Animal Control Officer Eva Wise Arrested for Animal Cruelty

Former Winnfield Animal Control Officer Eva Wise was arrested Friday for the charge of animal cruelty.

It all started at her former home off of Highway 1229 in Atlanta, Louisiana, a property she'd been renting since May 2013.

"She had said that she had recently gone to work for the city working as an animal control officer, so we were aware of that. She had a job so she could pay the rent," Johnson said.

The property's owner, Jennifer Johnson, said Wise had stopped paying rent by October 2013 and they were preparing to evict her when they got a call from the local humane society, the Heart of Louisiana Humane Society in Winnfield.

"They told me they had an issue for animal cruelty on our property. They had went to check it out but they needed my permission to go on our property," said Johnson.

The president of the humane society, Shonna Moss, told KTVE/KARD they received word about dying dogs from neighbors.

Moss said she personally saw 7 dogs chained with no food or water on the property.

Two others were dead.
The humane society said eight dogs and a litter of puppies were also found under another property just a mile away.

What Johnson said she saw paints an even worse picture.

"There was one laying almost dead in the yard and another puppy in equally bad shape. Out back there was an old chicken pen where the door had been fixed and shut where they couldn't get out and there was two skeletons in that pen," she said.

Johnson said she asked Wise - Why?

"She just said that she couldn't hardly afford to feed herself, much less the animals and she had said that she had told some of her husband's family they needed to come get the dogs because she had apparently up and left and this had been for several weeks," said Johnson.

Of all those dogs, only two survived.

The property was cleaned up with a new tenant living there by last December.

Wise now awaits trial, currently in jail on $100,000 bond.

The question remains: Why was Wise just arrested last Friday when the humane society said all this happened last October?

Law enforcement wouldn't tell KTVE/KARD, saying they didn't want to hurt the prosecution's case.

There is some good news about the last two surviving dogs.

Moss said one of the dogs, a german shepherd named "Kassi" currently has an adoption pending.

The other dog is also in a foster home and is available for adoption.
For more information on adoption, click here.

Officer Albert Coriat Arrested for DUI

The brotherhood of the badge could not keep an off-duty Miami-Dade Police officer out of the back of a trooper’s patrol car, despite the officer’s repeated pleas, according to dashcam videos released by the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Albert Coriat, a member of the Miami-Dade Police Department since 2002, for DUI on the Florida Turnpike near Plantation last month.

“I thought we were all brothers,” a handcuffed Coriat told the trooper arresting him.

The video shows Coriat doing all he can to avoid going to jail for DUI…

“I would tell someone to come pick me up. Why the (expletive) do you have to (unintelligible).Do you know what you’re doing to me? Do you know what you’re doing to me?” Coriat asks the trooper.

Around 3 am on February 16, a trooper pulled Coriat over for attempting to make an illegal u-turn. Troopers say Coriat made it known right away that he was a cop, flashing his badge and denying that he was drunk.

TROOPER: “How much have you had to drink tonight?”
CORIAT: “Two beers.”
TROOPER: “Two beers?”
CORIAT: “Yes.”
TROOPER: “I smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from your breath.”

Seconds later, Coriat again tries to convince the troopers that he should be let go.

CORIAT: “I’m not drunk, man. I was…”
TROOPER: “You can barely even talk. Your speech is so slurred.”

The video shows Coriat performing a roadside sobriety test. Troopers say he failed — tipping over during a standing exercise and stumbling during a walking test. When the cuffs came out, the dashcam video shows Coriat begging to be given a break because he’s a cop.

CORIAT: “I’m a cop, just like you guys.”
TROOPER: “I understand that. But you’re doing something that’s illegal.”
CORIAT: “No, I’m not.”  (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
CORIAT: “It’s not gonna be good for you. Listen to me…”
TROOPER: “What’s not gonna be good for me?”

Minutes later Coriat asks to speak with an FHP supervisor then mentions an FHP higher-up who is a friend or acquaintance.  Finally, the trooper making the arrest sets Coriat straight.

“Turn around,” the trooper says. “I’m not going to keep explaining. You say you’re a cop. Are you saying you’re a police officer? Then you understand how the job is. Turn around, face the vehicle. Would you like to be treated this way if it was somebody that you’re arresting. No, right? So, please. Have some respect.”

The FHP report says Coriat told troopers that “he has stopped and let people go in the past that were driving under the influence.”

FHP says Coriat refused to submit to a breath test and that once he was at a secure facility he became ill and wound up sleeping in his own vomit.

CBS 4 News tried to reach Coriat for comment but someone who answered a phone number for him hung up on us. Miami Dade PD told us that Coriat is relieved of duty with pay. Miami-Dade would not comment on the arrest or comment on Coriat’s claim that he let people go who he suspected of driving drunk.

Officer Dana Bond Arrested for Drunk Driving

The suspended Detroit police officer who was arrested this weekend suspected of driving drunk has been suspended from the department after other serious charges were brought against her last year.

Police said Officer Dana Bond was driving off-duty near Plymouth Road and Memorial Street Sunday afternoon when she turned in front of another vehicle, causing an accident. No one was seriously hurt. Police say Bond tried to leave the scene.

She has been suspended from the department indefinitely and without pay since November 2013, when police say she was charged with two counts of misdemeanor retail fraud.

The day of the accident police say her blood alcohol level was a 0.26, almost three times the legal limit.

