female victims were friends of Drummond's teenage daughter. The Modesto Police department was investigating Drummond after officers were dispatched to his home in the 900 block of Wellesley Drive on the evening of August 22.

The investigation suggests that the suspect touched each of the girls in a sexual nature while at his home, said Findlen. The investigation continued through the week and ended with Drummond's arrest Friday.

Drummond has been booked at the Stanislaus County Jail for felony charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 and with a 14 or 15-year-old minor. His bail was set at $75,000.

Findlen said Modesto Police Department detectives have alerted officials at Modesto Junior College and the Ripon Police Department of the circumstances surrounding this case.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Judge Patrick McKay Arrested for DUI


An Anchorage superior court judge has been arrested for driving under the influence.

Police say Judge Patrick McKay was pulled over on the Glenn Highway for a traffic stop Thursday around 9 p.m., and the officer found him to be under the influence.

He was released on a $500 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 14.

Officer Jennifer Cackler & Dispatchers Fired for Egging House

A Dallas area police officer and three dispatchers have been fired over the egging of the house of a resident known to file complaints.

Carrollton Police Chief David James on Thursday said the May 9 incident led to the firing of Officer Jennifer Cackler, plus dispatchers Laura Anderson, Ashley Cackler and Laken Schifelbein.

James said the terminations happened following an internal investigation of the off-duty incident.

No charges were immediately filed in the misdemeanor criminal mischief investigation.

The Carrollton home of Steven Benzer was pelted with eggs. Benzer said he believes a female neighbor, the target of some of his complaints, is friends with the officer.

No decision was immediately announced on whether the fired employees plan to appeal.

Officer Lowell Duke Arrested on Drug Charges

Memphis Police say a tip during a routine traffic stop ended with Officer Lowell Duke being indicted on drug charges. Federal agents say Duke was part of a drug operation that worked the Lamar and Cherry area. Ten people including Duke are now facing charges.

Police would not give details about Duke's role in the operation, and would not say if other officers could be involved. Federal agents will say that the operation was sophisticated. Certain people worked security, others transported the drugs. Some were sellers and others were stashers.

Police say Duke has been under investigation for several months. During that time he was been off the streets on “desk duty.” Duke told Eyewitness News he would not comment on his arrest.

Police Director Larry Godwin says “There are good police officers out there. This is a guy that chose to go the wrong way.” Godwin admits this is a blemish on the department saying, “I know it doesn’t look good for the department, but on the other hand, we are taking care of our business.”

And Godwin points out this investigation was started by police officers, “ You’ve got good cops, locking up a bad cop.”
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http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/082809_Memphis_Police_Officer_Charged_in_Drug_Investigatio

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Two Deputies in Trouble for Stealing Lobsters

An Orange County sheriff's deputy has been charged with misdemeanor lobster poaching, while a former deputy is accused of trying to obstruct an investigation to protect his friend and colleague.

District attorney's officials say Deputy William Robb was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor count of having 13 undersized spiny lobsters during an off-duty fishing trip with two other deputies last November.

The law allows a maximum of seven lobsters per person, which must measure at least 3 1/4 inches.

Phillip Glenn Romero is charged with a misdemeanor count of obstructing an officer, a state Fish and Game warden who confronted the pair in Dana Point Harbor.

Prosecutors say Romero told the game warden that Robb was a confidential informant for the sheriff.

Former Officer Michael Burch Arrested for Making Meth


A former Bennington police officer is behind bars following an arrest for methamphetamine manufacture, authorities said this morning.

Michael Shane Burch, 34, Bennington, was booked into jail late Wednesday afternoon for suspicion of methamphetamine manufacture and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Deputies said he was arrested at a residence east of Bennington and that he had items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine inside a diaper bag.

Another person, Jessica Kay Saddler, 21, Bennington, was arrested for endeavoring to manufacture methamphetamine, according to jail records.

Burch had been a Bennington police officer in the late 1990s, according to court records.

No one answered the telephone at the Bennington Police Department this morning.

The Bryan County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force was preparing an affidavit at press time on the arrests and additional details were not available.

