A Volusia County Beach Patrol officer accused of having sex with an underage girl will not be allowed to resign.
Instead, effective on Monday, 44-year-old Bobby Tameris is terminated from county employment and will only be eligible for 20 percent of any outstanding leave time.
Officials said they chose to fire Tameris rather than accept his resignation.
He still faces criminal charges.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Officer Darrell Collins Resigns
A Carolina Beach police officer resigned Monday amid a dispute with town councilman Dan Wilcox that started over a woman.
Additionally, former officer Darrell Collins asked a New Hanover County assistant district attorney to dismiss charges he filed on his own time against Wilcox, accusing him of stalking, assault and communicating threats whenever he saw Collins with Wilcox's ex-girlfriend, according to court documents.
Collins, who had been placed on administrative paid leave last week, would not say why he resigned or why he dropped charges against the 56-year-old Wilcox, who is also mayor pro tem. Collins was put on leave after the police chief began looking into whether Collins violated unspecified town or police policies. And Wilcox had said in a statement after Collins charged him on Thanksgiving that the “retaliation is a result of me having reported him for misuse of town resources.”
On Monday, Wilcox said he didn't have a comment because he was trying to verify whether the charges had been dropped.
Carolina Beach Town Manager Tim Owens confirmed Collins' resignation Monday.
“We wish him well on his future endeavors,” Owens said, adding he thought the dismissal of the charges against Wilcox was “the best thing for everyone in this instance. It's the best thing for everyone to move on.”
He said Collins would receive the same benefits as any other employee who resigned from the town, meaning that he would receive whatever benefits were still owed to him.
Police Chief William Younginer declined to say anything about Collins or his performance as an officer.
Collins, a 53-year-old who said he had an unblemished record in law enforcement, said he's been in law enforcement for 32 years – five of them in Carolina Beach – and that he was ready to move on and he wanted the scandal to go away.
“I have no ties here,” he said. “None.”
Collins declined to talk about Wilcox's ex-girlfriend and he made no comments about Wilcox.
“Some things in life you can't win,” he said without offering any details.
Collins, a father of two grown children and grandfather to an 8-year-old grandson, said he was a simple person who did not get involved in politics.
Born and raised in South Carolina, he said he retired from law enforcement there and then moved to Carolina Beach because he'd always wanted to live on the coast. Now, Collins said he plans to leave the state.
He shook his head when asked by a reporter if he planned to take the woman with him.
“No comment,” he said, his hands folded in front of him.
Collins, who described himself as easygoing and non-confrontational, said the incident involving Wilcox was the most shocking thing that's happened to him.
During an hourlong interview, Collins gave a glimpse into the possible forces behind his decision to resign when he said: “The politics here ... It's not going to change no matter what I do or don't do, so I decided to move on.”
Additionally, former officer Darrell Collins asked a New Hanover County assistant district attorney to dismiss charges he filed on his own time against Wilcox, accusing him of stalking, assault and communicating threats whenever he saw Collins with Wilcox's ex-girlfriend, according to court documents.
Collins, who had been placed on administrative paid leave last week, would not say why he resigned or why he dropped charges against the 56-year-old Wilcox, who is also mayor pro tem. Collins was put on leave after the police chief began looking into whether Collins violated unspecified town or police policies. And Wilcox had said in a statement after Collins charged him on Thanksgiving that the “retaliation is a result of me having reported him for misuse of town resources.”
On Monday, Wilcox said he didn't have a comment because he was trying to verify whether the charges had been dropped.
Carolina Beach Town Manager Tim Owens confirmed Collins' resignation Monday.
“We wish him well on his future endeavors,” Owens said, adding he thought the dismissal of the charges against Wilcox was “the best thing for everyone in this instance. It's the best thing for everyone to move on.”
He said Collins would receive the same benefits as any other employee who resigned from the town, meaning that he would receive whatever benefits were still owed to him.
Police Chief William Younginer declined to say anything about Collins or his performance as an officer.
Collins, a 53-year-old who said he had an unblemished record in law enforcement, said he's been in law enforcement for 32 years – five of them in Carolina Beach – and that he was ready to move on and he wanted the scandal to go away.
“I have no ties here,” he said. “None.”
Collins declined to talk about Wilcox's ex-girlfriend and he made no comments about Wilcox.
“Some things in life you can't win,” he said without offering any details.
Collins, a father of two grown children and grandfather to an 8-year-old grandson, said he was a simple person who did not get involved in politics.
Born and raised in South Carolina, he said he retired from law enforcement there and then moved to Carolina Beach because he'd always wanted to live on the coast. Now, Collins said he plans to leave the state.
He shook his head when asked by a reporter if he planned to take the woman with him.
“No comment,” he said, his hands folded in front of him.
Collins, who described himself as easygoing and non-confrontational, said the incident involving Wilcox was the most shocking thing that's happened to him.
During an hourlong interview, Collins gave a glimpse into the possible forces behind his decision to resign when he said: “The politics here ... It's not going to change no matter what I do or don't do, so I decided to move on.”
Former Sheriff Mark Frisbie Arrested for Drunk Driving
Former Putnam County Sheriff Mark T. Frisbie was arrested late Friday.
Frisbie, 38, was booked into the Putnam County Jail and charged with misdemeanors operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and public intoxication, Sgt. Rich Myers of the Putnamville Post of the Indiana State Police said.
Frisbie was pulled over by Indiana State Police Trooper Michael Wood on U.S. 231 at Tennessee Street in Greencastle.
"He was driving erratically," Myers said. "He went off to the right on the road, then he went left of center. When he turned onto 231 from Veteran's Highway, the turn was abrupt."
Myers declined to reveal what Frisbie's exact blood alcohol content was at the time of the arrest.
"We don't release the results of testing," he said. "What I can say is that (Frisbie) was over the legal limit, which is .08 percent."
Frisbie was arrested without incident, Myers said.
Sgt. Tyler Turner of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department said Frisbie posted a $3,000 surety bond and was released from jail at about 5 p.m. Saturday.
"The reports had all been forwarded to the prosecutor," Turner said.
Frisbie is currently on federal probation. He was convicted in November 2008 of federal program theft, and entered the United States Penitentiary satellite camp in Atlanta, Ga. on Feb. 2. He was released from the camp on March 31, and served four months on home detention before beginning his two-year term of probation.
Frisbie could have been sentenced to 10 years and prison and been assessed a $250,000 fine for the federal charge. He pled guilty to that count in August 2008, a week after he resigned as Putnam County Sheriff.
Putnam County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Justin Long said he was unsure how the new charges would affect Frisbie's federal probation.
"That will be up to his federal probation officer," Long said. "In the grand scheme of things, these are pretty minor charges. They may not do anything."
Frisbie will be in Putnam County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday for an initial hearing on the new charges.
Sgt. Darren Martin Charged with Domestic Abuse
An Oklahoma City police sergeant has been charged with three counts of domestic abuse after complaints that he struck his wife and teenage daughter.
Darren Martin was arrested early last month. His daughter said he became violent after she told him that she was failing a class.
The 16-year-old girl said that Martin hit her in the face and gave her a bloody nose. The officer who made the arrest said she also had a black eye and bruising on her arms.
"If there is probable cause to believe (there is domestic abuse), especially the way the law is now, there's going to be an arrest made," said Oklahoma City police Capt. Steve McCool.
Police said that Martin was also accused of shoving his wife into a wall two days after the previous incident.
Martin has been placed on paid leave.
Darren Martin was arrested early last month. His daughter said he became violent after she told him that she was failing a class.
The 16-year-old girl said that Martin hit her in the face and gave her a bloody nose. The officer who made the arrest said she also had a black eye and bruising on her arms.
"If there is probable cause to believe (there is domestic abuse), especially the way the law is now, there's going to be an arrest made," said Oklahoma City police Capt. Steve McCool.
Police said that Martin was also accused of shoving his wife into a wall two days after the previous incident.
Martin has been placed on paid leave.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Officer Troy Meade Plans to Claim Self Defense
Court documents filed on behalf of Everett police officer Troy Meade are the first public indication that the officer plans to claim self defense in a fatal June shooting outside an Everett restaurant.
Prosecutors in October charged Meade, 41, with first-degree manslaughter. They allege that Meade committed a crime June 10 when he shot Niles Meservey while the Stanwood man was sitting in his car outside the Chuckwagon Inn.
Meade, an 11-year veteran, has declined to speak to investigators. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last month.
His attorney, David Allen, has filed a notice in Snohomish County Superior Court that Meade will be requesting that he be reimbursed for attorney’s fees, loss of wages and other expenses once he is acquitted or the charge against him is dropped.
“Defendant Meade submits that his actions were necessary and reasonable and that he was in imminent danger at the time that he acted in self-defense to protect himself from an assault,” Allen wrote.