Police say she will be arraigned on charges of drunken driving and trying to flee the scene later this week, and she awaits her next retail fraud preliminary exam later this month.

Suspended Detroit Officer Arrested for Drunk Driving

A suspended Detroit police officer was arrested on a drunken driving charge Sunday after a collision with another motorist.

Detroit Deputy Chief Rodney Johnson said that at 12:50 p.m. Sunday, Detroit police officers responded to a 911 call of a crash on Plymouth Road near Memorial.

The officer, a woman whom police did not identify by age or number of years on the force, was westbound on Plymouth when a collision occurred with an eastbound vehicle.

Johnson said the accident was caused by the officer, who was not injured but was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired.

The driver of the other vehicle was not injured but her passenger complained of stomach pain and was evaluated, Johnson said.

Information on why and when the officer was suspended was not immediately available, Johnson said.

Officer Gilbert Melendez Arrested for Domestic Violence

An El Paso police officer was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of domestic violence, officials confirmed.

Officer Gilbert Melendez was arrested on suspicion of assault against a family member, according to jail records.

Sgt. Chris Mears, a spokesman for the El Paso Police Department, confirmed Melendez is an officer with the police department and had been placed on "administrative duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation."

He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a bond of $2,500.

Officer Demetrius Kendrick Arrested for Planting Drugs

A DeKalb County police officer turned himself in Friday on accusations he illegally charged a man with having marijuana during a 2012 arrest.

Officer Demetrius A. Kendrick was indicted Thursday by a DeKalb grand jury on the charge of violation of oath by public officer, authorities said.

The man Kendrick arrested, Alphonso Eleby, says video footage showed Kendrick planting drugs before the arrest.

A DeKalb Superior Court judge set a $10,000 bond for Kendrick, who was given 24 hours to turn himself in to the DeKalb County Jail, authorities said.

Kendrick, 33, was booked into the jail Friday around 9:30 a.m., and released on bond just after 10:15 a.m., according to jail records.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, prosecutors say.

In March 2013, Kendrick was placed on restrictive duty, which means he was off the streets, police said. He is now on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, police said.

Prosecutors say Kendrick, a five-year DeKalb cop, wrongfully arrested Eleby on July 6, 2012, and charged him with marijuana possession even though the officer knew Eleby didn’t have drugs on him.

Eleby’s attorney says Kendrick was caught on videotape planting drugs on Eleby.

On July 6, 2012, Eleby stopped to talk to someone inside a black SUV parked at the Chevron gas station on North Hairston Road.

Police officers claimed they smelled marijuana and arrested the person in the vehicle, according to police reports obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Eleby’s attorney Mark Bullman said his client was detained and strip-searched, but no drugs were found.

Video of the incident shows a female officer stand over Eleby and watch him while other officers search the SUV.

The video shows a male officer Bullman identified as Kendrick call the female officer over to the SUV. While she searches the vehicle, the video shows the male officer circle back to Eleby and toss marijuana next to him.

The video shows Eleby protesting what he sees the officer do and the officer puts him in a choke-hold while other officers look on.

In his report, Kendrick said that while arresting the driver of the SUV, “I observed Mr. Eleby throw a small piece of a green leafy substance behind him.”

Bullman argued that Eleby had no way to throw anything.

“My client had his hands on his knees as he was instructed and all of his pockets were rabbit-eared,” Bullman said. “They’d searched in his crotch and reached inside his underwear and found nothing. Where was he going to hide drugs?”

The DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s office dropped the charges against Eleby in March 2013, but not because of anything on the video.

According to court records, police couldn’t find the marijuana Eleby was accused of having in time to be tested and used at trial.

Police said an internal investigation into Kendrick’s conduct was started early this month.

Bullman lamented what he sees as a delay.

“It is disturbing, at best, that it took almost two years after the clearly unconstitutional and illegal actions of Officer Kendrick for the DeKalb County Police Department to initiate an internal investigation into this matter,” he said. “They have had clear, independent evidence of Kendrick’s crimes for the balance of this time, during which Mr. Eleby was under threat of criminal charges the county knew to be false.

“Nevertheless, we were pleased to learn (DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric) Alexander directed that an investigation be initiated.”

Officer Simon Elizondo Arrestred for Theft

A Big Spring Police officer has been arrested on a state jail felony of theft by a public servant.

According to a report from BSPD, the department officials were told about allegations involving misconduct by an officer identified as Simon Elizondo. 

The report states that BSPD began an internal investigation and that the preliminary findings led officers to believe criminal activity had taken place and the investigation was turned over to the Texas Rangers. The report also states that BSPD assisted with both investigations and Elizondo was placed on administrative leave.

On Friday, an arrest warrant was issued for Elizondo on a charge of theft by a public servant, the report stated. 

According to the report, Elizondo was arrested and charged with theft by a public servant and placed in the Howard County Law Enforcement Center. What Elizondo had taken was not specified.

BSPD also stated in the report that because of Elizondo’s “liberty interest” and that the investigation was currently ongoing, no further information would be provided.

Deputy Sheriff Charles Fuller Charged with Possession of Cocaine

The U.S. Attorney's Office says a Saratoga County Deputy Sheriff has been arrested on drug charges.

Charles Fuller, 46, from Corinth was charged on Friday with attempting to aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. If convicted, Fuller faces a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $5,000,000 fine.

