A former North Las Vegas police officer has been fired for allegedly purchasing fuel for his personal vehicle on a department credit card.
Benjamin Miles Cordova had been videotaped three times fueling his blue Chevrolet Colorado four-door pickup truck using another officer's credit card at two gas stations in Henderson and North Las Vegas, an arrest report indicated.
The administrative investigation is separate from a criminal case that's in the hands of the Clark County District Attorney's Office, police said. Details of the police administrative investigation won't be released because it's a personnel matter.
He was arrested July 22 and booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center. At that time he was placed on paid administrative leave until the administrative investigation was completed.
Cordova was booked on three counts of credit card fraud and three counts of receiving property obtained by unlawful use of a credit card. All counts are felonies.
North Las Vegas police had launched an investigation after another officer discovered that a department credit card was missing from a patrol car and notified his superiors.
During the investigation, police also learned that Cordova's driver's license had expired on Aug. 13, 2007, but he was still driving his own vehicle and department vehicles.
---------------------------------------
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_13578634
Friday, October 16, 2009
Former Officer Ken Fox Wanted for Child Porn
The wife of a former Oakland CHP officer was arrested by the FBI on a warrant today charging her with molesting two of her husband's young children last year and having thousands of images of child pornography on a home computer, authorities said.
Her husband, Ken Fox, 35, is still at large and being sought on the same charges by authorities who said he may have tried to fake his own death in Mexico recently.
Arrested today in San Diego was Brandie Fox, also known as Brandie Gerth, 26, the children's stepmother. Authorities said she recently split from her husband and was arrested soon after crossing the border into the United States from Mexico.
Oakland police said the California Highway Patrol told them Ken Fox had been fired. CHP officials did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Brandie Fox was arrested on an Oakland police warrant charging her with lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and possession of child pornography.
Oakland police received an anonymous tip in March 2008 from someone who believed the children were being molested during visits to the couple's Oakland home on 36th Street, not far from CHP headquarters. The children live with their biological mother but visit Fox and his wife, police said.
Authorities said Ken Fox's four children range in age from 1 to 8. Authorities said their investigation revealed that the two oldest children, 5 and 8 at the time, were encouraged to fondle their stepmother's breasts and encouraged to talk about bondage. Police said the 5-year-old girl had a leather spiked collar placed around her neck and was walked around the couple's apartment on a leash.
Police said Brandie Fox was studying for her teaching credential at the time of the molestations and wanted to be a kindergarten teacher.
In March 2008, police served a search warrant at the 36th Street apartment and seized computers that turned out to contain more than 3,000 images of child pornography, including some pictures of infants. None of those images were of Ken Fox's own children, police said.
Police said the couple were interviewed in March 2008 but denied any wrongdoing. The couple were not arrested at the time and fled the area before investigators could confirm what happened to the children and get into the computers.
Anyone with information about the case may call the Oakland police at 510-238-3641.
Her husband, Ken Fox, 35, is still at large and being sought on the same charges by authorities who said he may have tried to fake his own death in Mexico recently.
Arrested today in San Diego was Brandie Fox, also known as Brandie Gerth, 26, the children's stepmother. Authorities said she recently split from her husband and was arrested soon after crossing the border into the United States from Mexico.
Oakland police said the California Highway Patrol told them Ken Fox had been fired. CHP officials did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Brandie Fox was arrested on an Oakland police warrant charging her with lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and possession of child pornography.
Oakland police received an anonymous tip in March 2008 from someone who believed the children were being molested during visits to the couple's Oakland home on 36th Street, not far from CHP headquarters. The children live with their biological mother but visit Fox and his wife, police said.
Authorities said Ken Fox's four children range in age from 1 to 8. Authorities said their investigation revealed that the two oldest children, 5 and 8 at the time, were encouraged to fondle their stepmother's breasts and encouraged to talk about bondage. Police said the 5-year-old girl had a leather spiked collar placed around her neck and was walked around the couple's apartment on a leash.
Police said Brandie Fox was studying for her teaching credential at the time of the molestations and wanted to be a kindergarten teacher.
In March 2008, police served a search warrant at the 36th Street apartment and seized computers that turned out to contain more than 3,000 images of child pornography, including some pictures of infants. None of those images were of Ken Fox's own children, police said.
Police said the couple were interviewed in March 2008 but denied any wrongdoing. The couple were not arrested at the time and fled the area before investigators could confirm what happened to the children and get into the computers.
Anyone with information about the case may call the Oakland police at 510-238-3641.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Officer Andrew Kelly Indicted for Running Over Pastor's Daughter
NYPD COP Andrew Kelly was indicted for vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and speeding Wednesday, two weeks after running over a pastor's daughter.
Kelly could face as much as seven years in prison if convicted in the Sept. 27 crash that killed Vionique Valnord, 32.
The off-duty officer's lawyer said he was not drunk. "This was a tragic, horrific accident," said Arthur Aidala. "He was driving on a dark, rainy, foggy night."
Authorities say he was glassy-eyed, reeked of booze and slurred his words - but he refused a Breathalyzer test.
A blood-alcohol test wasn't performed until more than seven hours later, and it showed no alcohol in his system by then.
Kelly declined to testify before a Brooklyn grand jury, but the panel heard from an accident reconstruction expert, witnesses at the scene and three of Kelly's passengers, sources said.
The witnesses included a buddy who told cops after the crash Kelly had been in two bars and drank six to eight beers.
Kelly was suspended, along with a cop at the scene who gave him water and gum. A sergeant has been transferred during an internal probe.
The Valnords' lawyer said his clients are confident they will get "justice."
"The family now awaits the investigation of the Internal Affairs Bureau to determine if there was an attempt to cover up," lawyer Sanford Rubenstein said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/10/14/2009-10-14_accused_dwi_cop_andrew_kelly_indicted_for_vehicular_manslaughter_.html#ixzz0U4h0BrSo
Kelly could face as much as seven years in prison if convicted in the Sept. 27 crash that killed Vionique Valnord, 32.
The off-duty officer's lawyer said he was not drunk. "This was a tragic, horrific accident," said Arthur Aidala. "He was driving on a dark, rainy, foggy night."
Authorities say he was glassy-eyed, reeked of booze and slurred his words - but he refused a Breathalyzer test.
A blood-alcohol test wasn't performed until more than seven hours later, and it showed no alcohol in his system by then.
Kelly declined to testify before a Brooklyn grand jury, but the panel heard from an accident reconstruction expert, witnesses at the scene and three of Kelly's passengers, sources said.
The witnesses included a buddy who told cops after the crash Kelly had been in two bars and drank six to eight beers.
Kelly was suspended, along with a cop at the scene who gave him water and gum. A sergeant has been transferred during an internal probe.
The Valnords' lawyer said his clients are confident they will get "justice."
"The family now awaits the investigation of the Internal Affairs Bureau to determine if there was an attempt to cover up," lawyer Sanford Rubenstein said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/10/14/2009-10-14_accused_dwi_cop_andrew_kelly_indicted_for_vehicular_manslaughter_.html#ixzz0U4h0BrSo
Officer David Reeves Jr Arrested for Robbing Auto Parts Store
A Riverside police officer was behind bars today on suspicion of attempting to rob an auto parts store in Moreno Valley, a sheriff’s sergeant said.
David Reeves Jr., 28, of Moreno Valley, allegedly tried to rob the AutoZone at 23510 Sunnymead Blvd. just after 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez.
Moreno Valley police arrived within one minute of the call and found Reeves detained inside the store, Gutierrez said.
“Nobody was injured, thank God. No shots were fired,” said AutoZone manager Robert Sedano. “I wasn’t here, but I’ve spoken to police.”
Sedano said he heard Reeves had been a police officer.
“That’s sad,” Sedano said. “An off-duty police officer. What’s this world coming to?”
Gutierrez and another sheriff’s public information officer today confirmed Reeves had been a Riverside police officer.
Reeves is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, with arraignment expected Friday in Riverside Superior Court.
Meanwhile, Reeves is no longer on the Riverside police force, as of noon today, according to Sgt. Jaybee Brennan, a department spokeswoman and adjutant to Chief Russ Leach.
Brennan said she could not say whether Reeves was fired or if he resigned, noting it was personnel issue and considered confidential.
“The fact that he’s been a police officer is a concern because we have hundreds of professional officers of integrity and honesty,” Brennan said. “It’s a sad day for us. This obviously occurred when he was off-duty and not working.”
Reeves started working for the Riverside Police Department on June 21, 2001, as a police cadet, Brennan said. He was sworn in as a peace officer on June 28, 2002.
He was arrested on suspicion of kidnap ransom with injury, strong-arm robbery and receiving stolen property and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $250,000 bail, a jailer said.
He is to be arraigned Friday in Riverside Superior Court, the jailer said.
Anyone with information on the alleged robbery was asked to call Moreno Valley police at 951-486-6700. Moreno Valley contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for the city’s police services.
-----------------
http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=11139
Officer Douglas Spensley Arrested for Sexually Assaulting 9-year-old
Macon County authorities say a part-time police officer from Warrensburg has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl.
Decatur Police detectives say they arrested 42-year-old Douglas H. Spensley Wednesday morning at his Decatur home without incident.
Deputy Decatur Police Chief Todd Walker said Spensley was believed to be a family friend of the victim's parents.
Spensley was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault and was being held on $500,000 bond.
Spensley, who has been on Warrensburg's police force since 2006, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation and any other criminal proceedings.
-------------------------------
http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_a10e1eba-25b8-5ec9-ae5d-3f20f09728ca.html
Decatur Police detectives say they arrested 42-year-old Douglas H. Spensley Wednesday morning at his Decatur home without incident.
Deputy Decatur Police Chief Todd Walker said Spensley was believed to be a family friend of the victim's parents.
Spensley was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault and was being held on $500,000 bond.
Spensley, who has been on Warrensburg's police force since 2006, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation and any other criminal proceedings.
-------------------------------
http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_a10e1eba-25b8-5ec9-ae5d-3f20f09728ca.html
Officer John Cumberland Arrested for Drunk Driving Resigns
A Metro Police officer arrested last month for drunk driving and possession of a gun while intoxicated resigned from the force today, police said.