The trial is scheduled for April 9. Meade remains on paid administrative leave from the 200-officer department.
Investigators believe Meade opened fire after an intoxicated Meservey, 51, refused to obey the officer’s orders to get out of the car. Meade twice used an electric stun gun in an effort to subdue Meservey.
Meservey refused to get out of his car and drove his Chevrolet Corvette into a chain-link fence.
Meade fired his handgun eight times through the car’s back window.
Meservey was struck by seven bullets. He died in the parking lot of the restaurant.
A special team of homicide investigators re-created the shooting and interviewed dozens of people, including another Everett police officer who witnessed the shooting.
That officer told investigators that Meservey wasn’t obeying orders but didn’t pose an immediate lethal threat to Meade or anyone else. He said that immediately after the shooting, Meade said he believed their lives were in danger.
Prosecutors in October charged Meade, 41, with first-degree manslaughter. They allege that Meade committed a crime June 10 when he shot Niles Meservey while the Stanwood man was sitting in his car outside the Chuckwagon Inn.
Meade, an 11-year veteran, has declined to speak to investigators. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last month.
His attorney, David Allen, has filed a notice in Snohomish County Superior Court that Meade will be requesting that he be reimbursed for attorney’s fees, loss of wages and other expenses once he is acquitted or the charge against him is dropped.
“Defendant Meade submits that his actions were necessary and reasonable and that he was in imminent danger at the time that he acted in self-defense to protect himself from an assault,” Allen wrote.
The trial is scheduled for April 9. Meade remains on paid administrative leave from the 200-officer department.
Investigators believe Meade opened fire after an intoxicated Meservey, 51, refused to obey the officer’s orders to get out of the car. Meade twice used an electric stun gun in an effort to subdue Meservey.
Meservey refused to get out of his car and drove his Chevrolet Corvette into a chain-link fence.
Meade fired his handgun eight times through the car’s back window.
Meservey was struck by seven bullets. He died in the parking lot of the restaurant.
A special team of homicide investigators re-created the shooting and interviewed dozens of people, including another Everett police officer who witnessed the shooting.
That officer told investigators that Meservey wasn’t obeying orders but didn’t pose an immediate lethal threat to Meade or anyone else. He said that immediately after the shooting, Meade said he believed their lives were in danger.
Officer Scott Morton's 'Horseplaying' Causes Accident
Clute Police Department Officer Scott Morton was driving at least 20 mph over the posted limit and getting right behind another Clute officer when he lost control of his car, skidded across three lanes and hit a guardrail, according to police.
A Department of Public Safety report released Friday states Morton, 41, was driving at least 70 mph in the center lane on Highway 288, also known as Highway 332. Morton was approaching Officer Tony Standley, who also was driving a patrol car in the center lane, at 2:47 a.m. Nov. 18.
Before the accident, Morton had been speeding up and getting close to Standley’s bumper before Standley would accelerate to get away, Clute Police Capt. Robin Carlton said.
Both officers were headed to Whataburger, where they were set to meet other officers for a meal. Carlton said the pair were “horseplaying” when the wreck occurred.
As Morton quickly approached again, Standley went to the left lane to get out of the way, Carlton said. Morton also went to the left lane and attempted to pass in the median, the report stated.
“He was closing that gap too quickly,” said DPS Trooper David Wyman, who investigated the wreck and submitted his report to Clute police.
Morton then overcorrected, went into a skid, hit the shoulder and flipped at least twice in the ditch, Wyman said. He was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car 40 to 50 feet.
Morton was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital from the scene with broken ankles, a broken pelvis, collapsed lung and slight bleeding in his brain. He is at home healing from the accident, and The Facts could not reach him for comment.
Morton still is using a wheelchair, but soon will start physical therapy so he can walk, Carlton said.
He will receive no traffic citation, Carlton said. The Department of Public Safety simply puts together the report, and it is Clute’s responsibility to take action, DPS Sgt. David Janak said.
“We will handle it in-house,” Clute Police Chief Mark Wicker said. “We won’t do anything until he’s well and back to 100 percent.”
Punishment options include a letter of reprimand or a few days off without pay, Carlton said.
Video footage and audio of calls to the Clute dispatcher indicate Standley immediately stopped and called for an ambulance. The Facts obtained the video through an open records request.
Standley also was speeding during the accident, Carlton said. Standley will receive no punishment, though it appears the wreck would not have occurred if he hadn’t switched lanes, Wicker said.
The Clute Police Department is investigating Standley’s role in the accident, Wicker said. However, it appears he wasn’t feeling well and simply was ready for his shift to end, he said.
Wicker said he hopes speeding is not common for officers because speeding and getting close to someone’s bumper are inappropriate, he said.
The patrol car Morton was driving, a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, was totaled, but it already was set to be replaced within the next few weeks, Wicker said. It would have been passed down to a school resource officer, he said.
The department has no plans to buy a new car to replace the vehicle, he said.
Morton worked for the Clute department for three years, then moved to the Richwood Police Department for a year before returning to Clute in June, Carlton said.
--------------------------
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3NMG831TcU
A Department of Public Safety report released Friday states Morton, 41, was driving at least 70 mph in the center lane on Highway 288, also known as Highway 332. Morton was approaching Officer Tony Standley, who also was driving a patrol car in the center lane, at 2:47 a.m. Nov. 18.
Before the accident, Morton had been speeding up and getting close to Standley’s bumper before Standley would accelerate to get away, Clute Police Capt. Robin Carlton said.
Both officers were headed to Whataburger, where they were set to meet other officers for a meal. Carlton said the pair were “horseplaying” when the wreck occurred.
As Morton quickly approached again, Standley went to the left lane to get out of the way, Carlton said. Morton also went to the left lane and attempted to pass in the median, the report stated.
“He was closing that gap too quickly,” said DPS Trooper David Wyman, who investigated the wreck and submitted his report to Clute police.
Morton then overcorrected, went into a skid, hit the shoulder and flipped at least twice in the ditch, Wyman said. He was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car 40 to 50 feet.
Morton was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital from the scene with broken ankles, a broken pelvis, collapsed lung and slight bleeding in his brain. He is at home healing from the accident, and The Facts could not reach him for comment.
Morton still is using a wheelchair, but soon will start physical therapy so he can walk, Carlton said.
He will receive no traffic citation, Carlton said. The Department of Public Safety simply puts together the report, and it is Clute’s responsibility to take action, DPS Sgt. David Janak said.
“We will handle it in-house,” Clute Police Chief Mark Wicker said. “We won’t do anything until he’s well and back to 100 percent.”
Punishment options include a letter of reprimand or a few days off without pay, Carlton said.
Video footage and audio of calls to the Clute dispatcher indicate Standley immediately stopped and called for an ambulance. The Facts obtained the video through an open records request.
Standley also was speeding during the accident, Carlton said. Standley will receive no punishment, though it appears the wreck would not have occurred if he hadn’t switched lanes, Wicker said.
The Clute Police Department is investigating Standley’s role in the accident, Wicker said. However, it appears he wasn’t feeling well and simply was ready for his shift to end, he said.
Wicker said he hopes speeding is not common for officers because speeding and getting close to someone’s bumper are inappropriate, he said.
The patrol car Morton was driving, a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, was totaled, but it already was set to be replaced within the next few weeks, Wicker said. It would have been passed down to a school resource officer, he said.
The department has no plans to buy a new car to replace the vehicle, he said.
Morton worked for the Clute department for three years, then moved to the Richwood Police Department for a year before returning to Clute in June, Carlton said.
--------------------------
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3NMG831TcU
Officer John Fulmer Accused to Stealing Gas
A Springfield police officer has been fired after being accused of charging the town for gasoline used in his personal vehicle.
Following an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, officer John "Johnny" S. Fulmer of Barnwell has been served with a warrant alleging official misconduct.
Town Councilman Eddie Lee said, "He has been terminated and that's due to the charges being placed against him." Council met on the issue Thursday night.
Lee said the charge, "Really surprised us. He'd been working for the town four or five years."
Fulmer is accused of pumping fuel into his personal vehicle at Kent's Korner #3 service station while serving in his official capacity as an employee of Springfield.
Between July and November 2009, he allegedly signed fuel tickets for $191 for his personal use and charged it to the town of Springfield.
The warrant is based on video recordings of Fulmer's transactions at the service station and on the defendant's time sheets, SLED said.
Lee said the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office and part-time officer Jim Evans will be filling in as much as possible.
"I have contacted the sheriff's office today and they said they'd do what they can as far as having someone around," Lee said.
The town also hopes for help from the S.C. Highway Patrol.
"They've been working this end of the county lately," Lee said.
Following an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, officer John "Johnny" S. Fulmer of Barnwell has been served with a warrant alleging official misconduct.