According to the complaint, the FBI, along with a confidential source arranged to buy a kilo of cocaine from Fuller while he was off duty.

"The allegations against Fuller are an affront to and undermine the integrity of the hardworking men and women of the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office. We will not tolerate corruption among our ranks. Our promise to the people of Saratoga County is that we will continue to work diligently to ensure that every member of this office deserves the respect and trust of our community," says Saratoga County Sheriff Michal Zurlo.

Dectective Julio Cerpa Arrested for Theft

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested one of its own on petite theft charges.

Narcotics detective Julio Cerpa is accused of stealing a $49 jar of cream from Bailey's Gym on Merrill Road.

Cerpa has been with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office since 2006.

Former Officer Sergio Alvareza Found Guilty of 18 Counts of Kidnapping and Rape

A former Northern California police officer was convicted of sexually assaulting five women while authorities said he was on patrol.

A Yolo County jury found Sergio Alvarez guilty on Thursday of 18 counts of kidnapping, rape and forced oral copulation, the Sacramento Bee reported. The jury could not reach a decision on 10 other counts, including charges related to Alvarez's alleged attack on a sixth woman.

Prosecutors said Alvarez, while serving as a West Sacramento police officer in 2011 and 2012, targeted drug addicts and prostitutes. He allegedly forced them to perform sex acts in his cruiser, back alleys and wooded lots.

Alvarez showed no reaction as the verdicts were read, the Bee reported. His attorney, J. Toney, had accused the women of lying to authorities and said one of them had a months-long sexual relationship with the officer.

"I hope that our verdict reaffirms the dignity and worth of these women who spoke," juror Linda Bond told the Bee after the verdict.

Alvarez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4 and is facing the possibility of multiple life sentences.

District Attorney Jeff Reisig called the case a "horrific betrayal of trust" and said that his office wanted Alvarez to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Former Sergeant Edward Wise Charged with Indecency with Child

A former San Antonio police sergeant, who was fired last October for indecency with a child, hid a previous out-of-state arrest from the department, according to internal affairs paperwork.

Edward Wise, 45, was arrested last week and charged with indecency with a child by contact, connected to an April 2013 incident at a San Antonio apartment complex.

Wise is accused of groping a 12-year-old, after taking the young girl and her mother home from a west-side restaurant.

Chief William McManus fired Wise in October 2013, following a month-long investigation into the allegations.

The personnel move appeared on a city Civil Service Commission agenda as a 'double indefinite suspension.'

The internal affairs paperwork indicates Wise received the second indefinite suspension for failing to disclose a May 2008 arrest in Las Vegas, Nevada, for solicitation of prostitution.

San Antonio Police Department investigators said Wise took steps to have the misdemeanor charge dismissed and then even paid to have the record sealed by the Clark County District Attorney.

SAPD rules require officers to disclose any arrests, including the name of the arresting agency, the nature of the charges and court information related to the charge or the indictment.

Two attorneys listed in Wise's internal affairs paperwork told KENS 5 they are no longer representing Wise.

SAPD spokesman Sgt. Javier Salazar released the following statement Thursday afternoon:

Edward Wise is no longer an SAPD employee.  We conducted a thorough Internal Affairs investigation which was concluded.  Our criminal investigation remains active and we continue to work with the prosecutors with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office to assist in their processing of the case.

Wise is the second SAPD officer to be criminally charged and fired for allegations of sexual assault since November 2013.

Officer Jackie Neal was fired February 2014, after he was indicted on three felony charges connected to a traffic stop in southeast San Antonio. Neal is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in the back of his patrol cruiser while in full uniform.

Officer James Ferguson Arrested for DWI

A San Antonio Police officer has been arrested for DWI in San Marcos.

Officer James Ferguson was reportedly arrested by San Marcos police on Wednesday night.

A spokesman for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said Ferguson was released from jail Thursday on a $3,000 bond.

Ferguson has been with the San Antonio Police Department since 2007, according to state records.

Former Officer Daniel Lanious Charged with Corruption of Minor

A former Carroll Valley Police officer has been accused of sending "flirtatious and sexual" text messages to a 13-year-old girl, police state in charging documents.

Daniel Lanious, 50, of South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, was charged with corruption of a minor, according to a police criminal complaint filed at District Justice Susan Day's office in Mount Holly Springs.

The teenager's mother told police that Lanious met her daughter in July 2013, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The girl received a text message from Lanious out of nowhere, the affidavit states. The messages quickly became "flirtatious and sexual," the affidavit continues.

The girl said she believed Lanious obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page, the affidavit states.

The girl told police Lanious often mentioned wanting to have sex with her, according to the affidavit. She said she played along to an extent, but was not as graphic as he was, the affidavit continues.

The messages reportedly stopped on Aug. 13, when the girl's mother caught the last text, which read, "I wish you were home. I wish you were on birth control. I have a condom," according to the affidavit.

The mother replied to the message and told Lanious she hoped he was not over 18 because her daughter is only 13, according to the affidavit.

A day or two later the mother was visited by Lanious' son, who asked the mother if she would be contacting police, the affidavit states.

During an interview with state police Trooper Matthew Johnston from the Carlisle barracks, Lanious admitted to sending sexual text messages to the 13-year-old girl, the affidavit states.

