Man Arrested for Videotaping Police

A Fall River man says he was recording a police officer who was out of control, but instead, he was arrested and his cell phone was seized.

Now the video he recorded is gone. Police say he erased it, even though they were the ones holding the phone.

George Thompson says last January he was just sitting on his front porch, watching a Fall River police officer working a paid detail. Thompson says the officer was on his phone and was swearing very loud.

That’s when Thompson pulled out his phone. Thompson says Officer Tom Barboza then rushed him and arrested him, charging him with unlawful wiretapping.

But in Massachusetts it’s perfectly legal to record video and audio of a public official, including police, as long as they are performing their duties and the recording isn’t hidden. Barboza’s own police report shows that Thompson acknowledged he was recording the officer.

“I think we all have our basic rights and I think people should not record others secretly or surreptitiously,” Fall River Police Chief Daniel Racine told WPRI.

Thompson was released from jail, but police kept his phone and that’s where the story takes an interesting turn.

Thompson claims that two days after his arrest, his phone, which was locked up at the police station, somehow had all of the video erased.

“If a Fall River police officer erased that video, he’s fired,” Chief Racine said. “And I would suspect the district attorney would take out charges.”

George Thompson is not buying it. “They’re investigating themselves and there’s a code of blue and everybody knows that,” Thompson says.

Corrections Officer Christopher L Riley Arrested for DUI

A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Corrections Officer was arrested early Friday morning for driving under the influence.

Christopher L. Riley was stopped due to a malfunctioning headlight, according to JSO.

The patrol officer believed Riley was intoxicated and investigated.

Riley was arrested for driving under the influence and cited for operating a vehicle in an unsafe condition.

According to JSO, Riley will be placed in a limited duty status while the court processes the case.

Former Officer Craig Garner Charged with Selling Firearms to Convicted Felon

A 23-year veteran of the Alpharetta Police Department turned himself in Friday to Forsyth County authorities after he reportedly sold guns to a convicted felon.

Craig Allen Garner, 54, has been charged with two counts of party to a crime for selling guns, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

“He acquired the firearms for the convicted felon with knowledge he was a convicted felon and he knew he shouldn’t have guns,” said Sheriff’s Maj. Rick Doyle. “They are friends.”

According to Doyle, Garner met Michael Cummings, a 44-year-old convicted felon, on two different days for the gun deal, which involved an assault rifle and 12-gauge shotgun. Both men are Forsyth County residents.

Cummings has been charged with one count of criminal solicitation and two counts of possession of a firearm, according to the sheriff’s office. His previous conviction — on charges of burglary, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and theft by taking — was from 1996 in Union County.

Cummings and Garner were booked at the Forsyth County Detention Center, from where Garner was later released after posting a bond of $22,220.

Cummings is being held without bond because he’s on active probation in Gwinnett and Union counties, Doyle said.

Garner was hired by the Alpharetta department in 1990 after working for the Kennesaw Police Department. Though he once served as a lieutenant in Alpharetta, he was an officer at the time of his arrest for unrelated reasons, said Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard.

Drinkard said Friday that Garner is “no longer an employee of the city as of [Thursday] afternoon.”

“At this time, there is no indication that any of the behaviors that led to the arrest occurred while he was on duty,” Drinkard said. “So at this point, there will not be further action from the city of Alpharetta, unless the investigation turns something up.

“His behaviors are certainly not indicative of the professionals that we have in our law enforcement agency.”

Garner is the founder of the Blue Bloods Motorcycle Club, a law enforcement group that raises funds for charities and awareness and supports the Second Amendment and U.S. Constitution, according to its website.

Reports that Cummings is also a club member could not be immediately confirmed.

Retired Officer Walter Sasse Arrested for Sexual Assault of Teen Girl

A retired Philadelphia police officer has been arrested and charged with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl.

According to Philly, Walter Sasse was charged on Wednesday with a number of crimes, including unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, sexual assault and indecent exposure. In total, he has been charged with nine crimes.

The charges stem from an alleged sexual assault that happened in 2011. However, authorities believe that the 75-year-old had a relationship with the teen for years.

WPVI has reported that Sasse met the victim when she was 15-years-old at Courtesy Stables, where she rode horses. The retired cop was employed by the stables and investigators said that the girl also began working there and that's when the alleged sexual contact started.

Police would not release any further details about the victim because of her age.

