Former Trooper facing rape charges due in Logan Co. Court today

District Attorney Tom Lee announced Tuesday that he is charging former Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Patrick R. Venable with rape in the second degree.

Venable resigned from OHP back in July following an internal investigation into allegations that he had taken an intoxicated underage female into custody for DUI and then drove her from Oklahoma City to a residence in Guthrie to have sex.

Venable, who is due in a Logan County Courthouse at 1:30pm today, if found guilty could face up to fifteen years in prison.

----------------

More Information

Colorado officer retires after alleged wild ride

A suburban Denver police officer allowed to represent his department at a South Dakota lawman's funeral has retired after authorities say he and a fellow officer took an alcohol-fueled ride through Wyoming on their way to the service.


In his letter of retirement, Officer Bradley B. Bickett apologized for his conduct.

"I offer my most sincere apologies to the Aurora Police Department, the citizens of Aurora, and all of law enforcement for this incident," he wrote, according to a police statement.

Bickett could not be reached for comment.

He and Gerald Kirby were accused of speeding past traffic with their emergency lights flashing and tossing trash from a window on their way to the South Dakota funeral of a fallen police officer.

Their squad car was pulled over Wednesday after authorities say a volunteer firefighter spotted the car driving erratically on a state highway outside Torrington, Wyo., about 50 miles northeast of Cheyenne. Bickett was charged with driving while impaired, careless driving and speeding, while Kirby was charged with littering.
Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates thanked Bickett for leaving the department.

"It is unfortunate that a 31-year career of service in law enforcement was destroyed by a single day of poor judgment. He made the honorable choice to retire," Oates said in his statement. "His apology will mean a great deal to his colleagues in the department and will help put this unfortunate event behind us."

Kirby remains on restricted duty pending a full internal affairs investigation.

Aurora police spokesman Bob Friel said Friday that Bickett and Kirby received permission to travel to Rapid City, S.D., to represent their department at a funeral for one of two officers killed in a shootout earlier this month. Bickett knew an officer in the South Dakota department, Friel said.

Goshen County Sheriff Donald J. Murphy said Bickett's blood-alcohol level tested at 0.08 percent, the level at which he said a driver is presumed to be under the influence. Another test determined later his level was 0.077 percent, Murphy said. A beer cooler was found in the back seat.

Bickett's speech was described as "slurred" in a booking report posted on the Goshen County Sheriff's Department website. He was released on his own recognizance early Thursday.

The funeral for the fallen officer, Nick Armstrong, 27, was held Thursday. The officers never made it to the funeral. Two Aurora police officers went to Wyoming to pick up Bickett and Kirby. They were immediately placed on desk duty pending an internal investigation.

Armstrong and Officer J. Ryan McCandless were killed in an Aug. 2 shootout that erupted while they were trying to question four men walking with an open alcohol container, Rapid City police spokeswoman Tarah Heupel said. A third officer, Tim Doyle, was hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.

Officer Jonathan Kendall Arrested for Dealing in Child Porn

Harrington Police Department, was arrested by state police on March 10 on multiple charges of dealing in child pornography, state department of justice spokesman Jason Miller said.

Officer Jonathan Kendall, 37, an active member of the Miller said the Delaware Child Predator Task Force investigated Kendall and found evidence of child pornography after seizing a computer and “other evidence” from his Lincoln home on Jan. 19.

“It is certainly a sad day when one of our own has been arrested, and it is an disappointment,” Harrington Police Chief Norman Barlow said. “We want to assure the citizens of Harrington that we will diligently work hard to move our department past this incident and provide the police service they expect.”

Police also found evidence in Kendall’s vehicle and home after his arrest, Miller said.

Kendall has been charged with 27 counts of dealing in child pornography and one count each of hindering prosecution and official misconduct. He was committed to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in lieu of $272,000 secured bond.

Kendall’s arrest is part of an ongoing offensive by the child predator task force that also led to the indictment of Shane Kiser, a Beebe Hospital nurse, on the same day.

“We will never let up from our efforts to protect our kids and we will never back down from the challenge of combating child predators,” Attorney General Beau Biden said.

Officer Ronald Jackson Arrested for DUI

A fired Jacksonville police officer spent a night behind bars after his arrest Friday on charges of driving under the influence. Two cars and a fence were hit prior to the DUI stop.

The arrest of Ronald Jackson, 45, comes two weeks after he was fired, ending an 11-year career with three pages of citizen and in-house complaints and disciplinary action, according to his personnel file.

Friday's incident started at Intuition Ale Works at 720 King St. where Jackson showed up for a job as a security officer whose company was hired by the business at 6:45 p.m., then drove off a few minutes later, according to the arrest report. A bit later, officers were called to two hit-and-runs on Ernest Street, a block from the bar. Witnesses told police that a black sport-utility vehicle hit a recycling bin, a pickup truck and a second vehicle and a fence before driving off, according to the police report.

Shortly after 7 p.m. police found a black Ford Explorer stopped on Riverside Avenue and then driving onto Forest Street. Its hood popped up, but the driver stopped and put it down. Officers followed the Explorer, which had a dented front end, until its hood popped up again.

The driver turned onto Magnolia Street, then hit a curb on Riverside Avenue. He got out and said, "Sarge, I'm sorry" to the sergeant who had followed him, ultimately refusing to take a field sobriety test before he was handcuffed and taken to jail just before 10 p.m., according to the arrest report.

Jackson was hired by the Sheriff's Office in April 1999 and has had 25 complaints filed against him, according to his summarized personnel report. Complaints of rudeness, unnecessary force and false arrest were made, most not sustained although he underwent informal counseling and received a supervisor's referral letter on some. In October 2010, he was suspended 20 days for unbecoming conduct and failing to be wholly candid, the records show.

But one final issue saw internal affairs recommend discipline that led to his firing.

On Jan. 20, Jackson disrupted a training academy class by arguing with an instructor over paperwork. Told to leave, he sent a classmate a text message threatening he was "gonna end it all," according to the internal affairs report. He also called the Sheriff's Office's communications center and told another officer he was going to "get his gun and blow his brains out."

Found by police, he was taken to Baptist Medical Center for involuntary examination. After being declared fit for duty on Jan. 28, he told internal affairs investigators that he had an anxiety attack and "snapped," according to the report.