East Precinct Officer John Cumberland was decommissioned by the police department on Sept. 24, one day after he crashed his unmarked police vehicle into a ditch on Newsome Station Road while off duty.
Cumberland, 32, registered 0.12% on a breath alcohol test. A person is considered legally drunk with a reading of 0.08%.
Police had been conducting an internal investigation of Cumberland. They say it ends with his resignation. He had been with the force five years, police said.
East Precinct Officer John Cumberland was decommissioned by the police department on Sept. 24, one day after he crashed his unmarked police vehicle into a ditch on Newsome Station Road while off duty.
Cumberland, 32, registered 0.12% on a breath alcohol test. A person is considered legally drunk with a reading of 0.08%.
Police had been conducting an internal investigation of Cumberland. They say it ends with his resignation. He had been with the force five years, police said.
Officer Shayne Souza Pleads Not Guilty to Possessing Marijuana
A Honolulu police officer arrested in Las Vegas for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana and obstructing a public officer is pleading not guilty.
Shayne Souza's lawyer entered his plea Thursday in a Las Vegas court. Souza wasn't present and wasn't required to be.
The 47-year-old Souza allegedly ran from a Las Vegas Parks Police officer on Aug. 15.
Also arrested were a fellow officer, 37-year-old Kevin Fujioka, and a Honolulu social worker, 38-year-old Scott Wilson.
A not guilty plea also was entered for Wilson on Thursday. Fujioka is to enter a plea on Nov. 16. Non-jury trials are scheduled for Souza on Nov. 18 and for Wilson on Feb. 9.
Souza and Fujioka have been suspended and placed on administrative leave without pay.
-----------------------
Information from: The Honolulu Advertiser, http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
Other Information: http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/15/hawaiian-cop-pleads-not-guilty-misdemeanor-pot-cha/
Shayne Souza's lawyer entered his plea Thursday in a Las Vegas court. Souza wasn't present and wasn't required to be.
The 47-year-old Souza allegedly ran from a Las Vegas Parks Police officer on Aug. 15.
Also arrested were a fellow officer, 37-year-old Kevin Fujioka, and a Honolulu social worker, 38-year-old Scott Wilson.
A not guilty plea also was entered for Wilson on Thursday. Fujioka is to enter a plea on Nov. 16. Non-jury trials are scheduled for Souza on Nov. 18 and for Wilson on Feb. 9.
Souza and Fujioka have been suspended and placed on administrative leave without pay.
-----------------------
Information from: The Honolulu Advertiser, http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
Other Information: http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/15/hawaiian-cop-pleads-not-guilty-misdemeanor-pot-cha/
Corrections Officer Michael Craven Accused of Protecting Inmate in Exchange for Tires
A former state corrections officer has been arrested and accused of protecting an inmate at his prison in exchange for four tires.
Michael L. Craven was a sergeant at Marion Correctional Institution north of Ocala. He is charged with unlawful compensation for official behavior.
Officials say an inmate's father purchased four tires in June and gave them to Craven in exchange for protecting his son while in jail.
Craven was released from the Marion County jail after posting a $5,000 bond.
Michael L. Craven was a sergeant at Marion Correctional Institution north of Ocala. He is charged with unlawful compensation for official behavior.
Officials say an inmate's father purchased four tires in June and gave them to Craven in exchange for protecting his son while in jail.
Craven was released from the Marion County jail after posting a $5,000 bond.
Officer Kenny Lewis Arrested for Raping Lap Dancer
A police officer raped a lap dancer after handcuffing her in her own home, a court heard yesterday.
Kenny Lewis, 26, also had sex with a woman after she was arrested, taking her to a beauty spot in his police car, jurors were told.
It is claimed that when the woman moved house in an effort to escape him, he tracked her down using the police computer.
The married officer abused his power and position and told his victims that nobody would believe them if they complained, it is alleged.
Lewis met one of his alleged victims, a 33-year- old lap dancer, after she witnessed a road accident. He visited her at home where she was watching a recording of her own performance in a pole dancing competition.
She told the court: 'He saw me watching a DVD and asked where I worked and started making jokes. He handcuffed me and pushed me on to a sofa.'
She said the policeman forced her to perform a sex act and then told her to 'shut up about it'.
The dancer, who is married with children, added: 'He then came back on numerous occasions and handcuffed me two other times.
'The last time he came round the door was open and he let himself in and started watching pornography on my computer.
'He told me if I complained nobody would listen to me because I'm only a dancer and he is a cop.' She said the other two attacks were very similar and she did not resist because she was scared.
-----------------------------------
Kenny Lewis, 26, also had sex with a woman after she was arrested, taking her to a beauty spot in his police car, jurors were told.
It is claimed that when the woman moved house in an effort to escape him, he tracked her down using the police computer.
The married officer abused his power and position and told his victims that nobody would believe them if they complained, it is alleged.
Lewis met one of his alleged victims, a 33-year- old lap dancer, after she witnessed a road accident. He visited her at home where she was watching a recording of her own performance in a pole dancing competition.
She told the court: 'He saw me watching a DVD and asked where I worked and started making jokes. He handcuffed me and pushed me on to a sofa.'
She said the policeman forced her to perform a sex act and then told her to 'shut up about it'.
The dancer, who is married with children, added: 'He then came back on numerous occasions and handcuffed me two other times.
'The last time he came round the door was open and he let himself in and started watching pornography on my computer.
'He told me if I complained nobody would listen to me because I'm only a dancer and he is a cop.' She said the other two attacks were very similar and she did not resist because she was scared.
-----------------------------------
Officer David Hendrik Accused of Pointing Weapon Appears in Court
The off duty NYPD officer accused of pointing a loaded gun at a group of "unruly" Rangers fans aboard a LIRR train appeared in court Thursday.
Officer David Hendrik, 38, appeared this morning and the case was adjourned until November 20. Hendrik has pleaded not guilty to the charges that include misdemeanor menacing and felony criminal weapon possession.
Hendrik himself did not speak to reporters outside the courthouse, but his lawyer, Steve Worth, said that Hendrik is the kind of guy you would want on the train if you needed help.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority police say Hendrick was riding a Long Island Rail Road train to Ronkonkoma Sunday night when he showed his a gun to quiet down four passengers who had attended a New York Rangers game.
Hendrik said that he was defending himself from the fans and "letting them know who's boss," after he tried to stop them from cursing in front of an 8-year-old girl, according to Newsday.
However, a train conductor, fare collector, the four hockey fans and even the 8-year-old's parents portrayed Hendrik as the instigator who picked a fight with the fans.
Officer David Hendrik, 38, appeared this morning and the case was adjourned until November 20. Hendrik has pleaded not guilty to the charges that include misdemeanor menacing and felony criminal weapon possession.
Hendrik himself did not speak to reporters outside the courthouse, but his lawyer, Steve Worth, said that Hendrik is the kind of guy you would want on the train if you needed help.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority police say Hendrick was riding a Long Island Rail Road train to Ronkonkoma Sunday night when he showed his a gun to quiet down four passengers who had attended a New York Rangers game.
Hendrik said that he was defending himself from the fans and "letting them know who's boss," after he tried to stop them from cursing in front of an 8-year-old girl, according to Newsday.
However, a train conductor, fare collector, the four hockey fans and even the 8-year-old's parents portrayed Hendrik as the instigator who picked a fight with the fans.
Former Officer Sammy Cohen Accused of Making Child Porn Takes Stand
The former Anchorage police officer accused of making child pornography and molesting children says it's all a big misunderstanding.
Sammy Cohen testified again Thursday in his defense, offering an explanation for every allegation.
Four women came forward with accusations that Cohen sexually abused them or tried to. One woman said that when she was 13 Cohen took naked pictures of her.
The defense says there is no way to know for sure who took the pictures, but they have their own idea of what happened.
The former police officer searched for mail-order brides online and admitted to keeping a subscription to a porn site, but he says it didn't involve children.
"You would go to this site and you would look for foreign brides?" defense attorney John Cashion asked Cohen.
"Yes, sir," Cohen replied.
"In bitter frustration after some phone calls I would tell myself, ‘Well, there's got to be someone else out there that actually wants to be married and I started looking," Cohen continued.
Cohen also says other people had access to his home computer and that guests would use his user name and password.
His attorney claims someone else took nude photos of the teenage girl, who accused him of touching her along with taking the photos and he says whoever did that also manipulated the photos on his computer.
Cohen says the child porn found on disks in his home came like that when he ordered them on eBay.
As for the books with pictures of naked children, Cohen says he bought a whole box of books at a garage sale and had no idea what was inside.
The prosecuting attorney, John Skidmore, pressed Cohen in cross-examination.
"I'm asking, do you agree that some of your behaviors, they had interpreted as inappropriate?" Skidmore asked.
"To listen to them here in the courtroom, yes," Cohen replied.
He denied allegations that he bought a 13-year-old girl lingerie and watched her put it on. He says he wouldn't even know where to begin shopping for a teenager.
"Did you go out and purchase a purple bra, satin bra and underwear set?" Skidmore asked.
"No, sir," Cohen responded.
The prosecution claims Cohen's court testimony doesn't match up with police interrogations.
"These dating services, in 2000, ‘someone else did it for me, I didn't do it.' He's clearly said here that he did," Skidmore argued.
Cohen says he can't remember everything years later, but he says he didn't do it and wants to set the record straight.
During the cross-examination the prosecution noted Cohen's skill at manipulation and coercion -- skills he learned as a police officer.
Cohen agreed that he could get people to do what he wanted -- willingly.
Cohen will continue his testimony next week. That will be his third day on the stand.
Sammy Cohen testified again Thursday in his defense, offering an explanation for every allegation.
Four women came forward with accusations that Cohen sexually abused them or tried to. One woman said that when she was 13 Cohen took naked pictures of her.
The defense says there is no way to know for sure who took the pictures, but they have their own idea of what happened.