Sasse, who is a 20-year veteran of the force, was most recently assigned to the PPD’s mounted unit. He was released on $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be back in court on March 25th.

Corrections Officer Christopher Brunson Charged with Violating Civil Rights

Christopher Brunson, 38, of Perry, Florida, has been indicted for violating the civil rights of a Taylor County Correctional Institution inmate.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that on January 30, 2013, Brunson, who was then employed as a correctional officer at the Taylor Correctional Institution, struck and assaulted an inmate resulting in bodily injury.  Brunson was arraigned in federal court today and a trial date was scheduled for April 14, 2014.

If convicted, Brunson faces a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rhew-Miller

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Officer Clifton Gauthier Charged with Misconduct

Township Police Officer Clifton “Clif” Gauthier has been charged with official misconduct and other crimes for allegedly trying to get a relative’s driving while intoxicated ticket dismissed in 2012.

Gauthier, 34, of Sparta, was charged Monday by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office with official misconduct, obstruction, witness tampering and hindering prosecution of another, according to court records. Gauthier was hired in the township in July 2005 and, though now suspended, was earning $108,525 annually.

Township officials would not immediately specify whether Gauthier was suspended with or without pay. Neither Gauthier nor defense lawyer Scott Krasny could immediately be reached Friday.

A male relative of Gauthier was ticketed for DWI in Rockaway Township by a state trooper identified only as N.S. Gauthier allegedly contacted the trooper on Feb. 9, 2012, and “suggested” he didn’t need to appear in township Municipal Court for trial because the charge was resolved, according to court records and officials.

Denis Driscoll, who was municipal prosecutor at the time, contacted the trooper, who stated he was told not to appear, and the investigation commenced, according to officials.

Township Mayor Michael Dachisen said that Gauthier is a good officer who served several military tours in Iraq. He said the relative who Gauthier allegedly tried to assist is either a cousin or an uncle. He declined further comment.

Police Chief Walter Ardin Jr. could not be reached. Gauthier is due to appear next week in Superior Court to receive initial discovery on the charges. They allege that he committed an act that constituted an unauthorized exercise of his position by suggesting to the trooper that he not appear on the scheduled court date so he could try to help a relative obtain a dismissal of the charge.

The most serious offense of official misconduct is a second-degree crime punishable upon conviction by up to 10 years in prison and automatic forfeiture of a public job and future public employment.

Officer Ronald Taylor Charged with Assault & Harassment

 A police officer in the Bronx has been arrested and charged with an alleged assault from last summer.

According to court documents, Ronald Taylor, hit a man named Fernando Rios several times in the face back in August at an Exterior Street shopping complex.

He's facing charges of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment, and is due back in court on April 25.

Probation Officer Jeffrey Collins Charged with Groping Woman

A northwestern Pennsylvania probation officer has been suspended without pay after state police charged him with groping and sending lewd text messages to a woman he was supervising.

Online court records don’t list an attorney for 37-year-old Warren County probation officer Jeffrey Collins, of Sheffield. The Associated Press could not locate a listed telephone number for Collins.

The (Warren) Times-Observer reports Collins has been charged with indecent assault, harassment by lewd communication and other crimes by state troopers in Warren.

Police say the woman reported the incidents happened between Feb. 10 and March 2.

The woman told police that Collins threatened to revoke her probation, which would put her in jail, unless she didn’t comply with his advances.

Collins wasn’t arrested. He’s been summoned to court April 2 to answer the charges.

Officer Steven Lupo Charged with Giving False Statements

A Philadelphia police officer has been charged with Perjury, False Swearing in Official Matters, Unsworn Falsification, False Reports to Law Enforcement and Obstructing Administration of Law.

Police began investigating 36-year-old officer Steven Lupo after a complaint was made to Internal Affairs about Lupo’s testimony in court on Oct. 18, 2011. It was alleged that Lupo, who was assigned to the 14th Police District, testified falsely during a hearing about circumstances surrounding the arrest of both Amiraria Farsi on Aug. 5, 2011 and Joseph Tuabma on Sept. 25, 2010.

In the case of Tuamba, Lupo was on the 100 block of E Chelten Avenue when he and his partner encountered a 2010 Lincoln SKS parked outside a Chinese store. The officers ultimately arrested both people in the car, Tuabma and Angel Huffman, and charged them with possession of narcotics. Though Lupo testified the car’s windows were tinted, three other witnesses testified in court that they were not.

