A Steubenville police officer was suspended without pay after police in Stark County said he got into a fight with rival fans during a high school football game.
Massillon police said the fight happened during a freshman game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium over the weekend.
Police said Steubenville police Officer Gregory Moray was off duty in the stands when a verbal fight turned physical.
Moray, 42, faces a disorderly conduct charge and is accused of punching a Massillon Tigers fan in the face.
Sgt. John DiLoreto, Massillon police public information officer, said Moray and other Big Red fans were sitting on the side of the stadium for home team fans instead of in the visitors' section.
DiLoreto said, according to witnesses, Moray and other Big Red fans were getting rowdy and vulgar. He said Massillon fans told them to go on their own side of the stadium. At that point, Moray allegedly punched 63-year-old Thomas Cook in the face, DiLoreto said.
Cook also faces a disorderly conduct charge, as does 35-year-old Matthew Kell of Toronto.
All three men were arraigned before a Massillon municipal judge, pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance.
DiLoreto said the investigation is ongoing and said other Massillon fans present during the altercation might also face charges.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sgt. Salicca Wilson Arrested for Stealing Money from Department
A Bishopville police officer has been arrested according to Police Chief John Ewing.
Ewing says arresting one of his own is one of the toughest things he's had to do.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Ewing says he arrested officer Sgt. Salicca Wilson. Ewing says he caught the officer on tape stealing money from the department.
"We have to be held accountable for our actions," said Ewing. "Just because we wear a badge, it doesn't mean we can break the law. We need to treat our police officers like someone who was walking down the street who may commit the same crime."
Ewing says Sgt. Wilson has been released from the department.
Ewing says arresting one of his own is one of the toughest things he's had to do.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Ewing says he arrested officer Sgt. Salicca Wilson. Ewing says he caught the officer on tape stealing money from the department.
"We have to be held accountable for our actions," said Ewing. "Just because we wear a badge, it doesn't mean we can break the law. We need to treat our police officers like someone who was walking down the street who may commit the same crime."
Ewing says Sgt. Wilson has been released from the department.
Corporal Able Porras Arrested for Domestic Violence
A Pinal County Sheriff's corporal was arrested on charges of domestic violence, police said.
Able Porras, a certified peace officer for more than seven years, was booked Monday into the Pinal County Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of criminal damage, assault and prevention of the use of 911, according to a press release issued by Pinal County Police spokeswoman Lt. Tamatha Villar.
Authorities received a call Sunday night about a domestic disturbance at a San Tan Valley home.
Upon the arrival of police, the victim, who was not identified, told them Porras "had struck her in the face and head and would not allow her to use the home phone to call 911," according to the press release.
The press release also said that Porras was released without bail Monday and was ordered to appear in front of a judge at a later date.
"Deputies are not immune to family conflict, and there are increased pressures in all family relationships," Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said in the release. "However, violence is never the right answer."
Babeu added, "We take these allegations very seriously and have placed Corporal Porras on administrative leave until we can determine what actions we must take. Our deputies are charged with enforcing the law; they are clearly not above it."
The press release did not specify the relationship between Porras and the victim.
-----------------------
Picture & More Information: http://www.inmaricopa.com/COMMUNITY/CommunityArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=434&&ArticleID=6698
Able Porras, a certified peace officer for more than seven years, was booked Monday into the Pinal County Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of criminal damage, assault and prevention of the use of 911, according to a press release issued by Pinal County Police spokeswoman Lt. Tamatha Villar.
Authorities received a call Sunday night about a domestic disturbance at a San Tan Valley home.
Upon the arrival of police, the victim, who was not identified, told them Porras "had struck her in the face and head and would not allow her to use the home phone to call 911," according to the press release.
The press release also said that Porras was released without bail Monday and was ordered to appear in front of a judge at a later date.
"Deputies are not immune to family conflict, and there are increased pressures in all family relationships," Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said in the release. "However, violence is never the right answer."
Babeu added, "We take these allegations very seriously and have placed Corporal Porras on administrative leave until we can determine what actions we must take. Our deputies are charged with enforcing the law; they are clearly not above it."
The press release did not specify the relationship between Porras and the victim.
-----------------------
Picture & More Information: http://www.inmaricopa.com/COMMUNITY/CommunityArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=434&&ArticleID=6698
Officer Leon Pullen Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Prostitute
An Uplands Park police officer sought out a woman in an online classified ad and then, in full uniform, sexually assaulted her in the police station, the FBI said in court documents released Monday.
FBI Agents arrested Leon F. Pullen, 31, at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday night on a charge of willful deprivation of civil rights under the color of law. He appeared in court Monday, where a federal prosecutor said he wanted him held in jail until trial.
In an affidavit filed in court, FBI Special Agent Greg LaCombe wrote that the woman had placed an online ad that featured her picture and advertised her services as a prostitute.
The affidavit goes on to say:
Pullen called the woman, said his name was “Jimmy,” and agreed to pay $400 for a sexual act. He also had her and another woman meet him in Uplands Park on July 15.
After the women arrived, Pullen drove by in his marked police car several times before pulling behind the women’s car.
He got out, and when the alleged victim asked why he was stopping her, Pullen pulled out the ad.
He then rubbed himself against her and told her that she had two choices: to give him all her money, or get naked, LaCombe wrote. Pullen apparently ignored the woman’s request for a lawyer.
Another officer was present, LaCombe wrote, but that officer is not named in the complaint.
Pullen then ordered her and the other woman back in the car and told them to follow him to the police station, where he took the victim to an office in the rear of the station, forced her to undress and then forcibly performed oral sex on her.
Pullen also said that he would have forcibly had intercourse with her if he had a condom, LaCombe wrote.
The woman, afraid that Pullen would call in the other officer to have sex with her, and tried to end the attack by offering to meet Pullen later. Pullen gave her his contact information, LaCombe wrote, and then she left, later calling the FBI.
The fate of the other woman was not mentioned in the affidavit.
Pullen appeared in court Monday morning, in a black and white Jennings jail outfit of scrub shirt and pants.
Before his initial hearing, he told a reporter that he was “dumbfounded” by his arrest.
During the hearing, Pullen told U.S. Magistrate Judge Frederick Buckles that he lives with his wife in Foley and that he could not afford a lawyer. Buckles said he would appoint one.
Pullen will be in court Tuesday for a hearing that could determine whether he stays in jail until his trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Drake said that prosecutors would be presenting the case to a grand jury this week, asking for an indictment.
Uplands Park is located in St. Louis County, south of Interstate 70 and north of the city of St. Louis, at 6390 Natural Bridge Road.
A reporter’s call to the village was referred to the police department, then the village attorney. That lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about the alleged attack, or other attacks, to call the FBI at 314-231-4324.
----------------------------
More information: http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1462902.html
Officer Anthony Hernandez Arrested for Assaulting His Ex-Wife
Bail was set at $100,000 for a Yakama Tribal Police officer accused of assaulting his estranged wife and the man she was with.
Twenty-six-year-old Anthony J. Hernandez appeared in Yakima County Superior Court Monday where a judge also ordered him to stay at least 1,000 feet away from his wife and the other man.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that police say Hernandez kicked in the bedroom door at his wife's house Friday and handcuffed and threatened to kill the man.
His wife was treated for a cut at Toppenish Community Hospital, and Hernandez was arrested in the emergency room.
Hernandez, who was brought to court from Yakima County Jail, is expected to face charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree domestic violence assault, unlawful imprisonment and felony harassment.
----------------------------
Information from:
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/21/tribal-police-officer-held-on-100-000-bail
Twenty-six-year-old Anthony J. Hernandez appeared in Yakima County Superior Court Monday where a judge also ordered him to stay at least 1,000 feet away from his wife and the other man.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that police say Hernandez kicked in the bedroom door at his wife's house Friday and handcuffed and threatened to kill the man.
His wife was treated for a cut at Toppenish Community Hospital, and Hernandez was arrested in the emergency room.
Hernandez, who was brought to court from Yakima County Jail, is expected to face charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree domestic violence assault, unlawful imprisonment and felony harassment.
----------------------------
Information from:
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/21/tribal-police-officer-held-on-100-000-bail
Monday, September 21, 2009
Former Officer Derrick Yancey Has Been Captured
DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown confirmed Monday that fugitive double slaying suspect Derrick Yancey has been arrested and is in custody in the central American nation of Belize.
The former sheriff's deputy escaped custody after he was accused of killing his wife and a day laborer.
Brown told Channel 2 Action News reporter Mark Winne he believes Yancey has been living in Belize for awhile. He said Yancey offered no resistance when he was arrested at a local bar and expressed surprise and shock.
The sheriff credited the U.S. Marshals Service and State Department diplomatic security service for their crucial roles in capturing Yancey.
Brown said Yancey is expected to be back in the DeKalb County Jail Wednesday.
Police said Yancey was under a $150,000 bond when he boarded a westbound Greyhound bus April 4 and disappeared somewhere between Phoenix and Los Angeles.