The 23-page internal affairs report recommended charges of unbecoming conduct and failure to obey an order be filed against Jackson, and Undersheriff Dwain Senterfitt fired him July 22. Jackson could not be reached for comment.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-08-09/story/fired-jacksonville-police-officer-arrested-dui-after-2-accidents#ixzz1VDt2Nq5F

Officer Robb Gray Evans Arrested for Sexual Abuse

The Flagstaff Police Department (FPD)arrested Arizona DPS Officer Robb Gray Evans of Flagstaff late Saturday night. Officers responded to the Greenroom Bar in Flagstaff to a report of a male subject who had inappropriately touched a 30 year old female.

According to officers, they were contacted by the employees of the Greenroom Bar who were out with the alleged suspect. Speaking to the female victim, she told officers she was standing at the bar when the suspect had come up behind her and began inappropriately touching her. The woman said she confronted the male suspect and reported the incident to bar employees.

The suspect identified himself to police as an Arizona DPA Officer which was later confirmed by FPD officers.

Evans has been booked into the Coconino County Jail for one count of Sexual Abuse and is being held on $50,000 bond. According to the FPD, the investigation is still on going.

Sheriff Freedom Crawford arrested for Assault

An early morning bar fight lands a Montana sheriff on the wrong side of the law. He’s facing four misdemeanor charges. We talked with the man who says the sheriff walked up to him, tossed him into a window and took off.

The Roosevelt County sheriff was arrested after a bar fight in Lewistown early Tuesday morning.

Sheriff Freedom Crawford faces misdemeanor charges of assault, obstructing a peace officer, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

Lewistown Police Department says they were called to the Montana Tavern just after midnight. A bartender told them Sheriff Crawford threw another patron through a window, then ran away.

That 48-year-old Pennsylvania man was taken to the hospital, treated and released.

Officer Lauren Fanning Arrested for Intoxication

A Louisville Metro Police officer who is still on her probationary period with the department was arrested early Saturday following an incident at Molly Malone's Irish Pub on Shelbyville Road, police said.

Officer Lauren Fanning, 24, of Spring Hill Court in Crestwood, was booked into Metro Corrections at 3:29 a.m. Saturday, and released about five hours later on her own recognizance, according to jail records.

Fanning was charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place, second-degree disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, third-degree assault on a police officer and fourth-degree assault. She is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Monday.

Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said Fanning, who was hired in June 2009, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Mitchell said he wasn't sure what led to the charges against Fanning.

 

Officer Michelle Salentine Arrested for Smoking Cocaine

The FBI has arrested a Platteville Police Officer, charging her with smoking crack cocaine. The news came as a shock to the small police department.

Monday afternoon Platteville Police Chief Doug McKinley got a visit from the FBI. “They let us know that they’d had an ongoing investigation concerning a member of our department.”

Officer Michelle Salentine was arrested without incident when she reported for duty. She appeared in federal court Tuesday, accused of smoking crack cocaine.

Salentine joined the Platteville Police Department in September of 2004. “Been a very good officer, but apparently had some things going on that we were unaware of,” says McKinley. According to court documents, Salentine says she’s been smoking crack 4 to 6 times a week for the past year.

A confidential witness tipped off the FBI in February. Chief McKinley says Salentine is a patrol officer for the night shift.

“She was working predominantly 7pm to 7am.” According to the witness, Salentine has smoked crack while on duty. On March 4th, the witness texted a law enforcement officer at 1:35 am, saying, “your girl is here smoking she has a stem and a bag, getting f***ed up here and in the squad, she’s getting to go back on duty.”

Officer Gabriel Villarreal Suspended for Using City Computer to Obtain Woman's Personal Information

A San Antonio police officer accused of using a city computer to glean a woman's personal information and then staging an emergency response to her house has been fired after an investigation revealed he boasted about other women on his patrol car terminal and pulled their personal data as well, according to Police Department records.

After 14 years on the force with no suspensions, Officer Gabriel Villarreal, 43, was indefinitely suspended last week, a punishment tantamount to being fired.

A second patrolman, 10-year veteran Officer Keith Floyd, 41, was found to have exchanged "crude, suggestive (and) disparaging" remarks about women with Villarreal via his patrol car terminal and was suspended Friday for 15 days without pay, police records state.

Assistant City Attorney Robert Reyna said another officer faces a possible 30-day suspension in connection with the same case.

The violations involve at least seven women and occurred through October, November and December 2009, according to the city's findings, which allege the following:

For "personal" reasons, Villarreal researched the criminal history of an apartment manager in his patrol district. In conversations via car terminals, Villarreal and another officer referred to the woman by "nicknames for her breasts."

Villarreal and another officer also held an "extended" electronic conversation about two other women in which "a comment is passed back and forth about whether (Villarreal) 'knocked' or 'knocked it out,' referring to sex."

A few days later, Villarreal ran the registration of a Mercedes-Benz owned by another woman and sent it to a fellow officer. The pair then discussed her "personal physical attributes, her breasts and her attractiveness."

From the registration information, Villarreal then pulled more of that woman's personal data, including calls for police service to her home address, her social security number and her municipal court files.

The same day, Villarreal ran the registration of a Lexus that belonged to another woman; he earlier had suggested to a fellow officer they "go knock" at her residence.

A few days later, Villarreal's car terminal conversations focused on a female San Antonio police officer, whom he suggested should be invited to a "clothing optional" shift party.

The following week, Villarreal brought his wife and daughter to The Art of Shaving, an upscale boutique at The Shops at La Cantera that sells $1,000 razors.

A female employee there sold him nearly $400 in shaving supplies, she told the San Antonio Express-News.

The next day, Villarreal used his patrol car terminal to determine her address, date of birth and cell phone number. Called to assist the public, Villarreal handled that call quickly, left the scene within four minutes and drove to the woman's house while holding the initial call open, according to the city's findings.

Rousing the woman from bed, Villarreal rang the doorbell and told her that someone had called 911 and hung up. He eventually left and drove to another location, where he conducted research on her prior residences and her father, the city alleges.

Over the next two days, Villarreal pulled her cell phone history and calls for police service to her home. Meanwhile, the woman reported the incident to the Police Department's internal affairs department.

The next day, Villarreal and another officer allegedly discussed via patrol car terminals where they should eat lunch, at one point making "inappropriate sexual references" about female officers, police records state.