Lanious apologized repeatedly for his actions and admitted what he did was "very stupid," according to the affidavit.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Lanious on April 2 in front of Day. He is being represented by Gettysburg attorney Steve Rice. Rice declined to comment on the case until he has spoken further with his client.

"As a well respected law enforcement officer, it would be nice if people could give him the benefit of the doubt," Rice said.

Six Officers in California Arrested in Scheme to Impound Vehicles

More than a third of the police officers in this Northern California town of 13,000 have been arrested, variously accused of bribery, embezzlement and threats charges.

Four are accused of developing a scheme to impound vehicles belonging to poor families, said Dean Flippo, Monterey County district attorney. After 30 days, those cars were turned over to King City police officers when the owners were unable to pay the impound fees.

The probe revealed that the scheme focused on poor Hispanic residents — including many who don't speak English. Census numbers show nearly 2 in 5 residents here are Hispanic.

"These people said, 'They are taking our property, they're taking our cars, they're taking our money and we can do nothing about that,' " Flippo said Tuesday. More than 200 vehicles were impounded, and 87% had been taken in by the same towing company.

Arrested were the following officials:

• Former police Chief Nick Baldiviez, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.

• Current acting Chief Bruce Miller, charged with accepting a bribe.

• Sgt. Bobby Carrillo, charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, accepting a bribe and bribing an executive officer.

• Sgt. Mark Baker, charged with criminal threats against a resident.

• Officer Mario Mottu, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.

• And Officer Jaime Andrade, charged with possession of an assault weapon and illegal storage of a firearm at his stepson's residence unrelated to the car scheme.

Also arrested was Brian Albert Miller, owner of a towing company and the acting police chief's brother. He was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and bribing an executive officer.

All of those arrested were out of jail within hours. Bail amounts ranged from $10,000 to $60,000.

"There has been a significant breakdown in the internal leadership of the King City Police Department," Flippo said. "It also appears to me that some officers have dishonored their badge."

Carrillo was accused of receiving a free vehicle for every 10 to 15 vehicles he had impounded. Ultimately, Carrillo allegedly got five vehicles to keep or sell and gave one to Bruce Miller, then a police captain.

In 2011, prosecutors believe Baldiviez gave Mottu a free 2001 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car belonging to either King City or the King City Police Explorers, a nonprofit group that is part of the Boy Scouts of America. Baldiviez remains on the city's payroll in spite of his September retirement, Flippo said.

"I'm not sure we know all the cars that were taken," the district attorney said. He couldn't put a value on the vehicles handed out in the scheme.

None of Tuesday's arrests, part of a six-month investigation of complaints going back 3½ years, are related to accusations posted on the Internet that King City police officers skimmed money from recovered bank robbery funds, Flippo said. He wouldn't specify whether any of the officers arrested were implicated in that accusation.

"As we began to talk to individuals over the years, we were beginning to hear this constant theme that had been there for years prior, and that was a lack of trust and faith in the King City Police Department," he said.

King City criminal cases in which any one of the six accused was the arresting officer are under scrutiny, the prosecutor said.

So far three cases that cannot proceed without the arresting officer's testimony have been dismissed, said Terry Spitz, chief assistant district attorney. Other cases also may be dismissed.

"My reputation is soiled," Bruce Miller said. "There's no coming back from this even if I'm found innocent. People are always going to look poorly upon me."

He said he knew his department was being investigated but had no idea he was a suspect. He denied that he had accepted any bribes.

Almost all of the police force's upper management has been arrested, Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller said. His office is offering help in the interim as King City officials figure out how to continue policing the town about 135 miles southeast of San Francisco and 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles along U.S. 101.

"We have no plans to just go into the city and take over services, but our offer to the city is we're available from this point on to provide whatever level of law enforcement services the city requires," he said.

The King City Police Department has come under fire in recent years. In 2010, Baldiviez was placed on administrative leave after officers claimed he arrived intoxicated at crime scenes. The next year, Baldiviez came under scrutiny for allegedly placing overweight officers on a weight-loss program, claiming they were unfit to work.

Baldiviez officially retired in September after a four-month vacation. Bruce Miller has filled the chief's position on an interim basis since May 2013.

At the time, Bruce Miller said he would be interested in applying for the chief's position when it became officially available.

Baldiviez is also listed as one of several defendants in a November lawsuit clai

Sergeamt Timothy Williams Fired for Insubordination

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has terminated a veteran sergeant, following allegations he had inappropriate contact with a woman following a traffic stop then violated an order to stay away from her.

Sergeant Timothy Williams was terminated Wednesday, after exhausting his final appeal.

Williams was placed on administrative duty last month, following a complaint from the woman.

He was then placed on administrative leave, according to the sheriff's office, after Williams contacted the woman again.

A sheriff's office spokesman said Sgt. Williams was fired for insubordination and conduct unbecoming a deputy sheriff.

Williams had been with the sheriff's office since 1991.

Officer Clinton Montalbetti Charged with Possessing Child Porn

A former police officer in northern Missouri is charged with possessing child pornography.  Officers arrested Clinton Montalbetti, 23, on Tuesday in Linn County on an outstanding warrant from Putnam County.

A judge issued the warrant after suspected pornographic images were found on a flash drive used by Montalbetti while he worked as a Unionville officer in late 2013.

Montalbetti's bond is $10,000.  Kirksville police say additional charges are possible after a review of items retrieved from a search of his home near Brookfield.