He is accused of the 2008 shootings of his wife, Linda Yancey, 44, and Marcial Cax Puluc, a 20-year-old Guatemalan immigrant he had hired to work at his Stone Mountain home. Yancey told investigators that Puluc had killed his wife before he killed Puluc in self-defense.
-------------------------
All Previous Post:
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/search?q=Derrick+Yancey
Other Information: http://www.macon.com/220/story/851549.html
The former sheriff's deputy escaped custody after he was accused of killing his wife and a day laborer.
Brown told Channel 2 Action News reporter Mark Winne he believes Yancey has been living in Belize for awhile. He said Yancey offered no resistance when he was arrested at a local bar and expressed surprise and shock.
The sheriff credited the U.S. Marshals Service and State Department diplomatic security service for their crucial roles in capturing Yancey.
Brown said Yancey is expected to be back in the DeKalb County Jail Wednesday.
Police said Yancey was under a $150,000 bond when he boarded a westbound Greyhound bus April 4 and disappeared somewhere between Phoenix and Los Angeles.
He is accused of the 2008 shootings of his wife, Linda Yancey, 44, and Marcial Cax Puluc, a 20-year-old Guatemalan immigrant he had hired to work at his Stone Mountain home. Yancey told investigators that Puluc had killed his wife before he killed Puluc in self-defense.
-------------------------
All Previous Post:
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/search?q=Derrick+Yancey
Other Information: http://www.macon.com/220/story/851549.html
Woman Claims Officer Mark Rojas Slammed Her Head into Plate Glass Window
A 25-year-old nursing assistant from Oxford, who claims Officer Mark A. Rojas slammed her head into a plate glass window and unjustly arrested her three years ago, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city.
The Worcester Superior Court action, filed Sept. 3, also names Officer Kellen E. Smith and Chief Gary J. Gemme.
Katie M. Warren's lawsuit alleges that, prior to the September 2006 incident, Officer Rojas' “violent tendencies were repeatedly tolerated by supervisors, and even when supervisors such as Chief Gemme believed Rojas had acted inappropriately, he was not disciplined.”
Officer Rojas, 36, who has been out on disability with a broken ankle, has been the subject of at least 15 internal police misconduct investigations since joining the department in July 1996.
Ms. Warren, who was 22 at the time of her alleged run-in with Officers Rojas and Smith, says in her lawsuit that Officer Rojas grabbed her ponytail and jerked her head into a plate glass window as Officer Smith held her arms twisted painfully behind her back.
A certified nursing assistant at St. Camillus Health Center in Northbridge, Ms. Warren alleges that the confrontation began when she went to a gas station convenience store on Providence Street on Sept. 4, 2006, to get cash from an ATM machine inside.
She was outside the store in her nurse's uniform talking with a friend she had run into when Officers Rojas and Smith pulled up to the gas pumps in their police cruiser, according to the lawsuit.
“Officers Rojas and Smith then approached to within a short distance, looked Warren up and down and one asked, ‘Well, why don't you smile?'” according to the complaint.
It isn't clear from the complaint which officer allegedly made the comment, but the exchange quickly grew heated, and Officer Rojas allegedly told Ms. Warren's acquaintance: “You should tell your little girlfriend to shut her mouth,” according to the lawsuit.
Ms. Warren claims that she turned to walk away from the officers, saying, “You don't scare me,” when they grabbed her and twisted her arms behind her back as several bystanders looked on.
While Officer Smith held Ms. Warren's arms, Officer Rojas allegedly grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the store window. The officers then allegedly threw her to the ground and took her into custody while heaping verbal abuse on her, according to the complaint.
Copies of photographs of Ms. Warren showing bruises on her arms and legs are included in court records. She went to St. Vincent Hospital for treatment after her boyfriend posted her bail, according to the lawsuit.
Ms. Warren is listed as 5-feet, 3-inches tall and 120 pounds in police paperwork from her arrest. She was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and two counts of threatening to commit a crime for allegedly shouting that she would have the officers killed.
Police spokesman Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst did not respond to messages left at his office and on his cell phone on Friday.
In a statement of facts supporting the charges, Officer Smith wrote that, “The defendant refused to place her hands behind her back and struggled violently with the officers.”
“The defendant made several threats to ‘have the officers killed,' ” according to his report.
All the charges against Ms. Warren were dismissed in May 2007, and she was placed on probation for three months, according to court records.
Ms. Warren didn't return several calls to her home and the nursing home where she works. Her lawyer, Hector E. Pineiro of Worcester, was out of the state and couldn't be reached.
On March 31, 2008, the day the Telegram & Gazette published an article about Officer Rojas shooting a dog in a Vale Street apartment, Ms. Warren wrote a four-page letter to Chief Gemme complaining about her earlier run-in with Officer Rojas, according to the lawsuit.
The chief acknowledged receipt of Ms. Warren's complaint a few days later in a form letter and said her allegations would be investigated. Ms. Warren didn't hear anything else from the Police Department until 11 months later, when she got a second letter from the chief. In the February 2009 letter, the chief said investigators were having a hard time tracking down the friend with whom Ms. Warren had been speaking at the gas station when the officers walked up.
The lawsuit claims that the city and Chief Gemme were negligent in failing to control Officer Rojas after a number of similar complaints of brutality and misconduct from other people.
“Before the assault and arrest on Warren, Chief Gemme and the city were familiar with Rojas' propensities for violence,” according to the lawsuit. “…Chief Gemme and the city knew that Rojas had previously been the subject of numerous complaints alleging brutality, excessive force and violation of civil rights.”
Citing “disciplinary problems,” Chief Gemme revoked Officer Rojas' license to carry a firearm in December 2008 amid a series of articles in the T&G about allegations of misconduct against the officer.
Although the chief has said previously that the loss of his firearms license prevents Officer Rojas from serving as a police officer, he remained on the city payroll as of this past week, according to city records.
The T&G sued Chief Gemme and the city in Worcester Superior Court last year seeking the release of police internal affairs records related to allegations of misconduct against Officer Rojas. That case remains pending before Superior Court Judge C. Brian McDonald.
Meanwhile, the city agreed in late May to pay a Worcester man $48,750 to settle his federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that a police sergeant unjustly punched him in the head and struck him with a baton while he was on his knees being arrested for trespassing on railroad tracks. That settlement, which was paid by the city, came less than two months after the city paid $30,000 to settle another police brutality lawsuit filed by an Upton man.
So far this year, the city has settled at least three police brutality lawsuits at a total cost of $107,750, according to city records. Last year, the city paid $320,000 in public money to settle five police brutality lawsuits.
The Worcester Superior Court action, filed Sept. 3, also names Officer Kellen E. Smith and Chief Gary J. Gemme.
Katie M. Warren's lawsuit alleges that, prior to the September 2006 incident, Officer Rojas' “violent tendencies were repeatedly tolerated by supervisors, and even when supervisors such as Chief Gemme believed Rojas had acted inappropriately, he was not disciplined.”
Officer Rojas, 36, who has been out on disability with a broken ankle, has been the subject of at least 15 internal police misconduct investigations since joining the department in July 1996.
Ms. Warren, who was 22 at the time of her alleged run-in with Officers Rojas and Smith, says in her lawsuit that Officer Rojas grabbed her ponytail and jerked her head into a plate glass window as Officer Smith held her arms twisted painfully behind her back.
A certified nursing assistant at St. Camillus Health Center in Northbridge, Ms. Warren alleges that the confrontation began when she went to a gas station convenience store on Providence Street on Sept. 4, 2006, to get cash from an ATM machine inside.
She was outside the store in her nurse's uniform talking with a friend she had run into when Officers Rojas and Smith pulled up to the gas pumps in their police cruiser, according to the lawsuit.
“Officers Rojas and Smith then approached to within a short distance, looked Warren up and down and one asked, ‘Well, why don't you smile?'” according to the complaint.
It isn't clear from the complaint which officer allegedly made the comment, but the exchange quickly grew heated, and Officer Rojas allegedly told Ms. Warren's acquaintance: “You should tell your little girlfriend to shut her mouth,” according to the lawsuit.
Ms. Warren claims that she turned to walk away from the officers, saying, “You don't scare me,” when they grabbed her and twisted her arms behind her back as several bystanders looked on.
While Officer Smith held Ms. Warren's arms, Officer Rojas allegedly grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the store window. The officers then allegedly threw her to the ground and took her into custody while heaping verbal abuse on her, according to the complaint.
Copies of photographs of Ms. Warren showing bruises on her arms and legs are included in court records. She went to St. Vincent Hospital for treatment after her boyfriend posted her bail, according to the lawsuit.
Ms. Warren is listed as 5-feet, 3-inches tall and 120 pounds in police paperwork from her arrest. She was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and two counts of threatening to commit a crime for allegedly shouting that she would have the officers killed.
Police spokesman Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst did not respond to messages left at his office and on his cell phone on Friday.