The former police officer searched for mail-order brides online and admitted to keeping a subscription to a porn site, but he says it didn't involve children.
"You would go to this site and you would look for foreign brides?" defense attorney John Cashion asked Cohen.
"Yes, sir," Cohen replied.
"In bitter frustration after some phone calls I would tell myself, ‘Well, there's got to be someone else out there that actually wants to be married and I started looking," Cohen continued.
Cohen also says other people had access to his home computer and that guests would use his user name and password.
His attorney claims someone else took nude photos of the teenage girl, who accused him of touching her along with taking the photos and he says whoever did that also manipulated the photos on his computer.
Cohen says the child porn found on disks in his home came like that when he ordered them on eBay.
As for the books with pictures of naked children, Cohen says he bought a whole box of books at a garage sale and had no idea what was inside.
The prosecuting attorney, John Skidmore, pressed Cohen in cross-examination.
"I'm asking, do you agree that some of your behaviors, they had interpreted as inappropriate?" Skidmore asked.
"To listen to them here in the courtroom, yes," Cohen replied.
He denied allegations that he bought a 13-year-old girl lingerie and watched her put it on. He says he wouldn't even know where to begin shopping for a teenager.
"Did you go out and purchase a purple bra, satin bra and underwear set?" Skidmore asked.
"No, sir," Cohen responded.
The prosecution claims Cohen's court testimony doesn't match up with police interrogations.
"These dating services, in 2000, ‘someone else did it for me, I didn't do it.' He's clearly said here that he did," Skidmore argued.
Cohen says he can't remember everything years later, but he says he didn't do it and wants to set the record straight.
During the cross-examination the prosecution noted Cohen's skill at manipulation and coercion -- skills he learned as a police officer.
Cohen agreed that he could get people to do what he wanted -- willingly.
Cohen will continue his testimony next week. That will be his third day on the stand.
Chicago Police Being Investigated for Forcing Suspect to Pose for Photo
The Chicago Police Department is investigating several of its officers accused of forcing a college student they arrested during last month's G-20 summit in Pittsburgh to pose for a group photo with them.
The department, which has been dogged by embarrassing allegations of misconduct in recent years, began investigating the Pittsburgh claims after video of the alleged incident was posted on YouTube.
The video apparently shows about 15 police officers in riot gear posing for a photo with a man they detained kneeling in front of them.
Kyle Kramer, the 21-year-old University of Pittsburgh student forced to pose with police, was returning to campus from a pizza parlor when he was detained by police who were rounding up protesters, his attorney Cristopher Hoel told The Associated Press on Friday.
"He was a college student arrested for walking on campus. That seems to me to make him a victim," Hoel said.
Kramer faced a preliminary hearing Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Hoel said his client is innocent of both charges.
The department issued a statement saying the officers were working in Pittsburgh on their own time, but that they were still representing the city of Chicago.
"The Chicago Police Department does not tolerate misconduct by any of its members, regardless of where it might occur."
It's possible the officers violated Kramer's constitutional rights, as well as internal departmental rules, said Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who has studied the department and allegations of police brutality extensively.
If the officers were retaliating against Kramer for something he said that offended them, it is possible they could have violated Kramer's First Amendment right of free speech. The officers also might have violated Kramer's 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search or seizure, Futterman said.
Some fellow police officers declined to comment publicly about the investigation. But they pointed to a popular blog — Second City Cop — that blasted the officers for heaping more ridicule on a department dogged by several recent embarrassing incidents, including the beating of a female bartender by an off-duty officer.
"How do you even begin to defend something like this?" reads the blog. "You can't it's impossible... You are embarrassments."
Pat Camden, who spent more than 30 years with the department and was its spokesman for several years, harshly criticized the officers for damaging the reputation of a department that has been trying to rehabilitate its image that was hurt by several incidents, including one, captured on film and shown worldwide, of an off-duty officer beating up a female bartender.
"When you put on a police uniform you represent the Chicago Police Department and we've got these idiots with a prisoner right in front of them, and supervisors are standing right there," he said, incredulously. "That kind of childish behavior is totally unacceptable."
Some, though, wondered whether Kramer may have willingly posed for the photo with the officers.
Robert Weisskopf, a Chicago police lietenant, said he remembered an incident when a man insisted on being in a photograph along with several officers in riot gear.
And Daniel P. Smith, who wrote "On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department," had the same thought when he saw the video.
"I could see the guy, thinking, 'They handcuffed me, this would be a great photo for my frat house,'" he said. "That's what it looked like to me."
But Camden said it's hard to imagine how something like this could have occurred, with all of the efforts that have been made to get officers to understand they should always act in public as if their actions are being recorded.
"You continue to make people aware that everything you (police officers) do from the moment you walk out the door until you get home at night is on camera somewhere," said Camden, who said he stresses that in media relations classes he teaches to police supervisors at Northwestern University.
"If you're in the public way, it's more than likely being recorded."
-----------------------------------
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pittsburgh-cop-controversyoct16,0,2609307.story
YouTube video of incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v0RcFHTDWp2Y
The department, which has been dogged by embarrassing allegations of misconduct in recent years, began investigating the Pittsburgh claims after video of the alleged incident was posted on YouTube.
The video apparently shows about 15 police officers in riot gear posing for a photo with a man they detained kneeling in front of them.
Kyle Kramer, the 21-year-old University of Pittsburgh student forced to pose with police, was returning to campus from a pizza parlor when he was detained by police who were rounding up protesters, his attorney Cristopher Hoel told The Associated Press on Friday.
"He was a college student arrested for walking on campus. That seems to me to make him a victim," Hoel said.
Kramer faced a preliminary hearing Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Hoel said his client is innocent of both charges.
The department issued a statement saying the officers were working in Pittsburgh on their own time, but that they were still representing the city of Chicago.
"The Chicago Police Department does not tolerate misconduct by any of its members, regardless of where it might occur."
It's possible the officers violated Kramer's constitutional rights, as well as internal departmental rules, said Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who has studied the department and allegations of police brutality extensively.
If the officers were retaliating against Kramer for something he said that offended them, it is possible they could have violated Kramer's First Amendment right of free speech. The officers also might have violated Kramer's 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search or seizure, Futterman said.
Some fellow police officers declined to comment publicly about the investigation. But they pointed to a popular blog — Second City Cop — that blasted the officers for heaping more ridicule on a department dogged by several recent embarrassing incidents, including the beating of a female bartender by an off-duty officer.
"How do you even begin to defend something like this?" reads the blog. "You can't it's impossible... You are embarrassments."
Pat Camden, who spent more than 30 years with the department and was its spokesman for several years, harshly criticized the officers for damaging the reputation of a department that has been trying to rehabilitate its image that was hurt by several incidents, including one, captured on film and shown worldwide, of an off-duty officer beating up a female bartender.
"When you put on a police uniform you represent the Chicago Police Department and we've got these idiots with a prisoner right in front of them, and supervisors are standing right there," he said, incredulously. "That kind of childish behavior is totally unacceptable."
Some, though, wondered whether Kramer may have willingly posed for the photo with the officers.
Robert Weisskopf, a Chicago police lietenant, said he remembered an incident when a man insisted on being in a photograph along with several officers in riot gear.
And Daniel P. Smith, who wrote "On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department," had the same thought when he saw the video.
"I could see the guy, thinking, 'They handcuffed me, this would be a great photo for my frat house,'" he said. "That's what it looked like to me."
But Camden said it's hard to imagine how something like this could have occurred, with all of the efforts that have been made to get officers to understand they should always act in public as if their actions are being recorded.
"You continue to make people aware that everything you (police officers) do from the moment you walk out the door until you get home at night is on camera somewhere," said Camden, who said he stresses that in media relations classes he teaches to police supervisors at Northwestern University.
"If you're in the public way, it's more than likely being recorded."
-----------------------------------
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pittsburgh-cop-controversyoct16,0,2609307.story
YouTube video of incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v0RcFHTDWp2Y
Trooper William Grissom Charged with Falsifying Documents
A Florida Highway Patrol Trooper was arrested Wednesday evening for official misconduct and has been placed on administrative leave from his job.
According to court records, 29 year old William Lee Grissom was charged with a felony count of "Public Servant Falsifying Official Documents." He was booked into the Leon County Jail and promptly released on his own recognizance.
According to the arrest warrant, Grissom's friend contacted him after receiving a speeding ticket from another trooper on August 14th. The warrant says Grissom completed a Notice of Dismissal, signed the other trooper's name on it and wrote "My radar failed end of shift test." The warrant says Grissom filed the notice with the Leon County Clerk's Office on September 4th.
The trooper who originally wrote the ticket, Matthew Rabun, told investigators that Grissom later realized the severity of what he'd done, called his friend and told him to pay the ticket and then called Rabun to tell him what had happened. Rabun says Grissom claimed his friend was having financial difficulties and needed the money to travel to see a sick family member.
According to FHP Spokesman CAPT Mark Welch, Grissom is on paid leave pending an internal review. Welch says Grissom has worked with FHP since June of 2005 and has no other disciplinary history.
According to court records, 29 year old William Lee Grissom was charged with a felony count of "Public Servant Falsifying Official Documents." He was booked into the Leon County Jail and promptly released on his own recognizance.
According to the arrest warrant, Grissom's friend contacted him after receiving a speeding ticket from another trooper on August 14th. The warrant says Grissom completed a Notice of Dismissal, signed the other trooper's name on it and wrote "My radar failed end of shift test." The warrant says Grissom filed the notice with the Leon County Clerk's Office on September 4th.
The trooper who originally wrote the ticket, Matthew Rabun, told investigators that Grissom later realized the severity of what he'd done, called his friend and told him to pay the ticket and then called Rabun to tell him what had happened. Rabun says Grissom claimed his friend was having financial difficulties and needed the money to travel to see a sick family member.
According to FHP Spokesman CAPT Mark Welch, Grissom is on paid leave pending an internal review. Welch says Grissom has worked with FHP since June of 2005 and has no other disciplinary history.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Officer Keith Koen Arrested for Child Porn
Louisiana State Police arrested a 41-year-old sergeant with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning on a count of pornography involving juveniles.