Town Councilman Eddie Lee said, "He has been terminated and that's due to the charges being placed against him." Council met on the issue Thursday night.
Lee said the charge, "Really surprised us. He'd been working for the town four or five years."
Fulmer is accused of pumping fuel into his personal vehicle at Kent's Korner #3 service station while serving in his official capacity as an employee of Springfield.
Between July and November 2009, he allegedly signed fuel tickets for $191 for his personal use and charged it to the town of Springfield.
The warrant is based on video recordings of Fulmer's transactions at the service station and on the defendant's time sheets, SLED said.
Lee said the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office and part-time officer Jim Evans will be filling in as much as possible.
"I have contacted the sheriff's office today and they said they'd do what they can as far as having someone around," Lee said.
The town also hopes for help from the S.C. Highway Patrol.
"They've been working this end of the county lately," Lee said.
Officer Jack Bosse Charged with Public Indecency
A veteran Columbus police officer was arrested Friday and charged with public indecency.
Jack L. Bosse, 63, a 38-year member of the division who works in the seizures and forfeitures department, was arrested in an East Side park, police spokeswoman Betty Schwab said. Police would not provide details of the incident yesterday.
Bosse's gun and badge were taken away, Schwab said. He will continue to work without police powers during an internal investigation.
Bosse was issued a summons and must appear in court within 10 days of the violation, Schwab said.
Jack L. Bosse, 63, a 38-year member of the division who works in the seizures and forfeitures department, was arrested in an East Side park, police spokeswoman Betty Schwab said. Police would not provide details of the incident yesterday.
Bosse's gun and badge were taken away, Schwab said. He will continue to work without police powers during an internal investigation.
Bosse was issued a summons and must appear in court within 10 days of the violation, Schwab said.
Officer Shawqi Ahmed Charged with Rape
A 29-year-old transit cop charged with raping an 18-year-old woman is scheduled to face a judge on Wednesday.
Shawqi Ahmed, an officer since January 2006, was arrested by the NYPD Friday. Ahmed allegedly met the woman at a Brooklyn club on Thanksgiving and raped her in an apartment later that night, according to published reports. The NYPD would not confirm the details of the incident yesterday.
“It’s particularly a travesty considering this was someone people depend on to keep them safe,” said Emily May of Holla Back, a Web site documenting harassment and sexual abuse in New York City.
The case will go to a grand jury at Kings County Criminal Court, a DA spokesman said.
----------------------------
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/cop_held_in_rape_of_teenager_dpo9bBuYvr9nhvnvBJFPvJ
Shawqi Ahmed, an officer since January 2006, was arrested by the NYPD Friday. Ahmed allegedly met the woman at a Brooklyn club on Thanksgiving and raped her in an apartment later that night, according to published reports. The NYPD would not confirm the details of the incident yesterday.
“It’s particularly a travesty considering this was someone people depend on to keep them safe,” said Emily May of Holla Back, a Web site documenting harassment and sexual abuse in New York City.
The case will go to a grand jury at Kings County Criminal Court, a DA spokesman said.
----------------------------
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/cop_held_in_rape_of_teenager_dpo9bBuYvr9nhvnvBJFPvJ
Cpl Robert Grimsley Accused of Violating Restraining Order
A Dillon County sheriff’s deputy facing a criminal domestic violence charge is accused of violating a restraining order the alleged victim filed against him.
According to an arrest warrant with a State Law Enforcement Division press release issued Friday, Cpl. Robert Paul Grimsley violated the “terms and conditions of an order of protection issued under the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act” on Thursday.
A report released Nov. 20 by Dillon County Sheriff Major Hulon shows Grimsley, 38, was initially charged in connection with an incident that happened Nov. 18.
Deputies said when they responded to the call in Latta, the victim, identified as Grimsley’s live-in girlfriend, had a bruise on her right leg, the side of her neck and the back of her neck.
She told deputies the physical abuse stemmed from a series of arguments the two had that week, according to the report. She also said the suspect has been physically abusing her for more than a year.
According to the report, some deputies asked the victim to report prior incidents, but she said she didn’t want to because she “did not want to get the suspect in trouble.”
Grimsley was booked at the Dillon County Detention Center on Nov. 19 and released the same day on a $2,100 personal recognizance bond.
Hulon said Grimsley remained on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Former Officer Gregory Perkins Charged with Sex Crimes Against Minors
A former Durham police officer is charged with sex crimes against a minor.
The Apex Police Department arrested 40-year-old Gregory A. Perkins for seven felony counts of sex related crimes Friday.
Perkins has been charged with two counts of first degree forcible sexual offense, two counts of statutory sex offense against a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, first degree statutory rape, statutory rape of a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, and other charges.
Further details about the incidents have not been released.
According to police, Perkins is being held on a $1 million bond.
---------------------------------
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6553843/
The Apex Police Department arrested 40-year-old Gregory A. Perkins for seven felony counts of sex related crimes Friday.
Perkins has been charged with two counts of first degree forcible sexual offense, two counts of statutory sex offense against a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, first degree statutory rape, statutory rape of a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, and other charges.
Further details about the incidents have not been released.
According to police, Perkins is being held on a $1 million bond.
---------------------------------
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6553843/
Officer Jack Bosse Arrested for Public Indecency
A police officer was arrested Friday and charged with public indecency.
Jack Bosse, a 38-year member of the Columbus Division of police, works in the seizures and forfeitures department.
Bosse was arrested in an east side park, police said.
Police said Bosse's gun and badge were taken away but he will continue to work without police powers while an internal investigation is conducted.
Jack Bosse, a 38-year member of the Columbus Division of police, works in the seizures and forfeitures department.
Bosse was arrested in an east side park, police said.
Police said Bosse's gun and badge were taken away but he will continue to work without police powers while an internal investigation is conducted.
Officers Caught on Tape Beating Man
A surveillance videotape showing an unarmed and apparently handcuffed man kicked and then beaten over the head several times with a flashlight by the police was made public by his lawyer on Friday.
The video, from the night of Oct. 20, was released on the day that the man, Luis Mendonca, 20, of Pawtucket, was sentenced in District Court, Providence, for assaulting two Rhode Island School of Design police officers in connection with that incident.
The grainy, black-and-white video shows a group of police officers struggling with Mendonca in a parking lot off Benefit Street on the city’s East Side while he is lying on the ground near a parked car.
It shows the officers dragging Mendonca from under the car and into the center of the parking lot, after he has apparently been restrained. The video then shows another police officer entering the fray, kicking Mendonca and following up with a number of blows to the victim’s head with what his lawyer says is a flashlight.
The video, which has no sound, ends with a visibly limp Mendonca being dragged by police officers up a flight of stairs leading to Benefit Street.
Mendonca’s attorney, Alberto Aponte Cardona, of Central Falls, says that following the beating, his client was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, required 12 staples to close a gash in the back of his head and was in a coma for nearly three days.
Cardona says that the officer shown repeatedly striking Mendonca is Detective Robert R. DeCarlo, a 15-year veteran who has received at least two awards for his police work, according to Journal archives.
“It is obvious from this video that that officer needs to go. He’s not fit to wear the badge. Officers need to be prosecuted,” he said.
Police Chief Dean Esserman says the department’s Internal Affairs Division has been investigating the incident, but he would not confirm whether DeCarlo was involved. The officer that is the focus of the investigation currently remains on duty, he said.
Esserman has also asked the attorney general’s office to open an investigation. Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the office, says an investigation is ongoing.
“The department takes the matter very seriously,” Esserman said. “We are looking into everything … One officer is under investigation, but the entire incident is being looked at as well.”
During the court hearing on Friday, Cardona tried to submit the surveillance video as evidence that Mendonca had not resisted arrest, as the police alleged. Mendonca had been charged by Providence police with two counts of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest.
But District Court Judge Elaine T. Bucci said that the video was inadmissible since the attorney general’s office had withdrawn the charge of resisting arrest.
“They dropped the resisting arrest charge so that this video does not come out,” said Cardona.
Cardona released the video to the media on Friday after having made it available to Channel 12 at least a day earlier. The videotape came from a surveillance camera on an apartment building at 306 Benefit St., and was focused on the parking lot where the beating took place.
Esserman says that the department’s internal affairs division obtained the video from the building’s owner and launched an investigation into the incident soon after it happened. Investigators questioned the witnesses and officers at the scene and also contacted Mendonca, who subsequently filed a formal complaint with the internal affairs division.
Cardona received a copy of the video as part of the court’s discovery process.
Judge Bucci found Mendonca guilty of violating the terms of his probation on previous charges and sentenced him to 90 days in the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
Upon completion of his prison term, Mendonca must also serve one year of probation and a one-year suspended sentence on each of the two charges of simple assault. Cardona says his client will appeal the sentence in Superior Court.
Mendonca still suffers blurred vision, headaches and vomiting from his injuries and needs to receive the proper medical treatment while he serves out his prison term, said Cardona.