In the Farsi trial, Lupo and his partner conducted a vehicle stop of a 1998 Buick Regal driven by Farsi near Baynton and High Streets after the car failed to stop at a stop sign. Lupo frisked the men in the car and searched the vehicle, uncovering narcotics; however, Lupo claimed he waited for a search warrant before doing so. That was determined to be false.

Lupo is expected to be suspended with intent to dismiss.

Detention Officer Keenon Daniels Arrested For Delivering Contraband to Inmates

A Smith County detention officer has been arrested for delivering contraband to inmates at the Smith County Low Risk Facility.

Sheriff Larry Smith said on Friday morning around 11, 24-year-old Keenon Daniels Olison, Jr. was arrested by the Smith County Sheriff's Office. The investigation into Olison has been going on for the past six weeks when they received a tip that he was smuggling controlled substances into the low risk facility.

Sheriff Smith placed Olison under surveillance after information was received by the Special Services Unit showing that the officer was responsible for smuggling illegal contraband and controlled substances into the facility.

"We will not move a problem, we will not transfer a problem. We will not just simply terminate somebody's employment who has done something unlawful. We will conduct a criminal investigation, we will for the district attorney's office or the U.S. Attorney's Office or whichever one is applicable to prosecute that individual to whatever the statutes allow," said Sheriff Smith.

After his arrest on Friday, Olison was charged with multiple counts related to possessing a controlled substance in a detention facility with intent to deliver the controlled substance to an inmate. He was charged with delivery of contraband to inmates.

Olison's arrest affidavit says he took marijuana into the Smith County Jail on Friday. Surveillance video also showed him providing a tobacco product to an inmate. He then gave a cell phone to that same inmate.

“When I ran for this office, I said that the Smith County Sheriff's Office would clean its own house and that each employee will be held to a higher standard than the general public, and that’s exactly what we continue to do as we have exhibited today,” said Sheriff Smith.
Olison has worked at both the low risk facility and the Smith County Jail. He was originally hired on May 20, 2012. Sheriff Smith said that Olison had disciplinary actions in his personnel file related to not following protocol and direction, but nothing criminal until now.

"One of the promises was that we were going to be held, not only law enforcement officers and the detention officers of the Smith County Sheriff's Office to a higher standard than the general public, and this is just a continuation of that," added Smith.

The Sheriff’s Office has been conducting this investigation in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office.

Deputy Marshal Donald Richardson Arrested for Stealing Money From Evidence Locker

A suspended Worthington Deputy Marshal Donald R. Richardson was arrested Thursday night after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Richardson is accused of stealing money from the evidence locker at the Worthington Police Department.

According to the Greene County Daily World, Richardson has worked at the Worthington Police Department for twelve years, but was demoted from marshal to a deputy last year after allegations of poor work performance and other unacceptable behaviors. The town council appointed Randy Raney to serve as marshal in October.

On November 30, Raney was reorganizing the evidence room when he discovered the keys to one of the lockers, was not where it should be. He found it in an ice cube tray on top of the refrigerator and when he opened the locker he discovered a large plastic bag that contained evidence from a 2012 case had been tore open.

Raney says he was familiar with the case Richardson had investigated and that $1,300 in cash was missing from the bag.

The Indiana State Police were called to investigate.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Indiana State Police Master Trooper Detective Stacy Brown, Rainey told police he searched the evidence room several time and could not locate the missing cash and the only person that had a key to the evidence room as well as a key to the police department door was Richardson. He also told the detective that Richardson had been going through a divorce and was having financial troubles, and that the town clerk had mentioned that Richardson had tried to get advances on overtime he had not worked.

Raney also found that the case file on that case was missing from the file cabinet it was supposed to be stored in, and there was no reason for anyone to have the file because the case was no longer an active investigation.

He also found that the computer file on the case had been modified on Nov. 17, 2013. The modification was on the amount of money taken into evidence.

The original document showed the amount to be $1,289.10 and the modified document showed it to be $1,089.10.

On the date the document was changed, Raney and Richardson were the only officers working for the department, and Richardson was the only officer working that day.

Detective Stacy interviewed Richardson on December 17, and reported that when he asked Richardson about the missing money Richardson became agitated and angry. And when told about the missing money, he claimed someone was attempting to "set him up."