Detective Karen Almos Arrested for Drunk Driving

A San Diego police detective was arrested Saturday on suspicion of drunken driving when she was found sleeping in her parked car at Balboa Park, authorities said Tuesday.

Detective Karen Almos, 47, a 16-year department veteran, has been assigned to administrative duties as an investigation continues, police Detective Gary Hassen said.

Hassen said paramedics found her in a parked vehicle about 3:25 p.m. on Pan America Plaza. She later was identified as a police detective, and San Diego police arrested her, Hassen said.

Almos was booked into Las Colinas jail in Santee, then released on bail set at $2,500, a jail record shows.

San Diego police Lt. Kevin Mayer said the state Vehicle Code section on drunken driving “gives officers a lot of leeway” in making arrests.

“The officers looked at all the evidence and believed they had enough to arrest her for this offense,” Mayer said. “This case illustrates that criminal behavior by our officers, on or off duty, is not tolerated. The chief has made this clear.”

The Vehicle Code says a DUI arrest may be made if the person is “in or about a vehicle” that obstructs a road, or if the person might cause injury or damage if not immediately arrested.

“What if we walked away, knowing the person could potentially hurt somebody?” California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said. “You can’t assume someone’s going to sleep off their intoxication.”

CHP Officer Kevin Pearlstein said an officer’s arrest report would note certain facts, such as seeing the person in the driver’s seat with a key in the ignition, and ask how the person got there and whether they had been drinking.

A fundraising event involving police, the Kiwanis Club and the public had been held earlier in the day at the location of Almos’ arrest outside the Balboa Park Club.

The 11th annual Guacamole Bowl, with teams preparing guacamole dip recipes for judging, raised more than $14,500 for the Sports for Exceptional Athletes program for developmentally disabled children and adults, said Clara Downes, the program’s associate director.

Downes said Tuesday that no alcohol is served at the fundraiser.

Four law enforcement teams were among the 26 teams that prepared and served guacamole samples. Members of the public paid $5 to taste the samples and vote for their favorites, Downes said.

No information was immediately available about whether Almos attended or participated in the Guacamole Bowl. Mayer said he has not confirmed whether she was there.

The event was open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but teams started at 8 a.m. to fix their recipes, Downes said. She estimated that more than 2,000 people attended, including some of the athletes in the program.

The National Latino Peace Officers Association took first place in the law enforcement division, while a team fielded by the San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union winning the overall top prize, Downes said.

Last April, San Diego police Detective Jeffrey Blackford pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drunken-driving charges related to a December incident in which he crashed his unmarked police car into a roadside utility box.

Officer Maurice Hopkins Arrested for Rape

A Pine Bluff police officer was formally charged with rape Tuesday after a criminal investigation into allegations made by the alleged victim on Monday.

Police spokesman Lt. David Price said in a news release Officer Maurice Hopkins, who has been with the department for two years and nine months, was charged with one count of rape by Prosecuting Attorney S. Kyle Hunter after the investigation was forwarded to him.

The alleged incident occurred Sunday, according to a news release from Price on Monday. He also said the alleged victim was an adult female. Hopkins was placed on administrative leave with pay at that time.

A warrant was issued for Hopkins arrest and bond was set at $100,000 secured. He was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

Hopkins turned himself in Tuesday, Police Chief Jeff Hubanks said. He was booked into the adult detention center at 5:09 p.m. and was released on bond at 6:02 p.m., according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office website.

Price said in the news release Tuesday that the department will not release any further information until the conclusion of an internal investigation.

Officer William Ruscoe Arrested for Sexual Assault

A veteran Trumbull Police officer was arrested Monday night by Connecticut State Police in Bridgeport on sexual assault charges.

Details of the assault are not clear, but William Ruscoe, 44, was charged with second-degree sex assault, third-degree sex assault and fourth-degree sex assault, as well as tampering with a witness.

Multiple reports says he’s a 20-year veteran and sexually assaulted a member of the police department’s explorer program, where he served as an adviser for several years.

Cash bond was set at $50,000 and he’s due in Bridgeport Superior Court either Feb. 25 or March 5.

Officer Sean Gilhuly Arrested After Drunk Driving

An Orlando police officer was arrested Tuesday for the second time in a
month.

Sean Gilhuly, 30, was arrested in Orange County on a charge of
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — a motor vehicle, according to a
 police spokesman.

Orlando officers would not give details other than to say they are
investigating Gilhuly on suspicion of leaving the scene of an off-duty
crash.

They would not say whether Tuesday's arrest was related to Gilhuly's DUI
 arrest Jan. 19 in Oviedo. Police there said they found an open bottle
of peach vodka in the passenger seat of his sport utility vehicle.

A passer-by told a dispatcher that Gilhuly had sat through two green
lights and appeared unfit to drive.

Gilhuly was charged with criminal mischief because investigators say he
kicked out the back window of a patrol car after his arrest, a police
report shows.

He also was ticketed on charges of improper stopping or standing and
having an open container of alcohol.

Gilhuly remains suspended with pay while an internal investigation is
conducted. He was hired Sept. 12, 2011.

Officer Mark Ridley Jr Released on Bond

A Muskogee police officer who is facing several felony charges was released from jail Friday after a $50,000 bond was set.

Mark Vernon Ridley Jr., 39, of Oktaha had been held without bond in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility since his arrest last month.