Villarreal was indefinitely suspended without pay last Monday.

Incidents caught on camera increase department scrutiny of officers

Minutes after a suburban Chicago police officer was charged with striking a motorist with his baton, prosecutors handed out copies of a video showing the beating - taken by a dashboard camera on the officer's own squad car.

In California, after a transit cop and an unruly train passenger slammed against a wall during a struggle and shattered a station window last fall, video from a bystander's cell phone was all over the Internet before the window was fixed.

The same cell phones, surveillance cameras and other video equipment often used to assist police are also catching officers on tape, changing the nature of police work - for better and worse.

Some say cameras are exposing behavior that police have gotten away with for years. But others contend the videos, which often show a snippet of an incident, turn officers into villains simply for doing their jobs, making them targets of lawsuits and discipline from bosses buckling to public pressure.

"We tell our officers all the time you've got to assume that everything you do is going to be videotaped," said Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis. "Everyone has a cell phone and almost every cell phone has a camera."

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said the video her office gave to the media on Tuesday shows police officer James Mandarino, from the Chicago suburb of Streamwood, hitting motorist Ronald Bell 15 times after a traffic stop last month.

In the video, Mandarino is seen firing a Taser at a passenger in the car and then striking Bell, who is on his knees with his hands on his head. Bell suffered a concussion and cuts that required seven stitches.

"It's a wonderful tool," Alvarez said of the video, which she says suggests that both men posed no threat to the officer.

Though police-behaving-badly videos have become popular staples of cable news shows and the Internet, Weis said he doesn't believe his officers are overly cautious out of fears they'll be videotaped - and their superiors are not advising them to be.

Quietly, though, some officers say the prospect of being videotaped makes them hesitate even if they know they should act.

"I've heard from officers who are sent to break up a fight in the street and see a group of people leaning out windows with handheld video cameras ... they go slower and are less aggressive," said Tom Needham, a Chicago attorney who has represented several police officers.

But University of Chicago law professor Craig Futterman, who has studied police brutality, said videos are helping hold police accountable.

"My own view is that YouTube has done more to expose the reality of police abuse than all the blue-ribbon commissions combined," said Futterman.

A Chicago police officer who was arrested three years ago in the videotaped beating of a female bartender never would have been charged much less convicted if not for the video, Futterman said. Anthony Abbate initially was charged with a misdemeanor until the video played across the world.

Ronald Bell's brother, Stacey Bell, said he doubts the Streamwood officer would have been charged with felony aggravated battery and official misconduct without the video and his brother still would have faced charges of drunken driving and resisting an officer, which were dropped.

"I believe it would have been six witnesses against an officer and it would have been a different story," said Stacey Bell, who witnessed the alleged beating. The officer's attorney declined to comment.

But some caution that incidents caught on tape can misrepresent police work.

"The work of a police officer, even when done properly is ... not pleasant to watch," said Al O'Leary, spokesman for the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association in New York City. "We've had situations, circumstances where an officer doing his job by the book is caught on video is tagged as brutal. Sometimes the work is brutal but necessary."

In California when the Bay Area Rapid Transit officer slammed into a window with a suspect during a violent arrest, the cell phone video - viewed more than 160,000 times on one clip posted on YouTube - ended up exonerating the officer whose actions brought claims of excessive force, a union official said.

"It wasn't the suspect's head that caused the glass to break," said Jesse Sekhon, BART police officers union president. "When you freeze the video and enhance it you see it was the suspect punching it with his hand."

What's more, video viewers rarely hear the frantic 911 call for help, rocks hurled at an approaching squad car or the countless times police have been called to the same house.

In New York City in 2008, a man died after falling from a building ledge when police jolted him with a Taser. Video of the last few moments, including Iman Morales' fall, was posted on newspaper Web sites and played over and over again on local TV.

But before the cameras were running, "this guy was stark naked, running up and down the fire escape, he tried to get into a woman's apartment by tearing out the air conditioner, terrifying the woman," and swung a fluorescent light bulb at police before Lt. Michael Pigott ordered him shot him with the stun gun, said Tom Sullivan, president of the NYPD's Lieutenants Benevolent Association.

Eight days later, Pigott - stripped of his gun and badge and demoted - committed suicide, leaving a note saying he was trying to protect his men. His widow, who is suing the police department, said the discipline humiliated her husband. The department declined to comment.

There is little chance that the videotaped scrutiny of police will slow. In fact, groups with video cameras follow police in cities all over the country, including Orlando, Fla., where George Crossley launched Orlando CopWatch in 2006.

"If we come up on law enforcement, the whole shift knows immediately," said Crossley. "They get on the radio (and say) 'Watch out for CopWatch.'"

Sgt Jerry Blash Who Filed Ben Roethlisberger Report Resigns

The Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault investigation has led to a Milledgeville (Ga.) police officer’s resignation.

According to ESPN.com, Sgt. Jerry Blash, the only police officer who interviewed Roethlisberger in the investigation, resigned Wednesday following the release of investigation documents to the public. Milledgeville police chief Woodrow Blue confirmed Blash’s resignation Friday.

Blash resigned amid reports that he made negative comments about Roethlisberger’s accuser near friends of the Steelers’ quarterback. In addition, photos released one week after the incident revealed Roethlisberger and Blash together smiling just hours before the sexual assault allegation was made.

Blue stated Blash was involved in the investigation until March 12.

Additional documents released Thursday revealed a 16-year-old told officials that Roethlisberger had made sexual advances toward a friend’s sister, but the woman declined the opportunity to speak with authorities.

The allegations against Roethlisberger continue to haunt the quarterback and the Steelers organization as well.

Roethlisberger could face punishment from the league and from Steelers president Art Rooney II for his actions. The team also could face a six-figure fine as a result of the behavior of Roethlisberger and former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

Officer Sidney Garcia Accused of Punching CabDriver

An off-duty city police officer was arrested after being accused of punching a cabdriver in the face on the East Side, the police said.

The officer, Sidney Garcia, 42, was charged with third-degree assault on Friday evening, several hours after the driver of a yellow taxicab reported that he had been assaulted during an argument with five people late Thursday.

Officer Garcia was stripped of his gun and badge, and was suspended without pay for 30 days, as detectives from the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Police Department began an inquiry.