In other crime news, a man stole a 30-pack of beer this morning after the store clerk told him he could not purchase it because it was after legal hours.

According to a report by Durant Police Patrolman Drew Hale, the man placed the beer on the front counter at EZ Mart on Washington Avenue. He grabbed the beer and ran after the clerk told him it was after 2 a.m.

The store has video surveillance that the clerk said would be available from the store’s manager.

Patrolman Scott Phelps arrested a man at Walmart Wednesday morning who was walking around the store eating a package of meat he had picked up at the deli. Police were dispatched to the store called about an intoxicated person. When Phelps arrived, he found a 33-year-old man and saw a half-empty bottle of vodka in a pants pocket.

Phelps also found a camera that the man had concealed, plus two mosquito repellent devices attached to his belt, according to the report.

A manager told Phelps that the man also took a package of sandwich meat and was eating it while walking around the store. He was booked into jail.

Also at Walmart on Wednesday, Patrolman Damon Lewis arrested a woman store personnel had seen put drill bits in her purse and drink a soda pop without paying for it.

Officer Sgt Eddie Webb Accused of Beating Teen With Flashlight

An Upstate officer accused of beating a teen with a flashlight has been fired and is now under investigation.

Veteran Sgt. Eddie Webb was fired from the Honea Path Police Department after the police chief saw the video of the incident.

In his report, Webb said several young people were driving an all-terrain vehicle without lights and wouldn't pull over, even when the officer turned on his siren.

From dashcam video, Webb can be seen using a flashlight to knock a teenage suspect off the ATV. The 16-year-old was hit two more times before Webb pulled out his handcuffs.

It was Aug. 15 when the teenagers were first spotted on Sanders Street at 3 a.m. When Webb's blue lights came on, dashcam video showed that the teenagers didn't stop, but they did pull over for a moment.

A chase lasted for about two minutes. Webb's report said the teenagers ran four stop signs and, when the driver pulled over, the report said the ATV was still running and in a position to "pull back off." That's when Webb said he pushed the teenager off the vehicle.

Webb's report said he hit the teenager in a "straight baton technique to gain compliance" and that he found a "BB pistol" on the driver.

Due to the ongoing investigation, the Honea Path police chief wasn't able to go on camera but gave a statement to News 4.

"We have dealt with this situation that occurred on Aug. 15," the chief said. "Sgt. Webb was relieved of duty from the town of Honea Path on Aug. 17. Our findings in this case were forwarded to SLED and Solicitor Chrissy Adams. Because we're dealing with a personnel issue, there's no further comment."

Webb had been with the department for six years but was in law enforcement for about 20, according to the town.

SLED is investigating to determine if Webb should face charges.

Legally, police could only release the name of one of the four suspects because the other three are underage.

Former Officer Calvin Schaffer Accepts Plea Deal

A former Goddard police officer accused of sending naked pictures of himself from a police department computer to a woman he had arrested apparently will accept a plea deal.

U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch told a federal judge Thursday during a hearing that he anticipated the case against Calvin Schaffer would be resolved with a plea agreement.

A change of plea hearing was set for Sept. 2 before U.S. District Judge Wesley Brown.

Prosecutors say Schaffer offered to seek dismissal of drunken driving charges against a Wichita woman in exchange for a sexual relationship.

The 44-year-old former officer was charged with one count of wire fraud after the woman, Angelique Mason, went to investigators with secretly recorded tapes.

Defense attorney Roger Falk and Schaffer declined comment.

Officer Jason Rozacky Broke into Woman's Home & Assault Her


A San Antonio police officer has been arrested and accused of burglary and assault.

Investigators say Officer Jason Rozacky broke into a woman's home back on August 20th and assaulted her.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the 36-year-old officer made harassing phone calls and sent text messages to the woman that afteroon after she told him she did not want to see him that night and had other plans. The calls and messages continued throughout the evening as the woman and a guest had dinner.