In a statement of facts supporting the charges, Officer Smith wrote that, “The defendant refused to place her hands behind her back and struggled violently with the officers.”
“The defendant made several threats to ‘have the officers killed,' ” according to his report.
All the charges against Ms. Warren were dismissed in May 2007, and she was placed on probation for three months, according to court records.
Ms. Warren didn't return several calls to her home and the nursing home where she works. Her lawyer, Hector E. Pineiro of Worcester, was out of the state and couldn't be reached.
On March 31, 2008, the day the Telegram & Gazette published an article about Officer Rojas shooting a dog in a Vale Street apartment, Ms. Warren wrote a four-page letter to Chief Gemme complaining about her earlier run-in with Officer Rojas, according to the lawsuit.
The chief acknowledged receipt of Ms. Warren's complaint a few days later in a form letter and said her allegations would be investigated. Ms. Warren didn't hear anything else from the Police Department until 11 months later, when she got a second letter from the chief. In the February 2009 letter, the chief said investigators were having a hard time tracking down the friend with whom Ms. Warren had been speaking at the gas station when the officers walked up.
The lawsuit claims that the city and Chief Gemme were negligent in failing to control Officer Rojas after a number of similar complaints of brutality and misconduct from other people.
“Before the assault and arrest on Warren, Chief Gemme and the city were familiar with Rojas' propensities for violence,” according to the lawsuit. “…Chief Gemme and the city knew that Rojas had previously been the subject of numerous complaints alleging brutality, excessive force and violation of civil rights.”
Citing “disciplinary problems,” Chief Gemme revoked Officer Rojas' license to carry a firearm in December 2008 amid a series of articles in the T&G about allegations of misconduct against the officer.
Although the chief has said previously that the loss of his firearms license prevents Officer Rojas from serving as a police officer, he remained on the city payroll as of this past week, according to city records.
The T&G sued Chief Gemme and the city in Worcester Superior Court last year seeking the release of police internal affairs records related to allegations of misconduct against Officer Rojas. That case remains pending before Superior Court Judge C. Brian McDonald.
Meanwhile, the city agreed in late May to pay a Worcester man $48,750 to settle his federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that a police sergeant unjustly punched him in the head and struck him with a baton while he was on his knees being arrested for trespassing on railroad tracks. That settlement, which was paid by the city, came less than two months after the city paid $30,000 to settle another police brutality lawsuit filed by an Upton man.
So far this year, the city has settled at least three police brutality lawsuits at a total cost of $107,750, according to city records. Last year, the city paid $320,000 in public money to settle five police brutality lawsuits.
Denver City Council May Settle Police Brutality Lawsuit
The Denver City Council may settle a police brutality lawsuit for $225,000, city officials said Monday.
The federal lawsuit alleges Denver police brutalized and repeatedly used a Taser on Alberto Romero, 47, who died, allegedly from injuries he sustained during the incident, The Denver Post reported. The confrontation took place in front of Romero's home July 16, 2007.
In the suit, Debra Christine Romero, the personal representative of his estate, claims Romero was unarmed and posed no threat to the police.
The settlement was on the agenda of the council meeting Monday.
The autopsy report showed Romero had eight broken ribs, four puncture wounds in his back and bottom, and multiple scratches and bruises on his face, arms, shoulders, stomach, knees, back, hands, fingers and left foot. In addition, his lower lip was split and his tongue was cut, the newspaper said.
The federal lawsuit alleges Denver police brutalized and repeatedly used a Taser on Alberto Romero, 47, who died, allegedly from injuries he sustained during the incident, The Denver Post reported. The confrontation took place in front of Romero's home July 16, 2007.
In the suit, Debra Christine Romero, the personal representative of his estate, claims Romero was unarmed and posed no threat to the police.
The settlement was on the agenda of the council meeting Monday.
The autopsy report showed Romero had eight broken ribs, four puncture wounds in his back and bottom, and multiple scratches and bruises on his face, arms, shoulders, stomach, knees, back, hands, fingers and left foot. In addition, his lower lip was split and his tongue was cut, the newspaper said.
Air Force Officer James Fondren on Trial for Providing Secret Military Information to Chinese Spy
A former Air Force officer is on trial for providing secret military information to a New Orleans furniture salesman who turned out to be a Chinese spy.
Prosecutors told a jury in federal court in Alexandria on Monday that James Fondren of Annandale, Va., sold "opinion papers" containing classified information about U.S.-China military relations to Tai Shen Kuo, a New Orleans businessman.
Kuo gave those papers to an agent working with the Beijing government.
Kuo has already pleaded guilty to espionage and been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Kuo was the first witness Monday against Fondren.
The defendant's lawyer Asa Hutchinson told jurors that Fondren was one of many people who was fooled by Kuo.
-----------------------------
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/retired_af_officer_goes_on_trial_in_china_spy_case-60052687.html
Prosecutors told a jury in federal court in Alexandria on Monday that James Fondren of Annandale, Va., sold "opinion papers" containing classified information about U.S.-China military relations to Tai Shen Kuo, a New Orleans businessman.
Kuo gave those papers to an agent working with the Beijing government.
Kuo has already pleaded guilty to espionage and been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Kuo was the first witness Monday against Fondren.
The defendant's lawyer Asa Hutchinson told jurors that Fondren was one of many people who was fooled by Kuo.
-----------------------------
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/retired_af_officer_goes_on_trial_in_china_spy_case-60052687.html
Officer Michael Turcotte & Wife Convicted of Domestic Violence
An incident of alleged domestic violence in January between a former Gilbert police officer and his wife ended with convictions for both, and may ultimately cost his police certification.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board is investigating whether to pull Michael J. Turcotte's certification, which is required to be a police officer.
The investigation opened Wednesday and centers on a fight between Turcotte, 50, and his wife of 27 years, Linda, who accused her husband of cheating on her, AZPOST and court documents show.
Gilbert police arrested the couple Jan. 22, one day after Linda Turcotte admittedly threw an apple at her husband's back and slapped him. He then proceeded to choke and "struck" her many times, court documents state.
Michael Turcotte admitted to police that he shoved his wife to the ground, but denied striking her, court documents state.
"In addition, their 3-year-old granddaughter was present during the struggle and witnessed the event," court documents state. "The granddaughter stated during a forensic interview that 'grandpa choked grandma.'"
Both Linda and Michael Turcotte were ultimately arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. Michael Turcotte, who joined Gilbert police Dec. 24, 2007, resigned Jan. 28 before an internal investigation could begin.
In early April, Linda and Michael Turcotte each took plea agreements in which they pleaded "no contest" to disorderly conduct.
Michael Turcotte was placed on one year unsupervised probation, while his wife received three years of unsupervised probation. Both are required to complete 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling.
Under the plea agreement, if Linda and Michael Turcotte successfully complete their probation and counseling, their convictions will be wiped from their permanent record.
The incident has spurred new allegations that Michael Turcotte violated ASPOST rules barring certification of police officials who commit "physical violence" or "malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance of office," or whose conduct "tends to disrupt, diminish or otherwise jeopardize the public trust."
When interviewed by police Jan. 22, Michael Turcotte said his wife accused him of having an affair with another Gilbert police officer.
"Linda accused the Gilbert PD of causing their marital problems," Michael Turcotte's attorney, Robert Kavanagh, states in court documents. "(Michael) Turcotte steadfastly denied that he was having an affair but nonetheless has resigned from the Gilbert PD."
After confronting her husband, Linda Turcotte told investigators she hit him with an apple and slapped him. Michael Turcotte responded by slapping, kicking, choking and pushing her to the ground, she said. Michael Turcotte admitted to pushing her, but denied going anything else.
Both were treated at a local hospital for scratches to their faces then booked into the Maricopa County jail.
Because the charges were domestic violence-related, the couple was not allowed regular contact with each other. In court documents, Michael Turcotte said he was seeking marriage counseling with his wife ahead of their planned surgery and requested contact with her.
"The root of their marriage problems related to (Michael Turcotte's) career at the Gilbert PD, which is now over," Kavanagh writes.
However, the January incident wasn't the first, according to AZPOST documents. Police were called to the Turcotte home Nov. 13, but no arrests were made. Linda Turcotte received an order of protection from her husband the next day.
A judge tossed the protection order Nov. 25.
AZPOST began in July 1968 as the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Advisory Council aimed at establishing a set of minimum standards for the state's police officers. AZPOST certification is mandatory for all police officers but not county sheriff's deputies.
The 13-member AZPOST Board oversees 170 law enforcement agencies, more than 16,000 sworn peace officers, 9,000 correctional officers and 16 police academies.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board is investigating whether to pull Michael J. Turcotte's certification, which is required to be a police officer.
The investigation opened Wednesday and centers on a fight between Turcotte, 50, and his wife of 27 years, Linda, who accused her husband of cheating on her, AZPOST and court documents show.
Gilbert police arrested the couple Jan. 22, one day after Linda Turcotte admittedly threw an apple at her husband's back and slapped him. He then proceeded to choke and "struck" her many times, court documents state.