Ridley was arrested after he allegedly crashed his truck into his wife’s car and kidnapped her at gunpoint.

On Jan. 31, he was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, forcible sodomy and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.

Ridley was placed on paid administrative leave in December after allegations of assault, abuse, stalking and harassment surfaced.

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said Ridley had tried to commit suicide while in custody at the jail.

Larry Langley, special district judge for Sequoyah County District Court, set Ridley’s bond at $50,000 and ordered Ridley to be under 24-hour supervision with the understanding that the person providing supervision will insure that Ridley takes his prescribed medication. The judge also ruled that Ridley could not have access to firearms and was ordered to not have contact with his wife or witnesses in the case.

Langley was assigned to the case after Muskogee County’s Special District Judge Robin Adair recused himself.

In requesting a reduction in bond Friday, defense attorney Donn Baker told the judge that Ridley was unstable initially, but no longer poses a risk.

Baker said a Feb. 17 letter from a nurse practitioner at a local health facility who had evaluated Ridley proved “he is much more stable and doing a lot better.” Ridley was “not in danger to himself or anyone else,” Baker said.

In the Feb. 17 letter, Michael S. Smith, a Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with Muskogee Family Care, states, “Though he was quite unstable, and even suicidal, initially upon his entry into the jail, he has now become much more stable and, in my opinion, does not represent any danger to himself or others.”

The letter continues, “Additionally, I have discussed his case with the mental health provider from Green Country Behavioral Health, who interviewed Officer Ridley, who likewise believes that he does not represent any threat to himself.”

Ridley’s father and other individuals were willing to provide 24-hour supervision if Ridley was free on bond, Baker said.

The office of Eddie Wyant, district attorney for Delaware and Ottawa counties, was named to prosecute the case after Muskogee County District Moore recused himself.

Jennifer Ellis, an assistant district attorney in Ottawa County, said the state objected to the bond for Ridley.

“Our position is one of safety” for Ridley and Ridley’s wife, she said.

If Ridley was released on bond, then the only benefit would be a “reactive situation” if Ridley violated the conditions of bond and that Ridley could harm himself or others.

“We feel the risk is just too high,” she said.

She added that the state believes that Ridley should remain incarcerated in jail or be placed in a mental health facility until the preliminary hearing.

A status hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 28, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. May 16. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, a judge will determine if Ridley should stand trial.

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Former Officer David Banks Charged with Sexual Misconduct with Child

A former Unionville Police officer was charged with sexual misconduct involving a child after Kirksville Police received and investigated claims he was exchanging inappropriate text messages with a juvenile.

David Banks, 25, was arrested at a residence in Stewartsville after being terminated from the Unionville Police Department over allegations of sexual misconduct.

According to the Kirksville Police Department, the suspect had been exchanging sexual explicit text messages and had sent at least one image to a 14-year-old female in Unionville. KPD began its investigation Thursday.

Following his termination with the police department Thursday, Banks is alleged to have left Unionville and was located at a residence in DeKalb County, where a search warrant was executed for his arrest early Friday morning.

Banks was being held in the Daviess/Dekalb Regional Jail as of Friday morning on a $10,000 cash-only bond. He was charged with the class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child.

The investigation is ongoing and other charges are pending, according to KPD.

Officer Shawn Allen Charged with Fraud

A Region 8 police officer was charged with both fraud and possession after he was arrested Friday morning.

According to police, Walnut Ridge police officer Shawn Allen was charged with fraud after abusing drug prescriptions. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Allen was released on bond and has a scheduled court date.

Sgt. Kevin Simmons Charged with Soliciting Prostitution

A Baltimore City police sergeant was among four people arrested Wednesday night in a vice sting in Baltimore County.

County police said the men solicited prostitution and offered money to undercover detectives.

Sgt. Kevin Simmons, 40, is among those charged. The other three men were identified as Edward Yuditsky, 42, of Timonium; Trevor William Joseph Barnes, 44, of Mount Airy; and Mark Kane, 48, of Eldersburg.

The four men taken into custody were charged with two counts of prostitution. All except Kane, who also faces drug charges, were released on their own recognizance. Kane was held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on $5,000 bail.

Simmons has been assigned to the Neighborhood Patrol Bureau in the Western District. He has been with the department since January 1996.

Officer Ernesto Fierro Indicted in Texas Death

An officer has been indicted on criminal charges in connection with an Iowan's death in Texas.

Officer Ernesto Fierro turned himself in to authorities at 5 p.m. Thursday.

A grand jury found Fierro did "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly threaten William Livezey, Jr. with imminent bodily injury by causing the vehicle driven by said defendant to drive toward William Livezey, Jr., and did then use or exhibit a deadly weapon..."

The grand jury also found Fierro subjected Livezey "to an arrest that the defendant knew was unlawful."

He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, official oppression and three counts of reckless driving. Fierro was released on $85,000 bond.

Iowan Bill Livezey was pulled over by Fierro on Dec. 11 who was off-duty at the time.

Authorities said witnesses told them Fierro was trying to run Livezey off the road.

The Navarro County Sheriff's Office told KCCI when their deputies arrived, Livezey said he was feeling ill and suffered a heart attack. Deputies took the handcuffs off and started CPR.

An ambulance transported Livezey to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
KTVT-TV reported that the Livezey family has hired an attorney to pursue the case

Corrections Officer Jessie Tyree Arrested on Drug Charges

A federal corrections officer and a woman were arrested at an apartment complex by Ocala police and drug agents Friday and were charged with possession of illegal narcotics.