Investigators say Rozacky then showed up at the woman's home around 10 p.m. and began banging on the front door. Police say after the woman refused to answer the door, Rozacky searched the exterior of the home, found a hidden key, and used it to enter the woman's home. The woman told police Rozacky charged at her after she pulled a gun and ordered him out of her house. After a brief struggle over the gun, the woman said Rozacky let her go and left her home.

The woman suffered minor injuries.

Rozacky now faces "burglary with the intent to commit assault" charges.

Sgt. Diron Carter Accused of Shooting into Crowd of People


The attorney of a police officer accused of pulling the trigger in a drive-by shooting said her client is innocent regardless of what the District Attorney has said.

Pattye High is the attorney for Sergeant Diron Carter who is accused of firing a shot at a crowd of people outside of Night Trips Club on June 16.

High said her client did not fire a shot that night and that Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater's words are ruining her client. Prater was quoted calling Carter and Officer Michael McKethan, who has also been charged in the incident, "gangbangers"

She said that has unfairly labeled Carter as a criminal.

"I think it's unfortunate that people would go on TV and call someone who they charged but who has not been proving to do anything wrong a ‘gangbanger,'" High said.

But according to the probable cause affidavit, Carter admitted to firing a shot outside of Night Trips Club.

The report states Carter called the incident an "accidental shooting," something Carter's attorney said is by no means an admission of guilt.

"He categorically and unequivocally denies that he did what he is charged with," High said.

But while High said her client is innocent, she also said she has yet to get any of the documents about the case from the District Attorney's office.

"If they are so certain my client did these acts, why won't they provide the information to him and to me so we can start the process of evaluating this case?" High said.

High said she thinks the case has been a witch hunt to destroy her client.

"In this country we are presumed innocent until we're proving guilty regardless of what people say in press conferences," High said.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Officer Corey Yocum Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse

A former Olney police officer was arrested on a district court warrant alleging two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Corey J. Yocum was arrested by the Dallas Police Department on Friday and held on a $100,000 bond.

According to two indictments issued by a Young County grand jury in May, Yocum intentionally caused a child under the age of 17 to touch him and he allegedly touched the girl in sexual manners. At the time of the alleged offense, Oct. 24, 2008, Yocum was a police officer in Olney.

“We received the allegation and forwarded it to an impartial agency to investigate,” said Randall Davis, chief of the Olney Police Department. “That investigation led to him being indicted. It’s embarrassing that it happened to us. We have every intention of policing ourselves, as well as the community.”

Jim Reeves, the investigator for 90th Judicial District Attorney Brenda Gray, said when he learned Yocum was still at large and might be in the Dallas area, he asked for help in finding the man who police have been looking for since May.

“I saw the guy hadn’t been arrested, and he had been indicted in May,” Reeves said. “I picked up the phone and contacted a Texas Ranger, Sgt. Eric Casper. Casper put out the information to his contacts in Dallas. As a result, he was arrested by the Child Sex Exploitation Unit of the Dallas PD.”

Yocum was taken to the Dallas County Jail on Friday and was transported to Young County on Monday. He is currently being held in the Young County Jail

Former Houston Officer & others Arrested for Sex Trafficking

A sex trade ring in which young girls were allegedly pistol-whipped and forced from their homes into sexual slavery was broken up in Houston this week and several suspects are in custody.

Five people, including a former Houston police officer, were arrested in the largest sex trafficking case in Texas' southern district, MyFOXHouston.com reported. A sixth remains on the run.

John Butler, 47, William Hornbeak, 34, Jamine Lake, 27, Andre McDaniels, 39, and Kristen Land, 28, all of Houston, as well as Tulsa, Okla., resident Ronnie Presley, 35, are named as suspects in the case.

All are charged with conspiracy to traffic women and children for the purposes of commercialized sex; sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; and other offenses, according to the station.

The five Houston residents were arrested Monday and Tuesday; Presley is still at large, MyFOXHouston.com reported.

Butler was a Houston police officer for a brief period in the 1980s, sources told the station.

The sting was the result of a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.

“It is a horrible reflection on our society when adults prey on the vulnerabilities of children and reduce them to indentured sex slaves,” U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson said in a prepared statement.