Michael Turcotte admitted to police that he shoved his wife to the ground, but denied striking her, court documents state.
"In addition, their 3-year-old granddaughter was present during the struggle and witnessed the event," court documents state. "The granddaughter stated during a forensic interview that 'grandpa choked grandma.'"
Both Linda and Michael Turcotte were ultimately arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. Michael Turcotte, who joined Gilbert police Dec. 24, 2007, resigned Jan. 28 before an internal investigation could begin.
In early April, Linda and Michael Turcotte each took plea agreements in which they pleaded "no contest" to disorderly conduct.
Michael Turcotte was placed on one year unsupervised probation, while his wife received three years of unsupervised probation. Both are required to complete 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling.
Under the plea agreement, if Linda and Michael Turcotte successfully complete their probation and counseling, their convictions will be wiped from their permanent record.
The incident has spurred new allegations that Michael Turcotte violated ASPOST rules barring certification of police officials who commit "physical violence" or "malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance of office," or whose conduct "tends to disrupt, diminish or otherwise jeopardize the public trust."
When interviewed by police Jan. 22, Michael Turcotte said his wife accused him of having an affair with another Gilbert police officer.
"Linda accused the Gilbert PD of causing their marital problems," Michael Turcotte's attorney, Robert Kavanagh, states in court documents. "(Michael) Turcotte steadfastly denied that he was having an affair but nonetheless has resigned from the Gilbert PD."
After confronting her husband, Linda Turcotte told investigators she hit him with an apple and slapped him. Michael Turcotte responded by slapping, kicking, choking and pushing her to the ground, she said. Michael Turcotte admitted to pushing her, but denied going anything else.
Both were treated at a local hospital for scratches to their faces then booked into the Maricopa County jail.
Because the charges were domestic violence-related, the couple was not allowed regular contact with each other. In court documents, Michael Turcotte said he was seeking marriage counseling with his wife ahead of their planned surgery and requested contact with her.
"The root of their marriage problems related to (Michael Turcotte's) career at the Gilbert PD, which is now over," Kavanagh writes.
However, the January incident wasn't the first, according to AZPOST documents. Police were called to the Turcotte home Nov. 13, but no arrests were made. Linda Turcotte received an order of protection from her husband the next day.
A judge tossed the protection order Nov. 25.
AZPOST began in July 1968 as the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Advisory Council aimed at establishing a set of minimum standards for the state's police officers. AZPOST certification is mandatory for all police officers but not county sheriff's deputies.
The 13-member AZPOST Board oversees 170 law enforcement agencies, more than 16,000 sworn peace officers, 9,000 correctional officers and 16 police academies.
Officer J.L. Crain Arrested for DUI After Crash
Officers arrest one of their own who's accused of breaking the law.
Police say Henrico County Officer J.L. Crain was involved in an accident early Sunday morning on Interstate 64 at Gaskins Road.
Police say he rear-ended another car, and the person inside was treated for injuries and released.
Officers responding to the crash arrested Crain for DUI and court records show his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
We are told he was in his own vehicle and was not on duty.
Crain has been with the Henrico Police Department since 2001. Police there won't comment on his status, other than to say he's not working right now.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Judge David Abruzzo Arrested for Drunk Driving
Judge David Abruzzo, of the Preble County Common Pleas Court, was arrested late Friday night, Sept. 18, on charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol and failure to yield to a public safety vehicle, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
The judge was given a citation directing him to answer to the charges in Eaton Municipal Court at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, the patrol said.
Abruzzo, 61, of Eaton, refused to take a breath test after he was stopped at 11:41 p.m. Friday along U.S. 127 just north of the Eaton city limits, the patrol said. He was alone in a 2007 GMC station wagon when he was stopped, the patrol said.
No other details were available on Saturday, patrol dispatcher Lisa Roberts said.
The judge was given a citation directing him to answer to the charges in Eaton Municipal Court at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, the patrol said.
Abruzzo, 61, of Eaton, refused to take a breath test after he was stopped at 11:41 p.m. Friday along U.S. 127 just north of the Eaton city limits, the patrol said. He was alone in a 2007 GMC station wagon when he was stopped, the patrol said.
No other details were available on Saturday, patrol dispatcher Lisa Roberts said.
Michael Alexander Arrested for Grand Larceny
It's a case involving more than $4,000 missing from the Leflore County Sheriff's Department's evidence room that led to the arrest of office manager Michael Alexander.
LeFlore County Sheriff Bruce Curnutt said Alexander has worked under three previous sheriff's and has no previous disciplinary write-ups.
According to an arrest, affidavit the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation said Curnutt contacted their agency Tuesday to assist with the investigation.
In the affidavit, LeFlore County's Undersheriff Donnie Edwards reported going into the evidence room to obtain a gun in early September. He said during that visit he noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor that should have been in a safe.
When Edwards opened the safe, he told investigators that he noticed that a large manila envelope containing over $4,000 was missing.
Edwards said he and Alexander went into the evidence room and opened the safe in late July and that he had planned to do an inventory at a later date.
In the affidavit, Edwards said he "... believed that he was the only one with access to the evidence room."
According to the affidavit, on Sept. 15 a district attorney investigator and Edwards reviewed surveillance video that showed Alexander entering the evidence room on Aug. 24.
Investigators said when they questioned Alexander, he admitted to stealing the money-filled envelope.
In the affidavit, investigators said Alexander told them he "...was facing some hard financial times and was declaring bankruptcy." Alexander reported that he had a gambling issue and that he used the money to pay some bills and buy groceries.
Alexander was fired from his job and is currently sitting in the Sequoyah County Detention Center to avoid a conflict of interest.
----------
http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2009/09/18/news/news091809_06.txt
LeFlore County Sheriff Bruce Curnutt said Alexander has worked under three previous sheriff's and has no previous disciplinary write-ups.
According to an arrest, affidavit the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation said Curnutt contacted their agency Tuesday to assist with the investigation.
In the affidavit, LeFlore County's Undersheriff Donnie Edwards reported going into the evidence room to obtain a gun in early September. He said during that visit he noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor that should have been in a safe.
When Edwards opened the safe, he told investigators that he noticed that a large manila envelope containing over $4,000 was missing.
Edwards said he and Alexander went into the evidence room and opened the safe in late July and that he had planned to do an inventory at a later date.
In the affidavit, Edwards said he "... believed that he was the only one with access to the evidence room."
According to the affidavit, on Sept. 15 a district attorney investigator and Edwards reviewed surveillance video that showed Alexander entering the evidence room on Aug. 24.
Investigators said when they questioned Alexander, he admitted to stealing the money-filled envelope.
In the affidavit, investigators said Alexander told them he "...was facing some hard financial times and was declaring bankruptcy." Alexander reported that he had a gambling issue and that he used the money to pay some bills and buy groceries.
Alexander was fired from his job and is currently sitting in the Sequoyah County Detention Center to avoid a conflict of interest.
----------
http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2009/09/18/news/news091809_06.txt
Trial Set for Officer Michael Wooton Accused of Shooting Neighbor's Dog
A judge has ordered the case of an Essex police officer suspected of fatally shooting his neighbor's dog to go to trial.
Michael Wootton, 35, of Waterville allegedly shot Hooch, an 80-pound mixed-breed, after it attacked his dog, Yoda, a 20-pound pug, April 30, on Phyllis Lane in Waterville, according to court papers.
Wootton pleaded not guilty in May to committing cruelty to animals and two months later asked to have the charge dismissed. Judge Christina Reiss denied Wootton's motion to dismiss Sept. 3 in Vermont District Court in Hyde Park. Jury draw for his trial is scheduled for Nov. 2.
The Essex Police Department placed Wootton, a full-time officer, on administrative duties after the shooting.
Yoda allegedly ran on to Wootton's neighbors' property and got into a fight with their dog Hooch. Wootton said he feared Hooch would kill Yoda, and after failing with two other people to keep the dogs apart, went back to his house to get his handgun, according to court papers.
Hooch's owners, Ritchie and Rosemary Rogers, arrived home after their dog had been killed.
Although Hooch died on Wootton's lawn, Vermont State Police Cpl. Mark Lucas, who investigated the case, said he found the bullet, which apparently passed through the dog, on the Rogers' driveway, according to court papers.
One Vermont law prohibits the intentional killing of someone's pet without the owner's consent, while another law permits the killing of a pet if the animal attacks, and poses a reasonable threat of injuring, another pet.
The maximum penalty for committing cruelty to animals is a fine of $2,000, up to one year in prison or both.
-------------------------
http://www.wptz.com/news/20986051/detail.html
Michael Wootton, 35, of Waterville allegedly shot Hooch, an 80-pound mixed-breed, after it attacked his dog, Yoda, a 20-pound pug, April 30, on Phyllis Lane in Waterville, according to court papers.