Appointed to the force on Feb. 28, 1994, Officer Garcia is currently assigned to the department’s Applicant Processing Division, where he handles the submissions of candidates to become police officers.

According to the police, Officer Garcia was with four other people on Thursday night when they tried to hail a cab at Third Avenue and 35th Street about 11:20 p.m. When a taxi pulled over, the officer and the others tried to get in.

“The cabby said no,” said a law enforcement official, adding that the driver apparently felt that having five passengers would violate the rules of the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Words were exchanged as the five people got into the taxi, with Officer Garcia in front, the police said.

“Then, the off-duty cop allegedly hits” the driver in the face, said the official, who requested anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

The cabby drove away after the encounter. It was not until finishing his shift and returning to his garage, about 3:30 a.m., that he came across Officer Garcia’s ID card and shield inside the vehicle, law enforcement officials said. He then contacted the police.

The extent of the driver’s injuries, if any, was not immediately clear, and the police did not identify the driver by name.

Officer Garcia was arrested about 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the police said.

“Our rules restrict the number of passengers to the number of seat belts available,” Allan J. Fromberg, a spokesman for the Taxi and Limousine Commission, said.

“The number of authorized passengers would go on the rate card that’s in the vehicle, the card that goes next to the driver’s license,” Mr. Fromberg said, adding that the agency did not keep “crime stats” on events like assaults against drivers. He declined to comment on what led to Officer Garcia’s arrest.

The police would not say if Officer Garcia had previously faced disciplinary action in the course of his 16-year career.

Since 1984, on average, more than 100 police officers a year have been arrested.

Two More Officers Suspended Over Beating

Prince George's County police said Thursday that they have suspended two more officers in connection with an incident last month in which officers in riot gear beat an unarmed University of Maryland student who had taken to the streets with hundreds of others to celebrate a victory by the men's basketball team over Duke University.

With those suspensions, a total of four county officers have been relieved of their police powers in connection with the attack of John J. McKenna, 21. The March 3 beating was captured on video by another student and has been aired all across the world since McKenna's attorney released it on Monday.

The video shows McKenna skipping on a sidewalk before stopping before a phalanx of officers on horseback. As McKenna backs up, two county officers in riot gear rush him and knock him against a wall; at least one of them hits McKenna repeatedly with a police baton. As McKenna crumples to the ground, the video shows, a third officer rushes in and strikes him repeatedly with his baton.

McKenna suffered a concussion and other injuries, his attorney said.

The FBI, the state's attorney's office and police internal affairs detectives are all investigating the incident.

In addition to the beating, they are focusing on official charging documents filed by Officer Sean McAleavey against McKenna and another student.

The charging documents allege that McKenna and Benjamin C. Donat, 19, assaulted officers on horseback and their mounts, and were injured by horses. Prosecutors dropped charges against McKenna and Donat before the video surfaced.

McAleavey is the only suspended officer who has been publicly identified by officials.

In another development, Maj. Daniel A. Dusseau, commander of the 1st District and the official who was in charge of the police response the night of the beating, is retiring, officials said.

Dusseau, a 21-year veteran, has taken a job in the private sector and will retire at the end of the month, said Maj. Andy Ellis, a police spokesman. Ellis said the retirement is unrelated to the controversy over the College Park incident.

Said Dusseau: "My retirement and movement to another job is something I've been working on since I was eligible to retire and has nothing to do with the incidents going on in College Park," he said.

Former ATF Agent Brandon McFadden Indicted on Drug Charges

A former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent was taken into custody by Tulsa Police on Thursday.

Brandon J. McFadden was indicted by a grand jury for the Northern District of Oklahoma on four counts including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana; possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute; possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and money laundering.

According to the indictment, McFadden was employed as an ATF agent from July, 2002, through September, 2009. He regularly investigated potential firearms and drug trafficking offenses, and the indictment alleges that he was guilty of selling drugs, falsifying evidence and lying on the witness stand.

In one case, a man and his daughter were sent to federal prison and have since been released.  The woman's only son was killed by a drunk driver while she was in prison, and she was not allowed to attend the funeral.

Related Story 3/31/2010: Tulsa Police Officer, Former ATF Agent Accused Of Corruption

If convicted, McFadden faces a possible sentence of not less than 10 years imprisonment to life. The McFadden investigation is related to an investigation of corruption in the Tulsa Police Department.
Tulsa Police Officer Jeff Henderson has been placed on administrative leave in connection to this investigation which is ongoing.

Former Officer Jason Laurin Has History of Misconducts

Former Police Officer Jason L. Laurin resigned under pressure in November after he was caught in an extramarital affair while on duty and then lied about it to his superiors, according to records in his disciplinary file.

Laurin had lied about other incidents during his 11½-year career and had a record of "progressive discipline" that included a reprimand and a suspension without pay in 2008, the records show.

In 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009, Laurin was disciplined for using his police cell phone for personal calls and texts - several hundred in all, many of them sexual in nature and made while he was on duty. The 2008 investigation determined he fabricated one call to establish an alibi.

His conduct "has certainly brought this department into disrepute," an internal investigative report concluded Nov. 18, 2009.

But, when Police Chief Joe Collins issued a short press release about the resignation on Nov. 24, it said Laurin’s departure "was related to personal matters." The release said Laurin had been investigated for "a violation of work rules," and the investigation "was not related to any criminal activity and the safety of the community was never compromised."

The announcement did not mention specific misconduct or lying because, as it turned out, the Police Department had agreed to keep the details secret unless forced by legal action to share them. Even then, in response to a formal Open Records request submitted by the Herald Times Reporter, the city denied access to Laurin’s records on Dec. 30, citing protection of employee reputation, morale and the need to preserve the city’s ability to recruit quality candidates.

Faced with a possible Open Records lawsuit, the city reversed its position and made Laurin’s personnel files available to the HTR last month. Those records revealed Laurin’s disciplinary history and the events that forced his resignation, including his efforts to disguise and deny the dozens of daylight trysts that occurred once or twice a week for almost a year, sometimes while he was on duty.
-------------------------
More Information

Officer Joe Fenison Arrested for Domestic Violence

A Birmingham police officer is in the city jail today after being arrested on a domestic violence charge, jail records show.