Keith Koen, of New Iberia, was arrested after investigators allegedly discovered images of child pornography on his computer, said Trooper Stephen Hammons, a spokesman for Louisiana State Police.
Capt. Wendell Raborn, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Koen had worked with the office since 2008 and was assigned to the Support Services Division, which handles emergency preparedness.
The Sheriff’s Office assisted State Police in the investigation.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Koen’s residence on Texaco Street in New Iberia.
Koen immediately turned in his resignation upon his arrest, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Hammons could not say what prompted the investigation. He said no additional arrests are expected but the investigation is ongoing pending further examination of electronic storage media.
If convicted, Koen faces a fine of not more than $10,000 and a maximum possible sentence of not less than 2 years nor more than 10 years, according to state laws.
No bond had been set Tuesday morning, according to the release.
-------------------------
Other Information: http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=11309543
Keith Koen, of New Iberia, was arrested after investigators allegedly discovered images of child pornography on his computer, said Trooper Stephen Hammons, a spokesman for Louisiana State Police.
Capt. Wendell Raborn, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Koen had worked with the office since 2008 and was assigned to the Support Services Division, which handles emergency preparedness.
The Sheriff’s Office assisted State Police in the investigation.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Koen’s residence on Texaco Street in New Iberia.
Koen immediately turned in his resignation upon his arrest, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Hammons could not say what prompted the investigation. He said no additional arrests are expected but the investigation is ongoing pending further examination of electronic storage media.
If convicted, Koen faces a fine of not more than $10,000 and a maximum possible sentence of not less than 2 years nor more than 10 years, according to state laws.
No bond had been set Tuesday morning, according to the release.
-------------------------
Other Information: http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=11309543
Judge Andrew Moreland & Wife Arrested for Theft
A Knox County judge and his wife are arrested on theft charges.
Indiana State Police say Bicknell City Judge Andrew Moreland, and his wife, Cindy Moreland, stole money from the Bicknell city court.
They turned themselves in Wednesday morning. The couple was released after posting bond.
Troopers say an investigator conducted an audit and found nearly $21,000 missing.
They say the money is from traffic ticket fines and other fees.
____________________
http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-knox-county-judge-arrested-101409,0,2196231.story
Indiana State Police say Bicknell City Judge Andrew Moreland, and his wife, Cindy Moreland, stole money from the Bicknell city court.
They turned themselves in Wednesday morning. The couple was released after posting bond.
Troopers say an investigator conducted an audit and found nearly $21,000 missing.
They say the money is from traffic ticket fines and other fees.
____________________
http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-knox-county-judge-arrested-101409,0,2196231.story
Detective Michael Palermo Arrested for Mail Fraud
A seasoned detective with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, who also worked with the FBI, was arrested yesterday on charges he filed false claims in a Superior Court lawsuit regarding flood damage to his home in 2007 to collect $10,000 for repairs that a federal informant did for free.
Michael Palermo, 50, a detective for more than 16 years, the past 11 of which he spent with an FBI violent crime task force, was arrested on a mail fraud charge by federal agents who said they were tipped off that he had falsified the financial tally for losses the officer suffered when his new home in Jackson Township flooded in April 2007. The officer, according to a federal complaint, convinced a repair contractor -- a convicted criminal and confidential informant who Palermo had worked with since 2003 -- to falsify a $10,000 receipt to bolster the damage claims the officer made in a lawsuit filed against his home builder, real estate broker and a project engineer.
"This is a sad day for everyone involved," said Weysan Dun, special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark Field Office, contending Palermo appears to have an otherwise unblemished law enforcement career.
"The charges against him have nothing to do with his law enforcement responsibilities. It does not reflect his many years of service," Dun added during a press conference held in Newark with Port Authority Police Superintendant Michael Fedorko.
The federal charges stem from a legal battle Palermo initiated against a home construction contractor in February 2007 after buying his Jackson Township home in 2006 and claiming there were problems with the construction. When the home's basement subsequently flooded in April of that same year, Palermo amended his lawsuit to add a Realtor, a project engineer and a claim he spent $10,000 to have a Jackson Township company called New Day Construction repair the flood damage, according to a federal complaint.
"He had never been charged for those repairs," Dun explained, contending the company owner, a federal informant, never charged Palermo.
According to the FBI complaint against Palermo, he admitted to lying about paying $10,000 in cash for repairs and to submitting a false receipt when confronted about the case by agents on July 12 in Newark.
Palermo had lied once in a signed and sworn statement in September 2007 and again in sworn testimony in December 2008 as the officer's lawsuit against the contractor proceeded through the legal system, according to the charges.
The lawsuit settled for $50,000 in January. But authorities contend they subsequently learned through a "tip from a citizen" that the flood repair bill was phony and that Palermo had many favors done for him over the past several years by the federal informant.
"Officer Palermo unfortunately developed a personal relationship with this cooperating witness," Dun explained.
The informant, who has a criminal record, was not identified by the FBI or Ralph Marra, deputy U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, at the press conference. Authorities said only that the informant had worked with Palermo from 2003 through 2008 while the officer was with the FBI task force and that the informant pleaded guilty in August 2008 to a federal charge of rolling back the odometers of cars. The informant also cooperated with the probe of Palermo, said Dun, confirming that the flood repair work was done for free and that the officer asked him to submit a phony receipt for $10,000. The informant, who has not been charged in the case, also told the FBI he did other favors for Palermo, including getting the officer favorable prices on high-end automobiles, repairing his car for free and getting him price breaks on landscaping work at the Jackson Township home.
But Dun and Marra said there is no indication that any investigations Palermo was working on were ever compromised or that the informant was extorted for the favors.
"There is no indication of anything like that at this point," said Dun, although the probe continues.
"We are undertaking an internal review of all of the cases in which Officer Palermo and the cooperating witness worked together," Marra added.
-----------------------------------
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20091014_Officer_of_Port_Authority_arrested.html
Michael Palermo, 50, a detective for more than 16 years, the past 11 of which he spent with an FBI violent crime task force, was arrested on a mail fraud charge by federal agents who said they were tipped off that he had falsified the financial tally for losses the officer suffered when his new home in Jackson Township flooded in April 2007. The officer, according to a federal complaint, convinced a repair contractor -- a convicted criminal and confidential informant who Palermo had worked with since 2003 -- to falsify a $10,000 receipt to bolster the damage claims the officer made in a lawsuit filed against his home builder, real estate broker and a project engineer.
"This is a sad day for everyone involved," said Weysan Dun, special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark Field Office, contending Palermo appears to have an otherwise unblemished law enforcement career.
"The charges against him have nothing to do with his law enforcement responsibilities. It does not reflect his many years of service," Dun added during a press conference held in Newark with Port Authority Police Superintendant Michael Fedorko.
The federal charges stem from a legal battle Palermo initiated against a home construction contractor in February 2007 after buying his Jackson Township home in 2006 and claiming there were problems with the construction. When the home's basement subsequently flooded in April of that same year, Palermo amended his lawsuit to add a Realtor, a project engineer and a claim he spent $10,000 to have a Jackson Township company called New Day Construction repair the flood damage, according to a federal complaint.
"He had never been charged for those repairs," Dun explained, contending the company owner, a federal informant, never charged Palermo.
According to the FBI complaint against Palermo, he admitted to lying about paying $10,000 in cash for repairs and to submitting a false receipt when confronted about the case by agents on July 12 in Newark.
Palermo had lied once in a signed and sworn statement in September 2007 and again in sworn testimony in December 2008 as the officer's lawsuit against the contractor proceeded through the legal system, according to the charges.
The lawsuit settled for $50,000 in January. But authorities contend they subsequently learned through a "tip from a citizen" that the flood repair bill was phony and that Palermo had many favors done for him over the past several years by the federal informant.
"Officer Palermo unfortunately developed a personal relationship with this cooperating witness," Dun explained.
The informant, who has a criminal record, was not identified by the FBI or Ralph Marra, deputy U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, at the press conference. Authorities said only that the informant had worked with Palermo from 2003 through 2008 while the officer was with the FBI task force and that the informant pleaded guilty in August 2008 to a federal charge of rolling back the odometers of cars. The informant also cooperated with the probe of Palermo, said Dun, confirming that the flood repair work was done for free and that the officer asked him to submit a phony receipt for $10,000. The informant, who has not been charged in the case, also told the FBI he did other favors for Palermo, including getting the officer favorable prices on high-end automobiles, repairing his car for free and getting him price breaks on landscaping work at the Jackson Township home.
But Dun and Marra said there is no indication that any investigations Palermo was working on were ever compromised or that the informant was extorted for the favors.
"There is no indication of anything like that at this point," said Dun, although the probe continues.
"We are undertaking an internal review of all of the cases in which Officer Palermo and the cooperating witness worked together," Marra added.
-----------------------------------
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20091014_Officer_of_Port_Authority_arrested.html
Former Officer Travis Lee Ezell Arrested for Downloading Child Porn
A former University of Oklahoma police officer was arrested and booked into the Cleveland County Jail on a complaint of possession of child pornography.
Travis Lee Ezell, 41, allegedly downloaded the pornography from his home computer.
OU Police Lt. Bruce Chen said Ezell is recently no longer with the OU Police Department.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Officer David Hendrick Arrested for Pointing His Weapon at Passengers on Train
A New York City Police officer was suspended without pay Monday following his arrest Sunday on charges that he pointed his gun at a group of passengers on a Long Island Rail Road train while off duty, law enforcement officials said Monday.
Officer David Hendrick, 38, of Brentwood pleaded not guilty Monday in Nassau District Court in Hempstead to charges of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, and second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor.
He was held on $2,500 bond or $1,000 cash.
If convicted, Hendrick faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Nassau District Court Judge Andrea Phoenix issued orders of protection for the four passengers. Hendrick's attorney, Stephen Worth of Manhattan, did not return a call for comment.
According to MTA Police, Hendrick was riding a Ronkonkoma-bound train that left Penn Station at 9:17 p.m. Sunday, MTA police said.