“My client is a good kid. He worked for the City of Central Falls. He volunteers with youths,” says Cardona, an assistant city solicitor in Central Falls. “He’s had his transgressions, but none violent.”
Friday’s court proceedings shed some light into the events that precipitated Mendonca’s beating.
At about 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 20, Mendonca had been stopped by RISD police near Hemenway’s Restaurant on South Main Street, following a report of an attempted trespass at the RISD dorm at 15 Westminster St.
RISD officer Justin Wall testified that he had stopped Mendonca and was searching him when Mendonca “attempted to pull away,” striking the officer in the ribs with his elbow. Wall then put Mendonca in restraints.
When RISD Sgt. William LaPierre arrived, Mendonca identified himself as “Cory Garabedien,” but could not spell the name or produce any identification.
Still, the officers uncuffed Mendonca and said he was “free to go,” according to both officer’s testimony. But with Providence police on their way, the RISD officers say that Mendonca offered to show an ID.
Instead, LaPierre says Mendonca made a “lunging move,” struck the officer in the chest, and pushed LaPierre’s arm out of the way as he fled down South Main Street. Mendonca ran up a long flight of stairs behind the state attorney general’s office that led to the rear of an apartment complex on Benefit Street.
While the officer’s testimony on Friday ended there, the video released by Mendonca’s attorney shows what happened next.
After trying to hide under parked cars, the video shows that at about 7:41 p.m., Mendonca was seized by a group of at least eight police officers — mostly Providence police, but also one RISD officer –– and was beaten while “clearly” restrained, says Cardona.
“We want all of those police officers held accountable,” said Cardona. “Not one of those officers comes to this poor guy’s aid. They knew that this guy was defenseless.”
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Video:
http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2009/12/04/rhode-island-police-officer-caught-on-camera-kicking-suspect/
The video, from the night of Oct. 20, was released on the day that the man, Luis Mendonca, 20, of Pawtucket, was sentenced in District Court, Providence, for assaulting two Rhode Island School of Design police officers in connection with that incident.
The grainy, black-and-white video shows a group of police officers struggling with Mendonca in a parking lot off Benefit Street on the city’s East Side while he is lying on the ground near a parked car.
It shows the officers dragging Mendonca from under the car and into the center of the parking lot, after he has apparently been restrained. The video then shows another police officer entering the fray, kicking Mendonca and following up with a number of blows to the victim’s head with what his lawyer says is a flashlight.
The video, which has no sound, ends with a visibly limp Mendonca being dragged by police officers up a flight of stairs leading to Benefit Street.
Mendonca’s attorney, Alberto Aponte Cardona, of Central Falls, says that following the beating, his client was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, required 12 staples to close a gash in the back of his head and was in a coma for nearly three days.
Cardona says that the officer shown repeatedly striking Mendonca is Detective Robert R. DeCarlo, a 15-year veteran who has received at least two awards for his police work, according to Journal archives.
“It is obvious from this video that that officer needs to go. He’s not fit to wear the badge. Officers need to be prosecuted,” he said.
Police Chief Dean Esserman says the department’s Internal Affairs Division has been investigating the incident, but he would not confirm whether DeCarlo was involved. The officer that is the focus of the investigation currently remains on duty, he said.
Esserman has also asked the attorney general’s office to open an investigation. Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the office, says an investigation is ongoing.
“The department takes the matter very seriously,” Esserman said. “We are looking into everything … One officer is under investigation, but the entire incident is being looked at as well.”
During the court hearing on Friday, Cardona tried to submit the surveillance video as evidence that Mendonca had not resisted arrest, as the police alleged. Mendonca had been charged by Providence police with two counts of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest.
But District Court Judge Elaine T. Bucci said that the video was inadmissible since the attorney general’s office had withdrawn the charge of resisting arrest.
“They dropped the resisting arrest charge so that this video does not come out,” said Cardona.
Cardona released the video to the media on Friday after having made it available to Channel 12 at least a day earlier. The videotape came from a surveillance camera on an apartment building at 306 Benefit St., and was focused on the parking lot where the beating took place.
Esserman says that the department’s internal affairs division obtained the video from the building’s owner and launched an investigation into the incident soon after it happened. Investigators questioned the witnesses and officers at the scene and also contacted Mendonca, who subsequently filed a formal complaint with the internal affairs division.
Cardona received a copy of the video as part of the court’s discovery process.
Judge Bucci found Mendonca guilty of violating the terms of his probation on previous charges and sentenced him to 90 days in the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
Upon completion of his prison term, Mendonca must also serve one year of probation and a one-year suspended sentence on each of the two charges of simple assault. Cardona says his client will appeal the sentence in Superior Court.
Mendonca still suffers blurred vision, headaches and vomiting from his injuries and needs to receive the proper medical treatment while he serves out his prison term, said Cardona.
“My client is a good kid. He worked for the City of Central Falls. He volunteers with youths,” says Cardona, an assistant city solicitor in Central Falls. “He’s had his transgressions, but none violent.”
Friday’s court proceedings shed some light into the events that precipitated Mendonca’s beating.
At about 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 20, Mendonca had been stopped by RISD police near Hemenway’s Restaurant on South Main Street, following a report of an attempted trespass at the RISD dorm at 15 Westminster St.
RISD officer Justin Wall testified that he had stopped Mendonca and was searching him when Mendonca “attempted to pull away,” striking the officer in the ribs with his elbow. Wall then put Mendonca in restraints.
When RISD Sgt. William LaPierre arrived, Mendonca identified himself as “Cory Garabedien,” but could not spell the name or produce any identification.
Still, the officers uncuffed Mendonca and said he was “free to go,” according to both officer’s testimony. But with Providence police on their way, the RISD officers say that Mendonca offered to show an ID.
Instead, LaPierre says Mendonca made a “lunging move,” struck the officer in the chest, and pushed LaPierre’s arm out of the way as he fled down South Main Street. Mendonca ran up a long flight of stairs behind the state attorney general’s office that led to the rear of an apartment complex on Benefit Street.
While the officer’s testimony on Friday ended there, the video released by Mendonca’s attorney shows what happened next.
After trying to hide under parked cars, the video shows that at about 7:41 p.m., Mendonca was seized by a group of at least eight police officers — mostly Providence police, but also one RISD officer –– and was beaten while “clearly” restrained, says Cardona.
“We want all of those police officers held accountable,” said Cardona. “Not one of those officers comes to this poor guy’s aid. They knew that this guy was defenseless.”
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Video:
http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2009/12/04/rhode-island-police-officer-caught-on-camera-kicking-suspect/
Detective James O'Connell Arrested for Drunk Driving
An off-duty New York City police detective has been arrested on a charge of drunken driving.
Police said Detective James O'Connell was arrested early Friday in Queens and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, a police union, was out of town and unavailable for comment.
O'Connell is at least the third off-duty NYPD officer arrested on DWI and other charges since September.
On Wednesday, Officer Kevin Spellman pleaded not guilty to charges of fatally hitting a 70-year-old woman while driving drunk in the Bronx.
Officer Andrew Kelly has pleaded not guilty to DWI and vehicular manslaughter in the September death of a woman in Brooklyn.
Both officers have been suspended.
Police said Detective James O'Connell was arrested early Friday in Queens and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, a police union, was out of town and unavailable for comment.
O'Connell is at least the third off-duty NYPD officer arrested on DWI and other charges since September.
On Wednesday, Officer Kevin Spellman pleaded not guilty to charges of fatally hitting a 70-year-old woman while driving drunk in the Bronx.
Officer Andrew Kelly has pleaded not guilty to DWI and vehicular manslaughter in the September death of a woman in Brooklyn.
Both officers have been suspended.
Officer Juan Acosta Accused of Using Badge to Help Drug Dealer
A New York City police officer has been accused of using his badge to help a friend run a cocaine-distribution operation, providing tips on which streets were lightly patrolled by officers and stealing cash from a rival drug courier in the guise of a police seizure, officials said Friday.
The officer, Juan Acosta, joined the Police Department in 2000 and had been assigned to the 43rd Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx until his arrest Thursday. He has resigned from the force, the police said.
Since at least 2005, Officer Acosta served as a kind of enforcer for his friend, Yorick Rafael Corneil-Perez, as they and others worked to distribute “multiple kilograms of cocaine” in and around the city, according to the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.
The men, both 34 and from the Bronx, have been charged with participating in a cocaine-distribution conspiracy and with conspiring to commit extortion in connection with Officer Acosta’s improper use of his authority, a statement from the office said.
According to an indictment in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Officer Acosta used a police car in mid-2005 “to rob a drug courier of several hundred thousand dollars in cash derived from a drug deal” that involved Mr. Corniel-Perez. It was a ruse to make it look as if law enforcement authorities had seized the money, but Mr. Acosta and Mr. Corniel-Perez “took the cash,” the court papers said.