Wootton pleaded not guilty in May to committing cruelty to animals and two months later asked to have the charge dismissed. Judge Christina Reiss denied Wootton's motion to dismiss Sept. 3 in Vermont District Court in Hyde Park. Jury draw for his trial is scheduled for Nov. 2.
The Essex Police Department placed Wootton, a full-time officer, on administrative duties after the shooting.
Yoda allegedly ran on to Wootton's neighbors' property and got into a fight with their dog Hooch. Wootton said he feared Hooch would kill Yoda, and after failing with two other people to keep the dogs apart, went back to his house to get his handgun, according to court papers.
Hooch's owners, Ritchie and Rosemary Rogers, arrived home after their dog had been killed.
Although Hooch died on Wootton's lawn, Vermont State Police Cpl. Mark Lucas, who investigated the case, said he found the bullet, which apparently passed through the dog, on the Rogers' driveway, according to court papers.
One Vermont law prohibits the intentional killing of someone's pet without the owner's consent, while another law permits the killing of a pet if the animal attacks, and poses a reasonable threat of injuring, another pet.
The maximum penalty for committing cruelty to animals is a fine of $2,000, up to one year in prison or both.
-------------------------
http://www.wptz.com/news/20986051/detail.html
Deputy Brandon Ward Accused of Police Brutality
A Maury County woman says she wants a sheriff’s deputy held accountable for an alleged case of police brutality against her son caught on another lawman’s camera.
“I want justice done for my son,” said Donna Rowland, mother of Andrew Johnson, 21, who lives in Hampshire.
Rowland said she received a voice message from her son who was arrested Sunday on a felony theft charge. According to the message, Johnson said he was punched in the face by a law enforcement officer after being taken into custody. According to sheriff’s department records, Deputy Brandon Ward was the arresting officer.
Spring Hill Police Chief John Smith said an officer in his department, Marcus Albright, was getting ready to go to work when Johnson, who appeared to be intoxicated, pulled up in his driveway. Smith said Albright detained Johnson and Ward was called out to the scene.
As Ward transferred Johnson into his squad car, Albright’s car camera taped an incident between Ward and Johnson, Smith said. Albright discovered it after reviewing the footage, which was then turned over to the sheriff’s department, Smith said.
Sheriff Enoch George confirmed Ward’s resignation this week. The officer had been on the force for about a year. George declined further comment on the case saying it had been turned over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The Daily Herald requested to interview Johnson, who remained in Maury County Jail Thursday in lieu of $10,000 bond on two counts each of aggravated burglary and theft of more than $1,000.
Initially, George approved an interview, then later said all interviews would have to be granted by District Attorney General Mike Bottoms.
When asked for permission to talk to the 21-year-old suspect, Bottoms denied the request saying it would be detrimental to the investigation.
“I can’t conduct an investigation on the front page of the newspaper,” Bottoms said.
The district attorney general also declined to discuss any other aspects of the case.
TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm confirmed an investigation had been launched Thursday, though she could not provide any details.
Rowland said she hasn’t been allowed to talk to her son since the alleged incident.
Before the incident, Rowland said Ward had stopped at her house the previous night to search for stolen property and was very disrespectful to her. She called the deputy “rude,” “hateful” and “way out-of-line.”
Rowland said she was told her son was not resisting Ward when he was allegedly punched in the face, though she said he was cussing at the officer.
“I can understand if he was fighting with him,” she said. “But this is ridiculous, and it’s illegal.”
The mother said she wants her son moved from Maury County Jail.
“He should be given protection. If one’s going to do it,” she said, referring to the alleged assault by the officer, “who’s to say another won’t?”
George said he has no plans to transfer Johnson from the jail.
Maury County Sheriff’s Detective Terry Dial said Johnson is believed to have stolen several firearms from two Maury County homes.
According to sheriff’s department records, Johnson is scheduled to appear 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in General Sessions Court.
“I want justice done for my son,” said Donna Rowland, mother of Andrew Johnson, 21, who lives in Hampshire.
Rowland said she received a voice message from her son who was arrested Sunday on a felony theft charge. According to the message, Johnson said he was punched in the face by a law enforcement officer after being taken into custody. According to sheriff’s department records, Deputy Brandon Ward was the arresting officer.
Spring Hill Police Chief John Smith said an officer in his department, Marcus Albright, was getting ready to go to work when Johnson, who appeared to be intoxicated, pulled up in his driveway. Smith said Albright detained Johnson and Ward was called out to the scene.
As Ward transferred Johnson into his squad car, Albright’s car camera taped an incident between Ward and Johnson, Smith said. Albright discovered it after reviewing the footage, which was then turned over to the sheriff’s department, Smith said.
Sheriff Enoch George confirmed Ward’s resignation this week. The officer had been on the force for about a year. George declined further comment on the case saying it had been turned over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The Daily Herald requested to interview Johnson, who remained in Maury County Jail Thursday in lieu of $10,000 bond on two counts each of aggravated burglary and theft of more than $1,000.
Initially, George approved an interview, then later said all interviews would have to be granted by District Attorney General Mike Bottoms.
When asked for permission to talk to the 21-year-old suspect, Bottoms denied the request saying it would be detrimental to the investigation.
“I can’t conduct an investigation on the front page of the newspaper,” Bottoms said.
The district attorney general also declined to discuss any other aspects of the case.
TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm confirmed an investigation had been launched Thursday, though she could not provide any details.
Rowland said she hasn’t been allowed to talk to her son since the alleged incident.
Before the incident, Rowland said Ward had stopped at her house the previous night to search for stolen property and was very disrespectful to her. She called the deputy “rude,” “hateful” and “way out-of-line.”
Rowland said she was told her son was not resisting Ward when he was allegedly punched in the face, though she said he was cussing at the officer.
“I can understand if he was fighting with him,” she said. “But this is ridiculous, and it’s illegal.”
The mother said she wants her son moved from Maury County Jail.
“He should be given protection. If one’s going to do it,” she said, referring to the alleged assault by the officer, “who’s to say another won’t?”
George said he has no plans to transfer Johnson from the jail.
Maury County Sheriff’s Detective Terry Dial said Johnson is believed to have stolen several firearms from two Maury County homes.
According to sheriff’s department records, Johnson is scheduled to appear 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in General Sessions Court.
Cpl David Nevitt Suspended for Lying
An assistant chief handed down a 15-day day suspension on Thursday to a Dallas police officer who wrongly said a man was carrying a bag containing drugs and guns. That man spent 10 months behind bars until a videotape later showed that he was not carrying the bag as the officer alleged.
At issue in the case was whether Senior Cpl. David Nevitt lied or was mistaken. Police investigators ultimately concluded that they could not prove that Nevitt had lied to make the August 2007 arrest of Thomas Hannon outside a north Dallas hotel. Instead, they found that he had failed to fully investigate the incident to the best of his ability.
"The way they went about this arrest was sloppy, and as the allegations alludes to it was not fully investigated," said Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson, who oversees the city's seven patrol stations. "Today, I held officer Nevitt accountable for his actions. His fifteen days will begin immediately."
Nevitt, who has denied any wrongdoing, could not be reached for comment. He can appeal the suspension.
"It's just unfair and certainly wasn't warranted," said Phil Burleson, an attorney representing Nevitt. "He in good faith attempted to make arrests based upon the information he had at the time."
At the time of Hannon's arrest, Nevitt was a member of a specialized unit whose cases continue to be the subject of an ongoing review by prosecutors. Hannon's arrest sparked the review after prosecutors concluded that he had been arrested on false charges. Felony charges involving arrests made by the unit have since been thrown out against two different men after two witnesses passed polygraph exams requested by prosecutors.
The official police report written by Senior Cpl. Jerry Dodd, now in the vice unit, gives the following account: Nevitt saw Hannon leave the hotel carrying a black leather bag. The officers said Hannon spotted them, dropped the bag and tried to evade them. Police found a loaded .357 Colt revolver and 2.6 grams of methamphetamine in the bag.
Hannon, who was wanted for failing to report to his parole officer, was caught and charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Dodd's report does not mention the existence of video footage, nor the arrest of other people, including the man who turned out to have been carrying the bag.
In March 2008, as the case neared trial, prosecutors say Nevitt told them that he had been sitting in an undercover vehicle when he saw Hannon leave the hotel holding the bag. They said he told them that he then went inside and watched surveillance video, but that the hotel lacked the technology to make a copy of it.
A defense attorney subsequently obtained a copy. It showed that another man had the bag. Prosecutors then dismissed the charges.
Nevitt told internal investigators that he never told prosecutors that he had actually seen Hannon with the bag. He also described the video footage that he reviewed as being small and of "poor quality," which apparently led to the misidentification. He said the maintenance worker told him that another employee could make a copy later.
That hotel employee, Jaime Maltos, told internal investigators that he showed the video footage to Nevitt and another heavy-set Dallas police officer. "I brought them back to the engineering office to go thru the videos, one by one I enlarged them so they could see it better," Maltos said.