Ocala Police Department officers Brandon Sirolli and J.P. Hall were patrolling at Spring Manor Apartments at 2833 NE Seventh St., Ocala, when they smelled burnt marijuana coming from an open window.

The officers saw Jessie Tyree and a woman walking from a hallway and smelled a strong odor of marijuana on them. The two said they had just left the apartment from which the officers had smelled burnt marijuana, reports state.

The woman told the officers she had smoked marijuana in the apartment. Other officers arrived and Tyree and the woman were searched. The woman did not have anything illegal in her possession but Tyree had MDMA, commonly called Ecstasy, cocaine and drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

Tyree, 28, is a corrections officer at Marion Correctional Institution. He told the officers he has been using drugs for “just a little while,” the report notes.

Charlotte James, the tenant in the apartment, came outside and asked officers what was going on. She said she had smoked marijuana before Tyree and the woman arrived, but that there was not any more inside. The officers asked to search the residence and she told them no, the report states.

The officers contacted the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, which obtained a search warrant. Inside James’ apartment agents found a small amount of marijuana.
James, 26, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

Tyree was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, MDMA and drug paraphernalia.

Officer Thomas Allen Charged with Taking Pictures of Girls Underwear

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who led some of the department’s youth programs has been charged with secretly taking pictures of girls’ underwear as they participated in physical activities in a program for youth curious about law enforcement careers.

Officer Thomas E. Allen, a CMPD officer for 18 years, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of secretly using a photographic imaging device to view another’s body or undergarments, and with possessing the photographs, according to police.

Allen, 42, was interviewed by detectives Wednesday and later released from Mecklenburg jail on $15,000 bond. The department has begun proceedings to fire him, CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe said.

And police say they are trying to contact more than 700 students who participated in the department’s high school academy, Explorer Posts or other youth-oriented programs that Allen was involved in over the past 12 years to see whether similar incidents occurred.

“Allen’s behavior is totally unacceptable,” said CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe during a 22-minute news conference at police headquarters. “It violates the public trust. If we think one of our officers goes against the public’s trust ... we will use whatever resources we have available.

“We’re hoping that anyone who believes (Allen) may have had inappropriate contact will come forward and we will look to investigate.”

Monroe said the four victims were all girls between the ages of 14 and 18 participating in CMPD’s high school academy at the police training center in south Charlotte. Allen, who frequently photographed events for the department’s youth programs, took the pictures with a 35-millimeter camera while the girls were exercising, then kept the images.

Investigators have combed through “thousands and thousands of photos,” Monroe said. They found no child pornography and no further questionable photos, he said.

Allen could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. It is unclear if he has hired a lawyer. According to Monroe, he is married but has no children.

Allen has worked for CMPD since March 1996 and began working as a recruiter at the Police Training Academy in 2002. His annual salary is $67,876.38, according to city records.

He was involved in several programs the department runs for youth interested in police careers, including the department’s Explorers program and the CMPD High School Academy. He also was the department’s organizer of the Explorers Christmas Project for several years.

Explorers meet at the police academy for two hours twice a month to learn about various jobs in the police department.

The High School police academy is a weeklong program that puts teens through a mock academy, covering topics such as traffic stops, building searches, and “the responsibilities of wearing the badge,” according to the CMPD website. Students are also required to participate in basic physical fitness activities during the academy.

Monroe said the department takes photos of many such activities, and it was not unusual for an officer to photograph youth activities.

The investigation began in October. Monroe released few details on what started it, but said at least one of Allen’s supervisors had suspicions. More details were unearthed during subsequent interviews.

Allen’s arrest comes on the heels of another high-profile arrest of a police officer. Last September, Officer Randall Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting of Jonathan Ferrell, an unarmed motorist who may have been looking for help after a car wreck.

In December 2010, former police officer Marcus Jackson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison for sexually assaulting six women while on duty in 2009. Investigators say he assaulted people during traffic stops.

Veteran Officer Kent Scott Arrested for DWI

Portland Police arrested one of their own, accused of intoxicated driving.

Police say Kent Scott was off-duty when he was pulled over at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday on Southeast 148th and Division Street. He was cited for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. He was not booked in jail.

Scott is a 22-year veteran of Portland Police and was assigned to the transit police division. He has now been placed in an off-street assignment pending an internal review.

Former Sheriff's Deputy Stephen Tanabe Sentenced to Prison

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sentenced former Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy Stephen Tanabe to 15 months in prison for aiding in the drunken driving arrests of three men who were set up by a private investigator. He was sentenced in federal court in San Francisco today to a year and three months in prison.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer told Stephen Tanabe, "Your decision to embark on this process was so outside the scope of what would be viewed as professional responsibility that it should have been an alarm.

"This was a case where what this officer did that was wrong was basically negotiating and receiving money or property to do his job, which he did. But he did so with the knowledge that the circumstances of the offenses were initiated by others," Breyer said.

Tanabe, 50, of Alamo, was convicted by a jury in Breyer's court last year of conspiracy, wire fraud and extortion related to a scheme by disgraced former investigator Christopher Butler to arrange the driving-under-the-influence arrests of three men in Danville in 2010 and 2011.