West Precinct Officer Joe Fenison was booked into the city jail at 12:46 a.m., according to the jail log. Sgt. James Jackson, a domestic violence supervisor, confirmed Fenison was arrested between 8:30 and 9 p.m. at a residence in the 600 block of Brussels Circle.

Police said the arrest followed an altercation over a child visitation issue.

Fenison is charged with third-degree domestic violence, a misdemeanor.

Former Officer Michael Lohman Pleas Guilty to Shooting

A former lieutenant of the New Orleans Police Department, who is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, has entered a guilty plea. He is alleged of having helped cover up fellow officers’ fatal shootings of two unarmed people during the chaotic period following Hurricane Katrina.

Michael Lohman, 42, was not initially present at the scene of the shootings, which took place on the Danziger Bridge and which injured four people in addition to the two who were killed. However, Lohman later went to the scene and concluded that the shooting was unjustified, but nevertheless file false police reports. Additionally, as the officer in charge of investigating the shooting, he allegedly looked the other way when another investigator planted a gun at the scene of the crime, asking only if the weapon in question was “clean” — police parlance for a gun that cannot be traced back to a prior crime.

According to survivors of the September 4, 2005 incident, the police fired at people who were crossing the bridge in search of food, during the aftermath of the infamous hurricane which threw the city into turmoil. None of those people were armed.

Killed by police gunfire were a 40-year-old mentally disable man, Ronald Madison, and a teenager, 19-year-old James Brissette.

A recently unsealed indictment says that Lohman and two sergeants, who remain unidentified, wrote two different accounts of the bridge shootings, both false reports. One of claims made was that a victim had come forward to say that her nephew was among those firing guns at police. Federal officials contend that Lohman, unhappy with a false report written by a fellow investigator, then crafted his own false report. He also allegedly told the investigator to collude with the shooters, to make sure that they were “OK with” the bogus report and with giving statements that would back it up.

Seven officers had been charged with murder or attempted murder in the shooting, but a state judge dismissed those charges in 2008, making Lohman the first person to face justice. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 26.

In the days following Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that resulted, there were numerous reports of violence against police and rescue personnel, many of which were later proven untrue. The shootings on the bridge were one of the most highly publicized events, and this notoriety may account for the subsequent cover-up, which U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has called “a pretty elaborate ongoing conspiracy.”

Former Officer Kills Man at Sports Bar

A former Chisholm police officer is facing possible murder charges after a shooting at a sports bar on Saturday night.

Authorities say a 47-year-old patron was killed and another suffered life-threatening injuries when the suspect opened fire with one of two handguns inside Jim's Sports Club Bar and Grill just before 10 p.m.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Andy Skoogman said that the suspect had been kicked out of the bar minutes earlier after an altercation with a group of people sitting in the bar with his former wife.

Skoogman said the suspect, a former police officer in the '80s, returned minutes after being kicked out of the bar with two handguns.

"He fired off 5 shots, injuring two people and fatally shooting a third person," Skoogman said. "All three were sitting at the same table as his ex-wife and all three were shot at close range.

"We believe this was a domestic dispute that took place in a public place. It escalated to an extremely violent situation and the true tragedy here is that the victims are all individuals who tried to keep the peace."

A third patron was also wounded in the shooting, and authorities say as many as 100 people may have been in the bar at the time.

Police say a bystander knocked out the suspect with a chair to end the shooting.

----------------------------------
More Information

Retired Officer Stephen Young Accused of Molesting Children

Ada County Prosecutors said Monday that former Boise police officer Stephen R. Young is accused of molesting at least 13 children over the past 30 years. He has been charged for his interactions with four specific children, but more charges are coming, Deputy Prosecutor Jean Fisher said.

He turned himself in after he abruptly retired at the end of February, and is being held on a $250,000 bond.

Prosecutors said Young is estranged from his family, including his wife and family members are cooperating with the investigation.

Boise police officials say they were not aware of any criminal investigation into Young, and Ada County Sheriff’s detectives did not begin their criminal investigation into Young until early last week — after he retired.

By Friday, detectives had established enough probable cause to charge Young with four counts of lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16 and book him into the Ada County Jail.

Boise police and the Ada County Sheriff's officials say the charges involved incidents in the past five years and did not appear to involve on-duty work.

Sheriff’s officials say all four victims — all children between the ages of one month to 21 months — were known to Young and the abuse occurred at various homes in Ada County between 2005 and 2008. None of the victims lived at Young’s home. Detectives continue to investigate the case and are trying to find out if there are any other victims.

The 58-year-old Young worked for the Boise Police department for 30 years.

Young had several assignments with the BPD, including 10 years as a school resource officer between 1995 to 2005, spending much of that time assigned to Boise High School. Young also worked as an SRO at South Jr. High School.

Young was an officer with the Boise Police Department from October 1978 until he retired Feb. 28. He was a patrol officer from 1978 to 1994; a motorcycle officer from 1994 to 1995; a school resource officer from 1995 to 2005; and a patrol officer from 2005 until his retirement.

The charge of lewd conduct is punishable by up to life in prison.

Young has no previous criminal record in Idaho, according to state court records.

Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson said Monday his officers fully cooperating with investigators from the Ada County Sheriff's office.

"Masterson also released a statement to the public on the department's Facebook Web page Monday. Here is the full text of that message:

"As a former BPD employee goes to court today on charges of Lewd Conduct with a minor, I'd like to communicate two important thoughts; first, I know I speak for all in saying our hearts go out to the alleged victims and their families.... The allegations against Mr. Young are more disturbing than I can put into words.

"Children are truly the most innocent of victims.

"Following Mr. Young's retirement, when the criminal allegations surfaced, we have cooperated fully with investigators from the Ada County Sheriff's Office.

"Secondly, it saddens me greatly that the thousands of fine men and woman who serve as peace officers risk being judged as a whole by the actions of one.

"Law Enforcement is a challenging, rewarding profession. I am reassured to know that within the Boise Police department our employees know that actions that may compromise the integrity of this profession are not tolerated, either within the ranks of officers or by their supervisors.

"My appreciation goes out to those who quietly and honorably wear the badge, who serve, lead and protect the citizens throughout Boise, Idaho and the nation. To the heroes who do not make headlines, you deserve our admiration and gratitude each and every day.

"Finally, for the victims in this case and all cases, especially those involving children, we put our trust in the investigators that they will provide the proper and necessary answers for the community. And our faith is in our judicial system that justice will be served and healing can begin for all the affected families."