He said he also said he gave Nevitt two copies a couple of days later. However, in a statement in Hannon's civil lawsuit, he said he was less sure, saying he couldn't recall whether it was Nevitt or another officer who retrieved the copies.
None of the officers who participated in Hannon's arrest have admitted picking up the video, internal records show.
The squad, which once numbered about seven officers, is now largely dismantled. The unit's supervisor, Sgt. Randy Sundquist was moved off the streets this spring after the DA's office released a letter stating that he shouldn't be trusted to testify in court. Two other officers, one of whom has since retired, also were involuntarily transferred out of the unit.
Scott Palmer, an attorney representing Hannon, called the Police Department's decision disappointing.
"How much false prosecution and perjury will it take before DPD fires an officer?" Palmer said. "But for the hotel engineer saving this video, this officer and all of the officers were prepared to testify falsely about the events, and Mr. Hannon would likely have ended up in prison for a long time."
At issue in the case was whether Senior Cpl. David Nevitt lied or was mistaken. Police investigators ultimately concluded that they could not prove that Nevitt had lied to make the August 2007 arrest of Thomas Hannon outside a north Dallas hotel. Instead, they found that he had failed to fully investigate the incident to the best of his ability.
"The way they went about this arrest was sloppy, and as the allegations alludes to it was not fully investigated," said Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson, who oversees the city's seven patrol stations. "Today, I held officer Nevitt accountable for his actions. His fifteen days will begin immediately."
Nevitt, who has denied any wrongdoing, could not be reached for comment. He can appeal the suspension.
"It's just unfair and certainly wasn't warranted," said Phil Burleson, an attorney representing Nevitt. "He in good faith attempted to make arrests based upon the information he had at the time."
At the time of Hannon's arrest, Nevitt was a member of a specialized unit whose cases continue to be the subject of an ongoing review by prosecutors. Hannon's arrest sparked the review after prosecutors concluded that he had been arrested on false charges. Felony charges involving arrests made by the unit have since been thrown out against two different men after two witnesses passed polygraph exams requested by prosecutors.
The official police report written by Senior Cpl. Jerry Dodd, now in the vice unit, gives the following account: Nevitt saw Hannon leave the hotel carrying a black leather bag. The officers said Hannon spotted them, dropped the bag and tried to evade them. Police found a loaded .357 Colt revolver and 2.6 grams of methamphetamine in the bag.
Hannon, who was wanted for failing to report to his parole officer, was caught and charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Dodd's report does not mention the existence of video footage, nor the arrest of other people, including the man who turned out to have been carrying the bag.
In March 2008, as the case neared trial, prosecutors say Nevitt told them that he had been sitting in an undercover vehicle when he saw Hannon leave the hotel holding the bag. They said he told them that he then went inside and watched surveillance video, but that the hotel lacked the technology to make a copy of it.
A defense attorney subsequently obtained a copy. It showed that another man had the bag. Prosecutors then dismissed the charges.
Nevitt told internal investigators that he never told prosecutors that he had actually seen Hannon with the bag. He also described the video footage that he reviewed as being small and of "poor quality," which apparently led to the misidentification. He said the maintenance worker told him that another employee could make a copy later.
That hotel employee, Jaime Maltos, told internal investigators that he showed the video footage to Nevitt and another heavy-set Dallas police officer. "I brought them back to the engineering office to go thru the videos, one by one I enlarged them so they could see it better," Maltos said.
He said he also said he gave Nevitt two copies a couple of days later. However, in a statement in Hannon's civil lawsuit, he said he was less sure, saying he couldn't recall whether it was Nevitt or another officer who retrieved the copies.
None of the officers who participated in Hannon's arrest have admitted picking up the video, internal records show.
The squad, which once numbered about seven officers, is now largely dismantled. The unit's supervisor, Sgt. Randy Sundquist was moved off the streets this spring after the DA's office released a letter stating that he shouldn't be trusted to testify in court. Two other officers, one of whom has since retired, also were involuntarily transferred out of the unit.
Scott Palmer, an attorney representing Hannon, called the Police Department's decision disappointing.
"How much false prosecution and perjury will it take before DPD fires an officer?" Palmer said. "But for the hotel engineer saving this video, this officer and all of the officers were prepared to testify falsely about the events, and Mr. Hannon would likely have ended up in prison for a long time."
Tribal Officer Anthony Hernandez Charged with Assault
A Yakama Tribal Police officer has been charged with assault after a domestic violence victim reported a robbery.
Toppenish police said the officer was arrested Friday after police investigated a complaint by a domestic violence victim being treated for a cut to the face at Toppenish Community Hospital.
The victim claimed the tribal officer forced his way into a home, struck the victim in the face and threatened to kill another person who was at the house before taking an undisclosed amount of money.
Anthony Jesse Hernandez Jr. was being held at the Yakima County Jail on charges of harassment, assault, kidnapping and robbery, deputies said.
Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Ralph Sampson Jr. told the Yakima Herald-Republic he was not aware of the incident but was making calls to find out more.
---
Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
Toppenish police said the officer was arrested Friday after police investigated a complaint by a domestic violence victim being treated for a cut to the face at Toppenish Community Hospital.
The victim claimed the tribal officer forced his way into a home, struck the victim in the face and threatened to kill another person who was at the house before taking an undisclosed amount of money.
Anthony Jesse Hernandez Jr. was being held at the Yakima County Jail on charges of harassment, assault, kidnapping and robbery, deputies said.
Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Ralph Sampson Jr. told the Yakima Herald-Republic he was not aware of the incident but was making calls to find out more.
---
Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
Friday, September 18, 2009
Former Deputy Brian Edward Henry Accused of Soliciting Tenn
A former Montague (mahn-TAYG') County deputy is accused of soliciting sexual favors from a 16-year-old girl during a traffic stop.
Brian Edward Henry has been free since posting $102,000 in bonds after his arrest last month following his indictment, which initially was sealed. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
The 27-year-old Roanoke man faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of indecency with a child charge and a year in jail if convicted of official oppression.
Montague County District Attorney Jack McGaughey (mah-GOY') says Henry's arrest is unrelated to a jail scandal that rocked the county on the Red River. Earlier this year 17 people, including the former sheriff and some jailers, were indicted on charges of having sex with inmates or bringing them drugs.
Information from: Wichita Falls Times Record News, http://www.timesrecordnews.com
Brian Edward Henry has been free since posting $102,000 in bonds after his arrest last month following his indictment, which initially was sealed. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
The 27-year-old Roanoke man faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of indecency with a child charge and a year in jail if convicted of official oppression.
Montague County District Attorney Jack McGaughey (mah-GOY') says Henry's arrest is unrelated to a jail scandal that rocked the county on the Red River. Earlier this year 17 people, including the former sheriff and some jailers, were indicted on charges of having sex with inmates or bringing them drugs.
Information from: Wichita Falls Times Record News, http://www.timesrecordnews.com
Former Chief Jose Cruz Arrested for Kidnapping
The former police chief in the Gulf coast port of Veracruz was among 11 people arrested for the kidnapping of Mexican customs official Francisco Serrano Aramoni, who remains missing and is feared dead.
Jose Osiris Cruz was detained Wednesday by military police, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office said.
A Veracruz state judge issued warrants for the arrest of Cruz and 10 other suspects on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession, AG office spokesman Ricardo Celso Najera said.
Serrano, the head of the customs office in Veracruz, was driving home from work the night of June 1 when another vehicle rammed his vehicle and forced him to stop. Armed assailants then grabbed the official and drove away.
Since taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderon has deployed more than 50,000 soldiers and 20,000 federal police officers across Mexico in a bid to crush the country’s powerful drug cartels.
The operation has failed to put a dent in the violence due, according to experts, to the cartels’ ability to buy off police and even high-ranking prosecutors.
Jose Osiris Cruz was detained Wednesday by military police, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office said.
A Veracruz state judge issued warrants for the arrest of Cruz and 10 other suspects on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession, AG office spokesman Ricardo Celso Najera said.
Serrano, the head of the customs office in Veracruz, was driving home from work the night of June 1 when another vehicle rammed his vehicle and forced him to stop. Armed assailants then grabbed the official and drove away.
Since taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderon has deployed more than 50,000 soldiers and 20,000 federal police officers across Mexico in a bid to crush the country’s powerful drug cartels.
The operation has failed to put a dent in the violence due, according to experts, to the cartels’ ability to buy off police and even high-ranking prosecutors.
Trial Date Set for Detective Rickie Durham
A former Philadelphia police officer accused of tipping off a drug kingpin about a raid will head to trial next week.
Jury selection ended Thursday in the obstruction trial of former detective Rickie Durham. Durham is accused of calling childhood friend and former NBA player Jerome "Pooh" Richardson about an upcoming raid on a suspected drug dealer. Richardson's half-sister lived with the suspect.
Authorities say Richardson the called his half-sister and spoke to her boyfriend, Alton "Ace Capone" Coles. A few hours later more than 200 officers arrested the couple and others linked to Coles.