The suspects allegedly used businesses like massage parlors, modeling studios and health spas to disguise their sex trade business, according to the 16-count indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

Women and teens as young as 16 were among the victims allegedly coerced into prostitution and regularly beaten and threatened, according to the U.S. attorney's statement.

Former Officer Robert Starling Arrested for Armed Robbery

A former Santa Rosa police officer has been arrested after police said he got away with more than $400,000 in a series of armored car robberies.

Robert Stephen Starling was arrested Monday on suspicion of armed robbery and other charges in connection with four armed robberies between April 2008 and May 2009 in Sonoma and Marin counties, said Santa Rosa police Sgt. Lisa Banayat.

Starling, 35, worked as a Santa Rosa police officer in two separate stints between 2000 and 2006.

He worked for the department from December 2000 to April 2001, then again in May 2003 to July 2006, according to Banayat.

In one of the four heists Starling is suspected of, a Brinks armored car guard was held up as he walked into a bank in Novato in April 2009.

After pointing a gun at the guard, the suspect ran off with a bank bag that turned out to be empty. There was no financial loss in the incident.

But just prior to the holdup, police received a 911 call from an unidentified caller reporting a possible kidnapping.

It was later determined that the call was false and a possible attempt to divert officers from the robbery, Banayat said.

Through a check of cell phone records, investigators were able to link the calls to Starling and a second suspect, Andrew Esslinger, 26, of Santa Rosa, according to Banayat.

Esslinger was also arrested Monday in connection with two of the robberies.

Both suspects were being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

It was not known if the two suspects had attorneys, and police did not know if a court date had been set.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/25/BA1S19DIGN.DTL

Cpl Eddie Jimenez & His Brother Arrested for Battery


A Cedartown police officer and his brother have bonded out of the Polk County Jail after their early-morning arrests, but both face charges.

Cpl. Eddie Jimenez, 33, of 596 Dry Creek Road, Cedartown, is charged with battery under the Family Violence Act (FVA), cruelty to children and discharging a firearm under the influence. He was released on $1,500 bond and his own recognizance at the request of Judge Whitehead, according the jail docket book.

Martin Julian Jimenez, 34, of 602 Dry Creek Road, Cedartown is charged with battery under FVA. He was released on $500 bond and his own recognizance.

Both were arrested around 5:05 a.m. this morning after Polk County police received a domestic disturbance call. Both men were arrested by the Polk County police and county police are conducting the criminal investigation, according to Cedartown Police Department Assistant Chief Jamie Newsome.

Newsome said Jimenez was a school resource officer. He is still employed with the police department for now.

"Currently, as it stands right now, he's on adminstrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation, which I've called an outside agency to conduct," Newsome said, adding that he is sticking to protocal on the matter.

"I want the citizens to feel comfortable about the intregity of the investigation," he said.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Veteran Officer Charged with Battering his Wife

A veteran Casselberry police officer was suspended from his job after being arrested today on a charge of battering his wife, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

The man's ran to a neighbor's house about 10:45 p.m. Monday with her 4-year-old daughter and said her husband had slammed her head on a kitchen counter, according to a sheriff's report.

The couple, who have been having marital problems, argued over an affair the husband had been having, the report states. The wife called his girlfriend a name, so he lifted her out of bed by the arms and carried her into the kitchen, where he slammed her into a granite countertop, investigators wrote.

The wife had a lump on the back of her head and a bruise on the inside of her bicep, a deputy said.

The Casselberry Police Department took the officer's police car, gear and gun. The Orange County Sheriff's Office took his AR-15 rifle "for safekeeping," according to a news release.

Citing union rules and Florida law, a Casselberry police spokesman would say only that the officer is suspended with pay. The Sentinel is not naming him to protect the privacy of his wife.

He was being held early Wednesday without bail in the Orange County Jail.

Officer Henry Hollins Arrested for Punching his Wife


A veteran New Orleans police officer has been reassigned to desk duty following his arrest on a domestic battery charge, and amid two other internal investigations into other possible violations.

Henry L. Hollins, 46, was arrested last Tuesday night after punching his wife in the mouth "with a closed fist, " according to an arrest report.