In October, the court papers said, the officer, “a k a Tino,” and Mr. Corneil-Perez, also known as Rafi, “agreed to provide protection for a 10-kilogram shipment of cocaine” in a Queens meeting with someone posing as a narcotics trafficker from Colombia who was actually working as a confidential government informant. They discussed how Officer Acosta could help ensure the safe transfer of drugs from a Long Island warehouse to the Bronx.
At a meeting, on Nov. 10, Officer Acosta showed handwritten notes identifying the “police precincts in the vicinity of the Long Island warehouse and the local routes that would be less likely to be patrolled by police during transportation of the narcotics to the Bronx,” the papers said.
Two days later, the officer drove to the warehouse in a rental car and picked up a duffel bag filled with fake narcotics from a second confidential informant, the papers said. When he got back to the Bronx, he was paid $15,000 for the job, they said.
Mr. Acosta was held without bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment on Friday before Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox.
Mr. Corneil-Perez was held without bail after his arraignment on Thursday.
The officer, Juan Acosta, joined the Police Department in 2000 and had been assigned to the 43rd Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx until his arrest Thursday. He has resigned from the force, the police said.
Since at least 2005, Officer Acosta served as a kind of enforcer for his friend, Yorick Rafael Corneil-Perez, as they and others worked to distribute “multiple kilograms of cocaine” in and around the city, according to the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.
The men, both 34 and from the Bronx, have been charged with participating in a cocaine-distribution conspiracy and with conspiring to commit extortion in connection with Officer Acosta’s improper use of his authority, a statement from the office said.
According to an indictment in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Officer Acosta used a police car in mid-2005 “to rob a drug courier of several hundred thousand dollars in cash derived from a drug deal” that involved Mr. Corniel-Perez. It was a ruse to make it look as if law enforcement authorities had seized the money, but Mr. Acosta and Mr. Corniel-Perez “took the cash,” the court papers said.
In October, the court papers said, the officer, “a k a Tino,” and Mr. Corneil-Perez, also known as Rafi, “agreed to provide protection for a 10-kilogram shipment of cocaine” in a Queens meeting with someone posing as a narcotics trafficker from Colombia who was actually working as a confidential government informant. They discussed how Officer Acosta could help ensure the safe transfer of drugs from a Long Island warehouse to the Bronx.
At a meeting, on Nov. 10, Officer Acosta showed handwritten notes identifying the “police precincts in the vicinity of the Long Island warehouse and the local routes that would be less likely to be patrolled by police during transportation of the narcotics to the Bronx,” the papers said.
Two days later, the officer drove to the warehouse in a rental car and picked up a duffel bag filled with fake narcotics from a second confidential informant, the papers said. When he got back to the Bronx, he was paid $15,000 for the job, they said.
Mr. Acosta was held without bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment on Friday before Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox.
Mr. Corneil-Perez was held without bail after his arraignment on Thursday.
Two Narcotics Officers Arrested for Harassment
Two Wayne County Sheriff’s Narcotics officers were arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance in Newark.
The two, Sgt. Joseph Ayotte, an 11-year deputy, and Sgt. Jonathan Hall, an 8-year deputy allegedly went to an apartment on a personal matter while on duty and harassed the occupant until another resident called 911.
They were both arrested for criminal trespass and harassment. They were arraigned and released on their own recognizance.
The deputies also face departmental charges, and were suspended without pay until the both criminal and departmental charges are resolved. They could face termination.
The two, Sgt. Joseph Ayotte, an 11-year deputy, and Sgt. Jonathan Hall, an 8-year deputy allegedly went to an apartment on a personal matter while on duty and harassed the occupant until another resident called 911.
They were both arrested for criminal trespass and harassment. They were arraigned and released on their own recognizance.
The deputies also face departmental charges, and were suspended without pay until the both criminal and departmental charges are resolved. They could face termination.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Officer Ted Anderson Arrested for Drunk Driving
Officer Ted Anderson was fired after what police said was a "difficult but necessary" decision.
Anderson was arrested just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 24 for allegedly failing to keep his car in a single lane.
Anderson was off duty and driving his own personal car when he was pulled over at the intersection of North Eighth Street and North Boulevard.
Police Chief Ken Burton issued a statement saying the termination was necessary as a result of the arrest and from issues surrounding the arrest. Also that it was in the best interest of the entire Columbia Police Department.
Anderson was an 18-year veteran of the force.
Deputy Police Chief Tom Dresner failed to return our phone calls asking about the issues surrounding the incident. Anderson's lawyer issued a statement of "no comment."
_______________________
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=386132
Anderson was arrested just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 24 for allegedly failing to keep his car in a single lane.
Anderson was off duty and driving his own personal car when he was pulled over at the intersection of North Eighth Street and North Boulevard.
Police Chief Ken Burton issued a statement saying the termination was necessary as a result of the arrest and from issues surrounding the arrest. Also that it was in the best interest of the entire Columbia Police Department.
Anderson was an 18-year veteran of the force.
Deputy Police Chief Tom Dresner failed to return our phone calls asking about the issues surrounding the incident. Anderson's lawyer issued a statement of "no comment."
_______________________
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=386132
Officer John Fulmer Charged with Stealing Gas
A police officer in the Orangeburg County town of Springfield, 51-year-old John Fulmer, is charged with official misconduct and petit larceny.
Fulmer's charges were announced late Friday.
An arrest warrant against Fulmer says that between July 2009 and November of 2009, Fulmer went to the Kent's Korner #3 gas station in Springfield. The warrant goes on to state that he took gas intended for Town of Springfield vehicles and pumped it into his personal vehicle while in his official capacity with the city.
In all, the warrant says Fulmer signed $191 worth of fuel tickets that he converted for his own use.
According to State Law Enforcement Division agents, there are video recordings of his transactions at the gas station and employee timesheets that back up their allegations.
Fulmer's charges were announced late Friday.
An arrest warrant against Fulmer says that between July 2009 and November of 2009, Fulmer went to the Kent's Korner #3 gas station in Springfield. The warrant goes on to state that he took gas intended for Town of Springfield vehicles and pumped it into his personal vehicle while in his official capacity with the city.
In all, the warrant says Fulmer signed $191 worth of fuel tickets that he converted for his own use.
According to State Law Enforcement Division agents, there are video recordings of his transactions at the gas station and employee timesheets that back up their allegations.
Hearing Set for Officer Justin Barrett Accused of Calling Professor "Banana-eating Jungle Monkey"
It has been four months since Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston said, “He’s gone - G-O-N-E.’’
At the time, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis vowed that there would be a termination hearing in seven to 10 days.
But four months later, Officer Justin Barrett, who was accused of writing an e-mail that called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. a “banana-eating jungle monkey,’’ remains on administrative leave and is still collecting his $70,500 salary.
Yesterday, three days after the Globe began asking about Barrett’s status, police scheduled the hearing for Jan. 6. They planned to serve Barrett notice of the hearing at his Hyde Park Home yesterday, according to police.
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the timing was coincidental. The date was decided two days after the internal affairs investigation results were presented to the department’s lawyers and the hearing officer, Deputy Superintendent Norman Hill. According to Davis, Driscoll had been pushing for a hearing date for the past two weeks.
Barrett, who has sued the department and city contending that his civil and due process rights were violated, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Peter T. Marano, could not be reached. A phone listed at his Boston office rang with no reply.
Barrett sent an e-mail in July responding to a Globe column by Yvonne Abraham about the controversial arrest of Gates.
In the e-mail, Barrett said that Gates, who is African-American, had behaved like a “banana-eating jungle monkey’’ when Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley responded to his home for a report of a break-in. Gates was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, a charge that was quickly dropped.
The Rev. Dale Robinson, a Dorchester minister, was at a press conference in August at police headquarters in Roxbury when Davis announced that Barrett would be fired following a hearing. Such action was necessary, Robinson said, in order to maintain the fragile trust between police and the city’s minority residents.
“I would like to see fairness done to the community,’’ said Robinson. “It would be hard for the community to swallow . . . if they did not carry out or go forward with what they stated they would do.’’
Davis said yesterday that he does worry about the effect the delay could have on the sometimes rocky relationship between the police and the city’s minority neighborhoods.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “The trust with the community is paramount and what we’re trying to do here is to do this right.’’
Davis said he has not changed his mind about seeking termination for Barrett, who has not previously been disciplined during his two years at the department.
“There is nothing that I’ve seen that would change any statement that I made before on it,’’ he said.
Davis said he wanted to move forward immediately with a termination hearing, but delayed at the advice of department lawyers, who said rushing the case could help Barrett if there was an appeal.
“I’m frustrated by the process,’’ Davis said. “As egregious as this conduct is and as upset as everyone was about it, we want to make sure that [the hearing] is done properly and that it holds up in appeals.’’