Coles was convicted last year of running a $25 million cocaine ring and is serving a life term.
Durham, 43, is charged with obstruction of justice and other charges.
Jerome Richardson is not charged.
---------------------
Information from: Philadelphia Daily News, http://www.philly.com
Jury selection ended Thursday in the obstruction trial of former detective Rickie Durham. Durham is accused of calling childhood friend and former NBA player Jerome "Pooh" Richardson about an upcoming raid on a suspected drug dealer. Richardson's half-sister lived with the suspect.
Authorities say Richardson the called his half-sister and spoke to her boyfriend, Alton "Ace Capone" Coles. A few hours later more than 200 officers arrested the couple and others linked to Coles.
Coles was convicted last year of running a $25 million cocaine ring and is serving a life term.
Durham, 43, is charged with obstruction of justice and other charges.
Jerome Richardson is not charged.
---------------------
Information from: Philadelphia Daily News, http://www.philly.com
Former Officer Joseph Bonachita Arrested for Burglary
A former Kauai police officer has been arrested on burglary, terroristic threats and weapons charges.
Forty-one-year-old Joseph Bonachita is out on $25,000 bail after being arrested earlier this week. Authorities have provided few details about the case.
Bonachita declined to comment.
The former officer also was the subject of a temporary restraining order filed by a woman shortly before she was found dead outside her Puhi home Aug. 17.
Police initially said they believed foul play was involved in 27-year-old Lauren Kagawa’s death but later determined it was a lethal mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol. They say they’re still investigating.
Bonachita, who Kagawa alleged had sexually assaulted her, has not been named as a suspect in the case, but police say they haven’t ruled him out.
Forty-one-year-old Joseph Bonachita is out on $25,000 bail after being arrested earlier this week. Authorities have provided few details about the case.
Bonachita declined to comment.
The former officer also was the subject of a temporary restraining order filed by a woman shortly before she was found dead outside her Puhi home Aug. 17.
Police initially said they believed foul play was involved in 27-year-old Lauren Kagawa’s death but later determined it was a lethal mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol. They say they’re still investigating.
Bonachita, who Kagawa alleged had sexually assaulted her, has not been named as a suspect in the case, but police say they haven’t ruled him out.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Officer Stephen Olenchak Charged with Rape
A Davie police officer facing charges he raped a young woman while his wife slept in the same bed should be ready for trial early next year, his attorney says.
The officer, Stephen Olenchak, 35, has pleaded not guilty.
During a hearing today, attorney John Fry said Olenchak has been suspended without pay from his $74,000-a-year job with the Davie Police Department. Because Olenchak cannot afford his court costs, taxpayers will foot the bill.
Broward Circuit Judge Carlos Rodriguez granted Fry's request for a continuance. The next hearing is set for Nov. 19.
Davie officers arrested Olenchak on March 26 and charged him with two counts of sexual assault.
According to the arrest report, the victim told investigators Olenchak brought his wife a drink before going to bed on March 22. After his wife fell asleep, he brought the victim something to drink. At the time, police said they were investigating whether the drinks were spiked with drugs.
According to the report, Olenchak then fondled and had intercourse with the victim, who said she did not consent and was not coherent enough to call out to Olenchak's wife for help.
Olenchak, an 11-year veteran, was put on administrative leave without pay on May 13, town records show. He will remain on leave pending the outcome of the case.
The officer, Stephen Olenchak, 35, has pleaded not guilty.
During a hearing today, attorney John Fry said Olenchak has been suspended without pay from his $74,000-a-year job with the Davie Police Department. Because Olenchak cannot afford his court costs, taxpayers will foot the bill.
Broward Circuit Judge Carlos Rodriguez granted Fry's request for a continuance. The next hearing is set for Nov. 19.
Davie officers arrested Olenchak on March 26 and charged him with two counts of sexual assault.
According to the arrest report, the victim told investigators Olenchak brought his wife a drink before going to bed on March 22. After his wife fell asleep, he brought the victim something to drink. At the time, police said they were investigating whether the drinks were spiked with drugs.
According to the report, Olenchak then fondled and had intercourse with the victim, who said she did not consent and was not coherent enough to call out to Olenchak's wife for help.
Olenchak, an 11-year veteran, was put on administrative leave without pay on May 13, town records show. He will remain on leave pending the outcome of the case.
Officer Patricia Beardsley Arrested for Pointing Gun
An off-duty police officer was arrested Thursday afternoon after pointing a gun at a woman in her car with children inside.
Patricia Ann Beardsley, 50, was arrested. She has been with the Longboat Police Department for eight years.
Investigators say the woman in the car was picking her child up from nearby Southside Elementary School in Sarasota. After picking her daughter up, she went into Beardsley's driveway to turn her car around.
According to the Sarastota Police Department, Beardsley came out of the home with a handgun, and pointed into the passenger side of the car.
The victim and a witness called 911. Beardsley was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault with a firearm. She has been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Patricia Ann Beardsley, 50, was arrested. She has been with the Longboat Police Department for eight years.
Investigators say the woman in the car was picking her child up from nearby Southside Elementary School in Sarasota. After picking her daughter up, she went into Beardsley's driveway to turn her car around.
According to the Sarastota Police Department, Beardsley came out of the home with a handgun, and pointed into the passenger side of the car.
The victim and a witness called 911. Beardsley was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault with a firearm. She has been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Parole Officer Richard Riley Arrested for Sexual Assault
A Colorado Department of Corrections parole officer was arrested today on suspicion of sexual assault, Colorado Springs police said.
Richard L. Riley, 45, turned himself in at the police operations center.
Police said they had been investigating Riley for two months, but would not release details of the accusations against him.
Rilery has been a Senior Community Parole Officer for the DOC since 1998.
Richard L. Riley, 45, turned himself in at the police operations center.
Police said they had been investigating Riley for two months, but would not release details of the accusations against him.
Rilery has been a Senior Community Parole Officer for the DOC since 1998.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Former Officer Mark Anderson Accused of Stealing Patrol Car
From former acting police chief to evading arrest, a once respected McComb lawman found himself behind bars Wednesday.
The ex officer is accused of stealing a patrol car.
Nearly three weeks after abruptly retiring from the McComb Police Department, former acting chief and former Lt. Mark Anderson reported to the police station at 5:30 wednesday morning.
Authorities say he convinced an employee to let him inside the building.
"He signed up on the duty roster and reported to work and got in the patrol car and was patrolling the streets," said Chief Gregory Martin.
Martin said Anderson, who he describes as a good officer, drove away in unit 191.
He was in full uniform with his firearm and was reportedly seen at a funeral and cruising the city for 12 hours defying orders.
"He did not report to me at any time during this day. A supervisor on shift made contact with him earlier and he was instructed to return. He failed to return the vehicle," said the chief.
Investigators said they do not know why the 44 year old officer exhibited such strange behavior.
He had served with the department for 21 and a half years.
An article about Anderson appeared in tuesday's Enterprise Journal.
He had previously been at odds with McComb's city leaders filing complaints against them.
According to the chief, Anderson may have been under stress and because he was armed they wanted to work with him to get him to return the vehicle.
"I didn't issue an order at that time to make an arrest on sight, but I wanted the officer to be aware that he was in the patrol car without authorization," the chief added.
As the end of the shift approached Pike county deputies took Anderson in custody.
He was charged with unauthorized use of a government vehicle and impersonating an officer.
Both are misdemeanor charges.
For his safety Anderson was transported from the Pike County Jail to the Lincoln County facility.
He posted bond Wednesday evening and has been released from the Lincoln County jail.
----------------------------------------
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11146149
The ex officer is accused of stealing a patrol car.
Nearly three weeks after abruptly retiring from the McComb Police Department, former acting chief and former Lt. Mark Anderson reported to the police station at 5:30 wednesday morning.
Authorities say he convinced an employee to let him inside the building.
"He signed up on the duty roster and reported to work and got in the patrol car and was patrolling the streets," said Chief Gregory Martin.
Martin said Anderson, who he describes as a good officer, drove away in unit 191.
He was in full uniform with his firearm and was reportedly seen at a funeral and cruising the city for 12 hours defying orders.
"He did not report to me at any time during this day. A supervisor on shift made contact with him earlier and he was instructed to return. He failed to return the vehicle," said the chief.
Investigators said they do not know why the 44 year old officer exhibited such strange behavior.
He had served with the department for 21 and a half years.
An article about Anderson appeared in tuesday's Enterprise Journal.
He had previously been at odds with McComb's city leaders filing complaints against them.
According to the chief, Anderson may have been under stress and because he was armed they wanted to work with him to get him to return the vehicle.
"I didn't issue an order at that time to make an arrest on sight, but I wanted the officer to be aware that he was in the patrol car without authorization," the chief added.
As the end of the shift approached Pike county deputies took Anderson in custody.
He was charged with unauthorized use of a government vehicle and impersonating an officer.
Both are misdemeanor charges.
For his safety Anderson was transported from the Pike County Jail to the Lincoln County facility.