Richardson told the detective the money was not missing, but stored in the refrigerator in the evidence room to eliminate the odor of marijuana on it. He also says he was hoping the department could seize the money to purchase new equipment for the department.

Both Stacy and Richardson then went to the refrigerator to look for the missing money. Richardson opened the refrigerator and without looking grabbed the top envelope on the top shelf and handed it to the detective.

Stacy reported that was suspicious since, Raney had searched the refrigerator several times and didn't find the missing money.

The envelope contained a smaller heat sealed bag with the proper case number and a dollar amount of $1,089.10 on it- $200 dollars short of the total listed in the original probable cause affidavit.

Richardson reportedly told Detective Stacy the amount listed in the original probable cause affidavit was incorrect and that the bag contained the correct amount.

When asked about the missing case file, Richardson said the printer was not working on the day he finished the report so he was unable to print a copy. When Stacy asked why he didn't print a copy after the printer was fixed, Richardson became upset and did not answer.

Richardson was then showed a copy of the modified probable cause affidavit and told him that the change was made on Nov. 17 when he was the only one working, Richardson allegedly said that he did not take the money and did not make changes to the affidavit.

Again Richardson claimed he was "being set up and they (Raney, the clerk-treasurer and deputy clerk and members of the Worthington town board) were trying to make it look like he stole the money."

Richardson requested that Stacy check the computer in the evidence room to see what the dollar amount it listed for the case was, and on Dec. 20 Stacy discovered that the file on that computer had been modified on the same day as the file on the computer in the front office.

Again, the amount of money had been changed from $1,289.10 to $1,089.10.

On Dec. 20, Stacy interviewed Worthington Deputy Clerk Debbie Dyer, who told him that she did not have keys to the police department or evidence room and that she had no problems with Don and was not part of a set-up against him.

On Jan. 13 of this year, Stacy spoke with Worthington Clerk-Treasurer Gloria Klass, who said she did not have the keys, either, and that she considered Richardson to be a friend. She allegedly stated that she had recently received messages and emails from Richardson asking for $650 in Operation Pull-Over (OPO) overtime he claimed to have worked and that she had told him the policy on OPO advances had changed, at which point he asked if they could reconsider so he could give his son a good Christmas.

Klass told Stacy that she loaned Richardson $600 and he agreed that she could have his OPO check when it arrived. She added that she recently learned he never worked those hours or submitted the overtime claims, and that she was very surprised Richardson lied to her and took $600 of her money.

On Jan. 17, Stacy talked with Brad Deckard, who was employed as a deputy sheriff at the Greene County Sheriff's Department when Richardson initially worked the case involving the missing money. Deckard said he remembered the case and that he verified the amount of money taken into evidence, but that he could only recall that it was over $1,000.

Deckard also allegedly told Stacy that Richardson had recently called him to tell him that he made a mistake on the dollar amount listed on the probable cause affidavit, and had requested that Deckard be a friend and cover for him. Deckard said that when he told Richardson he could not recall the dollar amount that was seized, Richardson asked him to lie to Stacy and tell him the dollar amount was $1,089.10.

Richardson is preliminarily charged with theft and official misconduct, both class D felonies. His bond will be set at $8,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed.

Former Officer Douglas Johnson Charged with Domestic Violence

A former Omak police officer was arrested in a domestic violence case involving his son's former girlfriend.

The Okanogan County sheriff's office says 47-year-old Douglas G. Johnson fired a rifle into the ground Thursday as the woman returned to the home near Tonasket where she had lived with her boyfriend and Johnson. She wanted to pick up her belongings.

A Tonasket woman was hit by gravel after the father of her ex-boyfriend allegedly fired a shot by her feet Thursday afternoon. Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers says 35 year old Brianna Hicks told deputies that she had broken up with her boyfriend, 23 year old Tyler Kion, earlier that day. She had been living with Kion and his father, 47 year old Douglas G. Johnson at a residence near Tonasket for several months.

 Rogers says Johnson, a former Omak police officer, reportedly did not say anything to Hicks before opening fire and was uncooperative with law enforcement at the scene. He was booked into the Okanogan County Jail on a charge of 1st Degree Assault-Domestic Violence.

Officer Shane Mosley Arrested for Sending Inappropriate Text Messages to Juvenile

An Oldham County police officer is facing both criminal and administrative charges after being accused of sending suggestive text messages to a juvenile.