MTA police said Hendrick was attempting to quiet down a group of unruly passengers on a train containing several hockey fans returning from a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden.
MTA and Nassau police removed Hendrick from the train at the Mineola station and arrested him, MTA police said.
connections Washington Capitals Brandon Dubinsky Marian Gaborik John Tortorella Sean Avery
The train was delayed for nearly a half-hour at the station.
NYPD officials declined to comment Monday other than to say Hendrick had been suspended without pay. They would not say how long Hendrick had been on the department or where he was assigned.
------------------------
-- VIDEO: Off-duty cop speaks out on his LIRR arrest
Officer David Hendrick, 38, of Brentwood pleaded not guilty Monday in Nassau District Court in Hempstead to charges of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, and second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor.
He was held on $2,500 bond or $1,000 cash.
If convicted, Hendrick faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Nassau District Court Judge Andrea Phoenix issued orders of protection for the four passengers. Hendrick's attorney, Stephen Worth of Manhattan, did not return a call for comment.
According to MTA Police, Hendrick was riding a Ronkonkoma-bound train that left Penn Station at 9:17 p.m. Sunday, MTA police said.
MTA police said Hendrick was attempting to quiet down a group of unruly passengers on a train containing several hockey fans returning from a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden.
MTA and Nassau police removed Hendrick from the train at the Mineola station and arrested him, MTA police said.
connections Washington Capitals Brandon Dubinsky Marian Gaborik John Tortorella Sean Avery
The train was delayed for nearly a half-hour at the station.
NYPD officials declined to comment Monday other than to say Hendrick had been suspended without pay. They would not say how long Hendrick had been on the department or where he was assigned.
------------------------
-- VIDEO: Off-duty cop speaks out on his LIRR arrest
Deputy Fausto Tejero Charged with Extorting Money
A Florida sheriff's deputy accused of extorting money from marijuana growers had an accomplice on the force, the Broward County sheriff says.
Deputy Fausto "T.J." Tejero has joined Deputy Manuel Silva in being charged with demanding money from the residents of an alleged drug-growing house near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to ignore the operation, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said last week when Silva was arrested and charged with extortion, attempted bribery, burglary and unlawful compensation that investigators weren't done.
"I repeat that we will leave no stone unturned when there's evidence that a BSO employee has committed a crime," Lamberti said in a release. "Unethical or unlawful conduct will not be tolerated on my watch."
The newspaper said Tejero is the fifth deputy to be arrested this year. He was twice honored as the Sheriff's Department employee of the month, in May 2006 and February 2007. The Sun-Sentinel also said Tejero was also a minor league baseball player from 1990 to 2000.
---------------------------------------
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2009/10/bso_deputy_extortion_tejero.php
Deputy Fausto "T.J." Tejero has joined Deputy Manuel Silva in being charged with demanding money from the residents of an alleged drug-growing house near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to ignore the operation, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said last week when Silva was arrested and charged with extortion, attempted bribery, burglary and unlawful compensation that investigators weren't done.
"I repeat that we will leave no stone unturned when there's evidence that a BSO employee has committed a crime," Lamberti said in a release. "Unethical or unlawful conduct will not be tolerated on my watch."
The newspaper said Tejero is the fifth deputy to be arrested this year. He was twice honored as the Sheriff's Department employee of the month, in May 2006 and February 2007. The Sun-Sentinel also said Tejero was also a minor league baseball player from 1990 to 2000.
---------------------------------------
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2009/10/bso_deputy_extortion_tejero.php
Officer Billy Hurst Accused of Wathcing Porn on City Computers
The fate of a Clinton police officer accused of viewing more than 23 hours of pornography during work hours could be known soon.
The Clinton Police and Fire Commission is set to meet today at City Hall, and included in the meeting's agenda is discussion of the employment case of 40-year old Billy Hurst. The 15-year veteran is accused of watching pornography on city-owned computers between November 2008 and January 2009.
Earlier this summer, the Commission heard a day and a half of testimony in the Hurst case.
He's accused of violating nine department rules including acting in a manner disrespectful of the law, violation of public trust and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Hurst has remained on the department staff since the charges were brought against him, however he was removed from his position as juvenile officer and reassigned to an overnight patrolman shift.
Hurst has not been criminally charged, however Police Chief Mike Reidy has asked for his dismissal from the force.
---------------------------------
http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d13-Cop-fired-for-watching-hard-core-porn-videos-in-squad-car
The Clinton Police and Fire Commission is set to meet today at City Hall, and included in the meeting's agenda is discussion of the employment case of 40-year old Billy Hurst. The 15-year veteran is accused of watching pornography on city-owned computers between November 2008 and January 2009.
Earlier this summer, the Commission heard a day and a half of testimony in the Hurst case.
He's accused of violating nine department rules including acting in a manner disrespectful of the law, violation of public trust and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Hurst has remained on the department staff since the charges were brought against him, however he was removed from his position as juvenile officer and reassigned to an overnight patrolman shift.
Hurst has not been criminally charged, however Police Chief Mike Reidy has asked for his dismissal from the force.
---------------------------------
http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d13-Cop-fired-for-watching-hard-core-porn-videos-in-squad-car
Monday, October 12, 2009
Officer John Robert Deegan Charged with Possession of Child Porn
A veteran Los Angeles police officer is facing child pornography charges. A federal grand jury charged 54-year-old John Robert Deegan and his 25-year-old son, Jonathon, with two counts each of possession of child porn last month, according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court.
Both turned themselves in and were released last week on $10,000 bail. Prosecutors say Deegan and his son had child porn on a home computer in January 2008. Deputy Chief Mark Perez says Deegan has been suspended with pay since March when FBI agents told police officials that he was under investigation.
Attorneys for Deegan and his son declined to comment but Ira Salzman, who is representing Jonathon Deegan, says his client will plead not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday.
Both turned themselves in and were released last week on $10,000 bail. Prosecutors say Deegan and his son had child porn on a home computer in January 2008. Deputy Chief Mark Perez says Deegan has been suspended with pay since March when FBI agents told police officials that he was under investigation.
Attorneys for Deegan and his son declined to comment but Ira Salzman, who is representing Jonathon Deegan, says his client will plead not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday.
Officer Ronald Jackson & Christian Brezill Charged with Stealing Stolen Property
Two former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were indicted today for allegedly stealing property seized after an arrest.
Ronald Jackson, 57, and Christian Brezill, 25, were charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri with stealing over $1,000 in merchandise purportedly stolen from Best Buy after they arrested an individual with the property. The arrest was part of a sting operation and the individual was working with federal law enforcement.
Both men are no longer with the department. Brezill's employment was terminated and Jackson retired from the department, according to a release from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to court documents:
Jackson received a call from an individual that a person identified only as Jane Doe was in possession of electronics stolen from Best Buy. Jackson told the individual that he would find Doe and take the merchandise and split some of the electronic equipment with him.
Brezill and Jackson were uniformed patrol officers assigned to work in the department's Sixth District out of the North Patrol Division.
Brezill and Jackson discovered that Doe had some minor outstanding traffic warrants and arrested her. She was neither arrested nor charged with possession of the stolen equipment, the indictment said.
The officers searched her car and found electronics equipment still in original boxes and Best Buy bags including: a Sony speaker system, a Phillips iPod docking system, a speaker cable, a Wii, an X-Box, a Logitech computer speaker system, a Dell laptop and a LCD flat screen TV.
According to the court documents, they put these items into Brezill's patrol car and never reported the seizure to the department. They split up the items later at a private residence.
Unbeknownst to the officers, Jane Doe was working with federal law enforcement and the electronics seized from her were owned by the U.S. government.
Both officers were indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of theft of U.S. property. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 16.
If convicted, Brezill and Jackson each face a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or fines up to $250,000.
Brezill's attorney Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman declined to comment. No attorney for Jackson was listed in court filings.
-----------------------------
http://www.examiner.com/x-14475-St-Louis-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d10-Metropolitan-police-accused-of-misconduct
Ronald Jackson, 57, and Christian Brezill, 25, were charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri with stealing over $1,000 in merchandise purportedly stolen from Best Buy after they arrested an individual with the property. The arrest was part of a sting operation and the individual was working with federal law enforcement.
Both men are no longer with the department. Brezill's employment was terminated and Jackson retired from the department, according to a release from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to court documents:
Jackson received a call from an individual that a person identified only as Jane Doe was in possession of electronics stolen from Best Buy. Jackson told the individual that he would find Doe and take the merchandise and split some of the electronic equipment with him.
Brezill and Jackson were uniformed patrol officers assigned to work in the department's Sixth District out of the North Patrol Division.
Brezill and Jackson discovered that Doe had some minor outstanding traffic warrants and arrested her. She was neither arrested nor charged with possession of the stolen equipment, the indictment said.
The officers searched her car and found electronics equipment still in original boxes and Best Buy bags including: a Sony speaker system, a Phillips iPod docking system, a speaker cable, a Wii, an X-Box, a Logitech computer speaker system, a Dell laptop and a LCD flat screen TV.
According to the court documents, they put these items into Brezill's patrol car and never reported the seizure to the department. They split up the items later at a private residence.
Unbeknownst to the officers, Jane Doe was working with federal law enforcement and the electronics seized from her were owned by the U.S. government.
Both officers were indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of theft of U.S. property. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 16.
If convicted, Brezill and Jackson each face a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or fines up to $250,000.
Brezill's attorney Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman declined to comment. No attorney for Jackson was listed in court filings.
-----------------------------
http://www.examiner.com/x-14475-St-Louis-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d10-Metropolitan-police-accused-of-misconduct
Officer Nigel Hodges Charged with Indecent Assault
Robinson Township officials are reviewing a criminal case against one of their police officers charged with sex offenses but haven't yet decided on what action to take against him.
Richard Charnovich, township manager, said today that the matter is under "legal advisement" but wouldn't say any more about Nigel Hodges, who was arrested on indecent assault charges on Saturday in connection with an incident on Oct. 7 at a North Fayette bar.
Township commissioners are meeting tonight and the issue will probably be discussed there.