He posted bond Wednesday evening and has been released from the Lincoln County jail.
----------------------------------------
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11146149
Chicago Officer Arrested for Attacking Bus Driver
The CPDA Chicago Police officer is in hot water for allegedly attacking a CTA bus driver over the weekend after an incident of "bike rage."
According to a report, the officer - who was off-duty - was riding his bike in the Loop when he was cut off by a No.62 bus.
The officer became angered by this and apparently boarded the bus near the intersection of State and Monroe and attacked the bus driver.
The driver was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital while two police officers who happened to be on-board the bus arrested the off-duty officer for the attack.
A spokesperson for the Independent Police Review Authority told WBBM 780 simply, “Its under investigation."
According to a report, the officer - who was off-duty - was riding his bike in the Loop when he was cut off by a No.62 bus.
The officer became angered by this and apparently boarded the bus near the intersection of State and Monroe and attacked the bus driver.
The driver was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital while two police officers who happened to be on-board the bus arrested the off-duty officer for the attack.
A spokesperson for the Independent Police Review Authority told WBBM 780 simply, “Its under investigation."
Officer Jared Rohrig Charged with Sexual Assault Resigns
A police officer arrested last month for allegedly pretending to be his twin brother to dupe a woman into sex has resigned from the department, police said Tuesday.
Probationary Officer Jared Rohrig, 25, of 7 Flax Mill Lane, Milford, who is charged with first-degree sexual assault and criminal impersonation, had been on paid administrative leave from the Police Department since July.
Rohrig submitted his resignation and it was accepted Monday by the Board of Police Commissioners, police said.
“Jared Rohrig’s decision to resign from his position as probationary officer was in his best interest, as well as the best interests of the town of Orange,” Police Chief Robert Gagne said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
Rohrig was hired as a probationary officer July 11, 2008.
Gagne could not be reached for further comment on Rohrig’s resignation.
Rohrig’s attorney, Edward J. Gavin of Bridgeport, said his client’s resignation is “separate and distinct from the criminal case.”
“I don’t really have much to say about the resignation,” Gavin said. “It is not an admission of any wrongdoing, Jared was a probationary police officer. He exercised his judgment as a probationary officer to resign. It is not an admission of guilt in any way or form and he thought it was appropriate given the circumstances as a probationary police officer.”
As a probationary officer, Rohrig was not a member of the police union, and did not have the benefit of any collective bargaining agreements, Gavin said.
He has said his client intends to plead not guilty at his next court date Oct. 7.
The arrest warrant affidavit in the case says the woman in the case told Milford police she realized the man she believed to be Joseph Rohrig did not have a tattoo of a cowboy on his buttocks and was therefore Jared. She told police she then tried to leave, but allegedly was forced back on the bed with a pillow over her face and sexually assaulted.
The incident allegedly took place late July 18 and into early July 19 at the Flax Mill Lane home where both Jared and Joseph Rohrig live with their family. The home is owned by their mother, Milford Board of Education Minority Leader Joanne Rohrig. Joanne Rohrig announced last month that she would not seek re-election, so she could spend more time with her family.
According to the arrest affidavit, Jared and Joseph Rohrig were home when the woman arrived at the house, but Joseph had gone to his room before she left her car. The woman said Jared referred to himself as “Joe” to trick her while the two were alone in a hot tub at the house, it says.
But Jared’s sister allegedly called to him by name, asking him to turn down the music, the warrant affidavit says. The woman told police she did not hear what Jared’s sister said.
Jared Rohrig is free on $50,000 bail. His case will be transferred to the Part A docket, where more serious cases are heard.
“Obviously, Jared maintains his innocence. ... There is a presumption of innocence, and this is an innocent man,” Gavin said after Jared Rohrig’s recent appearance at Superior court in Milford.
Probationary Officer Jared Rohrig, 25, of 7 Flax Mill Lane, Milford, who is charged with first-degree sexual assault and criminal impersonation, had been on paid administrative leave from the Police Department since July.
Rohrig submitted his resignation and it was accepted Monday by the Board of Police Commissioners, police said.
“Jared Rohrig’s decision to resign from his position as probationary officer was in his best interest, as well as the best interests of the town of Orange,” Police Chief Robert Gagne said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
Rohrig was hired as a probationary officer July 11, 2008.
Gagne could not be reached for further comment on Rohrig’s resignation.
Rohrig’s attorney, Edward J. Gavin of Bridgeport, said his client’s resignation is “separate and distinct from the criminal case.”
“I don’t really have much to say about the resignation,” Gavin said. “It is not an admission of any wrongdoing, Jared was a probationary police officer. He exercised his judgment as a probationary officer to resign. It is not an admission of guilt in any way or form and he thought it was appropriate given the circumstances as a probationary police officer.”
As a probationary officer, Rohrig was not a member of the police union, and did not have the benefit of any collective bargaining agreements, Gavin said.
He has said his client intends to plead not guilty at his next court date Oct. 7.
The arrest warrant affidavit in the case says the woman in the case told Milford police she realized the man she believed to be Joseph Rohrig did not have a tattoo of a cowboy on his buttocks and was therefore Jared. She told police she then tried to leave, but allegedly was forced back on the bed with a pillow over her face and sexually assaulted.
The incident allegedly took place late July 18 and into early July 19 at the Flax Mill Lane home where both Jared and Joseph Rohrig live with their family. The home is owned by their mother, Milford Board of Education Minority Leader Joanne Rohrig. Joanne Rohrig announced last month that she would not seek re-election, so she could spend more time with her family.
According to the arrest affidavit, Jared and Joseph Rohrig were home when the woman arrived at the house, but Joseph had gone to his room before she left her car. The woman said Jared referred to himself as “Joe” to trick her while the two were alone in a hot tub at the house, it says.
But Jared’s sister allegedly called to him by name, asking him to turn down the music, the warrant affidavit says. The woman told police she did not hear what Jared’s sister said.
Jared Rohrig is free on $50,000 bail. His case will be transferred to the Part A docket, where more serious cases are heard.
“Obviously, Jared maintains his innocence. ... There is a presumption of innocence, and this is an innocent man,” Gavin said after Jared Rohrig’s recent appearance at Superior court in Milford.
Officer David Eaddy Charged with Burglary
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Hemingway police officer over the weekend, after investigators say he entered the home of a former girlfriend, after he was told to stay away from her residence.
Booking reports show 28-year-old Hemingway officer David Eaddy was charged with second degree burglary.
Captain Mike Nunn says the incident happened Saturday afternoon, when Eaddy entered his ex-girlfriend’s home in Lake City.
Nunn says Eaddy was in uniform at the time.
Hemingway Police Chief H. Bryan Todd said Eaddy had been on the force for about ten weeks and has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the investigation
Former Trooper Michael Scott Accused of Giving False Testimony
A former Florida Highway Patrol trooper was charged with perjury and booked into the Lee County Jail Wednesday.
Michael T. Scott is accused of giving false testimony in Lee County Traffic Court in October 2008.
Scott, 52, resigned from the FHP in November of last year, after the agency opened an internal investigation into his actions.
FHP forwarded their results to the State Attorney's Office, which filed the charge of Perjury in an Official Proceeding.
Scott faces up to five years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine.
Michael T. Scott is accused of giving false testimony in Lee County Traffic Court in October 2008.
Scott, 52, resigned from the FHP in November of last year, after the agency opened an internal investigation into his actions.
FHP forwarded their results to the State Attorney's Office, which filed the charge of Perjury in an Official Proceeding.
Scott faces up to five years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine.
Judge Ralph Dukart Arrested for Drunk Driving
MILES CITY, Mont.
A city judge in Miles City has been accused of drunken driving.
Miles City Police Department records show City Judge Ralph Dukart was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence per se at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday.
In addition, the 60-year-old Dukart was charged with failing to drive on the right side of the road.
Local Justice of the Peace Don Neese says both charges are misdemeanors and Dukart has been released on his own recognizance.
Dukart declined comment when reached by telephone at his home Tuesday.
He is scheduled to appear before Neese, but Neese says he will recuse himself and bring in a judge from outside the area to handle the case.
Dukart is serving his first four-year term as city judge and has filed to seek another term in November 2009.
-----------------------------
Information from: Miles City Star, http://www.milescitystar.com
A city judge in Miles City has been accused of drunken driving.
Miles City Police Department records show City Judge Ralph Dukart was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence per se at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday.
In addition, the 60-year-old Dukart was charged with failing to drive on the right side of the road.
Local Justice of the Peace Don Neese says both charges are misdemeanors and Dukart has been released on his own recognizance.
Dukart declined comment when reached by telephone at his home Tuesday.
He is scheduled to appear before Neese, but Neese says he will recuse himself and bring in a judge from outside the area to handle the case.
Dukart is serving his first four-year term as city judge and has filed to seek another term in November 2009.
-----------------------------
Information from: Miles City Star, http://www.milescitystar.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)