According to a press release, Oldham County Police were contacted on September 26 by the juvenile, a female, who said she had received text messages from someone claiming to be an Oldham County officer.

The girl told police she was contacted again the next day by the same person, but this time the messages contained "specific, graphic sexual references" and other communications said to be illegal or inappropriate.

Oldham County Police said their investigation was able to identify the person sending the messages as Officer Shane Mosley.

An arrest warrant was issued for Mosley charging him with unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor or engage in sexual or other prohibited activities, official misconduct and unlawful transaction with a minor.

Mosley was arrested on Friday and booked into the Oldham County Jail. Officials said he immediately resigned from the department.

Officer Brent Schade Arrested for Forcible Rape of Minor

    Chillicothe Police Officer Brent Allen Schade who had been on unpaid administrative leave since Jan. 24 was arrested today (Wednesday) for alleged forcible rape, forcible sodomy and two counts of supplying intoxicants to a minor.

    On Tuesday, the Livingston County Sheriff’s office began an investigation into an alleged rape, sodomy, unlawful restraint and supplying intoxicants to a minor. The incident was reported to have taken place over the night of March 3 and into the early morning or March 4 in the 300 block of Cherry Street in Chillicothe.

    Schade, 40, of Chillicothe, was arrested early today.

    A variety of evidence has been collected and/or is currently being sought, according to Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox.

    “A second person of interest was identified and we are seeking that individual at this time for questioning,” Cox said. “Several people have been interviewed and the investigation continues.”

    Schade has been on the police force since August 2007 and is currently on unpaid administrative leave, stemming from an incident last year.

    Schade was charged Jan. 24 with hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence by Brady Kopek, special prosecuting attorney of Livingston County.

    According to the probable cause statement, Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. J. Pithan investigated a traffic accident on Aug. 18 on Route V near Chillicothe involving two individuals. During the course of the investigation, Pithan reportedly discovered both occupants of the crashed vehicle walked to a nearby residence and called Schade. The investigation suggests Schade drove to their location and provided transportation to both subjects before returning to the scene of the accident. Schade allegedly assisted with the recovery of personal items belonging to both subjects, including cell phones and a bottle of Captain Morgan. Schade allegedly did not report the accident to authorities and transported the two individuals to his residence in Chillicothe.

    Schade remains incarcerated in the Daviess Dekalb County Regional Jail pending filing of formal charges. Kopek is also the special prosecuting attorney on this most recent case.

Officer Jeremy Felder Charged with Official Misconduct

A 28-year-old township police officer has been suspended without pay from his $60,000 a year position after being charged with second-degree official misconduct.

Jeremy Felder of Old Bridge was arrested Tuesday on official misconduct charges in connection with an illegal search and then falsifying paperwork to cover it up, said Joseph Coronato, Ocean County Prosecutor.

Felder, who was hired from the Jackson Police Department in August 2011, was involved in the search of a motor vehicle in August 2013, which resulted in the seizure of controlled dangerous substances, Coronato said.

“Evidence developed during the investigation shows that Felder allegedly participated in an illegal search of the vehicle and subsequently falsified documents and his police report to conceal his wrongdoing,” said Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

Della Fave said no specifics about the traffic stop where listed on the complaint. Calls to the Lakewood Police Department on the incident where referred back to the prosecutor’s office.

The charges against the vehicle’s occupants have been dismissed.

During his tenure as a police officer in Jackson, Felder was named in a lawsuit stemming from a Jan. 27, 2010, incident in the Wawa parking lot at South Hope Chapel Road and East Veterans Highway.

In his suit, Ball said he pulled into the gas station’s parking entrance, then attempted to move parking cones so he could drive to a nearby gas pump. Ball said Felder, who was on duty, told him to drive around to Wawa’s other entrance. Ball argued, saying doing so would cause his car to run out of gas, according to court documents.

At some point, the two started arguing, and Ball said Felder punched him.

In a police report included in court documents, Felder described Ball’s behavior as unusual and said Ball was slurring his speech and seemed excited and rambling. Ball also had a baseball bat in the front seat of his car, according to police. After refusing to move the vehicle, Ball allegedly yelled an expletive at the officer. Felder reported Ball made a rapid movement toward the front driver's compartment of the vehicle, leaning toward the baseball bat.

In April 2013, Jackson agreed to pay the man $95,000 to settle the case. No charges were ever filed against Felder.