The men were husbands of Butler's female clients in divorce cases and the arrests became known as "dirty DUIs."  According to testimony the trial, attractive women employed by Butler enticed the men to become intoxicated at Danville bars.

After being alerted by Butler, Tanabe arrested two of the targets as they drove away from the bars on Jan. 9 and 14, 2011. In the first arrest on Nov. 2, 2010, Tanabe was off duty and watched with Butler inside a bar as the man became intoxicated and then alerted a fellow officer to arrest the man after he began driving, according to trial testimony.

In two extortion convictions, the jury found Tanabe guilty of receiving an expensive Glock gun from Butler in exchange for making the second and third arrests.

But the jury acquitted him of a third extortion charge that alleged he received cocaine from Butler for the first arrest.

Tanabe was also convicted of three counts of wire fraud for text messages exchanged with Butler in the three incidents, and conspiracy to deprive the public of his honest services.

Tanabe, who did not testify at his trial, told Breyer today that at the time of the arrests, he believed he was carrying out his duty to protect the public and didn't think that he was doing anything illegal.

"I justified it in my mind that it was a legitimate arrest of drivers who were intoxicated. In my mind, I was arresting people who were breaking the law in the town in which I worked," Tanabe said.

He said he thought of the receipt of the gun as a "casual" arrangement and not a payment.

Now, Tanabe said, he realizes "I did something wrong and made a mistake. I accepted a Glock gun from Christopher Butler and I made arrests.

"All I ever wanted to do was be a cop and I destroyed that," he said.

Tanabe said he knew Butler's employees were observing the targeted men, but said he wasn't aware of the broader scheme to entice the men to drink too much.

Prosecutor Philip Kearney argued that text messages presented as evidence at the trial showed that there was "active participation and knowledge" of the scheme by Tanabe.

Tanabe's defense lawyers had asked for a lower sentence of six months in a halfway house plus six months of home confinement, while prosecutors had asked for three and one-half years in prison.

Breyer ordered Tanabe to surrender to begin serving his sentence on April 15. Tanabe will also be on supervised release for three years after he is released and must perform 240 hours of community service during that time.

"Law enforcement officers have enormous power. The police officer in day-to-day law enforcement must have the confidence of people that law enforcement will be even-handed," Breyer said.

Outside of court, defense attorney Alan Miller said no decision has been made on whether Tanabe will appeal.

Tanabe, Butler and others face three civil lawsuits filed by three men who were arrested. The cases are pending in Breyer's court and were stayed by the judge last year until Tanabe's case was completed. An attorney for two of the plaintiffs, Brian Gearinger, said he expects Breyer will now hold a status conference on the cases within the next few weeks.

Butler's drunken driving stings were part of a larger Contra Costa County corruption scandal in which he and former state narcotics squad chief Norman Wielsch sold drugs Wielsch stole from evidence lockers, arranged phony arrests and extorted money from prostitutes. Butler also placed hidden eavesdropping devices in the cars of clients' husbands.

Butler pleaded guilty in 2012 to seven charges and received a reduced sentence of eight years in prison in exchange for agreeing to aid prosecutors. He testified at Tanabe's trial and maintained he paid the officer for the arrests with both cocaine and the Glock gun.

Wielsch separately pleaded guilty to five charges and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Tanabe was charged only in connection with the three Danville arrests.

Trooper Jeremy Garner Arrested Again for Drunk Driving

An Ohio State Trooper is accused in a case of extreme drunk driving. And this is not the first time he's been accused of breaking the law he gets paid to enforce.

Columbus Police say Trooper Jeremy Garner plowed into two parked cars Sunday night, and then attempted to drive away.

Investigators say his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.

Columbus Police records indicate Garner was aggressively drunk when he got behind the wheel Sunday  night, and crashed into two parked cars.

"I heard a big loud boom outside of my window," said Nicole Celebrezze.
She says she looked out her window to see her car had been hit.

She says she called 911 and ran down to the street, to see the SUV that hit her car pulling away.  "He almost made it to High Street, but I don't think he would have gotten far because his tire was sideways."

By that time, Columbus Police were there, keeping the driver from going any further.

"He pretty much fell out of the automobile," Celebrezze said. "That's when I knew this was a drunk driver."

A Columbus Police crash report shows Garner tested at .277, more than three times the legal limit.

"Didn't seem coherent. I highly doubt he remembers anything that occurred," Celebrezze said.

Records show this wasn't Garner's first OVI charge.

In 2007, Grove City Police stopped him for speeding, clocking him at 69 miles per hour in a 35 zone.

He failed field sobriety tests, and registered a blood alcohol content of .209.

The test was thrown out because of a machine malfunction, but he pleaded guilty, getting 3 days in jail, two years' probation, and a 6 month license suspension.

"When are you going to learn?" asked Celebrezze. "At least learn from the first mistake, if you're going to make a mistake at all."

She knows this could have been worse. "I'm just glad no one got hurt," she said.

But she's troubled by the actions of a public safety professional who should know better.

"It's a serious thing, State Trooper or not. When you're in that position, in the public eye, you should really, really have some consequences for those actions."

Garner faces charges tonight including OVI and fleeing the scene of a crash.

The State Patrol said he is using his own leave time right now as the Patrol investigates the matter.

We asked how his last OVI was handled by the Patrol, but they can't tell us.

The Department of Public Safety only retains internal investigation records for 5 years, so a spokesperson says those records from 2007 no longer exist.