Hollins, 12-year police veteran, then pushed her to the floor, causing her to hit her face, "resulting in a two-inch raised area" in the center of her forehead, the report states. He was booked with simple domestic battery into Orleans Parish Prison.

He appeared before a magistrate judge the next day, and was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail, according to court records. He posted bond and was released.

Police Department spokesman Bob Young said Tuesday night that Hollins had been reassigned to desk duty in the wake of his arrest.

Young also acknowledged that Hollins is under investigation for two other possible violations, at least of one of which could be criminal in nature. The department's Public Integrity Bureau, which handles internal investigations, is looking into those allegations.

Young did not have details on the nature of the investigations.

Sgt Ball Accused of Covering up DWI Accident

A local police sergeant in the town of Greece, NY, just outside Rochester, has been accused of covering up a DWI accident that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Stephanie Olivia. Sgt. Brian Ball was one of the officers who responded when Oliva's boyfriend, Chad Kenyon, crashed the car he was driving.

Sgt. Ball turned himself into police this morning but pleaded not guilty. He is facing charges involved with the shredding of documents at the Greece Police Department. He is one of three men charged with the crime; Police Chief Merritt Rahn and Deputy Chief Bill Mackin are additionally charged with admitting a document they knew to hold false information as evidence in a case.

Chief Rahn has been arrested under suspicion of submitting a memo regarding the background check of a police officer which he knew contained false information. All told, 5 Greece police officers have been charged with similar crimes.

Sgt. Ball will be immediately suspended pending the ultimate decision of the court. Cheif Rahn has been suspended for some time, and all are awaiting the results of the several cases which will determine the future of the Greece police.

It is not clear at this point why Sgt. Ball aided in the cover up of the DWI fatality. The two young people involved in the crash had recently graduated from a local high school and were pursuing additional education, Oliva as a cosmetologist. The fatality shook what is a relatively small town due to its high publicity and the involvement of young people.
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http://rocnow.com/article/local-news/200990824004

Bexar County Deputy Accused of Sexual Assault Resigns

A deputy accused of sexually assaulting a Southwest Side woman resigned last week after serving 23 years with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

“I can confirm that he has turned in his resignation,” said Deputy Ino Badillo, a Sheriff's Office spokesman.

The victim told San Antonio police that the deputy, a civil warrants officer, raped her inside her home on Aug. 11. According to police, the deputy insists that he was in a consensual sexual relationship with the woman.

Her family says that is not the case. They said on Tuesday that the woman was physically injured during a sexual assault and that she remained hospitalized in a psychiatric ward to cope with post-traumatic stress.

“My family is afraid he's going to get away with it,” said Monica Cerda, the victim's sister.

The woman told police that she was walking near South Presa Street and West Hermitage Court when the deputy drove up to her and said she had a warrant for her arrest. Fearing she was under arrest, the woman got into his car and they drove to her home, where she said he raped her.

Personnel records for the accused deputy show that he has received multiple commendations from supervisors and community members over the years. But he also had been disciplined for sleeping on the job, failing to report an accidental discharge of his service weapon and failing to secure an arrestee who kicked out the window of a patrol car.

The San Antonio Police Department is investigating the most recent allegations because the victim said she was sexually assaulted within San Antonio city limits.

SAPD detectives familiar with the case said they have been unable to confirm the victim's side of the story, in part, because she has been hospitalized.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Deputy Paul Wagner Charged with Soliciting Prostitution

A rookie Marion County Jail guard was arrested and accused of soliciting sex from a customer at a gas station where he moonlights on security duty.

Deputy Paul Wagner, 25, was charged preliminarily with soliciting prostitution and official misconduct while working at the Speedway station in the 5100 block of East Washington Street, said Col. John Layton of the Marion County Sheriff's Department.

Wagner was under surveillance by the Sheriff's Department when he offered a female customer a candy bar and Coke or a pack of cigarettes for oral sex, authorities said. Layton said the woman, who was not a prostitute but a regular customer at the gas station, had complained that Wagner had harassed her before.