Officer Hodges, 51, was charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count of indecent exposure, unlawful restraint, official oppression and harassment after an encounter with a 20-year-old bartender at the Tavern with the Lights bar.
In an affidavit, Allegheny County detectives said he tried to force himself on the young woman after the bar had emptied, then masturbated in front of her and grabbed her hand and sucked on her fingers.
The woman reported the incident to North Fayette police on Oct. 9, and officers there contacted county police for help.
According to the affidavit, the woman waited two days because Officer Hodges is a police officer, but a friend in whom she confided persuaded her to report the incident.
-------------------------------
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20091012_ap_paofficerchargedwithexposingselftobarmaid.html
Richard Charnovich, township manager, said today that the matter is under "legal advisement" but wouldn't say any more about Nigel Hodges, who was arrested on indecent assault charges on Saturday in connection with an incident on Oct. 7 at a North Fayette bar.
Township commissioners are meeting tonight and the issue will probably be discussed there.
Officer Hodges, 51, was charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count of indecent exposure, unlawful restraint, official oppression and harassment after an encounter with a 20-year-old bartender at the Tavern with the Lights bar.
In an affidavit, Allegheny County detectives said he tried to force himself on the young woman after the bar had emptied, then masturbated in front of her and grabbed her hand and sucked on her fingers.
The woman reported the incident to North Fayette police on Oct. 9, and officers there contacted county police for help.
According to the affidavit, the woman waited two days because Officer Hodges is a police officer, but a friend in whom she confided persuaded her to report the incident.
-------------------------------
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20091012_ap_paofficerchargedwithexposingselftobarmaid.html
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Deputy Tyrone David Arrested for Smuggling Drugs
A man sworn to protect the public and safely escort prisoners has been arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into the provincial jail system.
Tyrone David was picked up Friday morning after he allegedly met up with a woman at a strip mall parking lot in the 300 block of Pleasant Street in Dartmouth. The meeting and alleged transaction took place just before 9 a.m., police said.
Both the 40-year-old deputy sheriff, who was in uniform at the time, and the woman left in separate cars. She was later arrested after she was pulled over by police on Chadwick Street.
The deputy sheriff was taken into custody in the parking lot of the Dartmouth provincial courthouse, not far away.
On Friday evening, police sent out a news release saying they had charged Mr. David, 40, with 12 counts of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Kathleen Kierans, 22, has been charged with 12 counts of trafficking.
Justice Minister Ross Landry said Friday that the sheriff, who’s been on the job about five years, is on paid administrative leave.
Police wouldn’t reveal what kind of drugs were allegedly exchanged during the meeting, but sources told this newspaper that a quantity of cocaine and cash were involved, and were passed from the woman to the deputy sheriff.
Sources said the woman is the girlfriend of well-known crime figure Jimmy Melvin Jr. but police would not confirm that report.
Mr. Melvin didn’t appear in court Friday morning but his lawyer, Josh Arnold, made an appearance on his behalf.
Mr. Melvin’s case was on the docket Friday so a date could be set for his preliminary hearing on charges of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, violating a weapons prohibition order, being in a vehicle that contained a prohibited weapon and possessing ecstasy and an anti-anxiety drug. He also faces charges of breaching bail conditions from a previous release.
It’s not believed Mr. Melvin, who’ll be back in court on Nov. 18 for the preliminary hearing along with two co-accused, will face any charges in connection with Friday’s arrests, the sources said.
Mr. Arnold said Friday that he couldn’t comment on any connection between the 22-year-old woman who was arrested and his client. He said he hadn’t heard anything about the deputy sheriff’s or the woman’s arrest.
Halifax Regional Police spokeswoman Theresa Rath said officers didn’t randomly stumble across the drug deal.
"This investigation occurred over a series of days. We were acting on information that we had received," she said Friday.
Ms. Rath wouldn’t reveal what makes police think the drugs were going to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.
"We can’t get into why we think that, but suffice it to say that based on the evidence that was seized, we believe that the drugs were destined for transportation into the corrections system. Our investigation will continue (looking) as to where (the drugs) may have been destined and to whom."
She said police haven’t received information to suggest that any other deputy sheriffs were involved.
Mr. Landry called the situation very disappointing.
"It’s always a concern when one of your employees is alleged to be involved in illicit activities," he told reporters at Province House. ""It raises a concern."
He said the positive in the situation is that drugs were kept out of the Burnside jail.
"That’s our goal and if any of our employees are involved in drug usage, we have a zero tolerance policy and we adhere to that strongly."
Aside from the police force’s investigation, Justice Department officials are also conducting their own probe.
Mr. Landry said officials believe it is an isolated incident. But Liberal justice critic Michel Samson said there have been lots of stories about drug use in prison, so he thinks the Justice Department investigation should be fairly broad.
"It might be time for the minister to take a look and determine exactly how is it that illegal drugs continue to get inside of our correctional facilities in light of the protocols that one would think are in place to prevent that from happening," said Mr. Samson.
Sources from the jail have said drugs regularly find their way inside, especially on court days, weekends and holidays.
One inmate from the Burnside jail was taken to hospital in the past month suffering from an overdose. Sources said he overdosed on ecstasy but his life wasn’t in danger.
Former Crown attorney Anne Calder is awaiting trial dates on charges of trying to pass drugs to a client at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility on July 14.
She faces several charges, including trafficking in prescription painkillers, possession of the painkillers for the purpose of trafficking and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Mr. Samson and Tory MLA Cecil Clarke, a former justice minister, said Friday’s arrest is an unfortunate blemish on the dedicated workers in Sheriff Services.
Mr. Clarke said he expects swift, strong action.
"An example needs to be made and a message needs to be sent," Mr. Clarke said.
The province can’t tolerate its employees taking drugs into jails, whether or not they’ve been coerced.
No one from the union representing Sheriff Services workers was available for comment Friday.
Meanwhile, it’s not clear whether the cases against Walter Allan Gerrior and Kerry-Anne Zwicker, co-accused with Mr. Melvin, will be able to proceed Nov. 18 because they don’t have lawyers yet. Mr. Gerrior, like Mr. Melvin, has been in custody since they were arrested in September, and will be back in Dartmouth court Tuesday for a bail hearing.
---------------------------
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/09/ns-deputy-sheriff.html
Tyrone David was picked up Friday morning after he allegedly met up with a woman at a strip mall parking lot in the 300 block of Pleasant Street in Dartmouth. The meeting and alleged transaction took place just before 9 a.m., police said.
Both the 40-year-old deputy sheriff, who was in uniform at the time, and the woman left in separate cars. She was later arrested after she was pulled over by police on Chadwick Street.
The deputy sheriff was taken into custody in the parking lot of the Dartmouth provincial courthouse, not far away.
On Friday evening, police sent out a news release saying they had charged Mr. David, 40, with 12 counts of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Kathleen Kierans, 22, has been charged with 12 counts of trafficking.
Justice Minister Ross Landry said Friday that the sheriff, who’s been on the job about five years, is on paid administrative leave.
Police wouldn’t reveal what kind of drugs were allegedly exchanged during the meeting, but sources told this newspaper that a quantity of cocaine and cash were involved, and were passed from the woman to the deputy sheriff.
Sources said the woman is the girlfriend of well-known crime figure Jimmy Melvin Jr. but police would not confirm that report.
Mr. Melvin didn’t appear in court Friday morning but his lawyer, Josh Arnold, made an appearance on his behalf.
Mr. Melvin’s case was on the docket Friday so a date could be set for his preliminary hearing on charges of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, violating a weapons prohibition order, being in a vehicle that contained a prohibited weapon and possessing ecstasy and an anti-anxiety drug. He also faces charges of breaching bail conditions from a previous release.
It’s not believed Mr. Melvin, who’ll be back in court on Nov. 18 for the preliminary hearing along with two co-accused, will face any charges in connection with Friday’s arrests, the sources said.
Mr. Arnold said Friday that he couldn’t comment on any connection between the 22-year-old woman who was arrested and his client. He said he hadn’t heard anything about the deputy sheriff’s or the woman’s arrest.
Halifax Regional Police spokeswoman Theresa Rath said officers didn’t randomly stumble across the drug deal.
"This investigation occurred over a series of days. We were acting on information that we had received," she said Friday.
Ms. Rath wouldn’t reveal what makes police think the drugs were going to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.
"We can’t get into why we think that, but suffice it to say that based on the evidence that was seized, we believe that the drugs were destined for transportation into the corrections system. Our investigation will continue (looking) as to where (the drugs) may have been destined and to whom."
She said police haven’t received information to suggest that any other deputy sheriffs were involved.
Mr. Landry called the situation very disappointing.
"It’s always a concern when one of your employees is alleged to be involved in illicit activities," he told reporters at Province House. ""It raises a concern."
He said the positive in the situation is that drugs were kept out of the Burnside jail.
"That’s our goal and if any of our employees are involved in drug usage, we have a zero tolerance policy and we adhere to that strongly."
Aside from the police force’s investigation, Justice Department officials are also conducting their own probe.
Mr. Landry said officials believe it is an isolated incident. But Liberal justice critic Michel Samson said there have been lots of stories about drug use in prison, so he thinks the Justice Department investigation should be fairly broad.
"It might be time for the minister to take a look and determine exactly how is it that illegal drugs continue to get inside of our correctional facilities in light of the protocols that one would think are in place to prevent that from happening," said Mr. Samson.
Sources from the jail have said drugs regularly find their way inside, especially on court days, weekends and holidays.
One inmate from the Burnside jail was taken to hospital in the past month suffering from an overdose. Sources said he overdosed on ecstasy but his life wasn’t in danger.
Former Crown attorney Anne Calder is awaiting trial dates on charges of trying to pass drugs to a client at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility on July 14.
She faces several charges, including trafficking in prescription painkillers, possession of the painkillers for the purpose of trafficking and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Mr. Samson and Tory MLA Cecil Clarke, a former justice minister, said Friday’s arrest is an unfortunate blemish on the dedicated workers in Sheriff Services.
Mr. Clarke said he expects swift, strong action.