Lakewood Police Chief Robert Lawson said the department’s internal affairs division is working with the prosecutor’s office on the case.

Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein said the governing body was notified of the situation a couple of days ago.

“We have a great police department and great officers,” Lichtenstein said. “Our professional standards division worked on this case. It shows that they can police their own. It’s disappointing, but you have to remember that he is innocent until proven guilty.”

Pastor Glenn Wilson, a community leader, said the incident cast a negative light on the police department.

“Off the bat, most people don’t trust the police and when things like this happen it just drives that idea,” Wilson said. “I really believe that most of our cops are good police officers. I don’t believe this should put a black eye on the whole department.”

Calls to Stuart Alterman, Felder’s attorney, were not returned.

Local Police Benevolent Association No. 71 President Gary Przewoznik said the union is there to support its members.

“As a local we stand behind and fully support all of our officers,” Przewoznik said. “Unlike civilians, police officers are held to a higher standard and for that reason, are typically presumed guilty until a trial allows the facts to be presented and innocence can be proven. Our union is here to ensure that until the facts are presented and a resolution/verdict is reached, our officers have the support necessary to get them though this difficult time.”

Felder’s bail was set at $15,000 with no 10 percent option by state Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels Jr. Della Fave said Felder immediately posted bail and so was never processed at the Ocean County Jail.

Della Fave did not have a photo of Felder. Detective Sgt. Greg Staffordsmith, spokesman for the Lakewood police, referred all questions to the prosecutor’s office and said he could not release a photo, per the state Attorney General’s Office guidelines.

Officer Eugene Taylor Charged with Killing Girlfriend's Puppy

A Baltimore City police officer is charged with animal cruelty and abuse of an animal after allegedly killing his girlfriend's puppy, say Montgomery County Police.

Officers arrested 27-year-old Alec Eugene Taylor for intentionally and cruelly killing a seven-month-old puppy that belonged to his girlfriend. Taylor is charged with aggravated animal cruelty and abuse or neglect of an animal.

Police tell us that police officers and animal services officers were called to a home on Castle Boulevard on Feb. 28. Taylor's girlfriend told officers that Taylor had beaten and killed their seven-month-old Jack Russell Terrier named Rocko.

Officers later discovered that on Feb. 26 at approximately 4:30 p.m., Taylor sent a text to his girlfriend stating that Rocko had pooped on the carpet and that he had killed the dog. Police say Taylor also texted a photograph of what appeared to be a lifeless dog.

Police say Taylor told his girlfriend during a follow-up call that he was tired of cleaning up the dog's mess and that he had beaten the dog with a mop. He also told her he had put the dog in a dumpster in the parking lot. She asked Taylor to take Rocko out of the dumpster so that she could bury the dog, according to police. That evening, she returned home from work, took Rocko from a shoe box on the apartment balcony, and buried the dog at a neighborhood park in Hyattsville.

Animal Services officers recovered the dog and performed a necropsy, say police. Results show that the immediate cause of death was acute hemorrhagic shock likely due to blood loss from liver damage caused by blunt force trauma, according to police.

Animal Services Division officers spoke with Taylor, who stated that he used a mop to force Rocko from behind the dryer and then used his hands to choke Rocko until he was dead, say police.

Officers obtained a warrant for Taylor's arrest on Tuesday. Taylor turned himself into officers on Wednesday. He was transported to the Central Processing Unit and charged with aggravated animal cruelty (a felony) and abuse or neglect of an animal.

The Baltimore Police Department released the following statement:

"The Baltimore Police Department is conducting an administrative investigation into the incident contained in the charges filed this morning by the Montgomery County Police Department against Officer Alec Taylor. Allegations of animal cruelty are taken seriously by the Baltimore Police Department. Over the course of the last year significant emphasis has been placed on developing and training investigators to handle animal abuse incidents in Baltimore. Alec Taylor is a five-year veteran of the Department and will be suspended without pay."

Officer Jason Green Arrested for Domestic Violence

A City of Columbia police officer has been arrested and charged with criminal domestic violence.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said deputies responded to an assault call at 2438 Willow Oak Drive around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

According to police, Jason Green, 32, and his wife were involved in a verbal altercation when Green grabbed her by throat and shoved her.

Sheriff Lott said officers discovered Green is a City of Columbia police officer while investigating.

Green was arrested and taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.