Larry Ellison, a Boston detective and president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, said he understands why it has taken a long time to schedule a hearing for Barrett, who was a patrolman in the Mattapan district.
“They would have given him a better case if they had terminated him without giving him the due process he’s entitled to,’’ Ellison said.
But he said city officials should have been more careful in August when they announced they wanted Barrett fired immediately.
“You can’t come through; people are skeptical when you say you’re going to do something,’’ Ellison said.
At the time, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis vowed that there would be a termination hearing in seven to 10 days.
But four months later, Officer Justin Barrett, who was accused of writing an e-mail that called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. a “banana-eating jungle monkey,’’ remains on administrative leave and is still collecting his $70,500 salary.
Yesterday, three days after the Globe began asking about Barrett’s status, police scheduled the hearing for Jan. 6. They planned to serve Barrett notice of the hearing at his Hyde Park Home yesterday, according to police.
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the timing was coincidental. The date was decided two days after the internal affairs investigation results were presented to the department’s lawyers and the hearing officer, Deputy Superintendent Norman Hill. According to Davis, Driscoll had been pushing for a hearing date for the past two weeks.
Barrett, who has sued the department and city contending that his civil and due process rights were violated, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Peter T. Marano, could not be reached. A phone listed at his Boston office rang with no reply.
Barrett sent an e-mail in July responding to a Globe column by Yvonne Abraham about the controversial arrest of Gates.
In the e-mail, Barrett said that Gates, who is African-American, had behaved like a “banana-eating jungle monkey’’ when Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley responded to his home for a report of a break-in. Gates was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, a charge that was quickly dropped.
The Rev. Dale Robinson, a Dorchester minister, was at a press conference in August at police headquarters in Roxbury when Davis announced that Barrett would be fired following a hearing. Such action was necessary, Robinson said, in order to maintain the fragile trust between police and the city’s minority residents.
“I would like to see fairness done to the community,’’ said Robinson. “It would be hard for the community to swallow . . . if they did not carry out or go forward with what they stated they would do.’’
Davis said yesterday that he does worry about the effect the delay could have on the sometimes rocky relationship between the police and the city’s minority neighborhoods.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “The trust with the community is paramount and what we’re trying to do here is to do this right.’’
Davis said he has not changed his mind about seeking termination for Barrett, who has not previously been disciplined during his two years at the department.
“There is nothing that I’ve seen that would change any statement that I made before on it,’’ he said.
Davis said he wanted to move forward immediately with a termination hearing, but delayed at the advice of department lawyers, who said rushing the case could help Barrett if there was an appeal.
“I’m frustrated by the process,’’ Davis said. “As egregious as this conduct is and as upset as everyone was about it, we want to make sure that [the hearing] is done properly and that it holds up in appeals.’’
Larry Ellison, a Boston detective and president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, said he understands why it has taken a long time to schedule a hearing for Barrett, who was a patrolman in the Mattapan district.
“They would have given him a better case if they had terminated him without giving him the due process he’s entitled to,’’ Ellison said.
But he said city officials should have been more careful in August when they announced they wanted Barrett fired immediately.
“You can’t come through; people are skeptical when you say you’re going to do something,’’ Ellison said.
Former Deputy Jack Allen Roberts Sentenced for Stalking
A former Tehama County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced today to more than three years in prison for relentlessly stalking and physically assaulting a Redding woman.
Jack Allen Roberts, 34, of Redding was sentenced by Superior Court Judge James Ruggiero to three years, eight months in prison. He must serve 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Roberts was arrested in April after Redding police placed a tracker on his vehicle to follow his movements in the weeks before his arrest, prosecutors said.
That tracker placed Roberts in the parking lot of the woman’s workplace at the time when gasoline was poured on her vehicle, prosecutors said.
He was later arrested by police outside the woman’s home around 4 a.m., dressed all in black, prosecutors said.
At the time of his April arrest, he had with him a black face mask, binoculars, paint stripper, weed and root killer, a container filled with BBs, sling shot, glass cutter and other items that police and prosecutors believe may have been used in previous vandalism.
Roberts pleaded guilty in July to stalking, battery and related charges.
Prosecutors said that Roberts stalked the woman for about a year, sending anonymous letters to her, making threats and harassing telephone calls, followed her and vandalized her home and vehicle.
He resigned from the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office last year after he had fired a handgun inside his then Cottonwood residence, a law enforcement investigative report says.
According to the criminal complaint, the stalking began around April 2008 and, despite restraining orders issued against him, continued for about a year.
Although Shasta County probation officials recommended that Roberts be granted probation, Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett, who prosecuted Roberts, has said that officials with the state Department of Corrections evaluated him after he pleaded guilty to the charges and determined that he was not a good candidate for probation.
He faced a maximum of five years, four months in prison.
Roberts was charged with 13 felony counts, including stalking, first-degree residential burglary, vandalism, possession of flammable material for malicious use, corporal injury and battery.
In the police report, Robert was described by some witnesses as a “loose cannon,” and had a long relationship with the Redding woman.
But, it said, she learned about three years ago that he was having an affair with a co-worker while he was working as a Tehama County sheriff’s deputy.
Attempts to save the relationship failed and she eventually met another man, the report noted.
She told Redding police investigators in March that she was reluctant to move forward with the case because Roberts had been trying to get a job with a private contracting company to go to work in Iraq and work as an independent contractor.
“Victim stated if she went forward with this case, it may hinder his ability to get that job and he would remain here in Shasta County and continue to be a problem to her,” the Redding Police Department report says.
She said that she was also afraid of him, noting that he can have a violent temper, and feared what he might do to her and her boyfriend, it said.
She later changed her mind, it said, when she found one of her vehicles vandalized and believed he was the one responsible for it.
According to the report, which described a number of instances of physical and emotional abuse, the woman said that he once pushed her against a wall, placed his hands around her neck and began to choke her until her son intervened.
She said that he also, among other things, once pushed her down and slammed her head against the ground, the police report said.
Alabama Officer Arrested for Aiding His Brother
The Birmingham News is reporting that a Trussville, Alabama, police officer was arrested for aiding his brother, who is suspected of fatally shooting a Pelham police officer during a late night traffic stop on I-65. The suspect and brother were arrested together by the Hoover Police Department.
The Birmingham News reports that the suspect was observed by a homeowner attempting to break into a vehicle, and was then picked up a short time later by a man in a pickup truck.
The homeowner gave a description of the truck to local police who stopped it and arrested the two a short time later. Both men were being booked into the Shelby County Jail.
The name of the Pelham officer who was fatally shot is being withheld pending notification of all family members.
The Birmingham News reports that the suspect was observed by a homeowner attempting to break into a vehicle, and was then picked up a short time later by a man in a pickup truck.
The homeowner gave a description of the truck to local police who stopped it and arrested the two a short time later. Both men were being booked into the Shelby County Jail.
The name of the Pelham officer who was fatally shot is being withheld pending notification of all family members.
Deputy Albert Surratt III Charged with Manufacturing Meth
A Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested in the Pageland area and taken into custody Thursday on drug related charges.
Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker said Deputy Albert Eugene Surratt, III (Brent), 28, of 1469 Hillian Edward Road, Cheraw, was charged and taken into custody for alleged conspiracy to manufacturing meth and for possession of a firearm during a drug crime.
Surratt is a 1999 graduate from West-Oak High School in Westminster, S.C. He was also a former employee of the Cheraw Police Department before being hired with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office on June 8.
“This is a shock to all of us and it is a sad situation because he always seemed to be a good guy,” said Cheraw Police Chief Jay Brooks.
Parker echoed some of the same comments.
“It is hard to believe that this happened with Brent. It is a terrible shock and very disappointing because Brent is a good person. However, we are going to try to help him get the help he needs in order to get his life back on track. It goes to show you that bad things happen to good people.”
Parker added that the case is an ongoing investigation and other arrests would result and surface as the investigation progresses.
“The Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, State and Federal Agencies as well as the DEA, are all involved in this investigation,” Parker said.
Officer Daniel Gent Charged with Using Excessive Force
A former Culpeper County deputy is scheduled to appear in court next week to answer charges that he used excessive force at the county jail.
Sheriff Jim Branch says 44-year-old Daniel T. Gent of Orange County was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault and battery. Gent was released on a uniform summons.
Gent is accused of using excessive force while escorting a male inmate from one room to another on Nov. 21.
Public information officer Corey Byers says the inmate complained of a sore neck but refused to go to a hospital.
Branch says Gent is no longer employed by the sheriff's office. The sheriff wouldn't provide details, saying it was a personnel matter.
Gent's first court appearance is set for Dec. 9.