Third Officer Charged in Perfume Robbery

A third New York Police Department officer, Kelvin Jones, 28, of Yonkers, New York, was arrested today for his involvement in the robbery of a perfume distributor of $1 million in perfume, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

The arrest was part of a continuing investigation by federal and state authorities into the heist of hundreds of boxes of high-end perfume from a warehouse used by a company known as In Style USA, Inc in Carlstadt, New Jersey.

On March 5th, the two other NYPD officers, Richard LeBlanca and Brian Checo, both of New York City, were arrested and charged with the same robbery in a criminal complaint, along with Gabriel Vargas of Brooklyn, Luis R. Morales of
Brooklyn, Anselmo Jimenes, a/k/a "Ansemo Jimenes", of Brooklyn, Alan A. Bannout of Brooklyn, and Orlando Garcia of New York.

The initial criminal complaint did not name Jones by name, but merely referred to him as one of the eight conspirators whose true name was unknown, but who used the alias "Mike Smith".

According to the complaint filed against Jones in federal court today, on February 9, 2010, Jones went to a truck rental company in Jersey City with some of the other men who participated in the heist, and rented a truck he had reserved in the name "Mike Smith". It is alleged that Jones attempted to pay for the truck in cash, but when that failed, Jones directed LeBlanca to pay for the rental truck, which was later used in the robbery, with LeBlanca's ATM debit card.

The complaint also alleges that Jones then participated in the ensuing perfume robbery of the Carlstadt warehouse where 11 company employees were restrained and held hostage. During the robbery, the complaint alleges that Jones, while reviewing sheets of paper that contained names on them, began yelling the names of several of the victims being held hostage. The complaint also indicates that law enforcement agents later recovered two sheets of paper that were thrown into a trash receptacle which contained personal identification information of an individual related to one of the victims of the robbery. Subsequent examination of these documents revealed that they were obtained from a database in the 46th NYPD precinct - the same precinct where Jones is employed.

"Though the arrest of police officers is discouraging news, the public should know that we will remain steadfast in our pursuit of justice, regardless of where or to whom that pursuit may lead," said Michael Ward, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Newark Office. "Members of law enforcement are not above the law and if they forget that, they will be suject to the same penalties as ordinary citizens."

Jones will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo today to face this charge.

Jimenes, who is currently incarcerated in Bergen County on local charges, is also expected to appear before Magistrate Cox Arleo today. Bannout has not yet been arrested.

The charge set forth in the Complaint carries a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The FBI has requested that anyone having further information regarding this robbery, please call the FBI at (973) 684-6614.

Fishman again credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin B. Cruise, for the investigation. Fishman also thanked the Carlstadt Police Department and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Gramiccioni and Eric T. Kanefsky of the Office's Special Prosecutions Division and Criminal Division, respectively.

Sgt. David Romeo Found Guilty of Kicking Two Handcuffed Suspects

A southern New Jersey jury has found a Wildwood police officer guilty of kicking two handcuffed suspects.

Sgt. David Romeo was charged with official misconduct. The 39-year-old officer will remain free on bail until sentencing on April 16.

Prosecutors say Romeo kicked two handcuffed car burglary suspects in the head as they lay on the ground in a North Wildwood parking lot in July 2007.

The crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Romeo and defense attorney John Tumelty left the courtroom after the verdict today without commenting.

Officer Seth Castillo Arrested Again for Drunk Driving

According to court documents, a Phoenix Police Officer that was arrested for drunk driving in Gilbert, has been arrested for DUI before.

FOX 10 has obtained court records that show officer Seth Castillo was arrested 8 years ago for driving while intoxicated, when he was 19 years of age.

Records show Castillo plead guilty to the charge back in 2002, well before he began working for the Phoenix Police Department.

Phoenix Police tell FOX 10 that a DUI arrest doesn't stop them from hiring an officer, and a DUI arrest for an officer on the force doesn't guarantee they'll be placed on administrative leave.

Officer Castillo is still patrolling city streets, just days after his latest DUI arrest.

Officer Aaron Bailey Accused of Defrauding the County of $400,800

Montgomery County sued one of its police officers Wednesday, alleging that he defrauded the county of $400,800 while running a company that provided firearms training to officers.

Central to the officer's fraud, the county alleged, was that he enticed colleagues to take training classes by offering them deeply discounted weapons upon completion of the classes -- $99 for a handgun valued at several times that, for example. As for the training, that was free to the officers who enrolled because it was paid by the county's tuition assistance program.

The lawsuit said that it amounted to the officer using tuition assistance funds to subsidize the weapons, which one official has called "the candy" to get other officers enrolled in the training classes.

The officer, Aaron Bailey, declined to comment through his attorney, Charles Rand, who said he had not seen the lawsuit and would not comment until he does. It is unclear what their defense will be, but some officials have speculated that what Bailey did was akin to department stores offering "loss leader" merchandise, which they lose money on, simply to get shoppers in the door.

The lawsuit is the latest twist in the county's troubled tuition assistance program, which top officials have acknowledged was not properly monitored. In recent years, employees have used the program to take classes ranging from "Bible Doctrines" and "Aerobics" to "The Christian Home" and "Life on the Down Low."

Within the next week, Montgomery County's inspector general, Thomas J. Dagley, is expected to release the findings of his office's investigation into the tuition assistance program.
------------------
More Information

Three Rhode Island Officers Arrested in Cocaine Dealing Operation

Three Providence police officers, including a narcotics detective and a school resource officer, were arrested Thursday on charges that they helped with a cocaine-dealing operation.

Detective Joseph Colanduono, Patrolman Robert Hamlin and Sergeant Steven Gonsalves were arrested at police headquarters and have been suspended without pay, said Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman, who called it a "hard day" for his department. The officers either used the cocaine or helped arrange the drug deals, police said.

"These actions that we saw are an offensive display of a violation of trust that we cannot and will not tolerate," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said.

The chief of the State Law Enforcement Division met Thursday with the leaders of the tiny coastal town of Atlantic Beach to discuss a possible new partnership to stave off drug crime there during the coming summer months.

"Our plan is to be much more aggressive around the state, particularly when it comes to narcotics and violent-crime issues," said SLED Director Reggie Lloyd.