A judge granted Green a $5,242.50 personal recognizance bond Wednesday morning. He is not permitted to have contact with the victim directly or indirectly and he cannot go within 1000 feet of victim's home, work, school, or place of worship.

According to a Columbia Police Department spokesperson, Green has been suspended without pay.

CMDR. Johnny Thomas Arrested for Domestic Violence

A Detroit police officer with nearly 25 years on the job is in custody accused of domestic violence.

The alleged altercation happened on Saturday between the 42-year-old officer and his girlfriend. Neighbors tell Isom they heard gunfire that day, which police have not confirmed.

"On the night of the incident there was a physical altercation between him and the young lady, and a report was made and we moved on that and sought a warrant and he arrested him for the ... alleged actions," says Commander Johnny Thomas.

A source tells FOX 2's Andrea Isom the woman escaped the situation by jumping out of a window and running to a nearby restaurant, wearing barely any clothing.

An employee at the restaurant tells Isom the woman was only wearing a shirt and her face was "a little bit beat up." Employees gave her some clothes to cover up and called for help.

Investigators may have been at the home once before, but they were also there again Tuesday searching for any signs of a struggle. They took lots of pictures and seemed to collect more evidence.

Police say the officer turned himself in, and the department has a zero tolerance policy for crime so the situation could cost the officer his job.

The officer is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.

More Charges Filed Against Officer Dana Bond

A suspended Detroit Police officer has been charged with multiple misdemeanors in connection to an alcohol-related car crash that occurred Sunday.

Officer Dana Bond, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, is accused of driving while intoxicated when she crashed her car into another vehicle at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, injuring a 19-year-old male driver and his 16-year-old female passenger.

After striking the car, officials say, the 41-year-old allegedly attempted to flee the scene, ran into a snow bank and was arrested.

The injured victims were transported to a local hospital and were listed in stable condition, according to officials.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy’s office Tuesday announced Bond is charged with High Blood Alcohol Content (180-day misdemeanor), Failure to Stop at the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident (one-year misdemeanor) and Failure to Stop at the Scene of an Accident with Property Damage (90-day Misdemeanor).

Bond was previously suspended in connection to misdemeanor charges of retail fraud on Aug. 19 and Aug. 28. Bond allegedly stole item(s), including wine, from two separate stores. She is scheduled to have jury trials on both cases 9 a.m. April 15 before Judge Ronald Giles In 36th District Court.

The Detroit Police report that the defendant was arraigned this morning on the new charges. Bond was set at $10,000.

Sgt. Matthew Downing Charged with Assault and Battery

An Oklahoma City police sergeant has been charged with a crime after his supervisors say he stepped over the line.

Robert Biegler is still passionate about how he was treated by Sgt. Matthew Downing, with the Oklahoma City Police Department, on the morning of Jan. 26 at N.W. 36th and May Ave.

Biegler said he was going to get a cup of coffee at a convenience store when he saw Downing approach a female driver, who was stopped at a green light.

Biegler said, “He jumps out of his car, runs up to the driver’s window of the little minivan and screams at the driver, ‘What in the f*** is wrong with you!’”

So, he decided to yell something at Downing.

He said, “I just yelled out the window, ‘Road rage sucks!’ and proceeded about my business.”

Moments later, Biegler said Sgt. Downing followed him into the store.

“All of a sudden, boom!  He comes blasting through the door,” Biegler said.  “He says ‘Hey, you think you’re pretty smart?  You’re going to jail now!’”

Biegler said he called out to anyone listening, “Call the police!”

When a supervisor arrived, they decided Sgt. Downing had stepped way over the line.

“What our investigation is saying, is that we don’t believe that the officer had justification for making the arrest at all,” said Capt. Dexter Nelson, with the Oklahoma City Police Department.  “Therefore, he had no justification for using force against that individual.”

Biegler was released, but says he still has numbness in his thumb from being tied up in a police car for nearly an hour.

“This guy needs to go to jail immediately,” he said.  “He absolutely does not need to be on the streets with a gun.  He’s crazy.”

In a report, Downing claimed Biegler seemed mentally unstable and was arrested because he failed to devote his full attention to the road while yelling out his window.

The Oklahoma County district attorney filed one misdemeanor charge of assault and battery against Sgt. Downing, who is currently on paid administration leave, pending the investigation.

Nelson said Downing has not been arrested yet, and the police chief has not decided on any disciplinary action.

Downing has been with the department for 15 years.

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.