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Information from: The Free Lance-Star, http://www.fredericksburg.com/
Sheriff Jim Branch says 44-year-old Daniel T. Gent of Orange County was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault and battery. Gent was released on a uniform summons.
Gent is accused of using excessive force while escorting a male inmate from one room to another on Nov. 21.
Public information officer Corey Byers says the inmate complained of a sore neck but refused to go to a hospital.
Branch says Gent is no longer employed by the sheriff's office. The sheriff wouldn't provide details, saying it was a personnel matter.
Gent's first court appearance is set for Dec. 9.
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Information from: The Free Lance-Star, http://www.fredericksburg.com/
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Former Officer Jeffery Garcia Guilty of Rape
A former Alexander police officer has been convicted of rape and sexual abuse of three children.
A Saline County jury deliberated just 15 minutes before finding Jeffrey Garcia guilty of two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault. Garcia was sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison.
The now 12, 13 and 14-year-old testified they were sexually molested and beaten.
Garcia did not testify but in a tape recorded interview with Benton police that was played for the jury he denied abusing the children.
Garcia resigned from the Alexander police force while in jail in the case.
A Saline County jury deliberated just 15 minutes before finding Jeffrey Garcia guilty of two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault. Garcia was sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison.
The now 12, 13 and 14-year-old testified they were sexually molested and beaten.
Garcia did not testify but in a tape recorded interview with Benton police that was played for the jury he denied abusing the children.
Garcia resigned from the Alexander police force while in jail in the case.
Officer Donald Prine Charged with Domestic Battery
A Rockford police officer is on paid administrative leave after his arrest on an aggravated domestic battery charge.
Donald Prine, 43, a 19-year-veteran of the force, turned himself in to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department on Monday after a domestic battery warrant was issued for his arrest.
Winnebago County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Dominic Iasparro said officers were called to Prine’s home Nov. 26 in reference to a domestic battery complaint. He said Prine was not arrested at the scene but deputies took down information and reviewed that information with the state’s attorney’s office.
A warrant was issued Monday for Prine’s arrest, and he turned himself in to the sheriff’s department.
Iasparro said the alleged victim was an adult female, but would not elaborate on the woman’s relationship to Prine.
“There were no injuries that required hospitalization,” Iasparro said.
According to a city of Rockford news release, Prine was off duty at the time of the alleged battery. He will remain on leave “pending the administrative and criminal review of the incident.”
Donald Prine, 43, a 19-year-veteran of the force, turned himself in to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department on Monday after a domestic battery warrant was issued for his arrest.
Winnebago County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Dominic Iasparro said officers were called to Prine’s home Nov. 26 in reference to a domestic battery complaint. He said Prine was not arrested at the scene but deputies took down information and reviewed that information with the state’s attorney’s office.
A warrant was issued Monday for Prine’s arrest, and he turned himself in to the sheriff’s department.
Iasparro said the alleged victim was an adult female, but would not elaborate on the woman’s relationship to Prine.
“There were no injuries that required hospitalization,” Iasparro said.
According to a city of Rockford news release, Prine was off duty at the time of the alleged battery. He will remain on leave “pending the administrative and criminal review of the incident.”
Former Officer Jamie Sanchez Arrested for Assaulting Girlfriend
Jamie Sanchez, 33, is accused of assaulting his 24-year-old girlfriend.
Oklahoma City police say when Sanchez's girlfriend tried to break up with him he threw her to the ground and handcuffed one of her wrists.
Police said he also followed her vehicle in his police car with lights and sirens blaring as she drove to an Oklahoma City police station to file a report.
"She did the right thing," Sgt. Gary Knight said. "She did not try to fight back she tried to get away from him ultimately she drove to a police station when she felt she was in danger."
The Valley Brook police chief said Sanchez resigned after he was released from jail.
Officer Brad Ahrensfield Charged with Making False Statements
A federal grand jury has charged an Albuquerque police officer with obstruction of justice for warning a business owner about a drug trafficking investigation.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque said Thursday that Brad Ahrensfield also is charged with making a false statement to federal agents.
The indictment accuses Ahrensfield of telling the owner of an Albuquerque business called Car Shop about a joint state and federal drug trafficking investigation in September.
The Attorney's Office says when federal investigators confronted Ahrensfield about the leak, he lied about what he knew of the investigation and to whom he had given the information.
Ahrensfield faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of both charges.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque said Thursday that Brad Ahrensfield also is charged with making a false statement to federal agents.
The indictment accuses Ahrensfield of telling the owner of an Albuquerque business called Car Shop about a joint state and federal drug trafficking investigation in September.
The Attorney's Office says when federal investigators confronted Ahrensfield about the leak, he lied about what he knew of the investigation and to whom he had given the information.
Ahrensfield faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of both charges.
Former Officer Keenan Colson Sentenced to Two Years
A former Lake Wales police officer was sentenced to two years in state prison Thursday on charges that he used police equipment to aid a member of a drug operation, including exposing the identity of an undercover sheriff's deputy.
Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen said it pained him to sentence Keenan Colson but said Colson should be held to a higher standard as a law enforcement officer.
"If I can't believe in law enforcement officers the whole system falls apart," Jacobsen said at the conclusion of a nearly three-hour hearing Thursday. He released Colson on the condition that he turn himself in by Dec. 30.
Colson, 51, was arrested last year as part of an eight-month, multi-agency investigation that included using wire taps to uncover an alleged drug operation in Haines City. The investigation revealed marijuana grow locations, and detectives seized about 20 pounds of marijuana and more than 160 marijuana plants, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Colson pleaded no contest to several charges in September.
Using his resources as a police officer, Colson supplied information and advice to Clayton Hoerler, 26, a personal friend and one of the drug ring's leaders. At Hoerler's request, Colson would run license tag numbers and check individuals for outstanding warrants. In one case, Colson ran a tag that belonged to an undercover sheriff's deputy and informed Hoerler.
Investigators played audio of a phone call in which Colson told Hoerler that he knew the deputy personally and had once worked with his father at the Bartow Police Department. During questioning on Thursday, Colson said he also was close to the young deputy's family and said the two had formerly worked together at the Lake Wales Police Department.
Colson said he didn't realize the deputy was working undercover at the time his name was disclosed to Hoerler. When asked whether he knew he was endangering the deputy, Colson said he thought Hoerler to be nonviolent.
Colson said he befriended Hoerler about seven years ago. They shared an enthusiasm for motorcycles, and Hoerler would sometimes accompany Colson and other officers on ride-alongs.
Colson said he gradually learned that Hoerler sold marijuana and began assisting him with information, but said he never received favors or compensation in return.
"Big lapse in judgment. That's something I should have never done," Colson said Thursday. "In my mind Clayton was a person and not a drug dealer, but that's no excuse."
Earlier this year Hoerler was sentenced to 18 months in state prison as part of a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty Feb. 18 to conspiracy to engage in racketeering.
Several friends and family members spoke in support of Colson on Thursday, describing the Bartow native as a role model in the city's black community and an exemplary officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant at BPD. He had worked for the department from 1981 until his termination in 1997 after an internal affairs investigation regarding an arson case involving his girlfriend. He earned about $45,000 yearly as a Lake Wales officer until resigning after his arrest Aug. 13, 2008.
Assistant State Attorney Brad Copley said Thursday that Colson betrayed the community that looked up to him by cooperating with a drug dealer like Hoerler.
In delivering the sentence, Jacobsen said he was disturbed that Colson would reveal the identity of a fellow law enforcement officer and friend, as well as help a drug dealer, on an ongoing basis.
"To say this was a lapse in judgment is an understatement," Jacobsen said.
Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen said it pained him to sentence Keenan Colson but said Colson should be held to a higher standard as a law enforcement officer.
"If I can't believe in law enforcement officers the whole system falls apart," Jacobsen said at the conclusion of a nearly three-hour hearing Thursday. He released Colson on the condition that he turn himself in by Dec. 30.
Colson, 51, was arrested last year as part of an eight-month, multi-agency investigation that included using wire taps to uncover an alleged drug operation in Haines City. The investigation revealed marijuana grow locations, and detectives seized about 20 pounds of marijuana and more than 160 marijuana plants, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Colson pleaded no contest to several charges in September.
Using his resources as a police officer, Colson supplied information and advice to Clayton Hoerler, 26, a personal friend and one of the drug ring's leaders. At Hoerler's request, Colson would run license tag numbers and check individuals for outstanding warrants. In one case, Colson ran a tag that belonged to an undercover sheriff's deputy and informed Hoerler.
Investigators played audio of a phone call in which Colson told Hoerler that he knew the deputy personally and had once worked with his father at the Bartow Police Department. During questioning on Thursday, Colson said he also was close to the young deputy's family and said the two had formerly worked together at the Lake Wales Police Department.