The Sheriff's Department set up the sting and arrested Wagner early Saturday.

Wagner was charged with official misconduct because he was wearing his sheriff's uniform at the time.

Wagner has been with the department for 10 months and was suspended without pay.

Moonlighting by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers, more than half of whom work second jobs, has come under close scrutiny over concerns the system in place now leaves the city open to safety and liability issues, as well as embarrassing or even potentially criminal instances of corruption.

Officer Dirk Piggott Returns to Work After Drunk Driving Arrest

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

Piggott, 52, of Ravenna, pleaded guilty May 16 in Morrow County Municipal Court to being in physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, just north of Columbus, where a trooper arrested him March 13. The "physical control" violation is a lesser charge in the state's DUI law.

Piggott was found guilty, fined $499, required to attend a three-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.

Officer Anthony Plummer Accused of Using Excessive Force on Councilman's Daughter

Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher says an officer used excessive force when tasing a city councilman's daughter over the weekend.

Cincinnati Councilman Cecil Thomas says Chief Streicher has apologized for the incident.

Chief Streicher released video of the incident that led up to the early Sunday morning tasing of 26-year-old Celeste Thomas.

Investigators say 33-year-old Demetri Washington was driving at the time of the incident in Clifton Heights.

Officers pulled the vehicle over after Washington allegedly struck a garbage truck along West McMillan Street around 1:10 a.m.

A female officer asked Washington for his driver's license several times. He could be heard on the tape offering his social security information. The officer eventually had him step out of the car where he was taken into custody for an earlier felony warrant of burglary as well as resisting arrest.

During the arrest, Thomas gets out of the vehicle. She asks what's going on and officers order her back into the vehicle.

You can see a third police officer, identified as Anthony Plummer, arrive on the scene.

The two other officers ask him to keep Thomas away from them and Washington.

That's when you can hear Officer Plummer ask Thomas to get on the ground.

Thomas says my father is a councilman. What did I do wrong?

She's ordered to the ground again and warned she would be tased.

Chief Streicher says a preliminary investigation shows Thomas fell to her knees and put her hands in the air but was then tased by Officer Plummer.

Streicher says the tasing was excessive force.

Officer Plummer's police powers have been suspended until an internal investigation is complete. Plummer was investigated by the Cincinnati’s Citizen Complaint Authority in a 2006 complaint stemming from another Tasing incident in which use of excessive force was alleged. In that incident, Plummer was found to have used excessive force.

Thomas was processed at the Hamilton County Justice Center and then released. Washington remains jailed on a $53,000 bond.

Streicher says he wants the internal investigation to be completed by the end of the week.

Officer Suspended After Man Found Dead in Police Cruiser

Punxsutawney's police chief says an officer is on paid leave until authorities finish their investigation of how a man died in police custody more than a week ago.

Chief Tom Fedigan isn't releasing the name of the officer suspended in connection with the death of 48-year-old Stephen Obbish on Aug. 15.

Obbish had been picked up on suspicion of public drunkenness about 9:50 a.m. and was found dead in the same police cruiser about five hours later. Authorities aren't saying if the man was in the car the entire time, on a day when temperatures were in the 80s.

State police are trying to determine if a crime was committed and are awaiting autopsy results to determine if Obbish was drunk or suffering from a diabetic condition instead.

Punxsutawney is about 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Officer Davy Jones Arrested for Choking 15-year-old


An Abbeville police officer has found himself on the opposite side of the law, arrested for allegedly choking a juvenile until he passed out.

The incident took place in the early morning hours of Saturday according to the Henry County Sheriff's office.

Investigators say Davy Jones, 22, was off duty when he assaulted the 15-year-old boy.

The victim's mother signed a warrant Monday morning and Jones turned himself in to authorities.

Jones was charged with reckless endangerment and posted a $500.00 bond.

Abbeville Police Chief Mike Jones placed the officer on administrative leave without pay until further notice. He said the city would continue to seek updates from the Sheriff's Department and would make futher decisions when the investigation is completed.

Jones faces up to one year in jail and a $6,000 fine.