Lloyd traveled to Atlantic Beach for the informal meeting with the town's new attorney, Steve Benjamin of Columbia, a friend of his since law school. Sitting in the town's community center, Lloyd listened as Councilman Donnell Thompson, Police Chief Randy Rizzo and Town Manager Kenneth McIver described how Atlantic Beach's drug trade has mostly subsided.

Authorities arrested Guatemala's anti-drug czar and national police chief Tuesday in a case involving stolen cocaine and slain police, acting just two days before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives to discuss the drug war.

The detentions were the latest embarrassment for Guatemala's embattled anti-narcotics effort and came amid U.S. complaints that corruption is impeding the battle to stop the flow of drugs north through Central America.

Attorney General Amilcar Velasquez said Police Chief Baltazar Gomez, anti-drug czar Nelly Bonilla and police officer Fernando Carrillo were detained after an investigation by Guatemalan authorities and the U.N.-sponsored International Commission Against Impunity.

The arrests of Guatemala's drug czar and national police chief underscore how deeply the world's multibillion-dollar drug industry can corrupt small countries with weak institutions - a trend the Obama administration warned Wednesday threatens global security.

As U.S.-funded wars pressure cartels in Mexico and Colombia, drug gangs are increasingly infiltrating vulnerable countries, particularly in Latin America and Africa. Drug profits total about $394 billion a year, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime - dwarfing the gross domestic products of many nations and making them easy prey for cartels.

"Violent traffickers are relocating to take advantage of these permissive environments and importing their own brand of justice," the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's intelligence chief Anthony Placido said Wednesday in testimony before a U.S. House subcommittee.

The State Law Enforcement Division is reviewing information city leaders provided Thursday regarding allegations that William Bailey covered up a criminal domestic violence case, according to SLED spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons.

Bailey, the city’s public safety director, is on administrative leave for lying about an unrelated handgun theft.

City Manager John Smithson told The Sun News on Thursday that SLED is investigating the allegations.

The arrests followed a more than four-month investigation that began with information from a state police detective and involved wiretaps and intercepted phone calls. Police seized several hundred grams of cocaine and firearms as part of the probe.

Three other men were arrested, including Hamlin's brother, Albert, who police describe as a major cocaine dealer and the primary target of their investigation. Police say Robert Hamlin, a school resource officer at a Providence high school, helped his brother avoid getting caught by giving names of narcotics detectives and providing descriptions of their police cars, said State Police Capt. David Neill.

The Providence Journal reported on its Web site that Gonsalves is a former driver for Providence Mayor David Cicilline and the husband of the mayor's executive assistant, Xiomara Gonsalves. The Journal said the mayor described his assistant as "incredibly heartbroken."

Cicilline's spokeswoman, Karen Southern, did not return calls seeking comment Thursday night.

Also arrested was Khalid Mason, who in 2007 faced drug dealing charges that were dismissed by a federal judge after a Providence police sergeant testified at a pretrial hearing that he didn't have any notes or reports from his investigation. That case is not connected to the current arrests, police said.

Mason supplied drugs to Albert Hamlin, who would purchase one kilogram of cocaine at a time for about $35,000 and break down the drugs into smaller quantities, which he would then sell, police said.

Gonsalves, 47, is charged with soliciting another to commit a crime. Robert Hamlin, 33, is charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine, and Colanduono, 44, is charged with conspiracy to deal cocaine and compounding and concealing a felony.

A phone message left with the police union was not immediately returned, and it was not immediately clear if the officers had lawyers.

State Police Col. Brendan Doherty told The Associated Press that at least some calls were made when the officers were on duty, though police say there's no evidence that any drug dealing took place at a school.

Doherty said the alleged drug dealing was "the act of a few rogue officers - rogue officers who compromised the trust of the citizens of city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island."

Cicilline called the arrests "gravely disappointing" and said the officers deserve to be prosecuted aggressively.

The investigation is continuing.

Gonsalves was released on personal recognizance by a bail commissioner Thursday evening and is due in court March 18. The other five defendants, including the two officers, are being held without bail overnight and will be arraigned Friday in Providence District Court.

Officer Matthew Cordone Arrested on Drug Charges

A Kennett Square police officer has been suspended with pay after being arrested on drug charges Tuesday by state police, authorities said. Officer Matthew Thomas Cordone, 36, of West Grove, tried to deliver "a number of pills" in a reclosable bag to a location on Woodcrest Road in Penn Township, a state police spokesman said.

The pills, which troopers believed to be the tranquilizer Xanax, were being analyzed yesterday at a state lab. Cordone, who was not on duty at the time of his arrest, was released after posting $5,000 bail. Kennett Square Police Chief Edward Zunino declined to comment

Officer Scott Morales Suspended for the 14th Time

Officer Scott Morales is walking on thin ice after his latest violation.

Police Chief Rusty York says he suspended Morales for five days without pay for problems with "alertness on duty."

"It resulted from him not being at his post for an assigned time within the building," explained York. The incident took place in January while Morales was working the third shift York told Indiana's News Center.

York says Morales wondered away from his post to another part of the building. While the offense may not be a major one, it further tarnished the record of the 19-year veteran, who has now been suspended for the 14th time since 1991.

Morales' last suspension was in February, after he was accused of inappropriately using a taser on an individual who was already handcuffed. He received a three-day unpaid suspension for that incident.

Prior to that, Morales was accused of going absent without leave multiple times, being involved in several accidents with his police cruiser, falsifying reports, excessive force and searching a home without a warrant.

When asked why Morales has been allowed to keep his badge, York explained that discipline problems are handled with a "progressive system."

"It shows that probably the attempts to correct any behavior is not working. So certainly, we've reached the point that any subsequent allegations will certainly take on a much more serious tone," responded York.

Members of the police merit board would ultimately decide Morales' professional fate. Members were notified of his suspension Monday afternoon.

Detective Thomas Sadler Convicted of Assaulting Prostitute

A veteran sheriff's detective was convicted Monday of picking up a prostitute and assaulting her in a Mission Valley parking lot, but he was acquitted of sexually assaulting the woman.

Thomas John Sadler, 49, was convicted of felony assault and battery by a peace officer, along with misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment. He could receive a sentence ranging from probation on the low end to three years in prison on April 14.

The defendant -- on unpaid administrative leave from the sheriff's department -- was acquitted of felony charges of sexual battery by restraint, sexual battery and false imprisonment.