"An example needs to be made and a message needs to be sent," Mr. Clarke said.
The province can’t tolerate its employees taking drugs into jails, whether or not they’ve been coerced.
No one from the union representing Sheriff Services workers was available for comment Friday.
Meanwhile, it’s not clear whether the cases against Walter Allan Gerrior and Kerry-Anne Zwicker, co-accused with Mr. Melvin, will be able to proceed Nov. 18 because they don’t have lawyers yet. Mr. Gerrior, like Mr. Melvin, has been in custody since they were arrested in September, and will be back in Dartmouth court Tuesday for a bail hearing.
---------------------------
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/09/ns-deputy-sheriff.html
ICE Strips Sheriff Arpaio of His Immigration Powers
Xenophobic Arizona Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, has raised a lot of eyebrows. Besides his very public hatred of Hispanics, he's also established ties with a Neo-Nazi group in his home state. Arpaio's obliteration of civil rights has finally caught up with him and the Obama Administration is finally pushing back:
A controversial Arizona sheriff known for taking a hard line against illegal immigrants has been stripped of some of his powers in what he described as a political move by the Obama administration.
Under a two-year-old agreement with the federal department of homeland security, Arpaio and his deputies had been authorised to enforce federal immigration law by arresting suspected illegal immigrants in the field and by checking the immigration status of people arrested on other offences.
But after drawing thousands of complaints and a civil rights investigation from the justice department, Arpaio was this week stripped of his federal authority to make immigration arrests. County attorney Andrew Thomas, one of Arpaio's supporters, condemned the "setback in the fight against illegal immigration". Read on...
This is a positive sign and I applaud the White House for taking making this happen. It's long overdue.
A controversial Arizona sheriff known for taking a hard line against illegal immigrants has been stripped of some of his powers in what he described as a political move by the Obama administration.
Under a two-year-old agreement with the federal department of homeland security, Arpaio and his deputies had been authorised to enforce federal immigration law by arresting suspected illegal immigrants in the field and by checking the immigration status of people arrested on other offences.
But after drawing thousands of complaints and a civil rights investigation from the justice department, Arpaio was this week stripped of his federal authority to make immigration arrests. County attorney Andrew Thomas, one of Arpaio's supporters, condemned the "setback in the fight against illegal immigration". Read on...
This is a positive sign and I applaud the White House for taking making this happen. It's long overdue.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
OHP Releases Report on Trooper Daniel Martin
A Holdenville man was sweating and was in “fight or flight mode” before he was arrested by a state trooper during a scuffle last week, an incident report states.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released the report Friday on an Oct. 3 arrest in Holdenville that led to two troopers’ being put on paid administrative leave.
The release of the report followed a Tulsa World request under the state’s Open Records Act seeking the trooper incident report and a copy of a complaint filed against the troopers.
The World also requested the release of videotapes from the dashboard cameras from the troopers’ cars.
OHP Capt. Chris West said the videotapes would be released to all media once the agency’s investigators are through with their review. As to the complaint filed against the troopers, West said that is part of the investigation and not a public document.
The OHP released a narrative of the incident, a copy of the probable cause affidavit into the arrest that was filed in Hughes County District Court, plus the incident report from Trooper Tommy Allen.
Allen and Trooper Daniel Martin were put on leave as a result of the complaint.
Martin landed in the national spotlight earlier this year after he scuffled with a Creek Nation paramedic in May in Okfuskee County. The OHP suspended him without pay for five days in July as a result of that encounter.
The complaint against Martin and Allen stems from the arrest of Kristopher Douglas, 28, of Holdenville, who was charged with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor.
In his report, Allen said a motorist, identified as Lucas Carson, ran a red light and was pulled over. The motorist pulled into the driveway of a home on Creek Street.
Martin, Allen’s backup officer, also arrived on the scene and was standing by as Allen dealt with the driver.
Allen said that while he was interviewing the driver, Martin made contact with Douglas, who came up behind the two patrol cars.
According to Allen, Martin asked Douglas to step aside, to which Douglas responded that he was on his way to his uncle’s house, which was at the end of the driveway where the traffic stop occurred.
Allen said Douglas continued to try to walk past them despite three requests from Martin that he stand by the street until the troopers were finished with the traffic stop.
Allen said he confronted Douglas about ignoring Martin’s commands and then took a soft hold of Douglas’ right hand.
He said Douglas stared down at his hand and then at the trooper, then back down to his hand and then stared at Allen again.
Allen said he released his hold only after Douglas stepped back.
“Trooper Martin knew from his past law-enforcement experience that Mr. Douglas was in the 'fight or flight mode,’?” Allen wrote. “At this time Mr. Douglas was sweating, and this was on a cool evening where the temperatures were in the low 60s.
“Mr. Douglas was clenching his teeth and blading himself as if he was angry.”
At that point, Allen said, Martin pulled out his retractable baton and expanded it.
Allen said he went to arrest Douglas by taking hold of his left arm and putting it behind his back. Allen then said he swung his right arm around Douglas’ neck in order to get him face-down on the ground.
While he was taking Douglas to the ground, Allen said, Martin struck Douglas once on the leg with the baton.
Allen wrote that Martin used the baton because he thought Allen needed assistance and “because Douglas was a large-size individual, resisting, and appeared to be under the influence of some type of drug.”
Douglas is described in court records as being 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 240 pounds.
He has a drug conviction out of Oklahoma County for which he received a suspended sentence, records show. His attorney said Douglas successfully completed that sentence.
After Douglas was subdued, he was put in a patrol car and taken to the Hughes County Jail. He posted bond and was released about 90 minutes later.
Douglas’ uncle, Jerry Ford, witnessed the arrest and believes that the troopers overreacted and used excessive force.
He said Douglas, who lives across the way from him, was not involved in the traffic stop at all and was merely coming over to his house to help him install drywall.
While Douglas was sitting on the ground in handcuffs, his wife came from across the street with a baby in her arms, en route to Ford’s house, the OHP report noted.
The report said she was allowed to pass through the scene “since she did not present a threat and was carrying a small child in the cool air.”
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released the report Friday on an Oct. 3 arrest in Holdenville that led to two troopers’ being put on paid administrative leave.
The release of the report followed a Tulsa World request under the state’s Open Records Act seeking the trooper incident report and a copy of a complaint filed against the troopers.
The World also requested the release of videotapes from the dashboard cameras from the troopers’ cars.
OHP Capt. Chris West said the videotapes would be released to all media once the agency’s investigators are through with their review. As to the complaint filed against the troopers, West said that is part of the investigation and not a public document.
The OHP released a narrative of the incident, a copy of the probable cause affidavit into the arrest that was filed in Hughes County District Court, plus the incident report from Trooper Tommy Allen.
Allen and Trooper Daniel Martin were put on leave as a result of the complaint.
Martin landed in the national spotlight earlier this year after he scuffled with a Creek Nation paramedic in May in Okfuskee County. The OHP suspended him without pay for five days in July as a result of that encounter.
The complaint against Martin and Allen stems from the arrest of Kristopher Douglas, 28, of Holdenville, who was charged with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor.
In his report, Allen said a motorist, identified as Lucas Carson, ran a red light and was pulled over. The motorist pulled into the driveway of a home on Creek Street.
Martin, Allen’s backup officer, also arrived on the scene and was standing by as Allen dealt with the driver.
Allen said that while he was interviewing the driver, Martin made contact with Douglas, who came up behind the two patrol cars.
According to Allen, Martin asked Douglas to step aside, to which Douglas responded that he was on his way to his uncle’s house, which was at the end of the driveway where the traffic stop occurred.
Allen said Douglas continued to try to walk past them despite three requests from Martin that he stand by the street until the troopers were finished with the traffic stop.
Allen said he confronted Douglas about ignoring Martin’s commands and then took a soft hold of Douglas’ right hand.
He said Douglas stared down at his hand and then at the trooper, then back down to his hand and then stared at Allen again.
Allen said he released his hold only after Douglas stepped back.
“Trooper Martin knew from his past law-enforcement experience that Mr. Douglas was in the 'fight or flight mode,’?” Allen wrote. “At this time Mr. Douglas was sweating, and this was on a cool evening where the temperatures were in the low 60s.
“Mr. Douglas was clenching his teeth and blading himself as if he was angry.”
At that point, Allen said, Martin pulled out his retractable baton and expanded it.
Allen said he went to arrest Douglas by taking hold of his left arm and putting it behind his back. Allen then said he swung his right arm around Douglas’ neck in order to get him face-down on the ground.
While he was taking Douglas to the ground, Allen said, Martin struck Douglas once on the leg with the baton.
Allen wrote that Martin used the baton because he thought Allen needed assistance and “because Douglas was a large-size individual, resisting, and appeared to be under the influence of some type of drug.”
Douglas is described in court records as being 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 240 pounds.
He has a drug conviction out of Oklahoma County for which he received a suspended sentence, records show. His attorney said Douglas successfully completed that sentence.
After Douglas was subdued, he was put in a patrol car and taken to the Hughes County Jail. He posted bond and was released about 90 minutes later.
Douglas’ uncle, Jerry Ford, witnessed the arrest and believes that the troopers overreacted and used excessive force.
He said Douglas, who lives across the way from him, was not involved in the traffic stop at all and was merely coming over to his house to help him install drywall.
While Douglas was sitting on the ground in handcuffs, his wife came from across the street with a baby in her arms, en route to Ford’s house, the OHP report noted.
The report said she was allowed to pass through the scene “since she did not present a threat and was carrying a small child in the cool air.”
Officer George Porter Charged with Stealing from Sick Officer
In an unusual theft case, a veteran Chicago police officer has been charged with stealing $800 -- from another officer who was undergoing treatment for cancer, authorities said Thursday.
Police and prosecutors said Officer George Porter had agreed to buy groceries for the ill co-worker with her bank card but instead made four $200 withdrawals from ATMs over the next three days and pocketed the cash.
Bail was set at $50,000 Thursday for Porter, 46, of Chicago, who was charged with one count of theft and two counts of deceptive practices.