Colson said he didn't realize the deputy was working undercover at the time his name was disclosed to Hoerler. When asked whether he knew he was endangering the deputy, Colson said he thought Hoerler to be nonviolent.
Colson said he befriended Hoerler about seven years ago. They shared an enthusiasm for motorcycles, and Hoerler would sometimes accompany Colson and other officers on ride-alongs.
Colson said he gradually learned that Hoerler sold marijuana and began assisting him with information, but said he never received favors or compensation in return.
"Big lapse in judgment. That's something I should have never done," Colson said Thursday. "In my mind Clayton was a person and not a drug dealer, but that's no excuse."
Earlier this year Hoerler was sentenced to 18 months in state prison as part of a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty Feb. 18 to conspiracy to engage in racketeering.
Several friends and family members spoke in support of Colson on Thursday, describing the Bartow native as a role model in the city's black community and an exemplary officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant at BPD. He had worked for the department from 1981 until his termination in 1997 after an internal affairs investigation regarding an arson case involving his girlfriend. He earned about $45,000 yearly as a Lake Wales officer until resigning after his arrest Aug. 13, 2008.
Assistant State Attorney Brad Copley said Thursday that Colson betrayed the community that looked up to him by cooperating with a drug dealer like Hoerler.
In delivering the sentence, Jacobsen said he was disturbed that Colson would reveal the identity of a fellow law enforcement officer and friend, as well as help a drug dealer, on an ongoing basis.
"To say this was a lapse in judgment is an understatement," Jacobsen said.
Deputy Jeffrey Swartz Accused of Assaulting Wife Will Return to Duty
Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent will allow a deputy accused of assaulting his wife to return to duty, even though he said he is disappointed by the deputy's conduct and "poor judgment.''
In a memo, Nugent told Jeffrey Swartz, 34, that he had reviewed the internal affairs investigation of the Oct. 3 incident at Swartz's Spring Hill home in which the deputy got into an argument with his wife, Joyanna, that turned physical.
According to a sheriff's report, Swartz pushed his wife to the floor of their bedroom and placed his arms around her neck, but she broke free. He tried to restrain her by grabbing her arms, but she fended him off and called the Sheriff's Office for help, the report said.
Swartz was arrested on a count of misdemeanor domestic battery and was placed on administrative leave. Prosecutors later recommended that the charge be dropped.
The sheriff noted in his memo, dated Tuesday, that the investigation into whether Swartz violated the conduct-unbecoming policy was hampered by a lack of cooperation from Swartz's wife and his friends, who were at the deputy's home when the incident occurred.
According to a report by the State Attorney's Office, Swartz's wife had been drinking heavily that evening. Joyanna Swartz said "she got intoxicated and blew up and got out of control," the report said, adding, "She admitted that she had almost a complete blackout of the events."
During the evening, Swartz's wife reportedly became angry and despondent and wielded a butcher knife and a razor. Swartz said he grabbed her to prevent her from harming herself, and she later had trouble recounting the events of the evening.
The couple's friends told prosecutors that Joyanna Swartz had gotten "out of control" and that Swartz was merely trying to calm her down.
The report notes that Joyanna Swartz was clearly intoxicated during her 911 call and couldn't even recall her home phone number.
The photos of her injuries were "consistent with someone having tried to gain control" of her.
Nugent said in his memo to Swartz that he would not change the disposition of "unfounded" made by the internal affairs investigator and that Swartz would be returned promptly to duties as a sworn deputy.
But Nugent had stern words in his memo for Swartz, who has worked at the Sheriff's Office since April 2001.
"It is my opinion that the exercise of poor judgment on your part contributed directly to the incident at your home,'' he wrote. "Your statement that the event has resulted in embarrassment for both your family and this agency is correct.''
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In a memo, Nugent told Jeffrey Swartz, 34, that he had reviewed the internal affairs investigation of the Oct. 3 incident at Swartz's Spring Hill home in which the deputy got into an argument with his wife, Joyanna, that turned physical.
According to a sheriff's report, Swartz pushed his wife to the floor of their bedroom and placed his arms around her neck, but she broke free. He tried to restrain her by grabbing her arms, but she fended him off and called the Sheriff's Office for help, the report said.
Swartz was arrested on a count of misdemeanor domestic battery and was placed on administrative leave. Prosecutors later recommended that the charge be dropped.
The sheriff noted in his memo, dated Tuesday, that the investigation into whether Swartz violated the conduct-unbecoming policy was hampered by a lack of cooperation from Swartz's wife and his friends, who were at the deputy's home when the incident occurred.
According to a report by the State Attorney's Office, Swartz's wife had been drinking heavily that evening. Joyanna Swartz said "she got intoxicated and blew up and got out of control," the report said, adding, "She admitted that she had almost a complete blackout of the events."
During the evening, Swartz's wife reportedly became angry and despondent and wielded a butcher knife and a razor. Swartz said he grabbed her to prevent her from harming herself, and she later had trouble recounting the events of the evening.
The couple's friends told prosecutors that Joyanna Swartz had gotten "out of control" and that Swartz was merely trying to calm her down.
The report notes that Joyanna Swartz was clearly intoxicated during her 911 call and couldn't even recall her home phone number.
The photos of her injuries were "consistent with someone having tried to gain control" of her.
Nugent said in his memo to Swartz that he would not change the disposition of "unfounded" made by the internal affairs investigator and that Swartz would be returned promptly to duties as a sworn deputy.
But Nugent had stern words in his memo for Swartz, who has worked at the Sheriff's Office since April 2001.
"It is my opinion that the exercise of poor judgment on your part contributed directly to the incident at your home,'' he wrote. "Your statement that the event has resulted in embarrassment for both your family and this agency is correct.''
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Officer Robert Cahill Suspended after Assault Charge
A charge against a police officer convicted of attempted third-degree assault was conditionally discharged, but the officer has been suspended by the town for six months without pay.
Robert D. Cahill was found innocent of one count of misdemeanor assault during a September trial that involved video evidence, but the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of attempted third-degree assault, also a misdemeanor.
Cahill's attorney, Jon Blechman, argued his client was acting in self-defense when he punched Patrick DiNottia on Nov. 26, 2008, at Giblin's, a popular Johnson City hangout frequented by police and firefighters.
Maine Justice Donald Magill this week followed the recommendation of the Broome County probation office's pre-sentence investigation for a conditional discharge. Cahill will be responsible for $205 in court fees.
Blechman said Cahill's discharge could be revoked if his client is convicted of a crime in the course of the year.
Vestal Supervisor Peter Andreasen said the town board decided to suspend Cahill shortly after the trial ended. Cahill has already gone two months without pay and has about four months remaining in his suspension, said Andreasen.
"He understands he has to stay out of trouble," said Andreasen.
DiNottia couldn't be reached for comment, but his parents weren't pleased with the sentencing.
"It is my understanding the tape is very detailed about what occurred, and the public needs to see that tape and make their opinions whether the sentencing was fair or not," said his mother, Janet DiNottia, referring to a video taken during the altercation.
His father, also named Patrick, added: "The tape is very clear as to what happened. Three approached one. He hit my son ... The officers then take off."
Blechman said the jury thoroughly reviewed that tape and found Cahill didn't cause any injuries to the victim, if there were even injuries suffered.
"The jury took a look at the facts," he said. "The fact is if he was above the law, there would never have been a trial and the case wouldn't have occurred."
Robert D. Cahill was found innocent of one count of misdemeanor assault during a September trial that involved video evidence, but the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of attempted third-degree assault, also a misdemeanor.
Cahill's attorney, Jon Blechman, argued his client was acting in self-defense when he punched Patrick DiNottia on Nov. 26, 2008, at Giblin's, a popular Johnson City hangout frequented by police and firefighters.
Maine Justice Donald Magill this week followed the recommendation of the Broome County probation office's pre-sentence investigation for a conditional discharge. Cahill will be responsible for $205 in court fees.
Blechman said Cahill's discharge could be revoked if his client is convicted of a crime in the course of the year.
Vestal Supervisor Peter Andreasen said the town board decided to suspend Cahill shortly after the trial ended. Cahill has already gone two months without pay and has about four months remaining in his suspension, said Andreasen.
"He understands he has to stay out of trouble," said Andreasen.
DiNottia couldn't be reached for comment, but his parents weren't pleased with the sentencing.
"It is my understanding the tape is very detailed about what occurred, and the public needs to see that tape and make their opinions whether the sentencing was fair or not," said his mother, Janet DiNottia, referring to a video taken during the altercation.
His father, also named Patrick, added: "The tape is very clear as to what happened. Three approached one. He hit my son ... The officers then take off."
Blechman said the jury thoroughly reviewed that tape and found Cahill didn't cause any injuries to the victim, if there were even injuries suffered.
"The jury took a look at the facts," he said. "The fact is if he was above the law, there would never have been a trial and the case wouldn't have occurred."
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