Two charges of accessing a computer to defraud were dismissed by the judge before the case went to the jury.

Sadler stared straight ahead as a courtroom clerk read the verdicts. The 20-year veteran was immediately ordered into custody by Judge Michael Smyth.

Jurors, who did not want to be interviewed, deliberated about two full days before reaching their decision.

"I'm pleased, largely, with the verdict, because originally Mr. Sadler had been charged with five felony counts. He was convicted of only one," said defense attorney Mary Ellen Attridge, the senior supervising attorney for the Office of the Alternate Public Defender.

"I would have preferred, of course, that he be completely exonerated of all, but I think being found not guilty of four out of five is pretty good," she said.

Attridge said Sadler's sentencing range is better now than with a plea bargain offered by prosecutors. She said Sadler will not have to register for life as a sex offender.

"He was found not guilty of anything sexually oriented in any way, and so I think that overall it is an acceptable verdict, although I would have preferred he'd been found not guilty of everything," Attridge told reporters outside court.

Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Dort said in his closing argument that Sadler had a plan to sexually assault the prostitute during a search for drugs but ran into a problem when he didn't find any.

Sadler assaulted the prostitute just as he had sexually assaulted four other women during searches dating back to 2001, the prosecutor told jurors.

But Attridge said the prostitute got into Sadler's unmarked car on El Cajon Boulevard on her own about 11 a.m. on Feb. 6, 2008.

"When she smiled and he smiled back, she thought of money," Attridge said.

Sadler, "like a fool," drove to a Mission Valley parking lot but changed his mind about having sex with the prostitute, Attridge said.

"He thought, 'What in God's name am I doing?'" his attorney said.

Sadler testified that he thought of his wife of 22 years and didn't want to go through with his original plan.

But Dort told the jury that Sadler had a history of pulling over women, searching them for drugs with no one around and touching them inappropriately.

The prosecutor told the jury the defendant was "a rogue cop" who thought he was above the law. Sadler planned to search the prostitute and sexually assault her "because he had gotten away with it before," Dort said.

Attridge said the prosecution was relying on "unreliable" drug addicts, felons and prostitutes to convict a veteran deputy sheriff for something that "did not occur."

The attorney said Sadler admitted to making very poor choices but did not sexually assault the prostitute, who was on probation at the time.

Attridge said the prostitute became irritated when Sadler showed his badge and ordered her out of the car in the Mission Valley parking lot.

Sadler took the woman's cell phone away when she tried to take a picture of his license plate, Attridge said.

"This was a business deal gone bad by a foolish middle-age man and a very sad young woman with a very dicey job," Attridge told the jury.
--------------------------

All Previous Post 

Trooper Marvin Norfolk Sr Charged with Child Abuse

A Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper is indicted on child abuse charges. Trooper Marvin Norfolk Sr. is facing charges of child abuse and filing a false police report in a December 2009 criminal investigation conducted by the Tipton County Sheriff's Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Children's Services.

The investigation surrounded a December 2009 allegation of physical abuse of a 9 year old family member at the Norfolk's home in Brighton, TN. Police say the child was at the home during a court approved visitation for the Christmas holidays. According to investigators, the child had bruising to the face, back, upper torso, arm, thighs, legs and groin area. The child was treated and released at Baptist Memorial Hospital after the incident.

During the investigation, Marvin Norfolk denied the allegation along with his wife, Dawn Norfolk who was present during the incident. The investigation revealed Marvin Norfolk and his wife lied about their role in the incident. Dawn Norfolk was indicted for filing a false police report.

The couple is scheduled to appear in court March 4th.

Investigation Ongoing for Officer Accused of Forcible Rape of Teen

It's been nearly a month since a high school student accused a Memphis Police Officer of forcibly raping her. No charges have been filed in the case. What's taking so long?

The 17-year old goes to Fairley High School in Whitehaven. She reported the rape to a police officer at the school on February 5th. She said happened off-campus on an earlier day.

Students at Fairley high school say they haven't heard much about the rape accusations since they were first reported a month ago.

“They really aren't saying a lot about it,” said Senior Jeremy Ross. “I think they're just trying to let it go.”

The Memphis Police Department put the officer on “Non-Enforcement” status pending the investigation. An investigation it says is still ongoing. Some of you want to know what's taking so long.

The MPD told Eyewitness News it was waiting on forensic testing. That's done by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The TBI says DNA results take an average of nine weeks to complete in the Memphis lab.

“If you look around at other states,” said TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm. “That’s probably one of the fastest DNA turnaround times that you'll find at any crime lab at any state.”

It can be done faster, however.

“Something that's a very serious nature that needs to be expedited, that's a threat to public safety,” said Helm. “They can always request us to expedite things and of course we will do that for them.”

Eyewitness News asked the Memphis Police Department about this case and if there was any consideration given the fact the accused is a Memphis Police Officer. The department issued a statement saying "This is a complex investigation and will take time. Sex crimes asked for an expedited examination when they submitted the request." The statement went on to say, ”This case is being investigated as any other complaint.”

The Sex Crimes Bureau and the Inspectional Services Bureau, the department that investigates criminal wrongdoing by officers, are working on the case.

Former Officer Pleads Guilty in Katrina Killing

A former police lieutenant pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to obstruct justice after federal officials say he helped cover for officers who killed two people on a bridge in the chaos following Hurricane Katrina.

Federal investigators say former lieutenant Michael Lohman knew two people shot to death as they crossed the Danziger Bridge had no weapons, but he and others filed false reports to make the shootings seem justified. Four other people were wounded.

Family members of the victims gathered at the downtown federal courthouse as Lohman arrived to enter his plea.

“We are very, very happy about the progress that the FBI and the US Justice Department have made,’’ said Dr. Romell Madison, brother of Ronald Madison, who was killed on the bridge.

“It’s a tremendous relief for us to see some sort of closure. The people of New Orleans should be relieved that there is still justice for everybody here.’’

Seven officers were charged with murder or attempted murder in the Sept. 4, 2005, shootings, just days after Katrina smashed levees and flooded 80 percent of the city.

But a state judge dismissed the charges in 2008.

Until Lohman’s plea yesterday, no one had been convicted in the deaths of Madison, 40, a mentally disabled man, and James Brissette, 19.

Four others were wounded.