Porter, a 14-year veteran of the force, was stripped of his police powers in June because of an unrelated issue and has been on desk duty ever since, police spokesman Roderick Drew said.
Neither Porter's attorney nor the victim could be reached for comment.
Porter and the victim worked at the city's 311center. They also live near each other, and Porter sometimes gave her rides to work, prosecutors said.
On May 23, the officer didn't feel well and asked Porter to buy groceries for her, prosecutors said. But she didn't have any cash, so she gave Porter her debit card and PIN number and told him to withdraw money from her bank bank's ATM for the groceries, they said.
Instead, he withdrew $200 at from a pharmacy and never bought any groceries, prosecutors alleged. In the meantime, the victim had lost consciousness, authorities said. The next morning, after a call to 911, she was rushed to a hospital still unconscious.
On May 25, while the victim was still hospitalized, Porter made three more unauthorized withdrawals, prosecutors alleged. Two of the withdrawals took place at ATM machines in the Blue Chip Casino in Indiana, they said.
Police and prosecutors said Officer George Porter had agreed to buy groceries for the ill co-worker with her bank card but instead made four $200 withdrawals from ATMs over the next three days and pocketed the cash.
Bail was set at $50,000 Thursday for Porter, 46, of Chicago, who was charged with one count of theft and two counts of deceptive practices.
Porter, a 14-year veteran of the force, was stripped of his police powers in June because of an unrelated issue and has been on desk duty ever since, police spokesman Roderick Drew said.
Neither Porter's attorney nor the victim could be reached for comment.
Porter and the victim worked at the city's 311center. They also live near each other, and Porter sometimes gave her rides to work, prosecutors said.
On May 23, the officer didn't feel well and asked Porter to buy groceries for her, prosecutors said. But she didn't have any cash, so she gave Porter her debit card and PIN number and told him to withdraw money from her bank bank's ATM for the groceries, they said.
Instead, he withdrew $200 at from a pharmacy and never bought any groceries, prosecutors alleged. In the meantime, the victim had lost consciousness, authorities said. The next morning, after a call to 911, she was rushed to a hospital still unconscious.
On May 25, while the victim was still hospitalized, Porter made three more unauthorized withdrawals, prosecutors alleged. Two of the withdrawals took place at ATM machines in the Blue Chip Casino in Indiana, they said.
Officer Christopher Lloyd Now Arrested for Rape
A Dolton cop caught on camera allegedly breaking a 15-year-old special needs student's nose for failing to tuck in his shirt has a troubling history that includes killing a man in a case of disputed self-defense and is now in an Indiana jail on an unrelated rape charge.
Christopher Lloyd, 38, was identified Thursday by his father Charles Lloyd and Dolton Mayor Ronnie Lewis as the officer who in May was recorded by a school security camera scuffling with 15-year-old, 140-pound Marshawn Pitts at the Academy for Learning in Dolton.
An attorney hired by Pitts' parents released the video this week, calling the incident an "unprovoked attack" on a vulnerable child. The video, which has no audio, appears to show the officer slamming Pitts against a locker, wrestling him to the ground and pinning him.
But speaking Thursday, Charles Lloyd said he had seen the video and discussed the incident with his son, who he said was "just trying to do his job as a police officer and is completely innocent."
"My son said, 'Sir, you need to tuck your shirt in,' and this boy (cussed at him and said) 'I'm not going to tuck my shirt in, you can't make me,' " Charles Lloyd said.
"That boy struck my son in the eye and broke his glasses -- he had a history of behavior issues," he alleged.
Christopher Lloyd was arrested last month and charged with sexually assaulting a woman he knew at her home in Hammond, his father said.
According to Lake County, Ind., court documents, he held a pillow over the woman's face while sexually assaulting her Sept. 14 and had previously threatened her with a knife.
Lloyd, who's being held in lieu of $110,000 bail, faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of rape, criminal deviate conduct, criminal confinement and sexual battery, said Diane Poulton, spokeswoman for Lake County's prosecutor.
A lawsuit filed by his ex-wife, Nicole McKinney, last summer alleges he gunned down her new husband Cornel McKinney in front of their children outside their home on Feb. 17, 2008.
A Robbins police officer at the time, Lloyd was suspended after the shooting but eventually found work with Dolton police in January, his father said.
Though an autopsy shows he shot McKinney 24 times, the lawsuit alleges, he was not charged because Chicago police accepted his explanation that he had acted in self-defense.
Chicago police spokesman Veejay Zala said details of the investigation into McKinney's death could not immediately be found Thursday, but McKinney's attorney, Rahsaan Gordon, said the latest series of allegations against Lloyd showed he shouldn't have been employed as a police officer.
"At some point, people in positions of power need to protect the public," Gordon said. "You have to ask why he was hired."
Lloyd was terminated after the incident, Lewis said Wednesday.
Dolton Police Chief Robert Fox declined to comment, citing pending lawsuits.
---------------------------------
More Information and Video: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/08/special.needs.student.beating/
Christopher Lloyd, 38, was identified Thursday by his father Charles Lloyd and Dolton Mayor Ronnie Lewis as the officer who in May was recorded by a school security camera scuffling with 15-year-old, 140-pound Marshawn Pitts at the Academy for Learning in Dolton.
An attorney hired by Pitts' parents released the video this week, calling the incident an "unprovoked attack" on a vulnerable child. The video, which has no audio, appears to show the officer slamming Pitts against a locker, wrestling him to the ground and pinning him.
But speaking Thursday, Charles Lloyd said he had seen the video and discussed the incident with his son, who he said was "just trying to do his job as a police officer and is completely innocent."
"My son said, 'Sir, you need to tuck your shirt in,' and this boy (cussed at him and said) 'I'm not going to tuck my shirt in, you can't make me,' " Charles Lloyd said.
"That boy struck my son in the eye and broke his glasses -- he had a history of behavior issues," he alleged.
Christopher Lloyd was arrested last month and charged with sexually assaulting a woman he knew at her home in Hammond, his father said.
According to Lake County, Ind., court documents, he held a pillow over the woman's face while sexually assaulting her Sept. 14 and had previously threatened her with a knife.
Lloyd, who's being held in lieu of $110,000 bail, faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of rape, criminal deviate conduct, criminal confinement and sexual battery, said Diane Poulton, spokeswoman for Lake County's prosecutor.
A lawsuit filed by his ex-wife, Nicole McKinney, last summer alleges he gunned down her new husband Cornel McKinney in front of their children outside their home on Feb. 17, 2008.
A Robbins police officer at the time, Lloyd was suspended after the shooting but eventually found work with Dolton police in January, his father said.
Though an autopsy shows he shot McKinney 24 times, the lawsuit alleges, he was not charged because Chicago police accepted his explanation that he had acted in self-defense.
Chicago police spokesman Veejay Zala said details of the investigation into McKinney's death could not immediately be found Thursday, but McKinney's attorney, Rahsaan Gordon, said the latest series of allegations against Lloyd showed he shouldn't have been employed as a police officer.
"At some point, people in positions of power need to protect the public," Gordon said. "You have to ask why he was hired."
Lloyd was terminated after the incident, Lewis said Wednesday.
Dolton Police Chief Robert Fox declined to comment, citing pending lawsuits.
---------------------------------
More Information and Video: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/08/special.needs.student.beating/
Friday, October 09, 2009
Officer Rio Davis Charged with Battery on a Police Officer
A police officer was arrested and suspended from the department for allegedly attacking other officers who were investigating citizen complaints against him.
According to Chief Bry Layrisson of the Ponchatoula Police Department, Rio Davis, 23, was charged with battery on a police officer and extortion.
He was suspended from the Ponchatoula Police Department without pay.
Layrisson said the complaints against Davis came over the past few weeks, but did not specify what they regarded.
Layrisson said as Davis was being questioned, he began verbally and physically attacking the investigators.
Davis was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail.
According to Chief Bry Layrisson of the Ponchatoula Police Department, Rio Davis, 23, was charged with battery on a police officer and extortion.
He was suspended from the Ponchatoula Police Department without pay.
Layrisson said the complaints against Davis came over the past few weeks, but did not specify what they regarded.
Layrisson said as Davis was being questioned, he began verbally and physically attacking the investigators.
Davis was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail.
Trooper Jeremy Fountain Arrested for Domestic Violence
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who was hailed as heroic last year has been arrested for assault/family violence.
According to trooper Jean Dark, the Tyler District public information officer, Jeremy Fountain, a trooper stationed in Henderson since 2003, was taken into custody by Texas Rangers Wednesday on the third-degree felony charge of assault/family violence.
Dark said Fountain posted a $10,000 bond and was released from the Rusk County Jail later Wednesday.
“He has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation,” she said.
Fountain was highlighted in the news last October when he was dragged down the highway at speeds topping 50 mph after attempting to arrest an individual.
Despite the harrowing ordeal, Fountain was able to hang onto the fleeing vehicle and pull his gun forcing the man to pull over.
Once the vehicle was stopped, Fountain learned the person driving was wanted on felony warrants and the car was stolen.
A Rusk County jury found Gabriel Dewayne Lewis, 22, of a first-degree felony aggravated assault of a peace officer for the incident and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
___________________-
http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/10/08/10082009_trooper_arrested.html
According to trooper Jean Dark, the Tyler District public information officer, Jeremy Fountain, a trooper stationed in Henderson since 2003, was taken into custody by Texas Rangers Wednesday on the third-degree felony charge of assault/family violence.
Dark said Fountain posted a $10,000 bond and was released from the Rusk County Jail later Wednesday.
“He has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation,” she said.
Fountain was highlighted in the news last October when he was dragged down the highway at speeds topping 50 mph after attempting to arrest an individual.
Despite the harrowing ordeal, Fountain was able to hang onto the fleeing vehicle and pull his gun forcing the man to pull over.
Once the vehicle was stopped, Fountain learned the person driving was wanted on felony warrants and the car was stolen.
A Rusk County jury found Gabriel Dewayne Lewis, 22, of a first-degree felony aggravated assault of a peace officer for the incident and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
___________________-
http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/10/08/10082009_trooper_arrested.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)